I thought it would be fun to sort some of the characters from the books into LOTRO Classes. I listed the classes in alphabetical order, and then each character in chronological order of appearance.
I give the generic race of each character. I differentiate between the men of the First Age who had been blessed by their association with elves as Edain and the common men of the Third Age. I also broke the Elves down by their sub-races.
I provided my estimation of each characters trait line. Then I quote from one of the books to provide evidence for my classification. And finally a few notes on why I made the selection I did.
It was much easier to pick out some of the combat classes like Guardian and Champion, and focus on their skills by the description of the fighting. So forgive me for not having as many examples of Loremasters and Minstrels, nor as much discussion of skills for Burglars and Captains.
Aragorn was left out as he could fit in Captain, Champion, or Hunter; but is in fact a Ranger, and so not really any in game class.
Burglar
| Beren | |
| Race: Edain | Spec: The Quite Knife (DPS) |
| Quotes from The Silmarillion: |
For Beren son of Barahir had been sent by his father on a perilous errand to spy upon the ways of the Enemy
Thereafter for four years more Beren wandered still upon Dorthonion, a solitary outlaw; and Beren was pressed so hard that at last he was forced to flee from Dorthonion.
There spiders of the fell race of Ungoliant abode, spinning their unseen webs in which all living things were snared; and monsters wandered there that were born in the long dark before the Sun, hunting silently with many eyes. That journey is not accounted least among the great deeds of Beren, but he spoke of it to no one after, lest the horror return into his mind; and none know how he found a way, and so came by paths that no Man nor Elf else ever dared to tread to the borders of Doriath. And he passed through the mazes that Melian wove about the kingdom of Thingol
Then Beren sprang from before Celegorm full upon the speeding horse of Curufin that had passed him; and the Leap of Beren is renowned among Men and Elves. He took Curufin by the throat from behind, and hurled him backward,
Notes: Had a hard time picking a class for him, thinking about Champion or Guardian. But then I suddenly realized how sneaky he was. But he still could bring the DPS when needed. Plus, imagine the Agility he needed for that leap! And he hit Curufin in the throat from behind? That’s Burglar.
| Bilbo | |
| Race: Hobbit | Spec: Mischief-Maker |
| Quotes from The Hobbit: |
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| Merry | |
| Race: Hobbit | Spec: Gambler |
| Quotes from The Return of the King: |
Slowly, slowly he began to crawl aside; but the Black Captain, in doubt and malice intent upon the woman before him, heeded him no more than a worm in the mud.
But suddenly he too stumbled forwardwith a cry of bitter pain, and his stroke went wide, driving into the ground. Merry’s sword had stabbed him from behind, shearing through the black mantle, and passing up beneath the hauberk had pierced the sinew behind his mighty knee.
“Eowyn! Eowyn!” cried Merry.
Notes: Merry strikes from stealth kicking off a Fellowship Maneuver.
Captain
| Turin, Son of Hurin | |
| Race: Edain | Spec: Lead the Charge (DPS) |
| Quotes from The Silmarillion: |
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Notes: He leads bands of men a few times in the Simarillion. |
| Eomer | |
| Race: Man | Spec: Leader of Men |
| Quotes from The Two Towers: |
Eomer son of Eomund, Third Marshal of Riddermark
Eomer gave orders that the spare horses were to lent to the strangers
The company of Eomer
Quickly Eomer set his men in readiness.
Together Eomer and Aragorn sprang through the door, their men close behind. The swords flashed from the sheath as one.
“Guthwine!” cried Emore. “Guthwine for the Mark!”
Notes: Pretty obvious he must be a Captain.
| Faramir | |
| Race: Man | Spec: Hands of Healing |
| Quotes from The Two Towers: |
“I am Faramir, Captain of Gondor”
“Not while Faramir is Captain. He leads now in all perilous ventures.” – Mablung
Champion
| Hurin | |
| Race: Edain | Spec: 5 Deep in Berserker |
| Quotes from The Silmarillion: |
Last of all Húrin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed; and it is sung that the axe smoked in the black blood of the troll-guard of Gothmog until it withered, and each time that he slew Húrin cried: ‘Aurë entuluva! Day shall come again!’ Seventy times he uttered that cry; but they took him at last alive, by the command of Morgoth, for the Orcs grappled him with their hands, which clung to him still though he hewed off their arms; and ever their numbers were renewed, until at last he fell buried beneath them.
Notes: Dude is obviously in Continuous Blood Rage, and using Red Haze after every kill.
| Thorin | |
| Race: Dwarf | Spec: Deadly Storm (AOE) |
| Quotes from The Hobbit: |
Notes: Red haze and adamant appear to be used here. He is definitely a fan of 2H AOE, I like him. |
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| Boromir | |
| Race: Man | Spec: mix of Deadly Storm (AOE) and Martial (Tank) |
| Quotes from The Fellowship of the Ring & The Two Towers: |
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|
There were cries, and among them, to his horror, he could distinguish the harsh voices of Orcs. Then suddenly with a deep-throated call a great horn blew, and the blasts of it smote the hills and echoed in the hallows, rising in a mighty shout above the roaring of the falls..
“The horn of Boromir!” he cried.
Notes: I know LOTRO cast him as a Captain, but come on! He uses his horn for an AOE stun, in combat, definitely Sound the Attack. Captains horns are out of combat only, and do not stun anything. Plus, no Captain tanks with a shield. Champion.
| Gimli | |
| Race: Dwarf | Spec: Berserker (ST DPS) |
| Quotes from The Two Towers: |
Down from the wall lept Gimli with a fierce cry that echoed in the cliffs. “Khazad! Khazad!”
…sprang out of the shadows and gave a hoarse shout: Baruk Khazad! Khazad ai-menu! An axe swung and swept back. Two orcs fell headless. The rest fled.
“Twenty-one!” cried Gimli. He hewed a two-handed stroke and laid the last Orc before his feet.
“Forty-two, Master Legolas!” he cried. “Alas! My axe is notched: the forty-second had an iron collar on his neck.”
Notes: Could have gone with Guardian, except look at that kill count! That is how a Champion thinks. And that cry as he entered combat, I’m pretty sure that’s him getting into fervor.
| Eowyn | |
| Race: Man | Spec: 5 Deep in Berserker, 2 from Martial Champion |
| Quotes from The Return of the King: |
“Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!””
A cold voice answered: “come not between the Nazgul and his prey!”
A sword was in her hand, and she raised her shield against the horror of her enemy’s eyes.
Still she did not blench: maiden of the Rohirrim, child of kings, slender but as a steel-blade, fair but terrible. A swift stroke she dealt, skilled and deadly. The outstretched neck she clove asunder,
Then tottering, struggling up, with her last strength she drove her sword between crown and mantle, as the great shoulders bowed before her.
Notes: Almost made her a Guardian due to the shield and grabbing agro, but the damage done cannot be explained by that. It appears she used Champions Challenge to force taunt the Nazgul. She had the shield on, perhaps for the crit protection? In any case, I think she must have been in Continuous Blood Rage to ignore the fear that the others obviously felt in the presence of the Nazgul.
She must have activated Fight On! as well. For only with the 25% boost from Fervour, 20% from CBR, and 25% from Fight On! could she have slain the Nazgul and his steed in single blows. It must have been a devastating Critical of Remorseless Strike on the Steed, and a Dev Crit on a Conjunction for the Nazgul.
Guardian
| Azaghal | |
| Race: Dwarf | Spec: Keen Blade/Overpower (DPS) |
| Quotes from The Silmarillion: |
the Naugrim withstood fire more hardily than either Elves or Men, and it was their custom moreover to wear great masks in battle hideous to look upon; and those stood them in good stead against the dragons. And but for them Glaurung and his brood would have withered all that was left of the Noldor. But the Naugrim made a circle about him when he assailed them, and even his mighty armour was not full proof against the blows of their great axes; and when in his rage Glaurung turned and struck down Azaghâl, Lord of Belegost, and crawled over him, with his last stroke Azaghâl drove a knife into his belly, and so wounded him that he fled the field, and the beasts of Angband in dismay followed after him.
Notes: This Dwarf is one bad motha. It sounds like he had a lot of Fire Mitigation and Armor. Almost made him a Champion, but no Champion would be caught dead with a knife. He died with his knife….
| Glorfindel | |
| Race: Noldor | Spec: Mixed Fighter of Shadow (Tank) and Defender of the Free (Threat) |
| Quotes from The Silmarillion: |
Along that narrow way their march was strung, when they were ambushed by Orcs, for Morgoth had set watchers all about the encircling hills; and a Balrog was with them. Then dreadful was their plight, and hardly would they have been saved by the valour of yellow-haired Glorfindel, chief of the House of the Golden Flower of Gondolin, had not Thorondor come timely to their aid..
Many are the songs that have been sung of the duel of Glorfindel with the Balrog upon a pinnacle of rock in that high place; and both fell to ruin in the abyss.
Notes: Drew Balrog Aggro? Guardian.
| Sam | |
| Race: Hobbit | Spec: Mixed Mixed Keen Blade (DPS), Fighter of Shadow (Tank) and Defender of the Free (Threat) |
| Quotes from The Two Towers: |
Sam did not wait to wonder what was to be done, or whether he was brave, or loyal, or filled with rage. He sprang forward with a yell, and seized his master’s sword, in his left hand. Then he charged. No onslaught more fierce was ever seen in the savage world of beasts: where some desperate small creature armed with little teeth alone, will spring upon a tower of horn and hide that stands above its fallen mate.
No such anguish had Shelob ever known, or dreamed of knowing, in all her long world of wickedness. Not the doughtiest soldier of old Gondor, nor the most savage Orc entrapped, had ever thus endured her, or set blade to her beloved flesh.
Notes: Ok, so In this case I agree with Turbine. Little dude is all over that spider. He drew aggro off Frodo, then went OP to dish some damage, and he had to have Stoic to survive Shelobs attack.
Hunter
| Beleg Strongbow | |
| Race: Sindarin | Spec: Hunstman |
| Quotes from The Silmarillion: |
Then Beleg departed from Menegroth, and far across Beleriand he sought in vain for tidings of Túrin through many perils.
When all in the camp were sleeping Beleg took his bow, and in the darkness shot the wolf-sentinels, one by one and silently.
Notes: Dude spent half the book tracking Turin down over and over.
| Bard | |
| Race: Man | Spec: Bowmaster |
| Quotes from The Hobbit: |
"Black arrow! I have saved you to the last. You have never failed me and always I have recovered you. I had you from my father and he from of old. If ever you came from the forges of the true king under the Mountain, go now and speed well!"
The dragon swooped once more lower than ever, and as he turned and dived down his belly glittered white with sparkling fires of gems in the moon-but not in one place. The great bow twanged. The black arrow sped straight from the string, straight for the hollow by the left breast where the foreleg was flung wide. In it smote and vanished, barb, shaft and feather, so fierce was its flight. With a shriek that deafened men, felled trees and split stone, Smaug shot spouting into the air, turned over and crashed down from on high in ruin.
Notes: Nice shot! Can you say Heartseeker?
| Legolas | |
| Race: Silvan | Spec: Bowmaster |
| Quotes from The Fellowship of the Ring & The Two Towers: |
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“It is now the fourth day since he was slain”, answered Aragorn, “and since the evening of that day we have journeyed from the shadow of Tol Brandir.”
“On foot?” cried Eomer.
“Yes, even as you see us.”
Wide wonder came into Eomer’s eyes… “This deed of the three friends should be sung in many a hall. Forty leagues and five you have measured ere the fourth day is ended!”
Notes: Legolas obviously used Find the Path for that trip.
Lore-master
| Radagast | |
| Race: Maia | Spec: Keeper of Animals |
| Quotes from The Fellowship of the Ring: |
Radagast is, of course, a worthy Wizard, a master of shapes and changes of hue; and he has much lore of herbs and beasts
Notes: Pretty obviously a Loremaster.
| Gandalf | |
| Race: Maia | Spec: Nature’s Fury |
| Quotes from The Hobbit: |
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Notes: Flaming Pine-cones, and lightning. Loremaster.
| Elrond | |
| Race: Elven/Human/Maia | Spec: Ancient Master |
| Quotes from The Silmarillion: |
wise in all lore is Master Elrond
Minstrel
| Luthien | |
| Race: Elf/Maia | Spec: Protector of Song |
| Quotes from The Silmarillion: |
and the song of Lúthien released the bonds of winter, and the frozen waters spoke, and flowers sprang from the cold earth where her feet had passed.
In that hour Lúthien came, and standing upon the bridge that led to Sauron’s isle she sang a song that no walls of stone could hinder.
With that leaf he staunched Beren’s wound, and by her arts and by her love she healed him
Lúthien was stripped of her disguise by the will of Morgoth, and he bent his gaze upon her. She was not daunted by his eyes; and she named her own name, and offered her service to sing before him, after the manner of a minstrel.
and out of the shadows began a song of such surpassing loveliness, and of such blinding power, that he listened perforce; and a blindness came upon him, as his eyes roamed to and fro, seeking her.All his court were cast down in slumber
Notes: I debated whether or not she was a Minstrel. Her ability to CC everything in Morgoths sanctum seems more of a Loremaster skill, and she does not use an instrument. In the end I decided her voice was her instrument.
| Daeron | |
| Race: Sindarin | Spec: Unknown |
| Quotes from The Silmarillion: |
And it is told that in that time Daeron the minstrel of Thingol strayed from the land, and was seen no more. He it was that made music for the dance and song of Lúthien, before Beren came to Doriath; and he had loved her, and set all his thought of her in his music. He became the greatest of all the minstrels of the Elves east of the Sea, named even before Maglor son of Fëanor.
Notes : Ok, not a well known character, I was reaching here for anyone to use.
Rune-Keeper
Runekeepers were not so lucky. Try as I might, I could come up with no defensible examples of a Runekeeper. To be honest, I doubted I would be able to, I always thought Turbine went too far with that class, but I gave it a try.
Warden
| Gil-Galad | |
| Race: Norldor | Spec: Way of the Spear |
| Quotes from The Silmarillion: |
Notes: Whew, I was glad to find one. |
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This was just done for fun but feel free to discuss any changes or additions you would have made in the comments!
February 18, 2011 at 10:06 am
Wardens are supposedly based on Haldir, although in the game he has neither shield nor spear.
-The Gneech
February 18, 2011 at 10:16 am
Great article Haakon
I really liked the Sam and Hurin ones
May 7, 2012 at 1:45 pm
I would remind everyone of Feanor. There was a rune-keeper if ever there was one.
February 18, 2011 at 10:30 am
Bah, am I the only one who sees Ecthelion of the Fountain as a prime example of the Warden? He grabbed aggro off of Tuor and solo’d the Lord of Balrogs. Granted, he didn’t survive the fight but hey, wardenry was in its diapers
February 18, 2011 at 1:09 pm
i loled at this… but i must admit that you are right
Personally i would add Maglor as a Minstrel to the list..
of course this char is a bit schizophrenic but he could sing quite good. ;D
and as we tend to say in germany: “Und wenn er nicht gestorben ist, dann lebt er noch heute”
February 18, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Good thinking… I thought about that the night before this went live after listening to the tolkien profesor talking about the fall of Gondolin.
March 3, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Didn’t survive the fight, but he did kill it.
February 18, 2011 at 10:35 am
I’d count Tom Bombadil among the minstrels, even if he recites more than he sings
February 18, 2011 at 2:02 pm
heck yes
March 3, 2011 at 7:32 pm
Yeah but the point of minstrels is that they inspire and give morale with their singing, not annoy the hell out you.
February 18, 2011 at 10:49 am
Great article, and also hilarious. I always like using specific game terms for actions in the book. Like same soloing the Shelob. He’s even better than a warden!
February 18, 2011 at 10:52 am
Sorry, Haakon, I agreed with everything except Legolas.
“The wolf snarled and sprang towards them with a great leap. At that moment there was a sharp twang.”
Gotta be Huntsman for the inductions to be that fast.
But everything else was great.
Oh and Aragorn is like a bow-using Warden or a captain, “the hands if the king are the hands of a healer”
So hands of healing, or popping conviction, either way. Rangers aren’t real classes lol, not even session play.
June 30, 2011 at 10:49 pm
its been a while since i read the books but i cant recall aragorn using a bow?
February 18, 2011 at 10:57 am
No Rune-keeper parallels?
How surprising
February 18, 2011 at 12:05 pm
Now if Lotro guardians could use horns, I would have put Boromir in as a guard, in his ability to draw orc agro was epic.
February 18, 2011 at 12:26 pm
make that a OP Guard, c’mon he carries a 2handed Sword and a shield, pulls agro like nobodies business. The only thing that makes him a champ is the horn.
February 18, 2011 at 12:14 pm
“Notes: Merry strikes from stealth kicking off a Fellowship Maneuver.”
Probably the best line I’ve read written in CSTM yet.
Great stuff.
(Though, to be fair, I have to say I still love my Rune-Keeper! Even if a specific character can’t be readily found, words both written and spoken definitely had power in Tolkien’s works, take for example the language of Mordor that even Gandalf is too cautious to speak, the script on the ring that isn’t normal writing- only visible by fire, Durin’s Door being opened by the speaking of a specific word in a specific language shows their utility, just for starters)
February 18, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Agreed on the Merry line. I LOL’d at my desk.
February 18, 2011 at 12:33 pm
I seem to remember reading that Runekeepers were based on Galadriel. Runekeepers have skill descriptions that suggest prophecy and foretelling, and Galadriel does prophecy and foretelling. It might be a weak connection, but if I had to classify Galadriel, no other class would make more sense.
February 18, 2011 at 1:04 pm
Celembrimbor was the main justification for runekeepers, still is in the lore book, and it fits well enough if you take it with a pinch of salt like with the rest of the classes.
Anyone who loves Dr Olsens can often hear a strong justification behind the runekeeper and minstrel (especially the latter) as very close to tolkiens work with language and writing, even if the eventual implementation of the former got jazzed up with elemental grahics and flashes to make it more magey. If RKs had been accurate and had just sang, shouted and recited poetry instead of ‘psuedo’ writing and shouting, they would have been even weirder, if more accurate!
February 18, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Hmmm… I didnt even think of Celebrimbor.. I Was doing word seacrches for rune or magic or anything like that…
March 3, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Well Celembrimbor was the one that imbued the Moria doors with their power to open when someone says mellon. That’s got to be word-magic.
February 20, 2011 at 2:56 pm
Celebrimbor as RK is interesting and somewhat obvious in hindsight. Daeron is also a good connection and I think a good theory.
To Galadriel, who I remember the Devs explicitly referencing, I would also add Luthien. She fought only with her voice and her words, never once that I can recall bearing a weapon, and yet caused real wounds in her enemies and healed her allies. Part of Luthien exhibiting greater power than Galadriel was probably due to her being both a full generation older and also the daughter of an incarnate Maia.
But of course the devs had to dance around the issue of where they drew their inspiration from since they couldn’t (openly) use anything from the Silmarillion.
Though, this is not to discount Galadriel. In the Appendices of LOTR, Tolkien says that after Celeborn’s forces took Dol Guldur, “Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits, and the forest was cleansed.” Tolkien specified that it was Galadriel, not Celeborn or the host of Lothlorien and his description is very evocative of the Valar’s destruction of Angband. She *did* it, she did not *have it done.*
As for Fingolfin, I’ve always viewed him as a Warden. He was an evasion-based tank. He had a fine shield and good armor but it was his *avoidance* of Morgoth’s blows that was most noteworthy. I don’t think specifying that he had mail is enough to qualify someone as “heavy” in terms of the Silmarillion. All the noteworthy Noldar and Sindar Elves wore mail in battle.
February 18, 2011 at 12:38 pm
Beren was a hunter.
February 18, 2011 at 1:19 pm
your logic is irrefutable!
February 19, 2011 at 11:08 pm
Point taken, and you are probably right that within the context of LOTRO Beren might be closer to burglar than hunter, especially considering how he stole Luthien’s heart and also tried to pinch that extra Silmaril.
Of course was a master of woodcraft and the hunt, though no bowmaster.
And he was relatively squishy, like a LOTRO hunter. Luthien was pulling his bacon from the fire constantly, she being the power in that power couple. Not to mention Finrod’s and Huan’s sacrifices for his sake..
February 18, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Nah, Clearly a devastate Surprise Strike there. Didn’t even need aim of LiE or RW for it.
February 18, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Truly fabulous, as always! Seriously impressed with the depth of your knowledge of all things Tolkien!
February 18, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Couple of ideas for a rune keeper:
- Celebrimbor – besides making rings of fire, he’s the one who carved the runes on Moria west-gate. Those runes have special properties (reveal themselves under moonlight and after certain words are spoken);
- Sauron – he made a ring of power with cool shining runes, plus, he’s the one causing lightning in the mountains between Mordor and Gondor, he uses lava-flows (fire)… I’m stretching here a bit.
- Gardriel – as Khloin mentioned above, she’s the one using prophecy and foretelling.
February 18, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Sorry, the last should be ‘Galadriel’
February 18, 2011 at 1:08 pm
I always considered Sam as a Warden. He just kinda seems like the warden type; you know, the never surrender kind of thing.
No RK example is not surprising.
February 18, 2011 at 2:06 pm
The reason Haakon is struggling to find a Warden example is that, much like Rune-keepers, there was never a “THIS IS SPARTA! ” person in the lore, whatsoever.
It was a developer’s misplaced wet-dream, and continues to be anathema to all proper Guardians in Middle-earth.
February 19, 2011 at 9:14 am
I agree that Sam seems more like a Warden to me. I mean, have you ever seen Sam wear more than Medium Armour and in your quote you mentioned that “No Onslaught more fierce”. Warden’s have a skill called “Onslaught”. Sounds very Wardenish to me, in my honest opinion.
February 18, 2011 at 1:20 pm
I’d add Finrod as a Minstrel in the Warrior Skald spec for his battle with Sauron. He was certainly in Warspeech, and he lost the battle when he ran out of power.
February 18, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Regarding Boromir: It’d keep him as Captain. Turbine is obviously trying to tell us that Captains get a horn-based attack at higher levels — maybe with the Gondor expansion!
February 18, 2011 at 2:03 pm
On behalf of Elf Guardians everywhere, who are very-much able to wield spears (your sole source of reasoning), I take exception to your “class”-ification of our beloved former High-King as a smeggin’ Warden.
(huff)
February 18, 2011 at 2:03 pm
How about we just count the two blue wizards as rune keepers.
February 18, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Sauron and Finrod Felegund i would say are minstrels.
“Thus befell the contest of Sauron and Felagund which is renowned. For Felegund strove with Sauron in songs of power, and the power of the King was very great; but Sauron had the mastery…”
February 18, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Fantastic stuff! Thanks for knowing the lore and sharing
February 18, 2011 at 3:29 pm
What about Bill the pony? In the game he probably had to tank his way back home after that escort quest in Eregion. If a horse could have a class I suppose he would be guardian.
February 18, 2011 at 5:05 pm
Isn’t it somewhat logically inconsistent to make arguments for the Champ and Guardian (and others) based on their effect: DPS and the ability to hold aggro respectively, but to thereafter fill the ranks of Minstrels based on their aesthetic, namely the instruments and inductions, rather than on their ability to maintain the morale of their fellows?
You upset a few archetypes that way (I think Gandalf is more a Minstrel than a Lore Master), particularly since often in Arda magic and song are indistinguishable from one another. Sam is also much more difficult to categorise then.
And of course Tom Bombadil’s a mini whichever way you cut it.
February 18, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Turbine explicitly states they based Loremasters on Gandalf and his flaming pinecones. In this case i agreed with them… even though i was tempted to leave him our since he is a Maia.
February 19, 2011 at 7:59 am
I can see I’m gonna have to work a little harder.
I get that the Lore Master archetype was founded on Gandalf, and it’s a pretty safe way to classify him on the face of things, but I still think it’s worth considering more closely.
Most of what I’m about to suggest is founded on the premise that the only -real- magic in Arda is crafted in song and music*. That it’s essentially a creative force, since any attempt to cause destruction and disharmony can be folded into the tune by a more skilled practitioner (as Iluvatar did when Melkor attempted to disrupt the song of creation).
But if you disagree with that thesis it’s pretty easy to poke holes in my argument.
Firstly, Gandalf clearly demonstrates an understanding of the power of song. He sings to the Rohirrim to remind them of their former relationship with the elves of Lorien, which has deteriorated under the influence of Saruman and the Wormtongue. He also sings some verse about the Ents to Theoden and about Elendil and the Faithful to Pippin. In the latter cases the intent is to bolster the courage of the individual.
But even without singing anything one of his greatest and most apparent strengths is his ability to turn up just when things seem the most grim, and lift the spirits of those around him.
You referred to the incident in The Hobbit with the little “Fifteen birds on five fir trees” chant that the goblins sing, but before he throws any pinecones he challenges them shouting, among other things, “naughty boys that play with fire get punished”.
Even though he’s frightened, and even though it’s not stated directly, I think he’s giving the dwarves and Bilbo something to take heart in, and he’s setting up the true magic that gives his later conjuring trick with the pinecones its real power.
He’s also there to restore courage after the dwarves’ encounter with the three trolls, after goblin town, in the fight with the Balrog (Anthem of the Free Peoples and Triumphant Spirit much?), for Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli when they despair of finding the two hobbits, he’s also there to counsel Faramir and he inspires Pippin to climb Minas Tirith and light the beacon.
I’m not saying he perfectly fits the Minstrel archetype, but I do think when you look a the practical effect he has on those around him, rather than the aesthetics of conjuring, he starts to seem very minstrel-like.
February 19, 2011 at 8:00 am
(* So Minstrels are the only true wielders of magic.
)
June 30, 2011 at 11:33 pm
i will poke a hole if i may. My belief and opinion from what i have read on tolkien is the art or connexion the elves have with the shade world, Man and dwarf’s are oblivious to or harder to connect to (dwarves using runes to “connect”)is where they can draw power or manipulate in the dimension men can see, which draws from your own strength or will. Therefore elves who have lots of time to train their will so to speak can become more powerful. Then there is creation “magic” which is all from eru or the secret fire of Ea. i think this is primarily focuses through the “song” and mainly used by mair or valar. otherwise how do explain numernorean sorceror’s? just my opinion but i also agree on your points lol
February 18, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Great one haakon, thaks for all these articles they are fun to read at work while being bored and on break.
I would have added more to bilbo’s example, I forgot if he mentioned it but I thought bilbo said he used a little “touch and go” some part in the hobbit book.
Touch and go is a burglar skill to, infact a good portion of the burglars skills are based on little phrases in the books that mention bilbo or sneaking
February 18, 2011 at 5:22 pm
I’d make one suggestion about Turin; I think he’s actually a champion. While he did tend to gather men around him, his greatest feats were almost always accomplished alone (i.e. the slaying of the dragon) and he was all about the 2H Sword. Also, given the curse of Morgoth, he actually seems to debuff his allies, which strikes me as more a Champion thing than a Captain thing
February 18, 2011 at 5:25 pm
I must admit that it has been a long time since I read the books, but would Sauraman (before his fall) have qualified as an RK or a LM? After all, he was considered wisest among his kind and was steeped in ring-lore, but he also had mastery over language and his voice was powerful even after his staff was broken.
February 18, 2011 at 6:45 pm
Great article, I really enjoyed it!
February 18, 2011 at 7:10 pm
I beg you pardon but I found a RK.
Drûg named Aghan of the race Druedain from the unfinished tales (Silmarilion era I guess, 1st age).
Drugs were a mysterious race of man, weird in appearance and mortal enemies of the Orcs and friend of man.
They possessed magic they say.
There are several tales of them but the one that got my attention is “The Faithful Stone “.
The text is too long for me to copy/paste it in here and there might be some copyright issues in doing so also.
February 18, 2011 at 7:11 pm
They didnt have written language but they did use RUNES and made strange relics, statues in their likeness etc.
February 18, 2011 at 8:01 pm
I dont have unfinished tales, so that explains why i would not have them.
June 30, 2011 at 11:20 pm
interesting… i wonder if there the same race as beornings?
February 18, 2011 at 10:17 pm
I suggest you get them, its nice info to tie in some Silmarilion and other tales.
February 19, 2011 at 12:52 am
Great stuff.
However, i would argue that Glorfindel is a warden. He served with the wardens of gondolin, and soloing a balrog is OP.
February 19, 2011 at 1:29 am
Great stuff! I’ve long thought of LoTR characters in terms of LOTRO classes. I’d definitely peg Aragorn as a Captain. He carries a reforged greatsword, has a standard (although it doesn’t reach him until the Grey Co. meets him. Arwen didn’t have the mats in time to make it or something), and most of all, he called the Oath-breakers to service. Classic Captain move!
February 19, 2011 at 6:22 am
I agree with pretty much all of them except Eowyn. In my mind, I’ve always seen her as a Guardian. She’s the reason I made a Guard in the first place. Look at how she pulls aggro & protects Merry when he gets himself in to trouble facing the witch-king. Also, look at how she pulls aggro from her wounded uncle.
Plus, it may seem that her killing blow was Champ-like, but she wouldn’t have been able to take down the witch-king if it hadn’t been for Merry’s stabbing him with the Barrow blade. That was a classic Guard-Burg combo move. Guard takes aggro, Burg sneaks up and stabs in the knee.
Eowyn is a SHIELDmaiden — all tank. She even has a Guard skill named after her….Shieldmaiden’s song. Obviously a Guardian. “Am I not of the House of Eorl? A shieldmaiden and not a dry-nurse?”
References….
February 19, 2011 at 8:34 am
Nice. I’d say that Merry used Hide In Plain Sight and then Trip.
February 19, 2011 at 1:45 pm
So strange that you would write this because this a conversation I brought up in kinchat only about a week ago. We were discussing what class roles each of the LOTR fellowship would reprisent. Someone said Sam as Gaurdian, but I had a hard time with this (being that I associate Gaurdian so much with heavy armour and a more Gimli type). However, after you discribed the fight with Shelob, it makes a lot more sense.
I’ve been rereading the Silmarillion and it seemed to me that there was some talk of rune makeing amongst the dwarves, namely those lived in Lindon and the Blue Mountains.
Daeron (Mirkwood elf) was listed as both lore-master AND minstrel in the Silmarillion, “Daeron the Minstrel, chief loremaster of the kingdom of Thingol, devised his runes, and the Naugrim that came to Thingol learned them . . ” So, we might add RK to what Daeron was as well. Daeron is also the Elven Loremaster that created the dwarven runes known as Cirth. The dwarves later altered it to their language of Khuzdul.
He is also the elf that loved Luthien before Beren came into the picture. When it was clear that Luthien loved Beren more Baeron left his people, disappearing from history.
So, probably your best example of a RK would have to be Daeron – who not only filled the roll of RK, but of minstrel and loremaster as well. You have to admit, there are a lot of similarities between these three classes
February 19, 2011 at 1:48 pm
Just reread my comment. So many misspellings! This will teach me for posting without proofreading first. Oiy!
February 19, 2011 at 4:13 pm
I’d suggest Fingolfin, High King of the Noldor in the 1st age, was clearly a Guardian.
Evidence:
Aggro management – “ and challenged Morgoth to come forth to single combat. And Morgoth came.” A great line which shows him using ‘Challenge’ to call out Morgoth, Sauron’s old boss, to single combat.
Heavy armour – “for his mail was overlaid with silver”.
Sword & Board – “his blue shield was set with crystals and he drew his sword Ringil, that glittered like ice”.
Low DPS – “and he wounded Morgoth with seven wounds” but he still couldn’t kill him. Also, “at last the king grew weary, and Morgoth bore down his shield upon him” which just shows how long the fight lasted!
February 20, 2011 at 1:19 am
guardians are not “just tanks” and for that and my personal count of enemies killed i will say gimli can be an OP guardian.
February 20, 2011 at 3:22 am
Merry was no Burglar.
At the battle of the Pelennor Fields when he went to help Eowyn as she faced the Lord of the Nazgûl he thought
“…. At least she shall not die alone.”
See? No LOTRO burg has ever thought that way – they’d just use HIPS and bug out. No problems with the rest of the FS wiping.
And of course Sam was a Guardian, not a Warden. He basically had Shield Wall round Frodo all the way from Bag End to Mount Doom. No “Look at me! I can tank loads of mobs!” fancy Warden gambits and fighting techniques for our lad Sam, it was all about protection. Guardian. Pure and simple.
March 3, 2011 at 11:37 pm
Merry is a burg,.. he hips to fall beneath enemy notice and used trip from stealth FM stun on the boss (from behind at that) so Eowen could kill him.
It was a crit too.
February 20, 2011 at 8:00 pm
1. Merry is a Guardian based on his use of heavy armor and the fact that he has a shield. He also clearly used Stagger to slow down the Witch King, then ran through the Parry chain with a crit on TTK for an FM stun.
More importantly, look at how he and Pippin handle the scouring and you’ll see that they behave like a cross between Captains and Guardians.
2. Turin is a Champion. He leads goups, but only so that he has close by victims for using Champions Boast on. He cannot heal anything and only inspires others by how well he kills orcs.
3. Thorin is a Captain. Look at what happens when he and the other 13 Dwarves launch their assault in the Battle of the Five Armies.
4. Although you can easily argue that Boromir is a Champion, I would say that he is a Captain. Not only is he described as the Captain of Gondor but look at his final fight. He kills the orcs one by one (not AoEing them to death), gets put down by arrows (not a problem for Champs since they shoot back and have sprint), and also makes the best use of Last Stand ever.
5. Gandalf and Radagast are WIZARDS not “conjurers of cheap tricks” (aka Lore Masters).
6. Gil Galad was a Captain. Heavy Armor and a pretty heavy shield. Could also make a case for Guardian.
7. Eowen was a Guardian from before the no Overpower in S&B Days.
March 4, 2011 at 5:30 pm
I would say Elrond would be a Rk, he is able to heal (frodo’s morgul wound for example, and of course the house of healing) and yet he can still do damage. Also in the hobbit he is able to explain the moon letter’s to the dwarfs so he us of also knowledgeable in runes. A rune master
March 7, 2011 at 6:05 am
Naw, Elrond is a Lore-Master. Frodo is wounded rather than on low-morale. Lore-Masters cure wounds like no other. It seems he doesn’t have PAAI slotted because had to wait for Frodo to be out of combat.
March 4, 2011 at 5:54 pm
Sorry everyone……. I feel like an idiot
I was eating out with my family and was being yeld at from the door to hurry up so I quickly typed down what I said above…….in a hurry……so sorry everyone 
June 28, 2011 at 9:49 pm
That’s not lightning but something like lightning being described, to me as a lore-master it sounds like a cross between Blinding Flash and Rise of the Lighting Dawn.
October 10, 2011 at 3:43 pm
sounds like storm-lore skill we slam our staff into the ground flash and lightning dammage
August 3, 2011 at 10:01 pm
Luthien is obviously a minstrel, she use song of soothing and song of distraction!