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Creating your character

Ready to get started making your first character? 

Creating your character is your first step towards adventure at Shadowmoor LARP. Choose an ancestry (such as Elf or Dwarf) and a class (such as Rogue or Warrior) to start, and then through a combination of your imagination, rules, and role play with other players, you'll start to build who your character is.

Before you dive into step 1 below, think about the kind of character you want to play. Has there been a character you've seen in a movie or maybe played before (in a previous LARP, tabletop, or video game) that you've enjoyed? Try building a character based around that. Remember, Shadowmoor is light-to-medium touch combat, and we frequently fight in different terrain at different times of day and night. We encourage you to consider what you feel the most comfortable and excited doing.

 

If your first character doesn't quite hit the mark, you have until the beginning of your fourth event to change anything and everything about them, from their name, ancestry, and class to individual skills. 

Okay, let's get started! 

Step 1: Character background

Shadowmoor is located in the center of the Oasis and is neighbored by the towns of Docksides, Solace, and Aragon. You would be familiar with the rumors of Shadowmoorian Heroes (both good and bad). But the Oasis hasn’t always been on Amroth. Long ago, the Oasis was part of a different world known as Tyrra. But due to a series of events involving greater powers (a war and a sorcerer), the Oasis was ripped from the world of Tyrra and placed on this entirely separate world of Amroth where it is now. If your character is Tyrran, and you’re older than 20, you would not have been born in this world. If you’re Amrothi, older than 20, the Oasis (and Shadowmoor) is relatively new. 

 

For your first few events, we recommend you keep your character's background pretty open and start with the following:

·    Where is your character from?

·    Any family? 

·    What are they doing in Shadowmoor?  

Step 1: Background
Step 2: Ancestry

Step 2: Choose an ancestry

Every character belongs to one of the ancestries that inhabit the world of Amroth. We encourage you to play any ancestry and cultural background that speaks to you. Some of the ancestries have sub-sets; for example, Elves include Grey Elves, Sampan Elves, and Primal Elves.

As long as you meet the make-up and costuming requirements, there is no restriction on which ancestry you may play from the list of available Shadowmoor ancestries below. Before creating a character, any full makeup or heavy costuming ancestries must be approved by the Shadowmoor Ancestry Marshal team via email (shadowmoor.marshal@gmail.com) or by submitting the request through the form at the end page. 

 

Playable Ancestries

The following ancestries are playable.

 

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Dwarves

Amrothi & Tyrran

Makeup Requirement: 

Light

Makeup Approval: 

None

Hardy and noble, Dwarves are known as skilled armor smiths and warriors.

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Fae

Tyrran

Makeup Requirement: 

Light-medium

Makeup Approval: 

None

Infused with the magic of Eirinn, the Fae are peculiar, magical, and truly unpredictable collection of ancestries.

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Hobling

Amrothi & Tyrran

Makeup Requirement: 

Light

Makeup Approval: 

None

Although both types of Hoblings have very different temperaments, these small-folk have a love for luxuries and family.

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Ogre

Amrothi

Makeup Requirement: 

Heavy

Makeup Approval: 

Required

A core tenet of Ogre culture is the saying, “The difference between a civilized man and a savage is the elegance with which he wages war”, a maxim reflected in nearly every aspect of their society.

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Stregosh

Amrothi

Makeup Requirement: 

Light

Makeup Approval: 

None

These colorful wanderers belong to the many tribes of Amroth. What sets Stregosh apart from common Humans is the mysterious rite of passage required to join a Band of Stregosh.

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Wilder

Amrothi

Makeup Requirement: 

Heavy

Makeup Approval: 

Required

Amrothi Wilders are Barbarians (or others) who have transformed into beast-human hybrids.

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Elves

Amrothi & Tyrran

Makeup Requirement: 

Light

Makeup Approval: 

None

While typically smaller and weaker than humans, Elves are a magical collection of ancestries that excel wherever their attention is turned to.

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Gargoyle

Amrothi

Makeup Requirement: 

Heavy

Makeup Approval: 

Required

Gargoyles are mistrusted by most of Amroth. They are considered to be evil creatures that spread plague, pestilence, discord, and unrest wherever they go.

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Human

Amrothi & Tyrran

Makeup Requirement: 

Light

Makeup Approval: 

None

Humans are the most common and adaptable people of all the ancestries on Amroth and Tyrra.

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Orc

Tyrran

Makeup Requirement: 

Heavy

Makeup Approval: 

Required

Orcish tradition is one of blood, rage and loss. As a people, they assimilated into the mining town of Aragon, living side by side with their traditional enemies … Dwarves.

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Sylvani

Amrothi

Makeup Requirement: 

Heavy

Makeup Approval: 

Required

Little is known about this wandering ancestry of plantfolk. They roam deep forests in warmer months, then root in place during winter to raise their children and survive the cold in quiet seclusion.

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Eunsurian

Amrothi

Makeup Requirement: 

Light

Makeup Approval: 

Required

The Eunsurian's knowledge of the elements and the natural world have taught them how to use its resources.

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Gloomkin

Amrothi

Makeup Requirement: 

Heavy

Makeup Approval: 

Required

The first of these people to venture forth from The Gloom Below were clearly once part of the surface world, but something happened under the earth to make them what they are now.

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Lizardfolk

Amrothi

Makeup Requirement: 

Heavy

Makeup Approval: 

Required

The Lizardfolk of Amroth dwell in dense jungle and swamp. Though peaceful, they are secretive and do not tolerate outsiders.

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Sodiur

Amrothi

Makeup Requirement: 

Medium

Makeup Approval: 

None

Efficient and zealous, the magically created Sodiur are the most ruthless hunters of Gargoyles and Undead in all of Amroth.

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Troll

Amrothi

Makeup Requirement: 

Heavy

Makeup Approval: 

Required

Despite their monstrous build, Trolls have a ‘strength-comes-in-all-forms’ approach to society.

Step 4: Spend your Build

Now that you’ve decided on your ancestry and class, it’s time to build your character sheet! A character sheet is essentially the same thing as you might experience in a tabletop roleplaying game- it’s a way for our game to keep a record of your character, the skills they have, and what new skills are “purchased” over time. The Shadowmoor game system is based on purchasing skills with a character's build points (Build or BP).
Your character can be created online prior to your first event using our Character Database. 

To help with determining your character’s starting build, we recommend using our Character Build Calculator.

To use this Google sheet:

1.     Open the link

2.     Click File > Make a copy

3.     In your new copy, start by inputting your chosen ancestry and class

4.     Use the # of purchases beside the skills to determine build cost. You’ll want to stay at or just under your starting build cost.  

5.     Once you have a final draft of your character’s skills, print it out and bring it to site to speed up character creation.

 

Step 3: Class 

The following ancestries are playable.

 

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Warrior

The Warrior is the master of all things combat-related and can buy combat Skills that no other class may purchase.

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Scholar

Scholars focus on their ability to use magic and have easier access to unique magic and rituals other classes have difficulty learning.

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Oracle

The Oracle class is available to those in our community who are medically unable to enter combat.

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Templar

The Templar is a warrior-mage perfect for those who wish to fight and use magic equally well.

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Rogue

Rogues are a Jack-of-all Trades class that can more easily learn how to backstab, assassinate, and poison enemies in combat.

Step 3: Class
Step 4: Build
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