The use of “magician” in this supplement may seem
Magic for problematic given the word’s common reference to a
The One Ring
Adventures Over the Edge of the Wild
A Fan Supplement
Version 1 | © 2012 the1whowas
Magic in Middle-earth ...............................................1
Backgrounds ..............................................................2
Elf-minstrel’s Protégé ...........................................2
Touched ................................................................2
Wizard’s Pupil ......................................................2
Calling: Magician ......................................................3
Speciality Trait: Magic-lore ..................................3
Shadow Weakness: Lure of Expediency ...............3
Virtues: Spell-crafts ...................................................3
Conjuration ...........................................................4
Dwimmer-craft......................................................4
Enchantment .........................................................5
Glamoury ..............................................................5
Mind-sight.............................................................6
Reward: Magician’s Staff ..........................................7
Undertakings..............................................................7
Master Spell-craft .................................................7
Learn Spell ............................................................8
Artificer’s Apprentice ...........................................8
Create Artefact ......................................................9
Acknowledgements and Notes ................................ 10
Preface
“I’ve often wanted to see a bit of magic, like
what it tells of in old tales…”1
Present evidence indicates that J.R.R. Tolkien, author
of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, never
developed a fully fledged “theory of magic” for his
legendarium. He continued to work out the
philosophical implications of his narratives even after
their publication, often re-envisioning the meanings
and contexts of scenes and lines of dialogue to fit his
latest thoughts on the cosmology and history of his
fictional world. His feelings on “magic” in Middle-
earth were perhaps most clearly articulated in the
draft of a letter from 1954, in which he stated that
magic was an inherent ability of certain peoples of
Middle-earth (like the Elves) and thus could not be
learned, and that for the most part the inhabitants of
Middle-earth (even beings like the Wizards or
Sauron) lived by non-magical means. However, he
also noted that his published works suggested that
magic was not wholly unobtainable by Men.2
Magic for The One Ring
person who performs counterfeit magic through
tricks and slight of hand. But Tolkien provides no
other general term for those who cast spells or
perform magical deeds (“wizard” as Tolkien uses it
cannot be generalized and “sorcerer” is often used
with a negative connotation3 and by characters who
have reason to be suspicious and distrustful of
magic4—a usage echoed in other fantasy works).
Some of the magic presented here is similar in effect
to that performed by Tolkien’s iconic characters, but
lesser in scope and power. For instance, player-
heroes will be able to create artefacts, but making
objects such as the Rings of Power or the Seeing-
stones is far beyond their ability; they will be able to
cast Blasting Spells, but would not be able to throw
down the walls of Dol Guldor. The Loremaster
should feel free to disallow specific uses of magic if
he feels they will unbalance or detract from the game.
This supplement draws upon Tolkien’s familiar
works and his lesser-known writings with the aim of
providing a magic system usable by player-heroes
that brings to The One Ring a play experience
common to other fantasy roleplaying games while
remaining thematically attuned to Tolkien’s world.
Players must decide if such a system is appropriate to
their vision of roleplaying in Middle-earth.
Magic in Middle-earth
“For this is what your folk would call magic, I
believe; though I do not understand clearly
what they mean; and they seem to use the same
word for the deceits of the Enemy.”5
The sages tell how the One spoke into existence the
World envisioned in the Great Music made by the
Lords of the West at the beginning of time. The
Lords were granted the power to shape the World
according to the Music, and all the Children of the
One—Elves, Dwarves, Men, and Hobbits—share to
greater or lesser degrees in this power of sub-
creation. Many among Men call this power “magic.”
All Children of the One have the facility to realize
their will in the World. The commonest way to bring
an idea to life is to perform the necessary physical
labour. But in Middle-earth, minds can reach out to
affect the substance of the World and to touch other
minds.6 The will can sculpt the physical world, be
invested into an object or place, or influence other
wills.
1 © 2012 the1whowas
The translation from thought to reality is direct for
the Lords and their kindred. The Elves also possess
an inherent gift for bringing the visions of their minds
into tangible form by speech, craft, and art7;
descendents of the kings of Westernesse, Men in
whose veins runs Elven-blood, have also inherited a
measure of this gift. Rumours abound that the
enigmatic Wizards hold great magical powers—
though they seldom exhibit them openly.
A rare few among the Children possess the talent to
train their wills to harness and direct their sub-
creativity to achieve great feats of magic.8 These few
are known in the Common Tongue as “magicians.”
Magic’s chief advantages are that it reduces the time
and labour needed to achieve certain ends and that it
allows the user to more precisely create that which he
has envisioned.9 Yet magic cannot violate the order
of the World as laid down by the One. A creature
who does not have wings cannot fly (though he may
take on the shape of a creature possessing wings); a
man who does not know something must glean his
knowledge from a source, such as another mind
holding the information he desires; magic cannot
truly create or destroy anything, only transform it.
For the Children of the One, magic is a subtle art, one
that requires the practitioner to give something of
himself to enact his will.10 Magicians face perils from
the realms of the Seen and the Unseen alike. Magic is
neither good nor evil, but its application always
carries a moral weight. Those who use magic
unwarily may find themselves falling into Shadow.
Such terrible magics as necromancy—the unnatural
prolongation of life and the enslavement of the
twisted spirits of the dead—fall under the province of
the Shadow. These practices are often referred to in
the Common Tongue as “sorcery.”
Backgrounds
Elf-minstrel’s Protégé
…The gift of the Elf-minstrels, who can make
the things of which they sing appear before the
eyes of those that listen.11
From an early age, you were able to manifest the
forms of ancient heroes and their foes and the images
of places far off and long gone to those who listened
to your songs and tales. In order to nurture this
marvellous gift, your elders placed you in the care of
learned Elf-minstrels, who taught you much about the
power of words and will to shape the world and
Magic for The One Ring
whose guidance helped you to discover the true scope
of your hidden potential. Now, you must venture
forth to seek out your part within the Great Music.
Requirement: You must be a member of an Elf
culture, or of a culture closely associated with Elves.
You may substitute Story-telling for one of your
cultural Speciality Traits.
Basic Attributes: Body 3, Heart 7, Wits 4
Favoured Skill: Song
Distinctive Traits (choose 2): Eager, Cunning, Fair-
spoken, Merry, Proud, Secretive, True-hearted, Wary
Touched
…He was no longer quite respectable. He was
in fact held by all the hobbits of the
neighbourhood to be “queer”….12
You have a reputation for oddness among your folk,
who’ve noted the peculiar things, both beneficial and
dangerous, that happen around you. A fire might
spring up near you, an object might appear to move
on its own, or you might know what someone else is
thinking. You’ve lived somewhat on the fringes of
your community, never quite truly accepted but not
overtly shunned either. You’ve never known whether
you are blessed or cursed, and it seems your answers
may await you only in distant lands.
Basic Attributes: Body 4, Heart 6, Wits 4
Favoured Skill: Insight
Distinctive Traits (choose 2): Clever, Determined,
Forthright, Merciful, Patient, Reckless, Suspicious,
Vengeful
Wizard’s Pupil13
He became a friend of Gandalf the Wise, from
whom he gained much wisdom. With him he
made many perilous journeys….14
When you were a child, one of the Wise visited your
district. Seemingly by chance, the two of you crossed
paths, bringing to his attention the unusual air of
magic about you. Since then, he has made occasional
and unexpected visits to your area, and has imparted
some insight into your magical nature. You have
occasionally carried his messages to nearby areas and
helped him to investigate local problems. Recently he
prompted you to travel abroad and put your talents to
use in the struggle against the growing Shadow.
Work with the Loremaster to determine who would
be an appropriate character for you to have met (he
2 © 2012 the1whowas
need not be one of the Wizards). If you wish to
formally gain this character as a patron, you must still
perform the Meet Patron undertaking; he or she will
likely be more open to granting you patronage than
someone you’ve never met.
Basic Attributes: Body 4, Heart 7, Wits 3
Favoured Skill: Lore
Distinctive Traits (choose 2): Adventurous, Curious,
Generous, Gruff, Hardened, Just, Steadfast, Trusty
Calling: Magician
It was plain that many people regarded them
now as the companions of a travelling magician
of unknown powers and purpose.15
For as long as you can recall, you have exhibited
strange abilities that common folk call “magic.”
Stories of Wizards and wonder-workers have drawn
you into the wider world, seeking to understand these
powers and how you might use them to impede the
Shadow that creeps ever closer to your homeland.
You face the dangers of the Seen and the Unseen,
testing the limits of the possible in pursuit of self-
knowledge.
Magicians gain access to a type of Virtue called
Spell-crafts.
The Magician calling is unusual among all cultures,
particularly among Hobbits.16
Magicians may generate deliberate or accidental
minor magical effects intended to enhance the flavour
of play or to support a character’s personality or
backstory; they should only have important narrative
or mechanical consequences when they are approved
by the Loremaster. As examples, a Magician might
cause a toy to dance briefly for a child’s amusement,
cause a candle to flare to punctuate a speech, or
experience a fleeting mental connection to a distant
loved one. The characters around the Magician may
react negatively or positively to these effects, and the
Loremaster is free to veto them if he feels they are
disruptive or to judge them as Misdeeds if
appropriate.
Favoured Skill Groups: custom, vocation
Speciality Trait: Magic-lore
Having experienced instances of magic all your life
and having yourself trained in Spell-craft, you
recognize when magic is at work and may have some
insight into dispelling or countering the sorcery of the
Shadow.
Magic for The One Ring
Shadow Weakness: Lure of Expediency17
“He has a mind of metal and wheels; and he
does not care for growing things, except as far
as they serve him for the moment.”18
The uncertainties and frustrations of ordinary life
may tempt an adventurer with the power to realize his
will with magical ease to replace honest craft and
labour with needless enchantments or to subvert the
free will of others to assure a desired outcome.
Flaws
Impatient
The impatient adventurer finds lengthy councils
or too much mundane labour tiresome and insists
that the quickest and easiest solution is best.
Prideful
The prideful hero treats the non-magical skills
and talents of others with contempt, and regards
other Magicians or practitioners of magic with
secret envy.
Aloof
An aloof adventurer isolates himself from his
companions’ friendship and concerns, instead
obsessing over the “improvements” that his
powers can provide for himself and his people.
Indifferent
The adventurer who has become indifferent cares
little for the feelings or needs of others and will
not balk at harming them in the name of the
“greater good,” whatever he believes that to be.
Virtues: Spell-crafts
Spell-crafts are a type of Virtue in which an
adventurer with the Magician calling can train. Each
Spell-craft represents a type of magical talent that
may be honed over time by the hero. During
character creation, a hero with 2 ranks in Wisdom
may choose a Spell-craft as his starting Virtue. He
gains one Spell from that Spell-craft as a Special
Ability; the chosen spell may not include Shadow
points in its Toll.
Whenever an adventurer with the Magician calling is
entitled to a new Virtue, he may perform the Master
Spell-craft undertaking to gain access to Spells as
Special Abilities. Each of the Spell-crafts need only
be trained once. Heroes may also perform the Learn
3 © 2012 the1whowas
Spell undertaking to gain a new Spell in a Spell-craft
they have mastered.
To cast a Spell, a hero spends 1 Hope point and pays
the Toll listed for that Spell. Casting a Spell counts as
an action unless otherwise noted.
Some Spells call for an assured Common skill roll to
determine their effectiveness. This is a normal skill
roll, except that it is assumed to be at least a standard
success regardless of its numerical value. If only the
Feat die is rolled for the skill roll, the Gandalf-icon
counts as one success-icon.
Conjuration19
Gandalf had made a special study of
bewitchments with fire and lights.…20
Conjuration is the calling forth of the non-living
elements of nature, such as light and fire, stone and
water, or wind and lightning. Those skilled in
Conjuration are sometimes called conjurors.
Illumination
…he held his staff aloft, and from its tip
came a faint radiance…21 and… a shaft of
white light stabbed upwards.22
You cause the end of your staff or another item
held in your hand to shine with a white light.
You may thus provide light in a cave or similar
environment. The light will remain until you put
it out or until you become Weary or Miserable.
You make Weary for the remainder of the
current combat one Adversary with the Hate
Sunlight Special Ability.
Uncanny Fire
…this was a most horrible and uncanny
fire…and …they were soon all in flames.23
You cause a flammable object such as a pine
cone or stick to burst into flame. You may thus
light a campfire, torch, or brazier.
During combat when in Rearward Stance cast
this Spell to create a flaming missile. Make an
assured Battle roll. For each degree of success,
you cause one Adversary (to a maximum of
three) to catch fire and take 3 Damage at the end
of each round. An adversary may use an action
to make a TN 14 Survival roll to put out the
flames.
Toll: 1 Damage
Magic for The One Ring
Blasting Spell
As if stricken by some blasting spell, it
burst asunder; there was a flash of searing
lightning, and the doors tumbled in riven
fragments to the ground.24
You create a flash like lightning that can kill or
maim an opponent or damage an object within
sight.
Cast this Spell to make a TN 14 Battle roll. On a
success you may destroy a wooden door, topple
a large tree, shatter a large stone, or produce a
similar effect as approved by the Loremaster.
Cast this Spell during combat against one
Adversary engaged with you. Make an assured
Battle roll. You deal damage to the Adversary
equal to the Feat die result (the Gandalf-icon
counts as 12, the Eye of Sauron-icon counts as
11) plus your Damage bonus. On a great success,
add your Wisdom bonus. On an extraordinary
success, add your Wisdom bonus and the attack
counts as a Piercing Blow.
Toll: 1 Shadow point
Dwimmer-craft25
“…A worthy Wizard, a master of shapes and
changes of hue.”26
Dwimmer-craft is the weaving of illusion, the
alteration of appearance, and the reshaping of
physical forms. Those skilled in Dwimmer-craft are
sometimes called illusionists.
Sudden Appearance
“Halt,” cried Gandalf, who appeared
suddenly, and stood alone…and his staff
blazed forth with a flash like the
lightning.27
You move with such surprising speed and
furtiveness that to observers you seem to have
instantly shifted from one place to another.
If Adversaries hold combat initiative, cast this
Spell to take one action before those Adversaries
begin their first turn. Casting this Spell does not
count as an action.
Shroud
They…could not be seen among the tree
stems, unless they moved suddenly.28
4 © 2012 the1whowas
 You or your target abruptly take on the colours,
textures, and lighting of an environment in which
you wish to go unnoticed, fooling the eyes of
those around you.
One target in your sight receives a +6 bonus to
his next Stealth roll. This Spell may be cast only
once in any given circumstance as defined by the
Loremaster. The effect ends when the Stealth use
is resolved or you become Weary or Miserable.
You may also end the effect voluntarily.
Toll: 1 Damage
Semblance
“Saruman could look like me in your eyes,
if it suited his purpose with you.”29
You take on the appearance and voice of another
person whom you have met before or the
nonspecific look and sound of someone of a
particular race and culture. You do not acquire
any of the knowledge or memories of a person
whom you are imitating.
During Encounters, the Loremaster determines
what effect the guise has on other characters. If
they have reason to suspect something is amiss,
Loremaster characters may make a TN 16 Insight
roll to discover the deception.
During combat cast this Spell to confuse your
enemies by appearing as an authority figure or
someone else who might affect their behaviour.
Make an assured Awe roll. For each degree of
success, one Adversary (to a maximum of three)
loses his next turn.
You may revert to your natural appearance at
any time, and are forced to do so if you become
Weary or Miserable or are killed.
Toll: 1 Shadow point
Enchantment
“…Work of Westernesse, wound about with
spells for the bane of Mordor.”30
Enchantment is the art of investing a part of one’s
will into an object, place, or creature in order to
change its qualities or behaviour. Those skilled in
Enchantment are sometimes called enchanters.
Rekindled Heart
…He felt a new strength of heart…and
found fresh hope and vigour.31
Magic for The One Ring
You lay hands upon a companion and share
some of your own spiritual fortitude with him.
A companion spending a Fellowship point to
recover Hope receives additional Hope equal to
your Valour or Wisdom rank, whichever is
higher. You may not cast this Spell if you are
Weary or Miserable, nor can you cast it upon
yourself.
Disarmament
The bow and arrow fell from Legolas’
hands…Gimli’s axe leaped from his grasp
and…the sword of Aragorn …blazed with
a sudden fire.32
You reach out with your thoughts to wrench the
weapons from your enemy’s grasp or to imbue
them with a quality that will cause him to let
them fall to the ground.
During combat when in Rearward Stance cast
this Spell against one Adversary, who will
immediately drop all weapons he carries. It
requires one round to pick them back up.
Toll: 1 Damage
Word of Command33
“Elrond commanded it,” answered
Gandalf. “The river of this valley is under
his power, and it will rise in anger when he
has great need….”34
You invoke the power of the World itself to
hinder your enemies with wind, rain, snow,
insect swarms, quaking, or other effects drawn
from your immediate surroundings.
Cast this Spell against Loremaster characters
involved in an Opposed Action with your
company or Adversaries involved in combat with
your company. Make an assured Song roll. The
targets receive a -4 modifier to all rolls for a
number of rounds equal to your degree of
success (to a maximum of three).
Toll: 1 Shadow point
Glamoury35
For many the sound of the voice alone was
enough to hold them enthralled; but for those
whom it conquered the spell endured when they
were far away, and ever they heard that soft
voice whispering and urging them.36
5 © 2012 the1whowas

Glamoury is the pitting of one’s will against
another’s to thwart their actions or to influence their
behaviour. Those skilled in glamoury are sometimes
called beguilers.
Daunting Stance
“You cannot pass. The dark flame will not
avail you.”37
You stand against an enemy in direct challenge,
compelling them to face your might.
During the Engagement phase of combat, cast
this Spell against one Adversary engaged with
one of your companions. That Adversary must
instead engage you. Casting this Spell does not
count as an action.
Outside of combat, cast this Spell to make a TN
14 Song roll to bar a hostile creature from
crossing over a bridge, through a threshold, or
across another physically demarcated line. You
must be able to see the target of this Spell and it
lasts only as long as you do not take another
action or until you become Weary or Miserable.
Counter-spell
“The counter-spell was terrible. It nearly
broke me. For a moment the door left my
control and began to open!”38
You strive with an enemy who is about to
unleash a powerful ability against your company,
dissipating the ability before it can take effect.
Cast this Spell against one Loremaster character
or one Adversary after the Loremaster declares
that he is about to activate one of its Special
Abilities. No Special Abilities may be used by
the target during the current round. This Spell
does not work against passive Special Abilities.
Toll: 1 Damage
Enthralling Voice
…It was a delight to hear the voice
speaking, all that it said seemed wise and
reasonable, and desire woke in them by
swift agreement to seem wise themselves.39
You speak dramatically and eloquently,
hypnotizing your audience into agreement with
whatever you propose.
Magic for The One Ring
Cast this Spell during an Encounter to gain a
Tolerance bonus for the remainder of the current
Encounter. Make an assured Courtesy roll. On a
standard success, your bonus equals your Wits
score; on a great success, your bonus equals your
favoured Wits score; on an extraordinary success
your bonus equals your favoured Wits score plus
the value of your Courtesy skill rating.
Cast this Spell against one Adversary during
combat. Make an assured Courtesy roll.
Beginning on his next turn, that Adversary will
attack the Adversary with the most Endurance
remaining (excluding himself) for a number of
rounds equal to your degree of success (to a
maximum of three). After the Spell has ended,
the Adversary behaves normally. An Adversary
can only be affected by this Spell once.
Toll: 1 Shadow point
Mind-sight40
For they did not move or speak with mouth,
looking from mind to mind; and only their
shining eyes stirred and kindled as their
thoughts went to and fro.41
Mind-sight is the art of seeing into or through the
minds of other creatures or objects invested with will.
Those skilled in Mind-sight are sometimes called
seers.
Far-sight
He saw many visions: small and clear as if
they were under his eyes upon a table, and
yet remote.42
You open your mind to the minds of birds,
beasts, and other thinking creatures to glean
important details about the road ahead.
Cast this Spell after a companion has failed a
Lore roll during the Planning Ahead phase of a
Journey episode. Your company does not add the
extra day onto the journey. This Spell may only
be cast once during a single Adventuring Phase.
Discernment
“…You were half in the wraith-world
yourself…. You could see them, and they
could see you.”43
The true nature of your foe is revealed to you as
you look briefly into the world of the Unseen.
6 © 2012 the1whowas
 Cast this Spell if you or a companion is required
to perform a Fear test. The target receives a +1
bonus to his roll for every rank in Wisdom you
possess. You may cast this Spell only once
against the same source of fear. Casting this
Spell does not count as an action.
Toll: 1 Damage
16 Inspire roll; if the roll fails, the Magician may not
try to replenish the staff again until the next
Fellowship Phase.
The staff may be used as a weapon, and its bearer
gains a rating of 1 in the Staff Weapon skill (Damage
3, Edge Gandalf-icon, Injury 16, Encumbrance 1, 1-
or 2-handed).

Penetrating Gaze If the staff is destroyed or irretrievably lost, the hero

She held them with her eyes, and in silence
looked searchingly at each of them in turn.
None…could long endure her glance.44
You peer into the heart of another, weakening his
resolve to oppose you.
Cast this Spell during an Encounter to gain a +6
bonus to your next Insight roll. This use of the
Spell does not count as an action.
Cast this Spell during combat to reduce
Adversary Hate ratings by your Heart rating.
Make an assured Insight roll. You may target
one Adversary for each degree of success (to a
maximum of three).
Toll: 1 Shadow point
receives 1 Shadow point. A mentor or another patron
might be able to provide a replacement, though the
Loremaster may require the hero to complete some
task to acquire it.
Undertakings
Master Spell-craft
“He was…always eager to listen. I told him
many things that he would never have found
out by himself.”46
Heroes with the Magician calling must hone their
emerging magical talents in order to put them to good
use. By seeking out the wisdom of those who hold
great knowledge or experience in spellcasting, these
heroes may train in a Spell-craft.

When a Magician has chosen to acquire a Spell-craft

Reward: Magician’s Staff Virtue, he must locate and request the help of a
He raised his staff. There was a roll of thunder. mentor to aid in the development of his talent.
The sunlight was blotted out from the eastern Mentors may be chosen from the table below, or
windows.45 from among characters created by the Loremaster.
The mentor will test the hero’s current level of ability
Requirement: The hero must have the Magician calling. by asking him to perform a small task represented by
a roll in a Skill related to the mentor’s favoured
A Magician’s Staff serves as a focus and aid for Spell-craft. The success or failure of the roll
casting Spells. It also identifies the bearer as a determines the difficulty of the hero’s training.
Magician to all those he meets, for good or ill as
determined by the Loremaster. Mentors
Favoured Spell-craft Mentor Test Skill
The staff holds Hope points equal to one-half Conjuration Gandalf Lore
(rounded down) the Magician’s Wisdom or Valour Glóin Craft
rank, whichever is higher. A Magician trained in at Dwimmer-craft Beorn Awe
least one Spell-craft may spend the staff’s Hope Radagast Awareness
points instead of his own to cast a Spell he knows. A Enchantment Alatar* Search
Magician not trained in any Spell-crafts may spend Elrond Healing
the staff’s Hope points to allow himself to cast any Thranduil Song
Spell that does not include a Shadow point in its Toll; Glamoury Glorfindel Persuade
he must also spend one of his own Hope points to Saruman Courtesy
cast the Spell. Both Magicians must still pay the Mind-sight Cirdan Inspire
Spell’s Toll. The Magician may replenish the staff’s Galadriel Insight
Hope points by visiting an inspiring place of personal Pallando* Riddle
significance during the Fellowship Phase and *Only with the Loremaster’s permission.
engaging in restful meditation, represented by a TN

Magic for The One Ring 7 © 2012 the1whowas

During training, the hero will face not only the
physical and mental strain of perfecting his magic,
but also the spiritual challenge of learning to use his
magic wisely. This is represented by a TN 16
Corruption test, with the following cumulative
modifiers:
 Training in the mentor’s favoured Spell-
craft: TN -1
 For each level of success on the test Skill
roll: TN -1 (to a maximum of -3)
 Failed test Skill roll: TN +2
If the hero passes the Corruption test, he has
mastered the Spell-craft. If the hero fails the
Corruption test, he has still mastered the Spell-craft
but has experienced a moral or personal setback
caused by the development of his magical abilities
and receives 1 Shadow point.
When training in the Spell-craft is complete, the hero
chooses one Spell from that Spell-craft as a new
Special Ability. The chosen Spell may not include
Shadow points as part of its Toll.
While training in his first non-starting Spell-craft, the
hero’s mentor will present him with a Magician’s
Staff (see Reward: Magician’s Staff above).
Learn Spell
“I once knew every spell in all the tongues of
Elves or Men or Orcs….”47
A hero may work to enhance his facility with a Spell-
craft and learn a new Spell by spending Experience
points. The Spell must come from a Spell-craft that
the hero has mastered. The Experience point cost is
determined by a roll in one of the Skills associated
with the Spell-craft in question (see the Mentors table
above), representing meditation and practice carried
out by the adventurer. If he succeeds, the Spell costs
2 Experience points if it includes Shadow points in its
Toll, or 1 Experience point if it does not. If he fails,
the cost doubles. If the hero does not have enough
Experience points to learn the Spell during this
Fellowship Phase, they remain unspent, and the hero
may attempt another undertaking.
Artificer’s Apprentice
Elrond knew all about runes of every kind.48
Whenever an adventurer with the Magician calling
spends Experience points to reach rank 3 or higher in
Valour or Wisdom, he may choose to become an
artificer’s apprentice as his Reward or Virtue.
Completing this undertaking will enable the hero to
Magic for The One Ring
place magical enchantments upon objects to create
artefacts for himself or his companions.
The hero must seek out an artificer, a craftsman
specialized in making artefacts, to instruct him in the
art of imbuing objects with his own will. The names
of artificers are italicized on the Mentors table above.
Permanently enchanting objects differs from casting
Enchantment Spells; the Magician must physically
inscribe the object with runes that focus and infuse
his will into it. Under the instruction of his mentor,
the hero makes a Lore roll representing his attempt to
comprehend the intricacies of the runes’ usage and
forms, which are ancient and strange. The success or
failure of the roll determines the difficulty of the
hero’s apprenticeship.
During his apprenticeship, the hero will face not only
the physical and mental strain of learning to correctly
inscribe an object, but also the spiritual challenge of
learning to permanently separate from himself a part
of his own power This is represented by a TN 16
Corruption test, with the following cumulative
modifiers:
 Possessing the Old lore or Elven-lore trait
(or both of them): TN -1
 For each level of success on the Lore roll:
TN -1 (maximum -3)
 Failed Lore roll: TN +2
If the hero passes the Corruption test, he successfully
completes his apprenticeship and receives a Book of
Sigaldry (see below) from the artificer. If the hero
fails the test, he receives the Book of Sigaldry but has
suffered from the dissipation of his personal power
and receives 1 Shadow point. In either case, the hero
may now be known as an artificer.
Book of Sigaldry49
A Book of Sigaldry is a large tome in which are
written runic inscriptions that an artificer marks on an
object as part of the enchanting process. Such books
are very old, and each is unique and specific to its
culture, having been compiled and annotated by
master craftsmen and enchanters of that culture. The
book has an Encumbrance of 2. A hero possessing a
Book of Sigaldry may perform the Create Artefact
undertaking.
If the book is destroyed or irretrievably lost, the hero
receives 1 Shadow point. The artificer with whom the
hero apprenticed or another patron might be able to
provide a replacement, though the Loremaster may
require the hero to complete some task to acquire it.
8 © 2012 the1whowas
Create Artefact
“…For he made the Ring himself; it is his, and
he let a great part of his own former power pass
into it….”50
A hero-artificer may perform this undertaking to
place a permanent enchantment on an object,
transforming it into an artefact.
The hero needs to make or refine the object he wishes
to enchant. He must be in a location with the proper
facilities for such work, and the item must embody
the finest ideal of its kind in order to serve as a vessel
for the hero’s will. To purchase fine and rare
materials and to pay for the use of facilities and
assistance from local craftsmen, he must spend 100
Treasure points. The effort is represented by a Craft
roll to determine the quality of the workmanship,
which later influences the success of the
enchantment. If the hero fails the Craft roll, he may
spend another 20 Treasure points to salvage the work
and achieve a standard success. If he does not spend
the additional Treasure, the item cannot be
enchanted. A newly crafted item may still be used,
bartered, or sold as a very finely made item of its
type; a refined item retains its existing properties.
In the final stages of manufacture, the hero consults
his Book of Sigaldry for the proper runic inscriptions
used during the transferral of his will into the object.
He may only place one enchantment on an object
with each undertaking. To enact the transferral, the
hero pays the enchantment’s Toll. For each degree of
success above standard achieved on the Craft roll, the
Experience point cost is reduced by 1 (maximum -2).
Enchantments
Exalted
This enchantment may only be applied to
weapons. The wielder’s spiritual force shines
forth in battle through his weapon, causing it to
flash brightly as if with flame, ice, or lightning.
When he hits an Adversary with this weapon, the
wielder may spend a Hope point to do extra
Damage equal to the sum of his Valour and
Wisdom ranks.
Toll: 4 Experience points, 1 Hope point
Illumined
Anyone looking at this artefact will see it glow
when creatures under the power of the Shadow
are in the immediate vicinity.
Magic for The One Ring
If a hero can see the artefact, he and his company
receive a +2 bonus to any Common skill rolls to
determine if the company is Surprised. This
bonus is not cumulative for multiple Illumined
artefacts.
Toll: 4 Experience points, 1 Hope point
Hallowed
The artefact emanates an aura of purity, peace,
goodness, and beauty.
When the artefact is in the possession of its
rightful owner, his company’s Fellowship pool
increases by a number equal to one-half (rounded
down) of the owner’s Valour or Wisdom rank,
whichever is higher. Beings under the sway of
the Shadow are spiritually burned by handling
the artefact; Adversaries lose Hate points, and
Heroes in a bout of madness lose Hope points,
equal to the Fellowship pool bonus.
Toll: 5 Experience points, 1 Hope point
Bound
The artefact bears the intentions of the artificer
to carry out a simple command, thus gaining a
rudimentary will of its own.
The effect of this enchantment must be approved
by the Loremaster, who will adjudicate the
item’s behaviour during play. Examples of
empowered artefacts are a door that opens only
to a specific password or at the command of a
specific person, a pouch that emits an alarm if
stolen, a pair of cufflinks that opens or closes on
command, or a rope that unties on command.
If the empowered artefact is ever destroyed, its
creator receives 1 Shadow point.
Toll: 5 Experience points, reduce your Hope
rating by 1 until your total Experience is raised
by 5 points
The Loremaster may at his discretion offer an artefact
with one of these enchantments as a Reward or place
one in a hoard discovered by the company in the
course of their adventures.
9 © 2012 the1whowas
Acknowledgements and Notes Númenor and Middle-earth. Christopher Tolkien, ed.
The author was inspired to undertake this project Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1980. ISBN 0618154043.
after reading the admirable endeavours to create a 381-2.
11
magic system for The One Ring by “Robin The Return of the King. Second edition, revised
Smallborrow” and “Kaltharion” on the Cubicle 7 impression, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999. ISBN
TOR forum. 0618002243. Appendix A, 1033.
12
The Hobbit. Fourth edition, Boston: Houghton
Online sources that proved useful during research: Mifflin, 1999. ISBN 0618002219. xix, 271.
13
RK, V, iv, 795.
14
“Death and Language: Keysprings of the The Lord of RK, App. A, 1035.
15
the Rings.” Chris Seeman. The Lord of the Rings FR, I, ix, 157.
16
Fanatics Plaza. 24 Dec. 2008. FR, Prologue, 1.
17
“Magic in Middle-earth.” Steuard Jensen. The A phrase inspired by the Hazard card “Lure of
Tolkien Meta-FAQ. n.d. Expedience.” Middle-earth: The Wizards
“Magic in Middle Earth: An Analysis.” Tom de Customizable Card Game. Iron Crown Enterprises,
Mayo. Documents About Tolkien and Middle 1995.
18
Earth. 2001. TT, III, iv, 462.
19
“Magic in the Third Age.” Finduilas’s J.R.R. Tolkien FR, I, i, 24.
20
Page. 29 Oct. 2009. H, vi, 88.
21
FR, II, iv, 302.
22
RK, V, iv, 792.
23
1 H, vi, 95.
The Fellowship of the Ring. Second edition, revised 24
RK, V, v, 810.
impression, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999. ISBN 25
TT, III, ii, 426.
0618002227. II, vii, 352. 26
FR, II, ii, 250-1.
2
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Humphrey Carpenter, 27
H, xvii, 251.
ed. with the assistance of Christopher Tolkien. 28
FR, II, vi, 334.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. ISBN 29
TT, III, x, 562.
9780618056996. letters 144 and 155. 30
TT, III, I, 405.
3
The Sindarin words morgul and guldor combine the 31
FR, II, iii, 283.
element gûl, glossed as “sorcery,” with the words for 32
TT, III, v, 482-3
“black” and “dark”; one can infer then that “sorcery” 33
FR, II, v, 319.
need not have an inherently evil connotation. The 34
FR, II, i, 218.
Silmarillion. Christopher Tolkien, ed., Second 35
The Lays of Beleriand. Christopher Tolkien, ed.
edition, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. ISBN Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985. ISBN 0395394295.
0618126988. 359. 226.
4
The Two Towers. Second edition, revised 36
TT, III, x, 564.
impression, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999. ISBN 37
FR, II, v, 322.
0618002235. III, ii, 422. 38
FR, II, v, 319.
5
FR, II, vii, 353. 39
TT, III, x, 564.
6
“Osanwe-kenta by J.R.R. Tolkien.” Carl F. 40
Morgoth’s Ring. Christopher Tolkien, ed. Boston:
Hostetter, ed. Vinyar Tengwar 39. Elvish Linguistic Houghton Mifflin, 1993. ISBN 0395680921. 399.
Fellowship, 1998. 41
RK, VI, vi, 963.
7
"Their ‘magic’ is Art, delivered from many of its 42
FR, II, x, 391.
human limitations; more effortless, more quick, more 43
FR, II, i, 216.
complete (product, and vision in unflawed 44
FR, II, vii, 348.
correspondence). And its object is Art not Power, 45
TT, III, vi, 503.
sub-creation not domination and tyrannous re- 46
TT, III, iv, 462.
forming of Creation." Letters, letter 133. 47
FR, II, iv, 299.
8
FR, II, vii, 357. 48
H, iii, 49.
9
Letters, letter 155. 49
Lays, 226. Tales from the Perilous Realm. Boston:
10
“Agham laid his hand upon it…. ‘See, I have left Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008. ISBN
with it some of my powers...If some power passes 9780547154114. 192.
from you to a thing you have made, then you must 50
FR, I, ii, 50.
take a share in its hurts.’” Unfinished Tales of

Magic for The One Ring 10 © 2012 the1whowas