The Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in Middle-earth during the time of The Lord of the Rings. It is based on information from J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings novels; as such, it deviates in small ways from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movie series (although some of the imagery in the game compares favorably to those movies). It was released by Turbine, now a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.
The first expansion pack to the game, Mines of Moria, was released in Autumn 2008; the Siege of Mirkwood expansion was released on December 1, 2009; the third expansion, Rise of Isengard, was released in late September, 2011; the fourth expansion, Riders of Rohan, was released on October 15th, 2012; the fifth expansion, Helm’s Deep, was released on November 20th, 2013. On December 19, 2016, the development teams behind LOTRO and Dungeons & Dragons Online separated from Turbine to form Standing Stone Games.
The race of a character in The Lord of the Rings Online is nearly inconsequential, and mostly cosmetic. Each race starts its adventure in a different area of the world, and each has its own set of penalties/advantages. As the character reaches higher levels, these differences become of very little consequence. The different races are also granted a few different skills, some of which are fairly useful (others, not so much). Regardless, all races are granted a skill that transports them to an area appropriate to each race, usable once per hour. Humans can return to Bree, Elves can return to Rivendell, Hobbits can return to Michel Delving in the Shire, and Dwarves can return to Thorin’s Gate in the Blue Mountains. Humans and Elves can ride horses, whereas Dwarves and Hobbits ride ponies.
Human characters can be from Bree, Dale, Gondor, or Rohan, but they start their adventure in Bree-land. Humans can play as a Burglar, Captain, Champion, Guardian, Hunter, Lore-master, Minstrel, or a Warden. They are known for their great part in the destiny of Middle Earth, their surprising strength, and how easily they are inspired. They also are known for their weak will, and are easily dominated. Perhaps the most notable racial skill that humans have is Strength of Morale, which heals them for a great amount.
Elven characters can be from Lindon, Lothlórien, Mirkwood, Rivendell, or Edhellond. Elves can play as a Champion, Guardian, Hunter, Lore-master, Minstrel, Rune-keeper, or a Warden. They are characterized by surprising agility and resistance to poisons and diseases. They also know that they will soon be leaving Middle Earth forever and are saddened by this. The most notable elven skill is Sylvan Shadows, which allows them to walk unseen, but very slowly. This stealth is not very good compared to non-racial stealth skills that other characters can earn, but the skill is passable if enhanced with equipment.
Dwarven characters can be from Ered Luin (Blue Mountains), Iron Hills, Erebor (Lonely Mountain), Ered Mithrin (Grey Mountains), or Ered Nimrais (White Mountains). Dwarves can play as a Champion, Guardian, Hunter, Minstrel, or a Rune-keeper. They are known for their sturdiness and stalwart nature in battle. They are also known for their bumbling clumsiness, and they also know their time in Middle-Earth is limited. Their most notable skill is Endurance of Stone, which mitigates a large amount of damage for a few seconds.
Hobbits all come from the Shire, but can be from different clans: the Fallohides, the Harfoots, or the Stoors. Hobbits can be a Burglar, Guardian, Hunter, Minstrel, or a Warden. They are known for their surprising vigor and courage. They are also small in stature, and so are not as physically powerful as other races. Hobbits have several unique racial skills, the most notable being Hobbit-Silence. This skill allows the Hobbit to feign death, immediately ending combat and causing any nearby enemies to ignore the “deceased.”
In the latest update, the Beorning race was added. They can come from the Vales of Anduin. They can play as the Beorning class.