My Fairly Large LOTRO Races Guide

LOTRO Races Guide by FibroJedi | What's the Best LOTRO Race for my Class? | Racial Traits and More!

The Races in LOTRO reflect the variety gifted to us through The Lord of the Rings works of JRR Tolkien. From the immortal High Elves, to the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains, and from the Hobbits of the Shire to the skin-changing Beornings, this rich spectrum feeds into a highly-customisable experience for players of LOTRO. And, while the SSG team have had to apply creative adaptation, only races plausible in Tolkien’s writings can be found in Middle-Earth.

In this ultimate, super-powerful, all-consuming, fairly large guide to LOTRO Races, I’ll delve into the lore-base for each of them and examine the differences between them for you to consider ahead of your next – or maybe your first – foray into Middle-Earth. Let’s get going.

Which Races Can You Choose in LOTRO?

The current list is: Beorning, Dwarf, Elf, High Elf, Hobbit, Human (Race of Man), River Hobbit and Stout-Axe Dwarf.

Click/tap the pictures below to read more about that race.

So, as of 2024, you have a total of eight races that can be unlocked. Seven of these are automatically available for free for all account types.

What Kind of Races Can You Not Choose?

Many of these relate to “enemy” factions, and are just ideas – others are so rare in Middle-Earth it would not be realistic in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth to have loads of them running around. Later, I also discuss Do I Have to be a Goodie?.

  1. Dúnedain: Obviously most of them are seen as “good”, but are not a selectable race. There are supposed to be few of them, after all. They were stretched thin looking after Middle-Earth even before Sauron’s latest campaign. So, to suddenly allow players to create hundreds of them would take some justifying. You could, of course, roleplay as a Dúnedan. My Glinmaethor is, head-canon wise, of Dúnedain heritage.
  2. Wizard: I mean this in the meaning of Wizard explained in terms of “official wizards”: Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast. These beings are special and unique. For wizard-like classes see Rune-Keeper and Lore-Master.
  3. Orc/Troll-Kind: Orcs, Goblins, Trolls etc.
  4. “Evil Men”: Black Númenorians, Angmarim, Easterlings.
  5. Spirits: neither innately evil spirits, nor oath-breakers trapped in the world in spirit-form until they can fulfil their oaths.

I’m sure you could come up with more, but I wanted to give a flavour, rather than an exhaustive/exhausting list.


LOTRO Races, A Deep-Dive

Or should that be a “Deep-Delve” to be consistent with lore?

Beorning

LOTRO Beorning Race (Female in this case)

How to Unlock Beorning

Beorning is now free for all players and requires no separate unlock.


The Lore

Beornings, named after their forebear Beorn, are skin-changers – able to transform from human into a bear. Bear and Back Again. Heh. They’re a rugged, wild folk who respect nature – well most of it. Beorn hated wolves, though I cannot think of a reference to a “good wolf” in the Tolkien books I’ve read. So, fair play to him. Though, it’s always possible I’ve missed a reference.


Notable Figures

BeornExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab) himself makes an appearance in The Hobbit when Thorin and company need somewhere to stay. The man is known to be gruff and to dislike visitors, especially Dwarves. Gandalf suggests they introduce themselves one or two at a time – and yet, despite just how many of them there are, somehow they manage not to get chased out of his lodge!

Beorn brings about a key intervention in the Battle of the Five ArmiesExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab)

He is later succeeded as “chief” of the Beornings by Grimbeorn, who does appear in The Lord of the Rings Online.


In the Game

My Beorning with Grimbeorn in the Misty Mountains

As the events of Thorin’s Company pre-date the War of the Ring, which is where LOTRO picks up, Beorn himself is not a current-time character. I had to get the Wiki to remind me that only recently I did The SnatcherExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab), a quest that tells a story about the past. Beorn does appear there.

In LOTRO, you are part of Grimbeorn’s family, in the line of Beorn. As well as Grimbeorn himself, other notable NPCs you will see at various points in your journeys are: VarthmathExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab), SterkistExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab) and LanghárExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab). I did not encounter Grimbeorn’s wife until I reached the Vales of Anduin in my travels.


To avoid going into too much depth here, I’ve linked the following articles which may be of interest for you.

7 Reasons to love the LOTRO Beorning Class
LOTRO Beorning Class Guide | The Race of the Beornings



Dwarf

LOTRO Dwarf Race

How to Unlock Dwarf

The Dwarf race is standard and has always been free.


The Lore: Dwarves

The Dwarves were a creation of AulëExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab), a hardy race who lived much longer than Hobbits or Men/Women. Unlike the Elves, however, they were not immortal, though living for centuries was standard. They generally do not trust Elves, a feeling which, to be honest, is often reciprocated.

They are expert miners, stonemasons and other crafting professions and, to me, seem to love their work for their work’s sake, rather than purely for trade. Though they knew the value of their work and did engage in trade at various points in their history.


Notable Figures

There is no shortage of key dwarven figures in the works of Tolkien. Apart from Gandalf and Bilbo, all of Thorin Oakenshield’s company to Erebor were Dwarves.

Balin, originally part of Thorin’s Company, later led his own to Moria to retake the mines and was briefly self-proclaimed “Lord of Moria”, before being killed by an OrcrefExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab).

In the War of the Ring, Gimli (son of Glóin) forms part of the Fellowship of the Ring and, unusually for his kind, forms a fast friendship with the Elf Legolas and a respect and affection for Lady Galadriel.


In the Game

As a Dwarf in LOTRO, you are part of the Longbeards, the largest of the clans (though you can have a short-beard!). Your adventure starts at Silver Deep Mines near Thorin’s Hall in Ered Luin, actually under control of the LOTRO-invented Dourhand clan. This is, with your involvement, retaken by the Longbeards.

Dwarves do not have a selectable gender, unlike their more-recently created Stout-Axe cousins. It is said that you cannot easily discern male from female Dwarves anyway, and a Longbeard Dwarf in Celondim speaks of his wife back home “braiding her beard”. Role play yours how you wish. Neither tunics nor dresses are gender-locked, giving you however much creative freedom you need.

Riding Horses

As far as I can remember, riding horses was something mostly unthinkable for the Dwarves. If I remember right, it takes a lot of effort to convince Gimli to do so at one point.

In this aspect, in the interests of keeping players equal, Dwarves can ride ponies (shorter, chubbier horses) just as well and just as fast as all other races.

Origin Differences

You have five different “Origins” to choose from: Blue Mountains, Iron Hills, The Lonely Mountain, Grey Mountains, White Mountains. These impact the eye, hair/beard and skin colours available.

Blue Mountains
Iron Hills
Lonely Mountain
Grey Mountains
White Mountains



Elf

LOTRO Elf Race (Male in this case)

How to Unlock Elf

The Elf race is standard and has always been free.


The Lore: Elves

There is so much you could say about the Elves that any summary feels inadequate, to be honest. And I struggle to split where “High Elf” ends and non-High Elves begin. So I thank you for giving me the grace in accepting overlaps.

The doom of the Elves is their immortal nature. While they can be killed, save for that they live until they, ideally, sail into the Undying Lands of the Uttermost West.

But immortality is not equal to perfection, with flaws in Elves dating back to the First Age and Fëanor’s desire for the Silmarils. While the Elves lived to see great power and influence, they saw tragedies and defeats too, causing many to retreat to places of seclusion and carrying a heavy emotional burden. Much later, Sauron deceived the Elves into divulging the secrets of Ring-lore, ultimately leading to the War of the Ring.

Now, those that remain await the end of the Age of the Elves, when all but Arwen sail away, ushering in the dawn of the Age of Man.


Notable Figures: Elves

So much of JRR’s work finds its centre in the creation and existence of the Elves. There are many who could classify as “notable”. But, if I were to pick out those from the tales people are more familiar with, it would be these:

  • Legolas:
    A Wood-Elf, Legolas excelled in archery and other wood-craft, such as tracking. Often light-hearted, he had a rivalry-come-friendship with Gimli the Dwarf that lasted until the day Legolas crafted a small white ship and they both sailed into the West. Whether Gimli made it to the other side was not put down in writing – I don’t believe.
  • Thranduil:
    Lord and King of the Greenwood (Mirkwood), Thranduil welcomed Thorin Oakenshield’s company. Wait, no, no he didn’t. That was entirely the point. But the Dwarves had a barrel of laughs when they left. Or maybe it was just barrels. (I am unsure whether Thranduil was classified as a High Elf, or not).


In the Game

As an Elf in LOTRO, females in particular will notice a much slimmer/slighter frame compared to the human counterparts. But this is cosmetic only and has no bearing on carrying heavy armour and the like. But both male and females have a smoother complexion and somehow do appear more serious.

NPC Elves are found in many places across Middle-Earth, right from Ered Luin (a starter zone) to even post Mordor. Though, rightly, with less and less involvement.

The refuges of Rivendell and Lothlórien are stunning and are totally must-see locations. If you’re able to venture into Eryn Lasgalen and the Dale Lands, Thranduil’s underground halls are beautiful, too!


Origin Differences

There are five different origin options for Elves. While a few differences are obvious, some options are only subtly different to other origin locations. Here they all are:




High Elf

LOTRO High Elf Race (Male in this case)

How to Unlock High Elf

High Elves have only fairly recently been made completely free. Just start one from the character creation screen and start the High Elf introduction, which takes place in the Second Age!


The Lore: High Elves

You can think of “High Elves” as being the “original Elves”, the children of Illúvatar. TolkienGateway says the definition refers to those who had:

Seen the light of the Two Trees in Valinor…(and) included the Vanya, Noldor and those Teleri who past over Belegaer.

https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Calaquendi

Interestingly, very few High Elves should remain in Middle-Earth during the Third Age (where Shadows of Angmar takes place).


Notable Figures: High Elves

As with Elves, I struggle to discern the difference between the two classifications.

  • Galadriel:
    Lady of the Golden Wood, Galadriel was revered and given great honour by all around her, even to Gimli the Dwarf. She had a “Mirror” that could show those who gazed into it what the future could possibly hold. While powerful and sometimes aloof, Galadriel had a sacred duty as the holder of one of the Elven Rings of Power to ensure it never returned to Sauron. She was put to the test when Frodo offered her the One Ring, but found the strength to resist.
  • Gil-Galad:
    An Elf born in the First Age, Gil-Galad features in the victories and (to be honest, mostly) defeats of the First Age. He eventually founded a new Kingdom at the start of the Second Age and, though approached by the fair guise of Sauron, distrusted him. When the Elves of Eregion realised they had been betrayed, Gil-Galad was entrusted with one of the Elven Rings, though this was later passed on. In the battle against Sauron in the Second Age, Gil-Galad perished, despite the Dark Lord’s defeat. (Summarised from Tolkien GatewayExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab)).
  • Elrond: Wise and serious, Elrond was at the battle at Sauron’s first defeat, when the Dark Lord lost the One Ring. Elrond was a protective father to Arwen who was in love with Aragorn. It was at his home in Rivendell that the Fellowship of the Ring was formally sent off on their quest (mission, thing). By his arts the waters of the Bruinen rose into forms like horses to push back Nazgûl pursuing the Company en route to Imladris.
  • <!–

  • Arwen: who was only permitted to marry Aragorn should he take the thrones of both Gondor and Arnor. She had the difficulty of following her heart, despite it meaning being eternally separated from her father and the other Elves. Ultimately she would become Queen with King Ellessar and eventually rule by herself.
  • –>


In the Game: High Elves

Appearance Differences

When they were first introduced to LOTRO, the High Elves were pitched as appearing more serious or a little sad, but with a beauty to match. A paraphrase, but it sums them up. They have unique head shapes and some hairstyles that no other race can obtain too.

Other differences include rolling when falling (rather than stumbling) and summoning mounts with cupped hands rather then a finger-and-thumb whistle. Their battle-cries are often in Sindarin – so, fewer “Arrrgh”‘s then!

High Elf Introduction

High Elves, as with Beornings, have a unique introduction. It takes place at the Siege of Mordor just prior to the battle of the Second Age where Sauron is defeated and loses the One Ring. You (rightly) play a minor role, but are injured by a Morgul-blade and are carried to Rivendell for treatment.

To say you “had a nap” would be an understatement, considering how many years into the Third Age it is when you finally recover!


Origins: High Elves

As with Elves and most other LOTRO Races, High Elves have differences for hair, skin and eye colours depending on their place of origin. You know, when you were born several milennia ago?




Hobbit

LOTRO Hobbit Race (Female in this case)

How to Unlock Hobbit

The Hobbit race is standard and has always been free.


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The Lore: Hobbits

It was The Hobbit which was the first “big book” I read to myself growing up. I remember wanting to keep reading the story to see how it progressed and when I got annoyed at the Dwarves’ songs that meant nothing to me then. Many fantasy worlds contain halflings, but a Hobbit is more than just a half-height human.

Shortest of Them All

Shorter than Dwarves, but less stocky, and slightly longer-lived than the average Man or Woman, Hobbits of the Shire are an insular people, protective of their ways and wary of outsiders. They are self-made and self-sustained, growing their own food, raising their own animals and smoking their own pipe-weed.

Homes and Customs

Even their homes are unique to the Hobbits, though not unique to the Shire itself. Many were dug into hillsides for heat in Winter and cool in Summer, with round doors. And if there was something a Hobbit loved more than food it was looking forward to the next meal, of which there were many! “Second Breakfast” was a custom Pippin and Merry had to do without when they were part of the Fellowship of the Ring!

Heroically Small

But what I love about Hobbits is that they are the smallest race and it is through the faithfulness of two particular Hobbits, the underlings, the overlooked, that Middle-Earth is ultimately saved from Sauron. It is the “weak overcoming the strong” motif, yet tainted with further weakness. Even as he was supposed to throw the One Ring into Mount Doom, Frodo Baggins found he could not go through with it. Had it not been for Gollum’s selfish intervention, salvation may not have come. But Frodo and Samwise Gamgee had had to endure difficulties, suspicion, captivity, Spiders and more to get to that point. Just because Frodo needed an accidental “push” at the end, it does not make him less heroic. In fact, it makes him a more believable hero.


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Notable Figures: Hobbits

I think even the casual watcher (not that Watcher) of the movies could name notable Hobbits, so here’s my list:

  • Bilbo Baggins: His inclusion into Thorin Oakenshield’s band by Gandalf ultimately led to the One Ring being recovered from Gollum. While that later alerted Sauron and his allies, the discovery led to its ultimate destruction.
  • Samwise Gamgee: the simple gardner turned fierce protector without whom Frodo may not even have made it to Mordor, much less succeeded in his task. Motivated by love for Frodo there and for Rosey back home, he would eventually become Mayor of the Shire sometime after the Scouring.
  • Frodo Baggins: When the entire Council of Elrond needed someone incorruptible to take the One Ring to Mount Doom, it was Frodo who volunteered. While the trials he endured left him scarred, he was always grateful for help others gave him, especially Samwise.
  • Peregrin and Meriadoc: You can take a Hobbit out of the Shire, but you can’t take the Shire out of the Hobbit. These relatables play their own important roles, not least convincing the Ents to attack Isengard. Other heroics include Pippin saving Faramir’s lifeExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab) and Merry attacking the Witch-king of AngmarExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab) which allowed Éowyn to defeat him.


In-Game: Hobbits

While you technically have the option to say your Hobbit is from the Stoor family, they bear no resemblance to the Stoors in Enedwaith.

As expected, body shapes are fuller and rounded than humans, though interestingly, female Hobbits cannot have large stomachs unlike the male ones. Being large was a point of pride for this people!

What’s Shoes Precious?

Many items of clothing do not permit shoes for Shire Hobbits. Even older templates that had shoes built in hide them for this race. This is consistent with lore, though you can still make outfits with shoes if you want to role play that way. For example, my Hobbits nearly always wear footwear in icy conditions. That’s just a personal preference.

Hobbits of Middle-Earth

Also consistent with lore, you can find LOTRO’s Hobbits in the Shire, Bree-land, the border with Evendim, and also in Enedwaith (where the Stoors are thought to have settled in the migration). Swanfleet also contains a number of Hobbit villages.


Origins: Hobbits

The origins for Hobbits are not based on a location label, but a family line – a heritage. There are three familiale origins for (non-River) Hobbits: Fallohide, Harfoot and Stoor:




Human (Race of Man)

Or “Race of (Wo)man” as I like to refer to it. Yes, the “Race of Man” and “Age of Man” are Tolkien’s phrases, but so is “No living man am I” (Éowyn)!

LOTRO Race of Man (Female, here)

How to Unlock Humans

Humans love things cheap or free. In this case, humans have always been free. Well, free to create. You still have to raise them, feed them and clothe them.


The Lore: Men and Women

The Race of Man is the most prevalent across Middle-Earth, yet they are also the most easily swayed and enticed. It is important to remember here that “Man” also includes the Dúnedain. Though longer-lived, they are still capable of natural death. The “Gift of Man”, per some Elves, is their mortality.

There are men and women on both sides of the War of the Ring, with Aragorn leading the anti-Sauron charge and people like that Easterlings fighting for Sauron. Intertwined are players like Grima Wormtongue, working as a spy for Saruman who sought to overthrow the Dark Lord for…personal reasons. As far as I know, Oathbreakers, such as those Aragorn brings to his side were also past mortal Men, denied their death due to not keeping promises.

The most infamous of (former) mortals in The Lord of the Rings are the Nazgûl, the men so ensared by Sauron’s Rings that they became formless slaves to the Dark Lord.


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Notable Figures: Men and Women

There are many who could be included in this list!

  • Aragorn: Had to prove his worth to Elrond in order to marry the Elf he loved, by becoming the King of Gondor and Arnor. Initially working in the shadows and being treated as a “suspicious ranger”, the task of pleasing his would-be father-in-law was not a simple calling. He rallied people to his cause, rebuked those he felt needed it and had to even convince some Oath-breaker shades to fight for him and fulfil their oaths. As the War of the Ring reaches its crescendo at the Black Gate, Aragorn’s attack was a desperate diversion, with no guarantee of survival. Yet he persevered – yes for love, but also for justice and, most vitally “For Frodo”.
  • Éowyn: the Warrior woman who had to disobey the King’s command in order to fight for Rohan. In fear, yet total bravery, she stood between the Witch-King and her mortally-wounded lord, eventually defeating the one who no man could defeat. She also, with Faramir’s patience, had to learn to love again, once realising Aragorn’s heart belonged to another.
  • Théoden: The King of Rohan, initially controlled by Saruman via Gríma Wormtongue, he was freed by Gandalf “the White”. Yet he also has to process the death of his son Théodred, which took place while he was bewitched. Grief marked his return to sanity. He eventually joined the battle at Pellenor Fields, his forces bringing much-needed support for Gondor, though he died after being attacked by the Witch-King of Angmar.
  • Denethor: the Steward of Gondor is not a likable character, and with good reason. Among those reasons was his favouritism for Boromir to the detriment of Faramir. Yet, for a long time, he had had to mentally contend with the Dark Lord through one of the Palantíri (Seeing Stones), knowing that the siege of Minas Tirith was inevitable. While he died in madness, he was instrumental in Gondor’s presevation.


In-Game: Men and Women

The huge variety possible in the creation of a “human” man or woman reflects that broad spectrum indicated in Tolkien’s works. Your ability to fight evil is not dictated by your skin colour, hairstyle, background or region you grew up in.

Mortal “men” range from your playable character, to wild folks like the Dunlendings, to soldiers of Rohan and Gondor and the Rangers you encounter. There are enemy humans that start as simple as brigands, to the Angmarim sorcerers, the Haradrim and the Black Númenorians.

And LOTRO portrays this variety well, too. And, if you start a High Elf, you get to meet all Nine Ringwraiths at the same time. Isn’t that heartwarming? Burning, I meant “burning”!

Newer Character Creator

In 2024, the Race of Man underwent an avatar update, bringing it inline with the River Hobbits. It is more than a simple refresh, you have a much more detailed UI when creating a Woman or Man. It is worth spending plenty of time at character creation – or at the Barber’s.


Origins: Men and Women

Despite having regional variances for other races, humans from all the regional locations have access to all the skin, hair and eye colours.

While to a degree I agree with eye and hair colours, couldn’t there have been skin colour variances for those who have grown up in the shadow of the Lonely Mountain, compared to Bree-land? Or sea-swept parts of Gondor compared to the plains of Rohan?



River Hobbit

LOTRO River Hobbit Race (Female, here)

How to Unlock River Hobbits

  1. As a separate unlock in the LOTRO Store for LOTRO Points 1,000
  2. Buy purchasing one of three River Hobbit bundles.

The Lore: River Hobbits

I actually don’t want to go into too much depth on River Hobbits, given I have written specifically about them on the blog already. See The River Hobbits of LOTRO.

The root-name in lore is actually River-folk and referred to Stoor Hobbits, who journeyed towards Eriador in response to the dangers of Angmar. Not all ended up in Eriador, with a number remaining behind in Rhovanion.

Unlike Shire Hobbits, the River-folk knew and loved water and were known to wear shoes. The Stoors actually resembled the Race of ManExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab) much more too.


Notable Figures: River Hobbits

The most (in)famous Stoor is that of Sméagol. It was on his birthday one fateful year that his friend Déagol discovered a shiny ring in a river. Overcome by his desire for it, Sméagol killed his friend to possess what would eventually be revealed as the One Ring.

The Ring extended his life, but warped his body and gave him a cough of sorts that sounded like “gollum, gollum”, earning him that name. He was shunned by his people but he had his Precious, until the day the “Thief! Baggins!” stole it from him.


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In-Game: River Hobbits

Intially criticised as “reskinned Hobbits”, the River Hobbits were actually downscaled, improved, then customised Race of Men characters. They have some unique hairstyles, some of which includes leaves in their hair. Their base head shapes are different to the Race of Man also – and Hobbit for that matter.

In keeping with my understanding of the River-folk, they are more lithe than Shire Hobbits, while keeping some of the cuteness attached to the halflings.

With their introduction, River Hobbits ushered in a new character creator. Using it, you have much more control over facial details and body shape than previous creators. So take your time when making one!

My first (female) River Hobbit in LOTRO

River Hobbits also come with an outfit or two depending on which bundle you choose, though you do get a River-folk outfit as a quest reward after completing the introduction.

Lastly, River Hobbits have access to quests in Swanfleet, but not Cardolan. You will need to purchase Before the Shadow to enable Cardolan, Sarch Vorn and the Missions/Delvings.


Origins: River Hobbits

All River-Hobbits of LOTRO come from Misthallow. As such, they all have the same options available to them upon creation.



Stout-Axe Dwarf

LOTRO Stout-Axe Dwarf Race (Gender choice does not change anything appearance wise).

How to Unlock Stout-Axes

While they used to only be available as part of the Minas MorgulExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab) expansion, all accounts can make a Stout-Axe Dwarf for free.


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Are Stout-Axes Canon?

The first – and probably most important thing about the lore of the Stout-Axes is that they are a creation of The Lord of the Rings Online. Or, maybe to adopt Tolkien Gateway’s usual wording “it only appears in adaptations”.

That is to say, the Stout-Axes specifically are not mentioned in any of the Tolkiens’ works.

However, I wanted to break this down into steps, so please read on!

Are Stout-axes Stiffbeards?

The second most important thing to say is that Stout-axes appear derived from elements that are lore. By that I mean, they are not pure invention either. TolkienGateway impliesExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab) a link between the Stiffbeards and Stout-axes.

The Stiffbeards – relating to the house of Kámbrada (or “Dràsa’s Folk”) – were “paired” with the Ironfists, which are absolutely in-loreExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab), and one of the seven houses of the Dwarves. However:

The locations of the four Dwarven clans, including the Stiffbeards, who lived in the East, are unknownrefExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab).

It may be, then that LOTRO felt they had wiggle room to create the Stout-axes, which appear to be a sub-clan of the Stiffbeards.

The Stout-axes were once a part of one of the Seven Houses of the Dwarves, known as Drása’s Folk.

LOTRO have creative freedom, and can only use whichever bits of LOTR they have the right IP/licenses for. Whatever those are. But equally, they’ve always based what they do on lore, or made it plausible within lore, while being practical about providing a gaming version of Middle-earth, which necessitates…stretching reality.

Hope from food, instant healing potions, swinging in/out of bear form as a Beorning, and probably most of your combat moves aren’t “in lore”. Are the Mordor-originating Stout-axes canon? No. Are they plausible? In my opinion, yes.


Notable Figures: Stout-Axe Dwarves

Given their existence came about through creative writing, I cannot point you to anything out of LOTRO.

But in LOTRO, I remember a whole, powerful storyline involving Vàskmun GreytoothExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab) in Mordor, the King of the Stout-Axes.

It’s not part of the Epic questline, so do pursue the side-quests. I appear to have deleted most of my Mordor screenshots, despite taking loads!


In-Game: Stout-Axe Dwarves

Stout-Axe player characters will notice a huge difference between their models and those of the original Dwarves. And I don’t just mean from their enslavement in Mordor.

The textures and faces are of a higher quality and there are unique hairstyles available to. Also, unlike Longbeards, you can select a gender for your Dwarf.

When I’ve encountered Stout-Axe NPCs in-game, I’ve found them to be a good mix of male/female and in a variety of roles, so I think representation is well done across the genders.


Origins: Stout-Axe Dwarves

You have only one origin as a Stout-Axe Dwarf in LOTRO: Mordor. So, all Stout-Axes have the same customisation options available to them.


Can I Choose Any Class for My Race?

There are some restrictions, but not anywhere near as many as there used to be!

No, You may Not Be a Hobbit Beorning.

Nor an Elven Beorning, nor a Dwarf Beorning. Only a Beorning Beorning.

Class Restrictions

Now that the obvious has been stated, let’s look at the few remaining class restrictions per Race.

Races with No Restrictions

Currently, the following races can be any class except Beorning:

  1. Woman/Man
  2. High Elf
  3. River Hobbit

I have used the same screenshots for each race throughout this guide. This was simply to aid your navigation through the content - visual familiarity.

Races With Class Restrictions

Here are the other races and their restrictions. For the avoidance of repetition, I have not re-listed Beorning under the other races.

BeorningLOTRO Beorning Race (Female in this case)

Because Beorning is both a class and a race, if you choose this race then your class is selected too.

Note that this does not restrict you much for combat – solo or in groups. They can tank, heal and DPS. They wear heavy armour too, so make for a great, durable solo class.

DwarfLOTRO Dwarf Race

Dwarves cannot be:

  • Burglar
  • Lore-master
  • Mariner
Stout-Axe DwarvesLOTRO Stout-Axe Dwarf Race (Gender choice does not change anything appearance wise).

These cannot be:

  • Lore-Master
HobbitLOTRO Hobbit Race (Female in this case)

Non-River Hobbits are unable to select the following classes:

  1. Captain
  2. Mariner
  3. Rune-keeper
ElfLOTRO Elf Race (Male in this case)

Non-High Elves are restricted from:

  1. Captain
  2. Mariner

Though apparently Elves can be great Brawlers. I can’t think in the books where that’s supported, though I think Legolas does some punch-up work in Théoden’s Hall in the movie adaptation during the scene where they have to leave their weapons outside.

Classes/Race Options

Below you can find which classes are available organised by race, and which races are available organised by class.

You select both of these options in the same step when creating a character, so play with the settings as much as you need to. Unavailable combinations are greyed out. But here are the charts to help you.


Which Classes Can Each Race Play in LOTRO?

On this tab, I’ve put each race in a block and listed whether combat classes are available or not.

If you’re on a smaller screen and want to avoid scrolling use these links to zip to the one you want to know about:

Beorning | Dwarf | Elf | High Elf | Hobbit | Man/Woman | River Hobbit | Stout-Axe

Beorning

LOTRO Beorning Race (Female in this case)
Beorning
Burglar
Brawler
Captain
Champion
Guardian
Hunter
Lore-Master
Mariner
Minstrel
Rune-keeper
Warden

Dwarf

LOTRO Dwarf Race
Beorning
Burglar
Brawler
Captain
Champion
Guardian
Hunter
Lore-Master
Mariner
Minstrel
Rune-keeper
Warden

Elf

LOTRO Elf Race (Male in this case)
Beorning
Burglar
Brawler
Captain
Champion
Guardian
Hunter
Lore-Master
Mariner
Minstrel
Rune-keeper
Warden

High Elf

LOTRO High Elf Race (Male in this case)
Beorning
Burglar
Brawler
Captain
Champion
Guardian
Hunter
Lore-Master
Mariner
Minstrel
Rune-keeper
Warden

Hobbit

LOTRO Hobbit Race (Female in this case)
Beorning
Burglar
Brawler
Captain
Champion
Guardian
Hunter
Lore-Master
Mariner
Minstrel
Rune-keeper
Warden

Man/Woman

LOTRO Race of Man (Female, here)
Beorning
Burglar
Brawler
Captain
Champion
Guardian
Hunter
Lore-Master
Mariner
Minstrel
Rune-keeper
Warden

River Hobbit

LOTRO River Hobbit Race (Female, here)
Beorning
Burglar
Brawler
Captain
Champion
Guardian
Hunter
Lore-Master
Mariner
Minstrel
Rune-keeper
Warden

Stout-Axe

LOTRO Stout-Axe Dwarf Race (Gender choice does not change anything appearance wise).
Beorning
Burglar
Brawler
Captain
Champion
Guardian
Hunter
Lore-Master
Mariner
Minstrel
Rune-keeper
Warden

Race-to-Class List ↑


Which Races Go with Each Class in LOTRO?

This time I’ve flipped the data around, so here are the classes with the races listed under them.

As before, if you are on a smaller screen, here are quick-links to help you skip to your chosen class. Use your browser/devices “back” function to return to this point afterwards.

Beorning | Brawler | Burglar | Captain | Champion | Guardian | Hunter | Lore-master | Mariner | Minstrel | Rune-Keeper | Warden

Beorning

LOTRO Beorning Class Screenshot example.
Beorning
Dwarf
Elf
High Elf
Hobbit
Man/Woman
River Hobbit
Stout-Axe

Brawler

LOTRO Brawler Class |Screenshot Example
Beorning
Dwarf
Elf
High Elf
Hobbit
Man/Woman
River Hobbit
Stout-Axe

Burglar

LOTRO Burglar Class | Screenshot Example
Beorning
Dwarf
Elf
High Elf
Hobbit
Man/Woman
River Hobbit
Stout-Axe

Captain

LOTRO Captain Class | Screenshot Example
Beorning
Dwarf
Elf
High Elf
Hobbit
Man/Woman
River Hobbit
Stout-Axe

Champion

LOTRO Champion Class | Screenshot Example
Beorning
Dwarf
Elf
High Elf
Hobbit
Man/Woman
River Hobbit
Stout-Axe

Guardian

LOTRO Guardian | Screenshot Example
Beorning
Dwarf
Elf
High Elf
Hobbit
Man/Woman
River Hobbit
Stout-Axe

Hunter

LOTRO Hunter Class | Screenshot Example
Beorning
Dwarf
Elf
High Elf
Hobbit
Man/Woman
River Hobbit
Stout-Axe

Lore-Master

LOTRO Lore-Master Class | Screenshot Example
Beorning
Dwarf
Elf
High Elf
Hobbit
Man/Woman
River Hobbit
Stout-Axe

Mariner

LOTRO Mariner Class | Screenshot Example
Beorning
Dwarf
Elf
High Elf
Hobbit
Man/Woman
River Hobbit
Stout-Axe

Minstrel

LOTRO Minstrel Class | Screenshot Example
Beorning
Dwarf
Elf
High Elf
Hobbit
Man/Woman
River Hobbit
Stout-Axe

Rune-keeper

LOTRO Rune-Keeper Class | Screenshot Example
Beorning
Dwarf
Elf
High Elf
Hobbit
Man/Woman
River Hobbit
Stout-Axe

Warden

LOTRO Warden Class | Screenshot ExampleBeorningDwarfElfHigh ElfHobbitMan/WomanRiver HobbitStout-Axe


My Race/Class Combinations

Here is my current combination of LOTRO Races and Classes on one server:

More on this battle on Fandom.com →

 BeorningDwarfElfHigh ElfHobbitMan/WomanRiver HobbitStout-Axe
Beorning
Brawler
Burglar
Captain
Champion
Guardian
Hunter
Lore-Master
Mariner
Minstrel
Rune-keeper
Warden

I currently don’t have a Dwarf, but I have nothing against Dwarves. They can be fun to play, especially as a Champion. I had to delete a Dwarf to get a starter Burglar, which a Durin’s Dwarf cannot be!



Race and Camera Height

One of the impacts of race customisation that is maybe underestimated is that of the camera’s height. The “camera object” is situated either in, or in front of your character’s eyes. I’d wager that this is so, in first person view, you are seeing as they would. It also helps immersion to a degree too.

But if you’ve come from a game where you played a person of average human height, combat as a Hobbit will initially feel weird!

Your Race Sets Different Camera Heights

Humans (Race of Man) and Beornings and, to some degree I think, Elves have “Average” camera height.

High Elves are slightly taller than “bog standard” Elves.

Dwarves are much shorter, and maybe about the same height as River Hobbits. (Though River Hobbits do have a new Height slider).

Hobbits (the Shire type) are the smallest race and therefore have the lowest “view”.

Lastly, for some races, female characters are slightly shorter than their male counterparts.

All these different angles you experience Middle-Earth at affect how you see the world, how other players and NPCs appear and may even affect your combat. If you’ve not played this kind of game before I think that is less of an issue, but if you’re used to playing a midget race, you may need to adjust to playing a Beorning, for example.

I mean, by all means, try something new, but it is a genuine impact of your racial choice.

Different Race Introductions

What a new player to LOTRO may not realise is that how your character starts their adventures differs depending on the race they have chosen. In both the other MMOs I have played, your starting location is dependent on your combat class.

LOTRO sets you on a path that is appropriate for your race:

Beorning

In the LOTRO Beorning Intro, you start outside Grimbeorn's house.

As you’re in Grimbeorn’s line, you start at his lodge. While all seems peaceful, not everyone is calm. An unprovoked goblin attack stirs Radagast the Wizard to request the aid of Grimbeorn’s children.

Dwarf

You’re a Dwarf miner, doing what miners do. Until the day Gandalf appears and disrupts everything. It’s what he does. The Dourhands control Thorin’s Hall but what are their plans? (The Dwarf intro joins with the Elven one).

Elf

It’s just a normal day at Edhelion in Ered Luin, when an unforseen attack by Dwarves on the sanctuary sets you on a different path in life. After a brief training session with Talagan, you join the defence and eventually flee. (The Elf intro joins with the Dwarven one but it’s much later on in history).

Hobbit

A random stroll through the Shire, leads you to encounter some familiar faces also on the road. But the arrival of a Black Rider forces you to flee through spider webs, only to be caught by brigands in a seriously bad case of mistaken identity. (The Hobbit intro joins with the Race of Man).

High Elves

Join the battle at the gates of Mordor in the Second Age! This key moment in Middle-Earth history sees you play a role as one of the High Elves summoned to challenge Sauron. But the sudden disappearance of one of your company diverts your attention in a last minute rescue attempt.

Race of Man

Getting locked up by brigands is mighty annoying, don’t you think? Thankfully, for some reason, Strider and his companion Amdir have come to rescue you. And some Hobbits who were locked up at the same time. But when one of the rescuers need rescuing, where do you go?

River Hobbit

In Lyndelby, nothing much fazes the River Hobbits. The outside world exists and that’s fine so long as, you know, it stays there. But you have decided you want to leave Lyndelby (for longer than past dinner, by the way). You will hear words of wisdom from your Elder (and others) and a Great Eagle pitches in too.

Stout-Axe Dwarves

Another day, another round of repetitive chores as a Stout-Axe in Mordor in TA 3017. This is one of the longer of the unique intros. This is because you have six quests of slavery to complete before the story will continue. But that is realistic, I think. Remember this is LOTRO’s story, so drink it in to understand your character better.

Racial Traits

Combat Modifications

Each race has a series of modifications to their combat effectiveness. This adds an interesting angle if you want to overthink it – in that technically some races may be better at types of combat than other races.

In reality, it’s interesting but don’t decide against a Hobbit Guardian just because they’re short! You can still choose any of the classes available to your race and that makes them all viable.

Beorning

LOTRO Beorning Race (Female in this case)
  • Might of the Wild: Buff to Might stat
  • Few in Number: Reduced Fate stat
  • Natural Resistance: +1% Poison Resistance
  • Thick Hide: Buff to Vitality stat

Dwarf

LOTRO Dwarf Race
  • Sturdiness: Buff to Might and Vitality stats, 1% Common Damage Mitigation
  • Stocky: Reduced Agility stat
  • Lost Dwarf Kingdoms: Reduced Fate
  • Unwearying in Battle: Regenerates Health and Power quicker in battle and slower out of combat.
  • One-handed Axes: You can use…one-handed axes. Yo.

Elf

LOTRO Elf Race (Male in this case)
  • Sorrow of the Firstborn: Reduced Morale stat and reduced out-of-combat Morale regeneration.
  • Agility of the Woods: Increased Agility stat.
  • Fading of the Firstborn: Reduced Fate stat.
  • Suffer No Illness: 1% Poison and Disease Resistance.

High Elf

LOTRO High Elf Race (Male in this case)
  • Sorrow of the Undying: Reduced Will stat
  • Fading of the Firstborn: Reduced Fate stat
  • Peace of the Eldar: Increased Maximum morale, buff to out-of-combat morale regeneration.
  • Suffer No Illness: 1% Poison and Disease Resistance.

Hobbit

LOTRO Hobbit Race (Female in this case)
  • Small Size: Decreased Might stat
  • Hobbit-toughness: Increased Vitality stat
  • Rapid Recovery: Increased out-of-combat morale regeneration.
  • Hobbit Courage: +1% Fear Resistance
  • Resist Corruption: +1% Shadow Mitigation

Human

LOTRO Race of Man (Female, here)
  • Gift of Men: Huge boost to the Fate stat
  • Diminishing of Mankind: Reduced Will stat
  • Easily Inspired: +5% Incoming Healing rating.
  • Strong Men: Increased Might stat

River Hobbit

LOTRO River Hobbit Race (Female, here)
  • Slippery Like a Fish: Increased Agility stat
  • Seclusion Breeds Suspicion: Decreased Will stat
  • Hardy Holbytlan: Increased Maximum Morale
  • Swimmer: +1% Frost Mitigation
  • Daggers: Not “the look” but, actual ones.

Stout-Axe

LOTRO Stout-Axe Dwarf Race (Gender choice does not change anything appearance wise).
  • Unyielding Will: Increased Will stat, +1% Common Damage Mitigation
  • Wrought by the Black Land: +1% Shadow Mitigation, +1% Disease Resistance, Increased Might and Agility stats
  • Shadow of the Eye: Reduced Vitality stat
  • Doom of Drása’s Folk: Reduced Fate stat
  • One-handed Axes: Because axes with two hands are just weird.

To find out more, visit LOTRO Wiki’s Page on “Base Passive Skills”External Link (Opens in New Window/Tab).


Racial Travel Skills and How to Earn Them

Each race can earn the right to a free Return To travel skill. While this may not affect the likes of Hunters, Wardens and Mariners, the rest of us who main a different class need all the skills we can get!

How Do You Earn Racial Travel Skills?

This is done through the completion of a set deed, in the Race tab of your Deed Log. This can be found here:

Thanks to the WikiExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab), I’ve also noted down the level these trigger at.

  • Beorning: Enmity of the Goblins II – L19
  • Dwarf: Enmity of the Goblins II – L29
  • Elf: Enmity of the Orcs II – L29
  • High Elf: Enmity of the Orcs II – L32
  • Hobbit: Enmity of the Spiders II (The Shire) – L29
  • Human/Race of Man: Enmity of the Wargs II – L29
  • River Hobbit: Back and There Again – L125
  • Stout-Axe: Enmity of the Cultists III – L35

What Return To Skill Can My Race Earn?

  • Beorning: Grimbeorn’s Lodge
  • Dwarf: Thorin’s Gate
  • Elf: Rivendell
  • High Elf: Caras Galadhon (Lothlórien)
  • Hobbit: Michel Delving (The Shire)
  • Human/Race of Man: Bree
  • River Hobbit: Lyndelby
  • Stout-Axe: Thorin’s Hall

Other LOTRO Race Traits

All other racial traits are also earned through completing deeds in the “Race and Social” tab of your Deed Log. Most of these related to Enmity deeds. These are just slayer deeds by another name, so you may find you are progressing two deeds at the same time – e.g. a Warg-slayer deed and Enmity of the Wargs.


How to Slot/Unslot or Swap Your Traits

While you can earn nine racial traits, you cannot equip them all at the same time. The same is true of Virtues in LOTRO. Some you don’t even need to have slotted all of the time either. A good example is your race’s travel skill, which you require when… you want to travel.

  1. Load the traits panel
  2. Hit the “Race Traits” tab
  3. Drag whichever skills you have unlocked into the (up to) five available slots.

Racial travel skills are separate to Milestones and other Return to Skills. If you want to use your race's travel skill because your others are on cooldown, slot the skill. Once you have travelled, reslot whichever one you replaced.

Why Are Some Slots Locked?

Because they unlock gradually as you level up. Unless you focus on deeds from the moment you start playing LOTRO, you will barely notice locked Racial traits/virtues.

But, these unlock at L13, L19, L25, L31 and L37.

Weapon Proficiency Differences

By and large, the weapons you can use depend on your class, not your race. In that statement, I’m referring to Beorning as a class, as I think that’s the most useful way to think of this. Your weapons are about your combat performance, after all.

That said, there are a couple of notes, I gleaned from the WikiExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab).

  • Stout-Axe Mariners can use one-handed axes. Mariners of other races can use only daggers and one-handed swords.
  • Dwarf Minstrels can add a one-handed axe into the mix. The default list for other races is: daggers, one-handed clubs, maces and one-handed swords.
  • The Wiki seems to infer that a Dwarf Rune-keeper can use a one-handed Axe. I can’t see how that works considering you wield a pair of Rune-stones. I will look into that case.
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Battle Cries and Shouts

While some races may have a generic “arghhh” when removing a debuff, some races have more character. This is especially true of the Dwarven races and the High Elves….

W[/dc]hile I cannot back it up, I believe LOTRO always intended for the player to be on the side of the Free People, rather than split between the opposing sides. Well, this is true for the main quests and Epic story, anyway.

The Lord of the Rings is told from the point of view of “good” people, even though most are flawed in some way. The idea is always leading to the destruction of Sauron. So, from a main story point of view, yes, you have to play a “goodie” race.

This is different to, say, Star Wars: The Old Republic, where two arguably more-balanced factions are vying for control and where Sith can make “morally good” decisions, and Jedi can be corrupted.

Where Can I Play as an Enemy?

If you need your outlet to play an enemy, though, I can think of two places:

PVMP/PVP

LOTRO Monster Play Wargs - Image c/o LOTRO Wiki.
https://lotro-wiki.com/wiki/File:Monster_Play-5.jpg

I am 100% the wrong person to ask about any aspect of PvP in any game.

But in LOTRO, you can be an enemy in PvMP, which is Player vs Monster Player (or “Monster Play” for short.)

PvMP differs from traditional PvP in that, instead of your normal characters fighting among themselves, you have Free Peoples (“Freeps”) against Enemies (“Creeps”). For example, you can play as an Orc or Warg.

Beyond that, I am unqualified to state opinions. So here are some resources to get you started, maybe.

Session Play

While most of LOTRO’s Epic storytelling is from the point of view of the “heroes” of The Lord of the Rings, some of it is from other angles.

Session Play occurs at various points in the story. It takes you away from your character and puts you in control of an NPC. Sometimes this is another “goodie”, but enemy NPCs that spring to mind are:

  • Angmarim just prior to your character storming their tower
  • An Orc among many hurtling towards Helm’s Deep
  • Gríma Worm-Tongue, while in service to Saruman

So, if you want to jump in now as an enemy, then PvMP is the way forward!


Disguises

While planning this section on being an enemy, I remembered disguises. These are sometimes enforced during set-quests, but can also be obtained during Fall Festival for LOTRO’s equivalent of Trick-or-Treating.

These don’t make you an enemy, but you can role play as one if you wish!

During Fall Fest, find Mogo BracegirdleExternal Link (Opens in New Window/Tab). But you’ll need to have some Mithril Coin Mithril Coins on-hand first.

Trying Races Out: Make a Deeding Throwaway

A productive way to try different race/class combinations is to create a “throwaway”. These temporary characters can be used to clear some LOTRO Deeds in the earlier regions, giving you a good feel for the combination.

If you enjoy it, then it might be a keeper. Or you may want to try another gender option, or to recreate it but put more time into the facial options.

If you didn’t like it, shrug and transfer the Silver Coin silver and Copper Coin copper you’ve made to another character, delete it and role another deeder.

You’ll gain an insight into the class and rack up some LOTRO Points LOTRO Points at the same time. Just a thought!

If It’s Just the Face

I’ll come to this shortly, but if it’s just a case that you dislike the face, then see a Barber in-game, rather than start over.

A temporary character I created years ago to try a Male High Elf and the Warden class - and make some LOTRO Points. Okay, mostly it was for the LOTRO Points!
A temporary character I created years ago.

LOTRO Race Questions

What’s the Best Race for Tanking, DPS or Healer?

There is no discernible difference between the races in terms of group content. There are some minor modifications: the Race of Man has reduced Will for example, which very slightly affects Will-based combat: Minstrel (Healer/DPS), Rune-Keeper (DPS/Healer), Lore Master (Support/DPS). But any degredations like that can be overcome with better gear, adding essences to your gear, accepting quest gear to compensate or crafting something for the same reason.

In short, see race as a customisation, rather than trying to “optimise for” something.

Can I Change My Race?

Unlike classes, you cannot at this point change your race. Various aspects of your personal game are very intertwined with your race choice: racial deeds and traits (including your earned “Return To” skill) being the main ones.

If you’re a fairly low level, or know how to play and level quickly, then you could delete and reroll your character. But I would suggest making an alt before deleting your original character. Seeing the game at a different height, with different battle sounds and even the outfits you’ve put together appearing differently may (or may not) be to your taste.

My Dwarf Looks the Same as a Male Compared to a Female!

Yes, that’s intentional as that is Lord of the Rings canon. One of the funniest scenes in the movie adaptations is Gimli prattling on about Dwarves and the fact that most can’t tell the difference between the males and females. Aragon turns to Éowyn and, motioning to his chin, whispers “it’s the beards!”.

At least with Stout-Axe Dwarf in LOTRO, you can select your character’s gender. As I said earlier, this isn’t (currently) an option for Durin’s Dwarves.

Is Choosing the “Right” Race and Class Important?

Glinmaethor shrugs at a Dwarf in LOTRO. It was the best image I could come up with about whether getting the right LOTRO race matters!

Well, that’s a beautiful and exceedingly-subjective question! I would say that you need to feel comfortable with your character’s general appearance and their LOTRO Class before you get too deep into the game.

“Right” for me means being comfortable playing the character you’re in control of. This includes their physical features, their outfits, their combat style and maybe even which combination of available weapons they use. Race is just one factor.

With that in mind, here is my input, for what it’s worth:

Suck It, And See

There is no shame in starting a combination, disliking it, deleting it then starting a different combination. Not being totally comfortable with an appearance or feeling unsure about a combat class are the main reasons I stop playing characters – or barely start them.

There are some stat changes based on Racial Traits. All races have strengths and weaknesses, but nothing that cannot be mitigated against, or buffed.

Race Is Unchangeable

It’s only been in relatively modern times that a class-change option has been in existence. And that is via the LOTRO store only – and it is not cheap.

And while you can change a lot about your character’s appearance, race is not one of them.

In light of these two things, if you don’t like the combination you’ve chosen by level 20, I would say a change is in order.

Can’t Change Your Race? Then Change Your Face!

Here is not the ideal location for a detailed look at the Barber in The Lord of the Rings Online. However, if you want to change your character’s overall look, then look for the Barber pole symbol in your local town. Or in your Kin-House. Or, in my case, my Rohan homestead where I have the Visiting Barber “decoration” from the Curator.

What I will say is that the range of options available to you are wider than any other MMO I’ve played. And, on top of that, you don’t need to use any real money, nor quasi-real-money (like LOTRO Points LOTRO Points and Mithril Coin Mithril Coins) to use a Barber either. You just pay a few Silver Coin Silver and Copper Coin Copper.

What’s Unchangeable?

So much is available in the barber that, I reckon, you can almost create an entirely new character. The primary things you cannot change are:

  1. Your Race (as already discussed)
  2. Your Gender: for whatever reason you cannot currently switch between the options at a barber. It may be due to intersecting systems (titles are sometimes gender-locked, for example), but that’s just a guess.
  3. The Region of Origin you selected at initial character creation. Most raraces have several “birth locations”, for want of a better term. As we saw earlier, this affects the colours you can choose for your hair, eye and skin tones.

What’s Changeable?

Pretty much anything not in the first list!

  1. Body Shape: Don’t like your character’s body shape? Are you RP-ing a certain time in their life where that might change? Then the Barber is also a cosmetic surgeon! They just come without modern-day sanitary environments. But I’m sure it’ll be fine, right? Right?!
  2. Skin Colour: Though bear in mind the “regional restriction” I mentioned before.
  3. Facial Structure: Including head shape, eye shape, scars, complexion. For races with the newer, more detailed creator (currently Race of Man and River Hobbit) you still have that huge range of options at the Barber’s.
  4. Hair and Eye Colours: Also within the restrictions of your region of origin.
  5. Hair Styles: since the 2024 avatar upgrades, old textures have started to be updated and new styles are making their way through too. No extra unlock is needed for the new styles either.

Barber Changes are Still Huge!

As I said, apart from a small number of restrictions, you can totally overhaul your character’s look. I did it with a River Hobbit recently.

Living the Lore: Role-playing Your Race and Class in LOTRO

I recently saw a social media thread about MMOs you can “live in”. They meant mostly having a life in, but not always fighting. And the LOTRO races and, to some degree, their classes lend themselves to an important part of storytelling in MMOs – role-playing.

I’ve occasionally seen (players’) Elves sat around discussing their own history, for example.

LOTRO does have “designated” RP servers – Laurelin and Belegaer, but that doesn’t stop you from RPing on your server of choice.

Role-Playing On Your Own

This isn’t as bad as it sounds in those words! Your character lives in Middle-earth and interacts with NPCs almost every day, whether that’s the Lady of the Golden Wood, or the ingredients vendor at Michel Delving. Why not interact with them outside of quest-click-grab-run?

  • “Head Canon”: why not think about possible backstories for your characters to create so-called “head-canon”? You join Middle-Earth as an adult, but what about the years before? Maybe your human male was born into a brigand colony and broke free. Your Dwarf may exist only as a crafter and gatherer but suddenly has to venture further for materials. Or was your Elf so scarred from past battles, and you hold life so sacred that you avoid combat as much as possible. You decide!
  • Emotes: want to honour a king? /kneel, speaking with an Angmarim Sorcerer? /resist their attempts to control you. Walking around a farm or army stables? /pat an animal (or near it, if you cannot target it). But consider how your character’s racial heritage would affect their gestures to NPCs around them.
  • Chat Bubbles: While you cannot make an NPC say something they haven’t, you can use chat bubbles on yourself. Just ensure you have the /say channel active first. Speak to the NPCs, or write down your character’s thoughts.
  • Multibox: If you use LOTRO Dualboxing, you can control two characters at roughly the same time (albeit flicking between windows). This can give you an avenue to explore how characters of different races interact. My main character (a female human, RPing as a Dúnedan) has her Elven love, and explores those difficulties, along with the innate characteristics I’ve written for them.

Remember that different races will react in certain ways towards others. Distrust between Elves and Dwarves is common, but often a certain distancing between Elves and Men too, because of Men’s fleeting existence. A Hobbit is traditionally unconcerned with anything outside of the Shire, so why not RP their thoughts as they take their first steps into Bree-land?

Role-Playing With Others

As I said there are RP servers, but I’ve seen players create new characters that appear in safe places solely to role-play.

If this is an aspect you’re interested in, ask in World Chat, or join a Kin and ask from there.

TL;DR Which LOTRO Class Should You Choose? Whichever Suits You (Sir)

It has been a long ride to get through this guide to LOTRO Races. And rightly so, as they have given us eight to explore so far. The Lord of the Rings and related written works has a richness and diversity in its cultures too.

Races in LOTRO are tied into things like deeds and virtues, so you can’t change it once it’s set. But my advice would be to think about a race or character you’ll enjoy playing, rather than which one is “best” for a certain type of combat. Extra gear and not worrying about a 1% dip in mitigations will probably make up for it.

Whatever you choose to do and however you choose to spend time in LOTRO, make sure you do it for enjoyment. And help others to enjoy being in Middle-earth too, whatever race and background they – and their character – are from.


About the Author

Fibro Jedi
Fibro Jedi

I have been playing MMOs for about ten years and began writing guides to The Lord of the Rings Online in 2017. I've only been creating content about Final Fantasy XIV since 2022, but I am glad for the mix. My current games include LOTRO, FFXIV and the occasional Palia session too.

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