Not all of these characters were in the books right? Where does FFG get its inspiration for the missions and characters that are not directly from the main story? I am interested in the creative process of it all.

This probably doesn't belong in this forum. Also, I'm not sure the creators would answer that question here, nor have they answered the question as far as I know, so you're not going to get much of an answer.

Basically, these guys pull what they can from the lore or Middle Earth and the new characters are mostly just there to fill voids. I would doubt that there is a set process used when creating these characters. Mostly they just come up with ideas (because they are creative guys) and flesh it out. That's the best I can give you.

Idraen, Beravor are not from real history. Anymore?

I didn't know which forum to put it in. :/

I'm not asking for trade secrets. Just wonder what they look for when they come up with a new elf or dwarf Etc. Do they throw darts at an alphabet board to name them?

Curiosity!!

Idraen, Beravor are not from real history. Anymore?

Also Thalin isn't.

The rest of unique allies and heroes i believe that are from Tolkien's writtings

I don't think Henamarth Riversong (Core set Lore ally) is named in any of Tolkien's writings, either.

Mirlonde. But yea, I don't know what you are expecting to get for an answer. I doubt that Caleb and Matt will share on here or that anyone here would have that knowledge.

I have heard, though, that some (if not all) of the characters that they came up with were actually characters that FFG created and used in other older LotR games. I have not verified this though.

Eleanor is a creation as well? I always thought so. And Caldara and the other spirit Gondor character...Emery. There's quite a few made up characters about. I liked that with Idraen they actually wrote the history into the character a bit more.

Others are a bit more up-to-speed on these things though.

Mirlonde. But yea, I don't know what you are expecting to get for an answer. I doubt that Caleb and Matt will share on here or that anyone here would have that knowledge.

I have heard, though, that some (if not all) of the characters that they came up with were actually characters that FFG created and used in other older LotR games. I have not verified this though.

Yes, Thalin, Eleanor and Beravor come from FFG game Middle-Earth Quest

So it is an answer for this post. I like this post.... what else?^^

So they make them up?

Some, yes (or draw from other games). It seems one reason is to make up for the lack of female characters the game might otherwise have. This isn't to say that LotR doesn't have strong female characters, but proportionally they are few, and some traits would have almost no female (unique) characters. At least, that's always been how I've read this.

At first, I did not like the introduction of characters not named in Tolkien's writings.

But now, I very much support the idea. Increasing the proportion of female characters is one valid reason for the creation of new characters, but I wonder if the designers might not also have had the following in mind:

1) Makes it easier to make thematically appropriate decks by utilizing "filler" heroes that could have been alive at any period in Tolkien's writings. For example, I recently wanted to play all the Core and Mirkwood quests using the same heroes/deck for every quest, and I wanted all heroes and cards in the deck to fit in with the story (as much as possible, anyway… Steward of Gondor stuck out like a sore thumb). Also, I had only the Core set and Mirkwood AP heroes to work with… so who would have gone on the hunt for Gollum? We know from Unfinished Tales that Aragorn captured Gollum, but to my knowledge, there is no info specifying whether anyone else assisted him… and the best heroes I could think of to accompany him on the LCG quest were Legolas (son of Thranduil, who initiates the quest in Passage Through Mirkwood, and to who's halls Aragorn is charged to bring Gollum in Return to Mirkwood) and Beravor (another Dunedain ranger, like Aragorn). Bilbo was back in the Shire when Aragorn was hunting for Gollum, likewise Frodo, Gimli did not meet Legolas (and Aragorn?) prior the council meeting in Rivendell in Fellowship of the Ring, Eowyn and Theodred (Rohan) would not have been recruited by Gandalf/Thranduil to take part in this mission, and same for King Dain Ironfoot, Bain Son of Brand, Denethor (steward of Gondor) and his son Boromir, Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth… and another newly invented Gondor hero named Eleanor. Gloin? Maybe, but he doesn't fit in so well either. And Core Glorfindel's threat cost is way too high to pair with Aragorn (he otherwise might have been a reasonable choice… if still a bit of a stretch).

2) Following the above, there must certainly have been other heroic personages in Middle Earth in the period covered between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings whose deeds were not recorded in those books (that's what The One Ring RPG is all about -- their stories!). Including them adds flexibility to (thematic) deck design.

Just my thoughts… I could be totally wrong about the underlying rationale of the designers…

Mirlonde. But yea, I don't know what you are expecting to get for an answer. I doubt that Caleb and Matt will share on here or that anyone here would have that knowledge.

I have heard, though, that some (if not all) of the characters that they came up with were actually characters that FFG created and used in other older LotR games. I have not verified this though.

Yes, Thalin, Eleanor and Beravor come from FFG game Middle-Earth Quest

Thanks for pointing this out -- I was not aware that these 3 heroes had appeared in a previous Lord of the Rings-themed board game.

There are two other characters created by FFG in the game Middle-Earth Quest: Eometh and Argalad, I wonder whether the FFG in the future also use these characters to create a new Heroes in LOTR LCG?

I also noticed that FFG uses also some graphics from game Middle-Earth Quest:

Part of what took me so long to get into this game was because I thought I just didn't know any of the characters because I wasn't familiar enough with the story or movies. It feels good to know they just made them up. Makes it more accessible.

Idraen, Beravor are not from real history. Anymore?

Brok Ironfist is another unique ally in the Core set that does not appear in Tolkien's writings.