Lord Of The Rings Online: Beta Journal Wednesday: March 21, 2007

Today's Beta Journal provides a great introduction to the four types of Traits a player can obtain to customize their character.

Traveling across the many landscapes of Middle-earth, you find yourself inching your way toward fame, power, and influence amongst all you encounter both friend and foe alike. Through your eventful life as an adventurer, you earn this recognition by accumulating what are known as traits. The traits that are available to you are numerous and diverse. Currently, there are four categories that any of these traits will fall under: Virtues, Racial, Class, and Legendary.

Virtues represent the honor, respect, courage, and fame that you gain while completing various tasks throughout Middle-earth. The idea is that when you perform heroic deeds, you become a more capable individual because of them. Reducing fear, healing more swiftly from open wounds, and bolstering your ability to deliver the proper strike when necessary are some examples of benefits of virtues that result from your encounters and actions.

Amongst your race you are also compared. Racial traits are earned by showing how well placed your hand is in the defense of your people. The different races of Middle-earth are all experiencing troubled times and they could all use a few well managed fellows to help them pull through. The race of Men, for example, will soon understand their place in Middle-earth and never lose sight of their homeland no matter how far they travel.

To set you apart from others that have taken your path, class-specific traits are granted to those of you who choose to fight a certain way. After all, individual fighting styles lead to individual strengths and weaknesses. Guardians who choose to defend their friends learn that there is no more powerful place to stand than in between the enemy and their allies.

The fewest but most powerful of all must be learned from previous legends who have once taken the same path you are following. Aptly named "Legendary" traits, these specific qualities can be quite the challenge to live up to. After obtaining old texts you must seek out someone worthy of identifying your predecessor's technique. Mastering the technique requires discipline and perseverance. These abilities may ultimately save your life, or the lives of your partners, in a combat situation.

As you progress through the ranks, you earn and learn distinct qualities of and about yourself that sets you apart from others. In proving your worth to yourself, your friends, and your enemies you can become a stronger, more adept adventurer.