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The Last Alliance > Gaming > Rules > Istari Creator

Istari Creator

By Jonathan Gross (Azaghal_of_Belegost)

Introduction

When I was first reading through my copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's Unfinished Tales, I noticed a wonderful little chapter towards
the end of the book entitled "The Istari". After reading it through, I began to realize just how mysterious these beings were.
How many where there? What happened to Alatar and Pallando? Did only 5 Istari ever visit Middle Earth, or were there
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more? Apparently, Tolkien himself struggled with these issues, and if he ever came to definite conclusions, we have no
Getting Started
records of them.
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After thinking for a while, I began to see what a wonderful opportunity this presented. Why not make rules for more Istari,
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as if others had been to Middle Earth in addition to the recorded 5. After reading and re-reading that chapter "The Istari", I
Users Online finally settled upon a course of action. I was not interested with creating specific new characters with made up storylines,
Games And More Games but I was interested in finding a method with which one could represent different Istari that may have roamed the remote
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& More. of
CVG Middle Earth. Putting this together with the idea that certain Istari were associated with certain Valar, I decided
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to create general rules for Istari that gamers could customize to their liking by choosing the Vala (not a mistake but the
Ads by Goooooogle singular of "Valar" ) it "belongs" to and adding their own preference of spells and special rules (but keep the results
balanced and fun to play with).
So, after much work during last summer, I put together the guide you see here. This guide is designed to allow you to
create any Istar (and that's not a mistake either, Istar is the singular of "Istari" ) you need for your gaming purposes, from
creating rules for the mysterious Alatar and Pallando to fashioning new personalities to field in your armies. So, without
further ado, let's get going!

Step 1: General Statline

Miniatures
Collecting
All versions of Istari come in three general statlines, shown below:
Readying for War
Dioramas
(Note: As Istari are Maiar in the form of men, they have a basic move value of 6"/14cm.)
Reviews
Lesser Istari
Painting Among the order of the Istari were those whose power was considerably less than that of the majority. These "lesser"
General Istari had a lower status in Valinor, and no record of them is to be found in Middle Earth, though some may have
Elves ventured there in disguise.
Men F S D A W C Might Will Fate Points
Lesser Istar
Dwarves 5/4+ 4 5 1 3 7 2 6+1 2 100
Orcs Customization Points*: 60
Trolls
Hobbits Average Istari
Maiar The Istari with the most common level of ability, or "average" Istari, were often used by the Valar, and it was five of these
Others Maiar whom they sent to Middle Earth to combat Sauron.
F S D A W C Might Will Fate Points
Average Istar
Conversions 5/4+ 4 5 1 3 7 3 6+1 3 150
 General
Customization Points*: 90
Elves
Men
Greater Istari
Dwarves
Of the Istari, there were those who demonstrated exceptional power. The only such record of a "greater" Istar comes from
Orcs
the time of the War of the Ring, when one of the five sent to combat Sauron was revived from death to finish his work.
Trolls
Hobbits F S D A W C Might Will Fate Points
Greater Istar
Maiar 5/4+ 5 6 1 3 7 3 6+1 3 200
Others Customization Points*: 120

To begin creating your Istar, choose one of those three basic statlines. They might seem very simple at first, but you will
Natural Terrain have ample opportunity to customize later.
General
Gaming Boards *Customization points are a store of points that can be spent customizing your Istar with spells and special rules. They do
Rocks not correspond to regular points in any way, they merely serve to balance out the abilities of Istari.
Hills
Trees and Bushes
Water Step 2: Choose your Vala
Snow
The next step is to choose which Vala your Istar serves. There are 14 Valar to choose from, as well as the option of a
"Rebel Istar", which could be viewed as serving Melkor (or Morgoth, whichever you prefer). For each of the 15 choices,
Constructions there are three things listed:
General 1. Wargear. Under this heading you will find the wargear that automatically comes with Istari of that type, along with prices
Gaming Boards (in regular points) for additional equipment available.
The Shire 2. Special Rules. Under this heading you will find any special rules that inherently come with Istari of that type, along with
Bree prices (in customization points) for additional rules available.
Eriador 3. Magical Powers. Under this heading you will find all unique powers available to Istari of that type and their costs in
Amon Hen customization points (generic powers available to all good Istari are listed in the next section). When looking at the
Gondor powers, you will notice that some have a "*" or a "**". Powers with a single "*" cannot be purchased by Lesser Istari, and
Elven Havens those with a "**" can only be purchased by Greater Istari.
Moria
Rohan Istari of Nienna
Isengard Nienna is the sister of Namo and Irmo. She is a great griever and mourner, and teaches pity and endurance to her
Mordor pupils. Of her pupils was a Maia named Olorin, who would become known in Middle Earth by names such as
"Mithrandir" when he was sent to combat Sauron.
Those Istari who follow Nienna are also great teachers of patience, and a great comfort to their allies.
Gaming
Wargear:
Rules
Istari of Nienna carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following cost:
Community Scenarios
Horse-10pts.
(archive)
Special Rules:
Community Scenarios
Staff of Power. An Istari's staff is not only a symbol of his authority but a potent talisman. To represent his staff's power an
All About The Game
Istari can expend 1 point of Will each turn without reducing his own Will store. Additionally, he may fight with his staff, in
Tactics
which case it counts as a two-handed weapon.
Gaming Aids
Additional special rules may be purchased at the following costs:
War Stories
Patience-10cps. If the Istar of Nienna fails to cast a spell, he may attempt to cast the same spell next turn with a +1
modifier to the casting roll.
Community Endurance in Hope-20cps. While the Istar of Nienna is alive, no friendly models are required to test their courage for
The Last Alliance 50% losses.
Forums Magical Powers:
Chatroom In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Nienna may purchase additional powers at the following cost:
Events Renew-10cps. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Links
Members List Istari of Aule
Member Map Aule was the great builder and inventor of the Valar. His works include the chains that held Melkor, as well as the
vessels for the sun and moon. Aule was also the fashioner of the Dwarves, who seem to have inherited his great love of
craftsmanship. His greatest pupil was Feanor, who went on to make the legendary Silmarills. It is also interesting to note
User Galleries that both Sauron and Curunir were Maiar in the train of Aule.
Miniature Gallery Those Istari who followed Aule were great craftsmen on their own right, possessing knowledge greatly sought after in
Sculpting Gallery Middle Earth.
Terrain Gallery Wargear:
Unfinished Terrain Istari of Aule carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following costs:
Gallery Horse-10pts.
Armour-5pts.
Heavy Armour-10pts.
FAQs
Mithril Armour-25pts.
Website Special Rules:
Official GW Game FAQ Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
BGIME Magazine Armour/Heavy Armour/Mithril Armour. A model wearing armour adds 1 to his defence characteristic. By the same
account, a model wearing heavy armour adds 2 to his defence characteristic and a model wearing mithril armour adds 3,
Website although only one form of armour may be worn at a time.
Magical Powers:
Search
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Aule may purchase additional powers at the following costs:
The Archive
Bind Armour-15cps. Dice score to use: 4+. The Istar of Aule uses his powers to bind together the armour of his
Contact
companions. The power can only be cast at the end of the Istar's move. If successfully cast, any friendly model that ends
The Alliance
its move within 6"/14cm of the Istar increases his Defence by 1 for the remainder of the turn.
History
 Legal
Strengthen Blades*-20cps. Dice score to use: 3+. This power enables the Istar of Aule to add extra force to the blows of
Editorial
nearby allies. Each friendly model within 3"/8cm of the Istar may re-roll 1 blow that fails to wound a turn (this does not
Help
apply to ranged weapons). Once cast this power lasts for the rest of the game so long as the Istar has 1 point of Will
remaining.
Campaign
Istari of Yavanna
News
Sometimes called the "Giver of Fruits", Yavanna was associated with all things that grew. She was Aule's wife, even
Introduction
though her work did not mingle well with his. The Maia known in Middle Earth as Radagast the Brown was one of her
Rules
Approval followers.
Army Lists As demonstrated by Radagast, those Istari who follow Yavanna have a great love for all flora and fauna, sometimes to
their detriment.
Wargear:
Stores Istari of Yavanna carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following cost:
DVD Horse-10pts.
Book Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Awards Eagles. If an Istar of Yavanna is included in the army you may also include Eagles (such as Gwaihir) at the points costs
indicated.
Additional special rules may be purchased at the following costs:
One With Nature-15cps. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Master of Birds-5cps. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Magical Powers:
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Yavanna may purchase additional powers at the following costs:
Terrifying Aura-15cps. Istari of Yavanna do not purchase the generic "Terrifying Aura". Instead, use the spell listed in
Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Renew-10cps. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Natures Wrath-15cps. See Arwen Evenstar's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Panic Steed-15cps. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Aura of Dismay-20cps. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Wake Tree-10cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 3+. This power may only be directed against a tree. The good
player may control the tree for one turn. Trees move 3"/8cm and have the following statline:
F S D A W C
Tree
1/- 5 - 1 - -
Trees fight as if armed with a hand weapon. If beaten in the fight, the enemy model backs away instead. Trees may not be
harmed in any way (unless you have your own rules for destroying terrain), are never required to take courage tests, and
do not for any purposes count as an extra good model. At the end of the turn, the tree returns to normal.
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Istari of Manwe
Surnamed "Sulimo" (Lord of the Breath of Arda), Manwe is the Windlord. He is the greatest of the Valar, and rules
Valinor from his halls on Taniquetil, the highest of all mountains. He has a great host of Eagles at his command, the
Currency Converter likes of which are not to be seen in Middle Earth.
Those Istari who follow Manwe, though not necessarily the greatest of the Istari, are gifted in things concerning the
You will need a PayPal heavens, and are also great friends of all birds.
account to donate. If you Wargear:
do not have one click the Istari of Manwe carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following cost:
PayPal logo below and Horse-10pts.
sign up. Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Eagles. If an Istar of Manwe is included in the army you may also include Eagles (such as Gwaihir) at the points costs
indicated.
Additional special rules may be purchased at the following cost:
Master of Birds-5cps. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Magical Powers:
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Manwe may purchase additional powers at the following costs:
Lightning Blast*-20cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 5+. The victim suffers D3 Strength 5 blows.
Gust-10cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 3+. This power can be used against a single enemy model. The victim
is immediately moved D6"/2D6cm directly away from the Istar and is knocked to the ground. If the victim has a strength 5
or lower, he will stop when he hits a model with a strength greater than 5. Models with a strength greater than 5 ignore
other models. If another model is struck by the victim and does not force the victim to stop, simply slide the model out of
the way to allow the victim to continue. The victim will automatically stop if he runs into a terrain piece. A victim forced to
Quick Links stop prematurely runs the risk of being injured. Add up every 1"/2cm left on his movement (rounding down). The victim is
then struck a blow equal in strength to the sum (up to a maximum of 3).

Istari of Varda
Varda was the wife of Manwe and the Vala who set the stars in the sky. It was for this act that the Elves gave her the
name "Elbereth".
Those Istari who follow Varda love the night sky, and they have a tendency more than other Istari to shine with a
heavenly light.
Wargear:
Istari of Varda carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following cost:
Horse-10pts.
Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Magical Powers:
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Varda may purchase additional powers at the following costs:
Cast Light-15cps. Unlike other Istari, Lesser Istari of Varda may purchase Cast Light. For the rules, see Gandalf the
Grey's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Cast Blinding Light*-20cps. Unlike other Istari, only the Lesser Istari of Varda are restricted from purchasing Cast
Blinding Light. For the rules, see Gandalf the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Sleep-15cps. Dice score to use: 5+. For all other rules concerning this power, see the Paralyse rules for Barrow Wights
in the Scouring of the Shire supplement book.

Istari of Namo
Also known as Mandos, Namo is the Doomsman of the Valar and the keeper of the slain.
Those Istari who follow Namo share his gift of foresight and prophecy.
Wargear:
Istari of Namo carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following cost:
Horse-10pts.
Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Additional special rules may be purchased at the following cost:
Knowledge of Fate-15cps. When within 6"/14cm of an Istar of Namo, good Heroes roll two dice for each fate point and
take the highest roll as the result. Evil Heroes within 6"/14cm of the Istar roll two dice for each fate point as well, but they
must take the lowest roll as the result.
Magical Powers:
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Namo may purchase additional powers at the following costs:
Bind Fate-15cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 3+. The Istar of Namo can use this spell to restore one point of
Fate to a friendly Hero within range. The target's Fate is increased by 1, up to the starting amount shown on the model's
profile. The Hero's Fate can always be restored to a minimum of 1 even if the Hero had an original Fate value of 0. The
Istar of Namo cannot use this magical power to restore his own Fate. (Note: Fate points acquired in this way may NOT be
used to restore wounds the model had already suffered - the Istar cannot turn back time.)
Master Fate*-20cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 4+. The Istar of Namo can use this spell to restore the Fate of
one friendly Hero within range. The target's Fate value is restored to its maximum. The Istar of Namo cannot use this
magical power to restore his own Fate. (Note: Fate points acquired in this way may NOT be used to restore wounds the
model had already suffered - the Istar cannot turn back time.)
Pronounce Doom-20cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 4+. The victim's Fate value is reduced to 0. The effect
lasts for the remainder of the battle - although it can be increased by the Bind Fate or Master Fate magical powers (these
are not normally available to the evil side, but I've included it for clarity.) In the case of Sauron with the One Ring (who has
no regular Fate), he receives a -1 penalty on his "Ring" roll. As usual, the lowest result is still a 1. This effect lasts for the
remainder of the game and may NOT be reversed.

Istari of Vaire
Vaire is the wife of Namo. She is most famous for her great tapestries that recount the tales of Arda.
Those Istari who follow Vaire are well acquainted with all of the deeds in Middle Earth, and use their knowledge to spur
their companions on to greater deeds.
Wargear:
Istari of Vaire carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following costs:
Horse-10pts.
Valinorean Tapestry-25pts.
Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Valinorean Tapestry. An Istar of Vaire carrying a Valinorean Tapestry serves as an inspiration to those around him. Any
friendly Hero using a Might point within 6"/14cm of the Istar may roll a D6. On a roll of a 4+, the point of Might is
recovered.
Magical Powers:
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Vaire may purchase additional powers at the following costs:
Bind Fate-15cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 3+. The Istar of Vaire can use this spell to restore one point of
Fate to a friendly Hero within range. The target's Fate is increased by 1, up to the starting amount shown on the model's
profile. The Hero's Fate can always be restored to a minimum of 1 even if the Hero had an original Fate value of 0. The
Istar of Vaire cannot use this magical power to restore his own Fate. (Note: Fate points acquired in this way may NOT be
used to restore wounds the model had already suffered - the Istar cannot turn back time.)
Master Fate*-20cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 4+. The Istar of Vaire can use this spell to restore the Fate of
one friendly Hero within range. The target's Fate value is restored to its maximum. The Istar of Vaire cannot use this
magical power to restore his own Fate. (Note: Fate points acquired in this way may NOT be used to restore wounds the
model had already suffered - the Istar cannot turn back time.)

Istari of Irmo
The Vala Irmo is commonly known by the name "Lorien", after the gardens in Valinor where he dwelt. He and his brother
Namo are known as the Feanturi, or Masters of Spirits. Irmo is regarded as a master of dreams, and many in Valinor
come to his gardens for healing.
Those Istari that follow Irmo are unusually skilled in the field of dreams, and are gifted in interpreting visions.
Wargear:
Istari of Irmo carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following cost:
Horse-10pts.
Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Additional special rules may be purchased at the following cost:
Master of Visions-30cps. The Istar of Irmo may use points from his Will store (not "free" Will) to modify the priority roll.
Only one Istar may modify the priority roll in a turn. After modifying the priorty roll, the Istar may do nothing further that turn.
If charged, he will fight to defend himself, but will not strike blows if he wins.
Magical Powers:
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Irmo may purchase additional powers at the following cost:
Disturbing Dream-10cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 2+. The victim must immediately pass a courage test, or
retreat as described in the Courage section of the Return of the King main rulebook.

Istari of Este
Este is the wife or Irmo and dwells with him in Lorien. Above all things she is renowned as a healer.
Those Istari who follow Este have learned from her the art of healing, and exercise it to good use in aiding their allies.
Wargear:
Istari of Este carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following cost:
Horse-10pts.
Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Additional special rules may be purchased at the following cost:
Healer-15cps. Istari of Este have a healing presence about them. To represent this, any time a friendly model suffers a
wound within 6"/14cm of the Istar of Este, roll a D6. On a result of a 6, the wound is ignored, exactly as though a Fate roll
had been passed.
Magical Powers:
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Este may purchase additional powers at the following costs:
Renew-10cps. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Revive-10cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 2+. The Istar of Este can use this power to cancel the effects of an
Immobilise/Transfix, Command/Compel, or Paralyse spell on a friendly model.
Revitalize-15cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 5+. The Istar of Este can use this power to restore one point of
Might to a friendly Hero within range. The target's Might is increased by 1, up to the starting amount shown on the model's
profile. The Hero's Might can always be restored to a minimum of 1 even if the Hero had an original Might value of 0. The
Istar of Este cannot use this magical power to restore his own Might.

Istari of Tulkas
Tulkas was the last of the Valar to descend into Arda. He is the most warlike of the Valar, and delights in wrestling and
running.
Those Istar who follow Tulkas share his somewhat violent nature, and are fierce opponents to the servants of evil.
Wargear:
Istari of Tulkas carry a staff, but no sword (they prefer to face their opponent with bare strength).
Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Wrestler. Istari of Tulkas are stout figures, more than capable of dispatching most foes with their bare hands. Istari of
Tulkas will not wield any weapons other than their fists (which count as hand weapons ). They will carry their staff of
power, but they may not make use of its two-handed capabilities. To represent the strength of these Istari, their strength
value is 1 greater than that of the basic statline, and if the Istar wins a fight against an enemy with strength 5 or less, he
will throw him to the ground and gain all of the bonuses against an opponent knocked to the ground.
The speed of Tulkas. Istari of Tulkas are very swift of feet. To represent this, and Istari of Tulkas has a move value of
8"/18cm.
Customization Points. Because Istari of Tulkas have such powerful rules automatically, they start with -20 customization
points.
Magical Powers:
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Tulkas may purchase additional powers at the following cost:
Revitalize-15cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 5+. The Istar of Tulkas can use this power to restore one point of
Might to a friendly Hero within range. The target's Might is increased by 1, up to the starting amount shown on the model's
profile. The Hero's Might can always be restored to a minimum of 1 even if the Hero had an original Might value of 0. The
Istar of Tulkas cannot use this magical power to restore his own Might.

Istari of Nessa
Nessa is the wife of Tulkas and the sister of Orome. Her delight is in dancing.
Those Istari who follow Nessa have greater agility than usually found in a Maia.
Wargear:
Istari of Nessa carry a staff and a sword.
Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Swift. Istari of Nessa are nearly as nimble as Nessa herself. To represent their amazing agility, Istari of Nessa have a
Fight Value 1 higher than the basic statline, and a Defence 1 lower. In addition, their move value is 8"/18cm.
Customization Points. Istari of Nessa begin with -10 customization points.
Magical Powers:
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Nessa may purchase additional powers at the following costs:
Panic Steed-15cps. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Strengthen Limbs-5cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 2+. An Istar of Nessa can use this spell to increase a
friendly models move to 1 and 1/2 times its normal value for one move phase (eg. a man would be able to move 9"/21cm
instead of 6"/14cm).

Istari of Orome
Orome was the great hunter of the Valar. Often, he would ride into Middle Earth to hunt the wild beast that lived there,
and it was on one such journey he happened upon the newly awakened Elves. Of the five Istari sent to combat Sauron,
Alatar was sent by Orome, and perhaps Pallando his friend was also an Istar in the service of the Lord of Forests.
The Istari of Orome were great hunters like their lord, and they would sometimes ride upon one of his fabled steeds, of
whom Shadowfax is a descendant.
Wargear:
Istari of Orome carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following costs:
Horse-10pts.
Steed of Orome-15pts.
Throwing Spears-5pts.
Hunting Horn-20pts.
Wolfhound-10pts.
Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Steed of Orome. Steeds of Orome are the greatest horses in all of Middle Earth. A Steed of Orome uses the rules for
Shadowfax under Gandalf the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Hunting Horn. While an Istar of Orome is alive on the battlefield with a hunting horn, all allies gain +1 courage. The effect
is not cumulative with other horns.
Wolfhound. Sometimes Istari of Orome take Wolfhounds with them on the hunt. Below is the profile for a Wolfhound:
F S D A W C
Wolfhound
4/- 4 4 1 1 4
Special Rules:
Hunting Dog. Wolfhounds are quite large hunting dogs bred for killing the likes of Wargs. Wolfhounds have a move value
of 10"/24cm.
Master of the Chase. Istari of Orome are skilled in chasing wild animals and are quite used to following them through
dense terrain. To represent this, Istari of Orome can walk AND ride Steeds of Orome through difficult terrain without
penalty (note that this is in contrast to the rule normally disallowing riding through difficult terrain). Normal horses follow
the standard rules for difficult terrain.
Hunter. Istari of Orome are not only excellent at catching their quarry, but they can kill it with surprising ease. When
striking a beast (Trolls, Wargs, Mumakil, etc.), the Istar may double his blows. The effect is cumulative if the beast is
already on the ground/trapped.
Customization Points. Istari of Orome start with -15 customization points.
Magical Powers:
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Orome may purchase additional powers at the following cost:
Panic Steed-15cps. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King rulebook.

Istari of Vana
Vana is the wife of Orome, and the sister of Yavanna. It is said that she has such a presence that flowers open and birds
sing at her passing.
While not as potent as Vana, the Istari that follow her do have a shadow of her remarkable presence.
Wargear:
Istari of Vana carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following cost:
Horse-10pts.
Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Additional special rules may be purchased at the following cost:
Joyful Presence-30cps. The presence of an Istar of Vana brings great joy and hope to those around him. All allies within
6"/14cm of the Istar of Vana count as being within range of a banner.
One With Nature-15cps. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King rulebook.
Magical Powers:
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Vana may purchase additional powers at the following costs:
Renew-10cps. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King rulebook.
Nature's Wrath-15cps. See Arwen Evenstar's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.

Istari of Ulmo
Ulmo was the Lord of the Waters who lived in the great seas of Arda. Of all the Valar he was the most reclusive, rarely
visiting the others except at times of council. Of all of his deeds, perhaps the greatest was his bringing of Tuor to
Gondolin, and thus beginning the downfall of Morgoth in the War of Wrath.
Those Istari who follow Ulmo love the seas of Middle Earth and delight in its waters. They also show a great ability to
manipulate the element, something they doubtless learned from their lord.
Wargear:
Istari of Ulmo carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following cost:
Horse-10pts.
Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Additional special rules may be purchased at the following cost:
One With Water-5cps. Istari of Ulmo are very comfortable around water and move through is with extraordinary ease.
Because of this they can swim through water without making a swim roll - in effect they always count as having rolled a 6
on the chart. In addition, they can move through shallow water that normally counts as difficult terrain without penalty.
Magical Powers:
In addition to the Good generic magical powers, Istari of Ulmo may purchase additional powers at the following costs:
Call Rain-15cps. Dice score to use: 4+. The Istar causes a rainstorm to engulf the battlefield. From the time the spell is
successfully cast to the end of the turn, all uncovered portions of ground count as difficult terrain. One foe on the board
may attempt to resist. If successful, the entire effect is cancelled, but if he fails no others can resist that turn.
Raiment of Fog-15cps. Dice score to use: 2+. This power enables the Istar of Ulmo to assume a mist about himself.
Because of the effects the mist has upon vision, he counts as wearing an Elven Cloak. Once cast this power lasts for the
rest of the game so long as the Istar of Ulmo has at least 1 point of Will remaining. If the Istar's Will drops to 0 the mist
dissipates.
Shroud of Fog-20cps. Dice score to use: 2+. This power enables the Istar of Ulmo to assume a heavy mist about himself.
Because of the effects the mist has upon vision, he and all friends within 6"/14cm count as wearing Elven Cloaks. Once
cast this power lasts for the rest of the game so long as the Istar of Ulmo has at least 1 point of Will remaining. If the Istar's
Will drops to 0 the mist dissipates.

Rebel Istari (Istari of Melkor)

Melkor (or Morgoth, as he was later renamed) was perhaps the mightiest dweller in Arda, of no less power than his
brother Manwe. However, while the other Valar toiled to care for Arda, Melkor sought only to destroy that which they did.
After he stole the Silmarills and destroyed the two trees he received his name Morgoth (Black Enemy) from Feanor.
The history of Arda is riddled with accounts of Maiar who followed the lead of Melkor and rebelled against the other
Valar. Two of the most important in the affairs of Middle Earth were Sauron the Maia and Curumo the Istar (named
Curinir in the Elvish tongue). Though fallen from their higher purpose, they retained much of their power and became the
chief powers of Evil in the Third Age.
Wargear:
Rebel Istari carry a staff and a sword. They may purchase additional wargear at the following cost:
Horse-10pts.
Special Rules:
Staff of Power. See the entry under Nienna at the top of this section.
Additional special rules may be purchased at the following costs:
Palantir-15cps. See Saruman the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Voice of Command-10cps. See Saruman the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Magical Powers:
Unlike other Istari, Rebel Istari may not purchase all of the Good generic magical powers. All the magical powers available
to Rebel Istari are listed below along with their costs:
Sap Will-10cps. See the Ringwraiths' profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Drain Courage-5cps. See the Ringwraiths' profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Terrifying Aura-15cps. See Saruman the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Transfix-10cps. See the Ringwraiths' profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Effortlessly Immobilize*-15cps. See Saruman the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Compel-10cps. See the Ringwraiths' profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Instantly Command*-15cps. See Saruman the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Sorcerous Blast*-20cps. See Saruman the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Ultimate Sorcerous Blast**-30cps. See Gandalf the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Paralize-15cps. Dice score to use: 5+. All other information on Paralyse can be found under the Barrow Wight's profile in
the Scouring of the Shire supplement book.
Swipe Feet-10cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 3+. The victim is immediately thrown to the ground and suffers a
single Strength 3 hit.
Rend Armour-15cps. Dice score to use: 4+. The Rebel Istar uses his powers to rend the armour of his foes. The power
can only be cast at the end of the Istar's move. If successfully cast, any enemy model that ends its move within 6"/14cm of
the Istar decreases his Defence by 1 for the remainder of the turn.
Fireball*-20cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 5+. This power can be used against a single enemy model. There
must be no other models from either side obscuring his view of the target but partially obscuring cover is ignored. The
target suffers a single Strength 5 hit, and all models within D3"/2D3cm of the target suffer single Strength 3 hits.
Shutting Spell-5cps. Range base contact. Dice score to use: 2+. This power may only target gates, doors, or other
means of securing an entrance. The Istar places a closing spell on the door. While in effect, the door cannot be opened,
and the dice score required to wound the door is one higher than normal (eg. if you normally need a 5, a 6 is required. If
you normally need a 6, then a 6/4 is required, and so on. Note that if you normally need a 6/6 to wound, then it is
impossible for you to score a wound.) After the power has been successfully cast, place a D6 near the door showing the
highest "casting" roll. Once cast, this power remains in effect until the Istar has 0 Will points left, a Good model dispels it,
or the Evil player voluntarily determines to terminate the spell. Any Good model with 1 or more Will points may move into
base contact with the door at any time and attempt to dispel the power in exactly the same way as if he were resisting
magic.
Disarm-10cps. Range 12/28cm. Dice score to use: 4+. The Rebel Istar may attempt to use his power to break a foe's
weapon, leaving them defenceless. Remove the targeted weapon from the enemy's profile. Named weapons, i.e. Sting,
Narsil, Anduril etc, and the staffs of other Istari, will not be affected by this power. Brands can also be targeted.

Step 3: Choose "Generic" Magical Powers

Now that you have chosen what Vala your Istar follows, you can start spending your customization points. All special rules
available to a certain class of Istari are listed under their heading in the above section, as well as some of the magical
powers available to them. However, unless you chose a Rebel Istari, there are still quite a few more powers for your Istar
to choose from. In this section all of the "Good generic powers" are listed, along with the cost in customization points and
the "*" or "**" restrictions:
Immobilize-10cps. See Gandalf the Grey's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Effortlessly Immobilize*-15cps. See Gandalf the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Command-10cps. See Gandalf the Grey's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Instantly Command*-15cps. See Gandalf the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Sorcerous Blast*-20cps. See Gandalf the Grey's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Ultimate Sorcerous Blast**-30cps. See Gandalf the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Terrifying Aura-15cps. See Gandalf the Grey's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Cast Light*-15cps. See Gandalf the Grey's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Cast Blinding Light**-20cps. See Gandalf the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Aura of Command*-20cps. See Celeborn's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Will of Iron-10cps. See Gandalf the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Strengthen Will*-15cps. See Gandalf the Grey's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Confound*-20cps. Dice score to use: 5+. All other information on Confound can be found under Arwen Evenstar's profile
in the Fellowship of the Ring main rulebook.
Debilitate Weapon-10cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 2+. This power must be directed at a weapon being held
by an enemy. The weapon is then no longer available for that enemy to use for the remainder of the turn.
Swipe Feet-10cps. Range 12"/28cm. Dice score to use: 3+. The victim is immediately thrown to the ground and suffers a
single strength 3 hit.
Shutting Spell-5cps. Range base contact. Dice score to use: 2+. This power may only target gates, doors, or other
means of securing an entrance. The Istar places a closing spell on the door. While in effect, the door cannot be opened,
and the dice score required to wound the door is one higher than normal (eg. if you normally need a 5, a 6 is required. If
you normally need a 6, then a 6/4 is required, and so on. Note that if you normally need a 6/6 to wound, then it is
impossible for you to score a wound.) After the power has been successfully cast, place a D6 near the door showing the
highest "casting" roll. Once cast, this power remains in effect until the Istar has 0 Will points left, an Evil model dispels it, or
the Good player voluntarily determines to terminate the spell. Any Evil model with 1 or more Will points may move into
base contact with the door at any time and attempt to dispel the power in exactly the same way as if he were resisting
magic.

Step 4: Name Your Istar

It is now time to name your Istar. There are many ways you can go about this, as Istari acquire names in various ways in
different languages from the peoples they come in contact with, but there are two general ideas that often help:

1. All the Istari mentioned are associated with a different color. Listed below are general guidelines for choosing colors
based on your Istar's Vala:
Nienna - Greys and other dull colors work for this Vala of mourning.
Aule - Grey, Silver, Red, and possibly Black could be reasonable for this Vala of smithcraft.
Yavanna - Brown, Green, and other natural colors represent Yavanna well.
Manwe - Light Blues and White are colors suitable to the Lord of the Breath of Arda.
Varda - Dark Grey, Purple, and other "nightly" colors are reasonable for Varda.
Namo - Grey, and perhaps Black would fit a Doomsman well.
Vaire - A multi-colored scheme would work with the tapestries of Vaire.
Irmo - Green, Gold, and Brown mirror the colors of the garden of Lorien.
Este - Same as Irmo.
Tulkas - Vibrant colors suit the energetic attitude of this lusty warrior.
Nessa - Spring colors would be nice for a dancer.
Orome - Green and Brown make sense for this hunter, although Blue was used by Alatar.
Vana - Cheerful shades of Green and floral colors would brighten up this Vala.
Ulmo - Deep Blues, Greys, and Greens would evoke the sea for this water dwelling Vala.
Melkor - Black, although you could use any of the colors listed above for an Istar who rebelled from his original Vala.
Of course, this list is just meant to get you thinking, so feel free to use your imagination.

2. In the back of the Silmarillion there is an excellent listing of Elvish parts of names. Since the Istari resembled Elves and
had many dealings with them, an Elvish name would suit your Istar nicely. Just paste together the name parts until you
have an Elvish name that represents a trait of your Istar.

Step 4: Finding a Model

Now that you have a statline, special rules, magical powers, and a name for your Istar, it's time to find a way to represent
him on the battlefield. The simplest way to do this is to take one of Games-Workshop's wizards - either Gandalf, Saruman,
or Radagast - and paint them in the color you chose for your Istar. If you want to take it a step further, you could convert
the model to have extra details (like a unique staff head, or some of the additional pieces of wargear presented in this
article). Another path you could take is to find a wizard by a different manufacturer. The team that created the Age of the
King supplement used some wizards by Reaper Miniatures to represent their Alatar and Pallando.
Of course, if you aren't interested in investing time and money in a dedicated model, you can just have your regular
Gandalf, Saruman, or Radagast model stand in for the Istar.
Saruman (photo courtesy of my brother, Saruman_the_White.)

My Gandalf model, which I used to playtest these rules.

A Sample Istar

To demonstrate how the system works, I will create some sample rules for Alatar, Istar of Orome:

Step 1
Alatar was one of the five sent to Middle Earth to combat Sauron, so I will use the "Average Istari" profile (the shoot value
is missed out because he has no ranged attack):
 F S D A W C Might Will Fate Points
Average Istar
5/- 4 5 1 3 7 3 6+1 3 150
Customization Points*: 90

Step 2
I have already chosen to do Alatar, so the Vala he follows must be Orome. I will put down a steed of Orome as an option in
his profile, so you can choose whether or not to take it on a game-to-game basis. I can't purchase any extra special rules,
so I'll be left with 75 cps to spend on magical powers (the rules an Istar of Orome automatically comes with detract 15 from
my store of cps). I choose the following powers:
Transfix-10cps
Command-10cps
Sorcerous Blast-20cps
Panic Steed-15cps
Terrifying Aura-15cps
Don't worry if you can't use all of your points. As in this case, the wasted 5cps won't make that much of a difference.

Step 3
This stage isn't necessary for me, because I'm creating rules for a pre-existing character. For completeness, he will be
named Alatar the Blue.

Step 4
I won't actually go through creating a model in this article, but any of the listed methods would be appropriate.

Below you can see my finished set of rules:

Alatar the Blue
One of the five Istari sent to combat Sauron in the Third Age, Alatar was a servant of Orome. He took Pallando with him
as a friend, and the two of them passed into the East and were forgotten.
F S D A W C Might Will Fate Points
Alatar
5/- 4 5 1 3 7 3 6+1 3 150

Wargear:
Alatar carries his staff and a sword. At an additional cost Alatar may ride a steed of Orome:
Steed of Orome-15pts.
Special Rules:
Staff of Power. Alatar's staff is not only a symbol of his authority but a potent talisman. To represent his staff's power
Alatar can expend 1 point of Will each turn without reducing his own Will store. Additionally, he may fight with his staff, in
which case it counts as a two-handed weapon.
Steed of Orome. Steeds of Orome are the greatest horses in all of Middle Earth. A Steed of Orome uses the rules for
Shadowfax under Gandalf the White's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Master of the Chase. Alatar is skilled in chasing wild animals and is quite used to following them through dense terrain.
To represent this, Alatar can walk AND ride his Steed of Orome through difficult terrain without penalty (note that this is in
contrast to the rule normally disallowing riding through difficult terrain). Normal horses follow the standard rules for difficult
terrain.
Hunter. Alatar is not only excellent at catching his quarry, but he can kill it with surprising ease. When striking a beast
(Trolls, Wargs, Mumakil, etc.), Alatar may double his blows. The effect is cumulative if the beast is already on the
ground/trapped.
Magical Powers:
Immobilize. See Gandalf the Grey's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Command. See Gandalf the Grey's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Sorcerous Blast. See Gandalf the Grey's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.
Panic Steed. See Radagast the Brown's profile in the Return of the King rulebook.
Terrifying Aura. See Gandalf the Grey's profile in the Return of the King main rulebook.

And there you have it, a new wizard to battle with!

The Theory and Playtesting

Before I let you go I would like to explain a little how I came about this system for creating Istari rules. When I first looked at
the three wizards - Gandalf (the Grey), Saruman, and Radagast - I saw that they all had the same statline and points
value, but that each had their own set of unique special rules and magical powers. Also, I saw that Saruman had more
potent spells than Gandalf the Grey, as well as some extra special rules, yet they were the same points cast and
supposedly balanced. The only thing I could think of was that Gandalf's greater variety of spells gave him an edge. That
was what gave me the idea of assigning spells (and eventually special rules) a cost in "customization points" that would
govern the number and value of these items that an Istar could purchase. I began assigning the points costs based on my
take on the relative worths of the different rules and powers, and then decided to test to see if the three wizards came out
to about the same amount of cps spent. Saruman and Radagast each came to exactly 90 points, and Gandalf was just
under at 85. Upon testing out Gandalf the White, it seemed that the amount of customization points available to an Istar
was directly proportional to the number of "regular" points the Istar was worth. Using this knowledge, along with my
experience of adjusting statlines, I worked back from the "Average Istari" rules to create some for "Lesser Istari". After I put
all of this together, I started playing games using these rules with my friend and brother.
During the entire experience of playtesting (I estimated we played about 15 games), no problems ever stood out. Although
I haven't been able to test every arrangement, or even every new magical power I created, the success of the rules I have
tested gives me confidence that the theory will continue to work.
 Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed reading about creating your own Istari rules. I certainly enjoyed coming up with this guide and using
the rules it results in. Hopefully some of you will give them a try as well. If you have any comments on my rules you would
like me to hear, feel free to post them in the appropriate thread in the Feedback forum or email me.

Jonathan Gross (Azaghal_of_Belegost)

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