# LOTR: Tales from the Age of Men (TAOM)

Tales from the Age of Men turns Bannerlord into Middle-earth near the end of the Third Age. It's a total conversion, so it replaces the map, factions and troops.

## Links

- [TAOM on Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/7748)
- [TAOM on ModDB](https://www.moddb.com/mods/tales-from-the-age-of-men) (also hosts the full download)
- [Official TAOM launcher](https://lotraom.com/) (installs, patches and checks the files for you)
- [TAOM Discord](https://discord.gg/taom) (the only official support channel)

## Before you start

- **Match the game version** on the mod page. Set it in Steam under **Properties > Betas**. See [Bannerlord Modding: Start Here](https://www.classified.llc/modding/bannerlord/bannerlord-start-here).
- **Steam or GOG only.** The mod page says it does not work on the Xbox Game Pass version.
- **Free up space.** The full download is around 25 GB zipped, and more once unpacked.
- **Delete any older TAOM folders** from `Modules` first. Leftover files from an old version cause crashes.

## Install

1. Download from Nexus, ModDB, or the official launcher. If the ModDB page keeps failing in your browser, use the launcher instead.
2. Unzip with [7-Zip](https://www.7-zip.org/). Inside `Modules` there are four folders: `TAOM.Dependencies`, `LOTRLOME_Armory`, `TAOM_Map`, `TAOM`.
3. Drop all four into your game's `Modules` folder.
4. Unblock the DLLs (see Start Here).
5. In the launcher, tick the four TAOM modules plus the official ones and launch.

## The three things that break it

**1. Doubled library mods.** `TAOM.Dependencies` already contains Harmony, ButterLib, UIExtenderEx and MCM. If you also tick the standalone [Harmony](https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/2006) and [MCM](https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/612), they load twice and the game dies about 30 seconds into launch. Untick the standalone four when you play TAOM. You don't need to delete them; other mod lists can still use them.

**2. War Sails.** TAOM is not War Sails compatible. Untick the `NavalDLC` module. Any mod that requires War Sails (it says so on its page) has to go too.

**3. Other total conversions.** Don't tick [Realm of Thrones](https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/2907) or [Empires of Europe](https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/4867) at the same time. They can stay installed. To switch between them cleanly, see [Two campaigns, one install](https://www.classified.llc/modding/bannerlord/two-campaigns-one-install).

## Adding other mods

The TAOM team does not support third-party mods, so you're on your own here. Add them in small batches (see Start Here). Two lessons from real installs:

- [DismembermentPlus](https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/2190) can crash mid-battle when hitting TAOM's non-human races (trolls). If you keep it, turn off **"AI can dismember"** in Mod Options. Arrows and thrown weapons never trigger it.
- [AI Influence](https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/9711) works, but needs a small edit and new lore files. See [AI Influence context packs](https://www.classified.llc/modding/bannerlord/ai-influence-context-packs).

## How the campaign plays

Good to know before you sink hours in:

- **There is no main quest.** TAOM doesn't load Bannerlord's story mode. Book characters like Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli show up as companions you can recruit in taverns.
- **The war is on a timer.** Around day 30, Isengard and Dunland declare war on Rohan, and the wider War of the Ring follows. You can move that date in Mod Options ("Isengard Attack Timing").

## Logs

TAOM writes its own log, `taom_debug_<date>.log`, into a `bin\Win64_Shipping_Client\Logs` folder. Search your game folder for `taom_debug` to find it.

Post that file plus the game's crash report (see [crash fixing](https://www.classified.llc/modding/bannerlord/bannerlord-crash-fixing)) when you ask for help in the Discord.