At the beginning of Tales of the Shire, you are brought to your new home in Bywater by none other than Gandalf the Grey in a scene much like the idyllic start to Fellowship of the Ring. But upon arrival, you will find that your new home is anything but idyllic – you can't even go in the front door, and the place is filled with old furniture that can be stored or moved out of the way.
Tales of the Shire: How to Get a Fishing Rod (& How To Fish)
To get a fishing rod and start fishing, Tales of the Shire players must follow the main quest until they meet Old Noakes.
At first, you must go through the side door to get into your home. But as you progress through the game, you will unlock a way to unblock the front door and unlock an expansion to your home. Follow this guide to learn how to fix the front door in Tales of the Shire and who you must befriend to get your hobbit hole back into tip-top shape.
How to Fix The Front Door in Tales of the Shire
Step One: Raise Your Friendship Level With Willow Took To Lvl 3
To unlock the front door and clear out some of the debris around your home, Tales of the Shire players must befriend Willow Took. You can raise your friendship with most named characters in Bywater and unlock rewards (and free furniture gifts) by increasing your friendship level with each.
At certain milestones, each NPC will reward you with a special upgrade or quality of life feature. When you reach Friendship Level 3 with Willow Took, she will offer to get rid of the debris blocking the main entrance to your home.
How To Change Appearance & Clothes in Tales of the Shire
To change your outfit and alter your character's appearance in Tales of the Shire, you must first find the Wardrobe.
To do this, you must invite Willow to Shared Meals to raise her friendship level over time. You cannot become lvl 3 friends with Willow Took with one meal – depending on how well you satisfy her cravings on the day of the shared meal, and the quality of ingredients used, it can take anywhere from two to four Shared Meals to get Willow's help.
Step Two: Check The Mailbox To Find A Letter The Day After
The day after you raise your friendship level with Willow Took to Level 3, check the mailbox outside your home to find that you have been invited to Willow's Workshop for a special chat. This initiates the Friendship with Willow tale.
Track Willow's location on the Bywater map to find her, then talk to her to learn that she wants to help you feel more at home in Bywater. To do this, she offers to clear the front entrance of your home.
Step Three: Talk To Willow To Open The Front Door In Tales of the Shire
It does not cost anything to get Willow to open your front door in Tales of the Shire, if you don't count the cost of time and ingredients for meals. She will provide this service for free, and there's a bonus: clearing the front entrance opens up an entire other wing of your home to decorate, including a spacious front room with a fireplace.
Once you exit her dialogue, return to the now-refurbished front entrance to start making this hobbit hole into a hobbit home!
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game
- Released
- July 29, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Wētā Workshop
- Publisher(s)
- Private Division
- Franchise
- The Lord of the Rings
- Number of Players
- 1
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, PC
