Lord of the Rings Role Playing (Free League)

[finarvyn]

This arrived in the mail this weekend. Core rulebook, Shire supplement, DM screen.

So the history goes something like this:

(1) The One Ring RPG was written for Cubicle-7. TOR featured its own RPG system and takes place in the time of The Hobbit so that folks don't have to stress over that whole "Ring" business. Several supplement books were written for TOR to detail the region around the Lonely Mountain, Mirkwood, Rivendell, and that neck of the woods.

(2) Adventures in Middle-earth was written for Cubicle-7, I think by the same principal authors. AiME is built on the same game engine as runs D&E 5E, but with rules tweaks and adjustments that flavor the rules to the Middle-earth setting. The source material is the same era as TOR and many of the sourcebooks cover the same places, only with 5E mechanics.

(3) TOR 2E. Cublicle-7 lost the license to both TOR and AiMe but Free League picked up the license and the principal authors and had them write TOR 2E, which is a slight revision but designed to be compatible with 1E products. The setting was moved to the Shire so that sourcebooks would be new and not overlap with existing 1E books.

(4) Now we come to The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying. Like AiMe, TLotRR is a D&D 5E version of Middle-earth. Like TOR 2E, TLotRR is set in the Shire so that there isn't a lot of overlap with existing products. I haven't done a proper reading yet (I've owned the PDFs for a while but wanted to wait for the printed book) but I think this could be an awesome game and hopefully it will compliment my AiMe campaign and build upon it.

More as I read the thing.

 

[Vorondil]

I've got the One Ring RPG.

 

[Duguay]

This arrived in the mail this weekend. Core rulebook, Shire supplement, DM screen.

(4) Now we come to The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying. Like AiMe, TLotRR is a D&D 5E version of Middle-earth. Like TOR 2E, TLotRR is set in the Shire so that there isn't a lot of overlap with existing products. I haven't done a proper reading yet (I've owned the PDFs for a while but wanted to wait for the printed book) but I think this could be an awesome game and hopefully it will compliment my AiMe campaign and build upon it.

More as I read the thing.

I just recently became aware of this. I missed out on the previous iterations you mentioned. I have a copy of Decipher's version of TLotR RPG, which inspired me to delve into the appendices and come up with an era of the Northern Kingdoms as a setting.

I'm curious about what you describe as an emphasis on the setting of the Shire. Has your subsequent reading through it revealed a focus more broad than just the setting of the Shire? I love the Shire as much as the next person, but TLotR has so many more locations that should probably be included, even if broadly, in addition to the Shire.

Still, curiousity has compelled me to spring for the core rule book to see what it's like.

What kind of story-game ideas do people come up with for games set in Middle-earth? I know there's published material to make it easier, but it's fun to tap into the extended Tolkien lore.

As I mention above, at one time I was fascinated with how the Northern Kingdom became divided into Cardolan, Rhudaur and Arthedain; and involvement of the evil neighboring realm of Angmar creating conflict between these divided kingdoms.

Re-reading through The Silmarillion, I hit on another spot that interested me: the generations of the Atani after they had established themselves in Beleriand, but before the battle that starts the ruin of Beleriand. There are hints of spies and deceivers that cause dissent among the realms of the Noldor, the Atani, and Doriath, but after the battle. I thought this looked like a rich environment for interesting game setting. All the major players are there, Men, Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs. This is the kind of setting where I would take liberties a bit, though. I would have the background implication that things are building to the ruinous battle, with Orc raiding parties before the big battle; and have the discordant rumors also before the battle as well. Inspired by Tolkien, rather than follow The Silmarillion's outline very strictly.

The Rings of Power streaming series makes me think a Second Age setting could be interesting too. But I would gravitate more towards the Tale of Years in TLotR appendices. It would be interesting to create a hybrid continuity, partly drawing from the streaming series, but reconceptualizing it to be closer to the source material. Again inspired by Tolkien. There's a lot of room to be creative in the Second Age, seeing what Men are like in Middle-earth and how they connect with the Numenoreans when they sail to the coast and are perceived as like gods...what must the men of the Dark Ages of Middle-earth have thought of the High-Elves around that same time?!

 

[finarvyn]

So, what I mean is that the original 5E game (Adventures in Middle-earth) had sourcebooks for MIrkwood and the Wilderland and other places surrounding the Lonely Mountain. The campaign was "set in the Wilderlands" because that is where the sourcebooks were located.

The new 5E game (Lord of the Rings RPG) so far has a Shire sourcebook only, and the starter boxed set has a map of the Shire, and so the campaign is "set in the Shire."

Both games are written to happen just after the events of The Hobbit with the thought that the One Ring wouldn't be a part of the storyline, but that there should be a lot of other interesting places where one could find adventure. The intent of the design team (as I understand it) is to avoid duplication as much as possible, so that new sourcebooks should be parts of Middle-earth not yet covered in older sourcebooks. Since there is so much source material written directly by JRRT himself, many places and many time periods to choose from, a Game Master could easily sculpt a campaign to fit any time and place desired. The sourcebooks would be a guide for those who wanted those specific places at that one particular time.

In other words, all of the cool ideas you mentioned in your post should all be possible with the LotRR game.

 

[Duguay]

Thank you for the feedback, fynarvyn, much appreciated! Do you run games using the adventures included in the RPG books, or do you come up with your own ideas for players to play through?

 

[finarvyn]

Both. I sometimes use the adventures in the books, but as I get older I find I feel sort of constrained by trying to remember all of the details of professionally-written adventures and I tend to "wing it" a lot more with my own ideas. My players tell me I'm a better DM when I'm more relaxed and let things happen naturally rather than trying to force someone else's storyline.

The adventures in the books serve as great inspiration, however, and often include new monsters and that sort of thing.

 

[finarvyn]

A little update, for those interested in Free League's LotR RPG game.

(1) Two 5E books came out recently. Both RUINS OF ERIADOR and TALES FROM ERIADOR seem to be partly sourcebook but mostly adventures to build onto the current campaign.

(2) The MORIA kickstart is over and I think should be released in May.

I imagine a massive campaign starting with Hobbits in the Shire, them moving to Eriador and cumulating in a mega-dungeon delve through the deeps of Moria. A lot of material to sift through.

 

[Jorlan Elükar]

A little update, for those interested in Free League's LotR RPG game.

(1) Two 5E books came out recently. Both RUINS OF ERIADOR and TALES FROM ERIADOR seem to be partly sourcebook but mostly adventures to build onto the current campaign.

(2) The MORIA kickstart is over and I think should be released in May.

I imagine a massive campaign starting with Hobbits in the Shire, them moving to Eriador and cumulating in a mega-dungeon delve through the deeps of Moria. A lot of material to sift through.

Or Moria could be a dwarven campaign. Either pre balrog or post war of the ring

 

[finarvyn]

Keep in mind that the default era is some time shortly after The Hobbit. I think that the intent is to avoid most of the Ring businesses, since once the Ring is in play then adventures would tend to be rail roady.

 

[Jorlan Elükar]

Keep in mind that the default era is some time shortly after The Hobbit. I think that the intent is to avoid most of the Ring businesses, since once the Ring is in play then adventures would tend to be rail roady.

I meant it could follow Gimli post war trying to reclaim Moria

 

[finarvyn]

Nice! That could be an awesome campaign idea!

 

[finarvyn]

My 5E Moria sourcebook for LotRR arrived the other day. Really well done, in my opinion. Free League has now produces books for the Shire, Eriador, and Moria. I am hoping to switch my regular 5E campaign over to LotRR soon.

 

[finarvyn]

Another update, as Keepers of the Elven Rings for LotRR 5E arrived the other day. It's a sourcebook all about the Elves. There is a TOR version called Realms of the Three Rings, but I didn't buy it as my focus now is on the 5E campaign. Book looks pretty good so far.

 

[Jorlan Elükar]

This arrived in the mail this weekend. Core rulebook, Shire supplement, DM screen.

So the history goes something like this:

(1) The One Ring RPG was written for Cubicle-7. TOR featured its own RPG system and takes place in the time of The Hobbit so that folks don't have to stress over that whole "Ring" business. Several supplement books were written for TOR to detail the region around the Lonely Mountain, Mirkwood, Rivendell, and that neck of the woods.

(2) Adventures in Middle-earth was written for Cubicle-7, I think by the same principal authors. AiME is built on the same game engine as runs D&E 5E, but with rules tweaks and adjustments that flavor the rules to the Middle-earth setting. The source material is the same era as TOR and many of the sourcebooks cover the same places, only with 5E mechanics.

(3) TOR 2E. Cublicle-7 lost the license to both TOR and AiMe but Free League picked up the license and the principal authors and had them write TOR 2E, which is a slight revision but designed to be compatible with 1E products. The setting was moved to the Shire so that sourcebooks would be new and not overlap with existing 1E books.

(4) Now we come to The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying. Like AiMe, TLotRR is a D&D 5E version of Middle-earth. Like TOR 2E, TLotRR is set in the Shire so that there isn't a lot of overlap with existing products. I haven't done a proper reading yet (I've owned the PDFs for a while but wanted to wait for the printed book) but I think this could be an awesome game and hopefully it will compliment my AiMe campaign and build upon it.

More as I read the thing.

I just got the Saruman "Hands of the white wizard" book from this set

 

[Jorlan Elükar]

So, what I mean is that the original 5E game (Adventures in Middle-earth) had sourcebooks for MIrkwood and the Wilderland and other places surrounding the Lonely Mountain. The campaign was "set in the Wilderlands" because that is where the sourcebooks were located.

The new 5E game (Lord of the Rings RPG) so far has a Shire sourcebook only, and the starter boxed set has a map of the Shire, and so the campaign is "set in the Shire."

Both games are written to happen just after the events of The Hobbit with the thought that the One Ring wouldn't be a part of the storyline, but that there should be a lot of other interesting places where one could find adventure. The intent of the design team (as I understand it) is to avoid duplication as much as possible, so that new sourcebooks should be parts of Middle-earth not yet covered in older sourcebooks. Since there is so much source material written directly by JRRT himself, many places and many time periods to choose from, a Game Master could easily sculpt a campaign to fit any time and place desired. The sourcebooks would be a guide for those who wanted those specific places at that one particular time.

In other words, all of the cool ideas you mentioned in your post should all be possible with the LotRR game.

They should have an rpg set in numenor or gondolin and that whole era