"You can tell this supplement was written from a place of love." Yes. Yes it was. Writing a Shire sourcebook for an official Lord of the Rings roleplaying game was the literal impossible dream of my writing career. I am unashamed that tears of joy filled my eyes when I got the job to write The Shire and The Adventures of the Starter Set.
Thanks for your amazing work, James! You knocked it out of the park. Or out of the pumpkin patch, as it were. Truly a remarkable achievement in these supplements.
James, i bought this and am reading the material. I am absolutely ecstatic over this, and thank you so much for your hard work. It is stunning and beautiful
@@Sammo212 They are great. The first time smthg of theirs caught my eyes was Mörk Borg, as a metal dude living in Norway, it was great. Then Forbidden Lands intrigued me with its awesome art and finally The One Ring sealed the deal and got me to purchase!!! And now I saw Tales from the Loop gets me because I'm an 80's kid. Guess they going for people like me (40+, old gaming-metal-fantasy nerd, there is lots of us:).
The only thing stopping me from running this is I’m afraid I’ll run into players who will be like “NO, this character would never be here, because Alunder’ler the Shadow Star, son of Alundelon, the Morning Mist died 100 years prior!”
Set clear expectations - e.g. that you're happy for player input on lore but ultimately as the Loremaster you are responsible for presenting the world, and will be motivated more by guiding the group in a compelling story than showing off a comprehensive knowledge of the Legendarium. Happily Free League have done a lot to set the story away from lore dense regions of Middle Earth, and they give you a lot of info on Eriador, so this problem shouldn't come up much even with Tolkien fanatics.
Years ago, during my annual re-reading of the Lord of the Rings, I imagined a game setting, extrapolating from some of the lore and events of Eriador both past and contemporary. The Dunedain protecting the lands and people of ancient former-kingdom from the shadows. The hobbits of Michel Delving and the Mathom House. The fact that most of the agents of the "dark powers" were (prior to Fellowship's events) spies, agents, and saboteurs. The Winter Wolves and the frozen lake. Bullroarer Took and the comparatively badass Bradybucks of Brandy Hall. The Shire's sheriffs and the old history of hobbit archers. Taking in aggregate, I imagined. I imagined a secret brotherhood within the Eriador; the Shire, Bree, and elsewhere in the north. If the Enemy had spies, agents, and informers everywhere, it would behoove the rangers of the north to have their own network of tipsters, eyes and ears, and locals with and ear to the ground and at least something of an idea of what to look for. And in a serious pinch, people who could rally together swiftly as a de facto defensive militia. I imagined perceptive rangers taking notice of a few locals with promise and potential: the right balance of capable, brave, pragmatic, and compassionate with a strong sense of community. I imagined rangers meeting with these folk in private, sharing some measure of truth and perspective with them, and asking if they will be members in this secret network of ranger sympathizers. These people receiving some modest training in arms, tactics, survival, stealth, and lore. And naturally, our party would be members of this secret network, this secret brotherhood. And our game would be an outgrowth of them and their vigil. A few tiny missions or modest tasks over the course of several years, the occasional meeting about noteworthy events or suspicious folk. And then BAM, the story of their first real threat. Wells being poisoned. Crops burning. Folk going missing on the road. And some mysterious new militia popping up, offering protection for a fee and garrison. Like proto Sharkey's Thugs. Out of fear, the folk of Bree, the Shire, and elsewhere are trading money and autonomy for security. And the local rangers suspect this is part of some larger play. And our party goes investigating. Campaign proper starts. Years passed with this idea simmering on the back burner. I wrote out characters. Setpieces. Mysteries. Clues. Maps. Tinkering on this campaign here and there for years, almost entirely for my own satisfaction. Never actually believing I would or could run it some day. That a proper Tolkien RPG lay out of my reach. And now...here we are. Thank you for sharing. I have a book to buy.
Late comer to the party (though long time GM of TOR 1e), one thing I felt worth mentioning is that the Fellowship Phase occurs (ideally) at the end of each game session as the post Adventure Phase wrap-up, with the Yule Fellowship Phase occuring generally every 3rd game (as each adventure is assumed to occur during a single season and no adventures occuring in the Winter). Another thing worth noting is that my group had a game running from 2011 to 2019 in the original system so it definitely can handle longterm campaigns (they released a campaign for the original edition called the Darkening of Mirkwood that had adventures spanning 30 years). Loved your review, just one thing I noticed worth calling out :)
The nameless thing is straight out of the book. This section is used build creature like both the Watcher in the Water and the nameless elder evils he saw while fighting w/the Balrog.
Exactly. The name comes from the line that Gandalf says "There are nameless things that lurk in the dark places of the world" totally in line with the lore. All of it is. So well done.
First off, glad to know you are as pumped as I am. My group has been playing for months (since the alpha PDFs dropped over the summer last year) and that was a continuation of a long running 1e game. You will be proud to know that Bledic Stonebranch (a former Bounder of the Shire) and his wife Rosemary Brandybuck (a hobbit lass who set out on adventure to catalog all the recipes of Middle-earth) not only had a very successful career in which they befriended the Beornings of Wilderlands and set up a homestead farm there, but they also went on to have a large family of adventuring children, including Meliot and her pet goat and her brother Brego who were instrumental in protecting the Beornings from the encroaching shadow from Mirkwood. LOL. The 1e Darkening of Mirkwood campaign book contains something like 60 years worth of adventures, and that was just that small corner of the map! 1e also had Rohan, Bree, Dale, and Rivendell supplements, all with adventure collections for them as well, and then we have all the adventures that can be had moving into the other areas of Middle-earth that are less seen (either relying on information from the older Decipher and Middle-earth Roleplaying Game supplements or on the details given in the more obscure Tolkien books). So Yes, there is much long term fun to be had in the game, and if Free League rereleases those great 1e books updated to 2e or they plot their own course, either way there is a wealth of stuff to do IF you are knowledgeable about the setting (I've read the Histories of Middle-earth and all the other "non-canon" books and am a huge Tolkien fan, if that wasn't clear, lol).
I just gotta say... I *LOVE* the artwork in this. The drawings capture that rustic elden feel that Middle-earth evokes. A bunch of reviews on Drive-thru RPG criticize the art, but from what I'm seeing, it's fantastic.
I have run 3 multi year campaigns in the first Edition of the One Ring, and that was only using 2 of the scenario book they released for the first edition. The second edition is an improvement on the first it just currently doesn't have as much scenario support as the first, but you could easily run a campign that runs for years and years
The statement that the novels may not be entirely accurate is heavy stuff, but such a clever way to open up the "meta background" for the group to weave their own tales without any hesitation.
and very accurate, as Tolkien himself set up this very idea, treating the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings as a "translation" he did of a true history instead of a story he made up. The book that Bilbo starts and that Frodo (and eventually Sam) finishes is intended to be the actual books we got (the Redbook of Westmarch).
Hi Dave, thanks for the deep dive. I received my books a few weeks ago and am yet to get very far in reading them. My group and I are still playing a 5e campaign, but TOR is likely to be next up *rubbing hands in anticipation*. I always appreciate your attention to and presentation of the rules, and find it makes it much easier for me to assimilate them when I get to reading them! Big thumbs up 👍
Excellent review. I was hoping you would review this game. I adore starter sets that come with its own separate booklet on the starting towns like the ones you see in the Warhammer Roleplay games.
I'm just getting into this game after trying to find something to satisfy my Rins of Power induced tolkien fever... and yeah I agree 100% with you. This game is really cool, it manages to provide good frameworks for both a narrative-first adventure filled rpg experience, and a "faithful fanfiction" vibe for tolkien nerds. And it adds complexity where the game actually can use it instead of making things complex for complexity's sake.
I really wanted Adventures in Middle Earth as it was already a rough experience trying to get my players to learn that system, so I hope the release that some day, because currently AiME goes for a ton of money. But man, they designed the book beautifully. It looks amazing.
New subscriber here and I just want to say I’m a big fan of your videos already. You take a primarily objective view and break down the details but aren’t afraid to err on the subjectivity, like in this video. Your videos follow a clear narrative and offer a rounded conclusion. You have a chill way of delivering the content, too, almost therapeutic, my guy. Thanks, and keep it up. Sidebar: what's the music you have playing in the background? If I ever run the one ring, I'm playing this for my table!
Thanks for watching and joining! The music I use comes from the RU-vid audio library. I used four or five songs in this video but I can’t recall the names.
I love the way you do reviews. You are explanatory, objective and you show love of RPGs throughout. The One Ring looks great and well-crafted but I'm not so keen on hobbits. When they bring out a Laketown supplement, I'll probably buy it. This is just a personal thing I have after reading the books and watching "The Hobbit" - I love the whole concept of a town built on a lake. That boxed set is gorgeous and all you would want from a starter set. Quality throughout.
Great video. I’ve been thinking of picking this up and you may have convinced me. Since I just finished collecting every released bit of the Alien RPG, might as well start in on The One Ring.
Ooh! A review by you of an rpg in really curious about! Let's watch. This game deserved the in-depth review you gave it and the enthusiasm for all things hobbity. Another rpg from Free League that has to go on a birthday or Christmas wishlist. Even for those maps alone.
The maps are pretty, but I miss the hex map overlay ones from 1st edition which made planning and running journeys easier for the GM. In 2e it seems you need to draw up your own journey hex map based on the non-hex maps included. Not a huge issue, but the big pre-made ones were nice time savers in the original edition which also denoted the higher threat areas (for the GM).
@@jasonGamesMaster - Thanks. I haven't delved far into 2e yet to notice the differences. They said 1e content would be compatible but there are always minor adjustments needed in such edition jumps. Quite happy all my 1e goodies are still useful. Kudos to them for keeping it so.
I think the setting timeline is more a suggestion than a rule. Within the ruleset specifically, nothing would prevent a GM and players creating a campaign or sandbox within the first or second age, the start of the third age, the timeline of the Quest of Erebor, or even during The War of the Ring. I think the designers just chose that period to reduce as possible any story contradictions or conflicts with Tolkien's lore
Came here to say this. Most of this video is spot-on, but the tail end is inaccurate. This game has as much replayability and length of play as any ttrpg I can think of.
Yeah, this was a pretty solid review, but that bit at the end missed the mark. I know one GM who has run a TOR 1st edition campaign for eight years, and his players loved it. This game can easily be run for as long as a group wants to play it.
I don't know what Yule represents in The one Ring, but Yule is what we Scandinavians celebrated before becoming Christians, and Yule was merched with Christmas as it is today.
I love that the main three stats are taken from the books, when Gandalf is asked how they will defeat Sauron, he replies “with Strength, Heart and Wits”.
The Rules in the Starter Set are NOT the same as in the Core Rule Book. For example, Hope and Shadow works different. And there is no Character Generation in the Starter Set Rules.
I’m curious, do you feel like buying the starter set on its own is worth it as a pick up and play roleplaying game? I don’t think I’m interested in playing the full game but having a fun hobbit box to open up and play with friends sounds pretty cool, especially if it comes with cool dice and cloth maps.
The rules aren’t really pared down in the starter set. You’re still getting the full game as far as I can tell, but with far less artwork in the core rulebook.
Only thing I disagree with is the longevity of the play. While the feeling would be static-the storm is always coming but never does, you have 50 years worth of adventuring for one character, and can go back to the beginning and start a contemporary of your og character
How much of the actual gameplay mechanics are focused toward spell use and the like. I am eager for a low-magic environment that is based more in skills and proficiencies and story-telling. One of the major issues that I have with many RPG fantasy games is the overpowered use of magic and casters. IMO, many game systems turn into an entirely different game after levels 5-7. Does TOR actually capture the low-magic (and in many ways... no-magic) environment of LOTR?
Magic… very low! Mostly dark minions use some shadow magic (the high level,ones) and many higher level items can be considered magical (bilbos sword would be one example). So no fireball throving heroes, neither enemies, in this game! It feels very Middle Earth like in the books. It is more about the strength of the heart, than physical power or magical.
Great review! Quick question... Does anyone have any experience playing this at two players? As in one Loremaster and one character? If so, how was it? Thanks!
I honestly hope we can see Lord of the Rings 5e for a future vid. Ive never been wanting to go into free league due to preference for classic fantasy and 5e but it seems there might be a chance. That and AiME are no longer in sale.
35:00 free league is planning a bigger LOTR game , that hopefully does that. Not just a supplement. But a whole separate game. The new edition of Adventures of middle earth , I believe. Cubicle 7 lost the licence. I'm not sure how much will be added to the one ring
Adventures in Middle-earth is just The One Ring adapted to D&D 5e. It doesn't have more information and it generally lagged behind the TOR releases during 1e. I don't expect that to change. The only benefit AiME has over TOR is no edition split as far as we know. they may very well do an updated AiME as well, which would be good in my opinion as AiME always felt slapped together to make a buck instead of a worthwhile game in of itself.
To be honest, I did not catch the bilbo reference at the end and I just finished the extended editions for the first time today. 😅🤣 Some LOTR fan I am... 🤦🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
Hi! Amazing professional vídeo. Very useful!! Just one observation: do we have to sum the Initial Treasure (e.g. Standard of Living Average=30 points) to the load? It is quite heavy, isn't it? Do you have to bury our initial treasure? Or hire 10 horses (hehe)?
Since TOR has a heavy hex-map travel facet to it I'd expect something similar to the publisher's treatment of the solo play in their recent Twilight 2000. Less equipment and survival focus, but more quest & journey oriented. Just a generalization. Hopefully the tables' content will be enough to provide good variety. The "Nameless Thing" generator in the core book is a positive indicator.
I love some of the ideas and feel of this game but it feels more like a board game at a glance with very specific phases to carry out and highly abstracted combat. I also worry that the setting doesn't lend well to syories as weird as that sounds. Like how do you tell any interesting story in a world where all the good stuff is either already done in the future or paat or at least known about. You can't really shock players. Enemies are basic, orcs etc. as opposed to other games with hundreds of different types of enemies and classes to fight.
I still can't quite understand how attacks work for PCs... the "match the strength TN modified by the enemy's parry score" makes my head spin. Can anyone here help me understanding it, please?
Look your Strengt TN… lets say that it is 14. Lets look you weapon skill. Lets say you have sword that has 3 marks. And lets say that you fight enemy that has parry rating is 2. So you throw 1 12 sides dice, and 3 six sided dice. And your target number is 14 + 2 (for the enemy parry) = 16 You throw 7, 3, 4, 3 = 17 and that is more than your target number 16, you you did hit. So the target number is always the same + the parry number of enemy. And ofcourse you can use hope to get more dices for your attack and so on.
Was there such a mention? There is the Index Card RPG by Runehammer (he has a youtube channel as well) Hankerin Ferinale. It's a very streamlined d20 DnD variant with great concepts such as using index card mapping etc.
I was ready to not like this after "Twilight:2000" (because as good as it is, I can tell it's not the game for me. The hex maps, the complexity of the fight rules compared to Free League's ALIEN RPG? The ALIEN RPG is my speed, and "T:2k4" goes too far into the wargame side that I don't need at this stage in life). Yes, "Twilight:2000" is great... for its audience. Which isn't me. The tight focus here is probably the best part of the game... the intentional design is brilliant. Like, Modiphius' DUNE gives you a sprawling canvas, but it's unintentionally limited to Arrakis... I just don't think they deliver with that title. Either focus on Arrakis or don't, but all the other mechanics (which are cool, but ultimately feel unfinished)... it just felt like DUNE is half of a book, like the current DUNE movies only give you half of a story. TOR:2e is so tightly focused, and it delivers what it says. I think that's what I get from this review, and it's why I decided to pick it up. I'm a little annoyed by DUNE's almost greatness, which is expansive but feels incredibly unfinished. You buy DUNE for potential. TOR:2e is like the exact opposite in terms of design and game intent, I think.
There are two kinds of games which use kitschy dice: the kind where you can use regular dice instead and it’s not much of an issue, and the kind where you can use regular dice but translating roll results is a pain. This game is of the former variety. ie, you don’t need the specialty dice and it won’t slow you down if you use your own dice.
Yeah, it looks good, but the mechanics are just flat out awful. It's not an RPG; it's a glorified board game. I don't want to replay the books over and over; I can just read them. Just give me a framework to game in Middle Earth. 75% of the rules could be jettisoned as it's all roll-playing over roleplaying. Currently trying to unload my copies online as I await the second printing of "Against the Darkmaster" to drop.
So stoked to see The One Ring gets some much-needed love and attention! The people at Free League create wonderful games with lots of love and dedication, and The One Ring is no exception. If you're not already familiar with it in its entirety, I highly recommend checking out The One Ring 1E! It, too, was fantastic and I fell in love with it.
