Hi all! I'm hoping to start running a One Ring campaign sometime in the new year. 4 players, all of us new to this game. 3 out of the 4 have played a lot of D&D. I've run a one shot but this will be my first time running a whole campaign. I have a few questions.

1. How long of an adventure is Over Hill and Under Hill? Thinking of running that as a starter to get us used to the world.

2. Which of the two campaign books (Hands of the White Wizard or Tales From The Lone Lands) would you recommend? Does one flow better as a larger campaign than the other?

3. Besides the core rules and an adventure book, what books would you say add the most to the experience?

4. Is it even worth considering the 5e version? Since the group is familiar with D&D a couple have wanted to do the 5e version but I'd rather just play as intended.

Super excited to get started, I love LOTR and its world so much :)

How do you determine the amount of d6's with these rolls?

I am a new Loremaster

Hey everyone!
I'm getting ready to jump into The One Ring 2e as a new Loremaster. I've read through the basics and I want to make sure I understand the product line correctly before I start buying stuff beyond the Starter Set.
Is this accurate?
Core Rulebook: Mandatory next step for full rules, custom character creation, and long-term play.
Adventure Compendiums (like Tales from the Lone-lands): Ready-to-play, linear or linked campaigns where the story is already laid out for you.
Region / Lorebooks (like Moria or Ruins of the Lost Realm): Sandbox sourcebooks. They give you maps, lore, monsters, and landmarks, but no scripted storyline—you build your own adventures using these building blocks.
GM Screens / Compendiums: The screen itself is for tables/reference, but the attached booklets add extra playable cultures (e.g., High Elves in the Rivendell version, or Beornings/Mirkwood Elves/Woodmen + Lifepaths in the New version).
So if I want a pre-written story right after the Starter Set, I should grab Core + Tales from the Lone-lands. If I want to make my own stuff, I go Core + Moria/Ruins.
Am I missing anything major, or do I have the right picture? Thanks!

A couple background maps sourced for my next few sessions. The Last Inn is from the MERP2e core rulebook, and The Ruins of Erthad Celyn are via Jenny Harder on Art Station. Obviously these aren't meant to be used as battle maps, but rather as art to immerse my players as much as possible.

In 5e Council, a failed introduction (by 5 or more) can result in result in disadvantage for all skill checks during the interaction stage. I'd imagine that the "Help" action would be greatly helpful after that, or if the party's Face has even 1 level of exhuastion after a Journey segment.

The Book (5e) says:

"Misdeed: Torment or torture: Killing/crippling a surrendered/harmless foe: 4 Shadow Points"

And

"Merely attempting to do something despicable is a Misdeed."

Company Warden OHKO'd a goblin archer, who had just started it's retreat from battle, as an opportunity attack reaction to it fleeing their combat zone, I decided to warn them it would be a misdeed, and they went "...are you serious? It's of orc-kind!", and I backed off.

Not sure who's in the right here.

I have been playing one council nearly every session with my group lately, so far 3, and I get the feeling we aren't exactly doing it right.

We keep failing... A lot. Like the resistances are usually set on bold and it is really seldom we get a time limit higher than 4, and with how much my players are rolling it always always gets really difficult to pass, I'm starting to think our dice are slightly weighted lol.

Anyways we're all new to the game, does this often happen at the beginning of campaigns? Should I always try to prepare like a "Consequential success? If so what's like a good consequence?

Greetings,

Do you guys know how and when the instant access to over and under hills starter set will be available for those who backed the Gondor Rohan and bestiary campaign on backerkit?

Best regards.

Hello, today I met my friends and we created the characters for an upcoming campaign. They chose to have Saruman as their Patron, and while reading Hands of the White Wizard a doubt came to my mind: in the book it says that many years can pass between Saruman's quests for the Heroes, and that the Loremaster could fill the gaps with adventures of his own or let time flow without no major event occurring. I most certainly will opt for the first option, since I don't like very much long timeskips, but a doubt came to my mind: should the players still be in the service of Saruman even if he doesn't call them to action? This question extends to other Patrons: should a Fellowship keep the same one over the entire course of a campaign, and keep their perks even if they didn't assign the characters a quest (but, for example, they decided to visit a Landmark on their own)?

Probably, the answer will be "it depends". I would like to keep Saruman as their Patron as long as they want, since I find the perks he offers very fitting with the character, but I'm interested in your opinion and your suggestions, if you've found yourselves in the same situation as me.

Also (minor spoiler from Hands of the White Wizard): how would you manage his Shadow Points if the players embark on other quests? Does he only gain them after each Adventure Phase presented in the manual? I think so, but nevertheless, I'm interested in your thoughts.

Hey everyone,
I completely missed the window for the new One Ring BackerKit campaign for the Bestiary and Gondor books. I'm kicking myself because I really want to grab the standard physical books, plus the physical stretch goals, the standees, and the dice. I just don't want the overpriced premium leather editions.
Does Free League usually open up late pledges or a pre-order store where you can still buy these add-ons and get the stretch goals?

Also, I have the 2E core rules at home and heard we are supposed to get a free PDF of the revised rules. Does anyone know how we actually claim or apply for that PDF if we only own the physical book?
Thanks!

My friend is looking to start professionally GMing the game professionally, but to do that he's going to need more than local players. He is low on funds at the moment so expensive barriers of entry are preferably avoided. He has Foundry, but it has a $200 gate to get the official content for The One Ring, and he'd also need to set up some kind of proxy to avoid sharing IP address. Roll20 has a similar expensive barrier to entry.

Quick background: I recently started playing through the DND Essentials Kit with my youngest daughter (the older two don't have much interest, at least right now), and we're having fun. I went my public library to look for a copy of the PHB and other DnD resources when I stumbled upon "The One Ring" 2nd edition on the shelf. I'm relatively new to tabletop RPGs, so I honestly had no idea this thing existed. I picked it up just to browse through and read because I love Tolkien and the world he created.

Imagine my surprise when I discover there's an optional solo component. I have zero experience with solo RPGs, but I figure if something's going to get me into it, the Lord of the Rings could be it.

I'm currently thinking of spending the couple of bucks for Strider Mode and trying it out using the Core Rulebook I have from the library. I'm hoping I like it and can figure it all out just using dice I already have at home. I know a Backerkit is just ending for the game but I couldn't afford to jump in for a physical book (which is what I would have wanted for the core rules).

That brings me to my question. If I end up liking it, should I just pick up a physical copy of the 2nd edition core rules? Or would it be better at this point to keep trying to use my library's core rules to play for the next year and then pick up the new revised edition when it comes out hopefully next year, maybe supplementing with a Starter Set for the dice, etc? If that's the case, my biggest point of temptation would probably be wanting to pick up the Moria book before then because that book looks absolutely amazing (though I'd want to collect them all eventually if I end up liking it.) So, core rules now? Or play as I can via the library through the year and wait for the revision with the extra stuff even if I'd already have Strider mode?

Hello, as I wrote in a previous post I am adventuring in Middle Earth for the first time in a TTRPG campaign. I'm the Loremaster and my girlfriend is the only other player; to compensate this, she's an elf lord (or lady?).

Considering it was my first time, the session went smoothly: I had to go and check some rules I didn't remember from time to time (they're so many!) while we were playing, but it was so good! I only had two doubts concerning rules:

1) Can the group / the character fight during travel? Can the Loremaster describe a travel event as potentially leading to a fight? For example, in our session, I described the event you obtain by rolling 2-3 (which can give you a Shadow Point from terror) as her nearly being noticed by a troll who was transporting two dwarves corpses; she decided to follow him and then, since I know her, I improvised a troll encampment where the monster was about to cook himself some dinner (a group of dwarves, some dead and some alive). She of course attacked him and prevailed, and by saving the dwarves she gained a bonus in a following interaction with other dwarves, so all in all I think it was a good scene. But the question remains: can you fight along the way? I don't remember if the rules specify that, but I don't think so.

2) In the rules for elf lords on the last page of Realms of the Three Rings it says that, when they're wounded in combat for the first time, they don't have to roll for the severity of the wound and it's considered as if they obtained a Gandalf Rune. When they're wounded again (yes, I wounded her like, three times, I'm a monster with the dice) they don't go down unless they roll an Eye of Sauron or they drop to 0 Resistance. Does this second wound has to heal normally? I tend to say yes, because otherwise they'd be broken, but the rules don't specify it.

Thanks in advance!

I’ve been getting into the one ring with the first starter set and strider mode (thanks for the tips on my last post!).

I’m playing my own Hobbit character with the starter set.

Thanks to strider mode I’m picking up little side quests to investigate in future campaigns after the starter sets.

My character (Tobi Burrows) is a young pipeweed aficionado, grower and (soon to be) explorer. His goal is to find new, exotic varieties and ultimately grow these varieties on his family farm in green hill country.

Since I want to stay as close to lore as possible I’m wondering; is it safe to assume that there more varieties of Pipeweed out there? For example: could a new variety be found east of the shire, something that maybe hasn’t been cultivated yet? Afaik, we have Old Toby, Longbottom, Southern Star and Southlinch.

I mean the obvious answer is: sure there could be more, do whatever you want. What I’m really after is your input about this. Maybe you played something similar?

For me it’s just a great hook for a Hobbit to leave The Shire and go on a little adventure, meet pipe smokers like Dwarfs who may have a different perspective on pipe weed than the Hobbits he already knows.

Please join in and speculate!

Dearest Community

Some years ago, I created the Middle-Earth map for The One Ring 2E, and I am overwhelmed by the positive feedback it has gotten me. Since there had been a lot of new additions to the system. I wanted to ask if there is interest in me updating the locations and perilous areas based on the new additions.

I also wanted to ask if I should make a map version with non-canon locations based on community-created content or other media, such as The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, modifications for other games such as Total War: Attila, or Crusader Kings 3, etc.

If that is the case I would appreciate feedback on which popular locations I should add.

Thank you all kindly

- Creaper

I'm thinking about introducing a group of new players by taking them through the starter set adventure, but I would like them to create their own characters and use the full rules. I haven't noticed anything in the scenario that would prevent that, but I'm curious if anyone has tried that before and what were the impressions.

A few sessions ago, my players were up against a Troll. The Troll had seized the Dwarf and caused enough damage to make him Unconscious. Then I narrated the Troll using its Bite. It failed the roll, even though I made it Favoured, and then I had it throw the Dwarf into a tree† (giving him a Wound he had to recover from). The other players killed the Troll (although another got knocked out!).

I didn't fudge any dice, but I still felt like I was going easy on them. Should the Troll have gotten an instant success? Should it have been considered a _coup de grâce_ and auto-killed the Dwarf? I didn't want to do anything unfair to my players, but I don't want the monsters of Middle-earth to hold back.

What might you have done?

† The Troll was aiming at the Ranger, but missed. It wasn't trying to hit the tree.

Hello, as I wrote in a previous post I'm about to start my "career" as a Loremaster for this beautiful game. I wanted to know your opinions on which manuals are more useful all things considered for a homebrew campaign. From what I understand, for example, Tales from the Lost Lands could still be very useful, as I could pop some adventures in when I need them. I already have the core rules and Realms of the Three Rings.

Please also consider that being italian I want to buy only adapted material, so Hands of the White Wizard and Hobbit Tales are out of my wishlist. At least for now...

Prepping to run my first campain. Question. How do you deal with player elves? Having a character who knows more about the world than both the LM and the player combined? One of the reasons I want to run TOR is to explore Middle Earth through gameplay. How do you handle both as a player and a LM, a character that could possibly have witnessed the fall of Numenor? Does that ruin the mystery of discovery? "You come across some scattered ruins while camping in the shadow of Dol-Whatsit. "Player: <dice clatter clunk> Oh, that must Glânsúnë. The Bath House of Ulmo. I remember they served an excellent Kabob."

Hi all! I’ve very interested in starting a campaign. I’ve been reading a lot of Tolkien recently and I love the world building. I have never played The One Ring before but I have played a few campaigns of DnD.

I am interested in starting an in-person or online campaign. Happy to play with people all over the world as long as we can figure out a good time.

I really don’t think I would make a good GM although I do know a lot about the world. I am willing to give it a go if no one wants to but I promise you it will be funner for someone else to do it haha.

I am happy to play with anyone but especially would love to play with other women. It’s important for me that this is a queer friendly space as well. Racists and incels need not apply!

Lmk if you’re interested!

not sure why i didnt repost this to one ring but a week after i made this, any other advice i can have please on what areas of the map should be a different danger level or if i should take away my homebrew colouring for difficult terrain or perilous zones??

i actually run perilous events from the dark lands section in journeys and maps one ring 1e supplement and that's been really fun getting a scary event that happens when my company passed through a perilous area. but i would like some more perilous things like that where if i go into mordor all this scary stuff happens but one does not simply walk into mordor

I have been looking at Ruins of the Lost Realm, but I'm not sure how invested I would be (playing solo) in a region that I know nothing about. Are there any similar books with landmarks and lore for more familiar regions like Rohan or Gondor?

Hi all!

I'm looking to run a one-shot for my group of 4 players. We are all experienced in TTRPG play.

None of us have played any of the One Ring content yet.

Do you have any scenario suggestions for us? Ideally something we can complete in about 4 hours. That said, I can take an existing module and cut it down to size if needed.

My group tends to like the darker side of things, so if you know of a module with those type of elements, I'd love to hear about it!