Moria box set for LOTR-RPG ... any good?

dragonlordofpoondari

Explorer

• Mar 14, 2007

• #1

I don't have any intention of picking up the LOTRRPG, but I do love me some good dungeons every now and again. Anyone cracked this open and taken a thorough looksie? I'm interested in both opinions and details.

How are the maps? How big? Rendered well?
How about the modular maps for the lower levels? Those sound potentially cool.
How's the fluff in the book?

I couldn't find too much in the way of reviews anywhere which makes me wonder if it was less than spectacular.

 

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CaptainChaos

First Post

• Mar 14, 2007

• #2

I can look when I'm home from work, but from memory the maps were pretty good but the content was meh.

 

Last edited: Mar 14, 2007

dragonlordofpoondari

Explorer

• Mar 14, 2007

• #3

edit: ahh, that makes more sense. i thought i was missing something.

anyway, i would certainly appreciate it, captain. i am especially curious about those modular maps ...

 

Last edited: Mar 15, 2007

Kris

Adventurer

• Mar 15, 2007

• #4

I picked it up cheap a while back

I too have no interest in the system - but I have been running a Middle Earth style game of D&D, and figured I'd check it out. I also have the old MERP Moria supplement - so between them I hoped to get some ideas.

Anyway... in the Decipher boxed-set you get a 32 page booklet detailing the seven houses and seven fathers of the dwarves, a 96 page book about Khazad-dûm itself, two double sided maps (approx. A3 in size), and 16 single sided random dungeon type maps (approx. A4 in size).

The maps in my opinion are OK but not great. They are greyscale images printed on an aged coloured paper and are along the lines of something you could create with something like this:
http://www.gozzys.com/article.php?cm_id=8

The areas on one of the double sided maps (The Eastern Axebold, The Western Deep, The First Hall, The second Hall, The Twentieth Hall, and The Twenty-first Hall) are numbered and described in varying levels of detail.

In the end I ended making my own (we'll I'd lost my job - so I had the time )

 

Arnwyn

First Post

• Mar 15, 2007

• #5

A friend gave me his copy, and I can now see why.

I was extremely disappointed... the maps are basic tunnels - extremely uninspiring and very generic. Do you know the maps of Thorbardin found in the Dragonlance Atlas or the Classics modules? They're nothing like that. (Kris' link, above, is pretty much exactly bang-on, actually.)

The best maps I've seen to create dwarven kingdoms (including Moria as described in LotR and in the movie) is the 2e Dragonlance box set Dwarven Kingdoms of Krynn. It is loaded with maps and shows how to build tiny to massive dwarven realms in a modular style. I use it for my FR game (and ignore the DL fluff).

 

dragonlordofpoondari

Explorer

• Mar 15, 2007

• #6

well, so far it sounds like i might pass on this. i'll start researching that DL box. i appreciate the tip.

btw, i discovered that mike mearls worked on the moria box. he refers to it as his favorite of anything he's written, and also says that he bled for it. hmm ... how about that? kind of surprising.

 

Kris

Adventurer

• Mar 15, 2007

• #7

Dwarven Kingdoms of Krynn sounds interesting. Looks like you can buy it (from a few places) as a $5 pdf download.

I might also try and put all the maps I created myself into a pdf or something - as they may be of use if someone needs a couple of 'abandoned dwarf halls' type maps quickly (and doesn't want the hassle of buying or creating one themselves).

I can probably dig out a couple of links for a few that I've already got uploaded (as jpeg images) if they are of interest.

 

dragonlordofpoondari

Explorer

• Mar 15, 2007

• #8

Kris said:

I can probably dig out a couple of links for a few that I've already got uploaded (as jpeg images) if they are of interest.

Click to expand...

If you have the time, I have the interest.

 

dragonlordofpoondari

Explorer

• Mar 15, 2007

• #9

Just bought a pristine set of Dwarven Kingdoms of Krynn with maps off amazon marketplace for $8!!

Sounds likle exactly what I'm looking for.

 

Kris

Adventurer

• Mar 15, 2007

• #10

If you have the time, I have the interest.

Click to expand...

No problem. Here's a couple:
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l159/csp_kris/entrance_halls.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l159/csp_kris/great_halls.jpg