Let's Take Another Look At That One Ring 2E Cover

Last week the cover of the upcoming The One Ring 2E was revealed by Cubicle 7. But that's only half the picture. Cubicle 7 has released the full art piece by Johan Grenier!

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While Gandalf was clearly one of the characters depicted, many people wondered who the others were. According to Cubicle 7 "The cover scene is titled “The Coming of Boldog” and depicts Gandalf along with our iconic party — a Hobbit of the Shire, a Beorning, a Dwarf of the Lonely Mountain, an Elf of Mirkwood, a Rider of Rohan, and a Man of Minas Tirith — fleeing from a horde of orcs and a terrifying cave troll. “The Coming of Boldog” will be a free adventure that will be released alongside the core rules so that you and your Company can begin your adventures straight away."

 

[Slit518]

The problem with the female dwarf, she doesn't have a beard!

 

[Brightmane]

I just don't like to combine new characters with existing ones (like Gandalf) in a pseudo-exit from Moria scene, because that mixes things that happened in the books with things that didn't. I wouldn't want to see a pseudo Battle of Pelennor Fields scene with Théoden leading a force of Hobbits mounted on ponies either.

I don't mind the artwork. Gandalf plays a part in the 1e adventures and their AiME conversions. Mostly, he serves to introduce the characters or put them in contact with other major NPCs since he is actively making preparations during the time between The Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy. The fact that he is known to so many different groups allows him to gather a party together, even if it is only to deliver a message for him. This simple task often becomes something much more, so I can easily see situation in the cover arising a Gandalf being force to come to their aid (much as he did for a company of Dwarves).

 

[Morrus]

I just don't like to combine new characters with existing ones (like Gandalf) in a pseudo-exit from Moria scene, because that mixes things that happened in the books with things that didn't.

It's not Moria. It's a group of adventurers (as all players of the game will be) "fleeing from a horde of orcs and a terrifying cave troll" (as many will). Plus Gandalf. The details of which will apparently be in the adventure “The Coming of Boldog”.

 

[SasquatchNightFever]

"And what's up with all these hobbit adventurers, anyway? Preposterous."

A female dwarf adventurer in Tolkien’s universe? No thank you. Too much against canon for me.

"I'm totally against this very specific non-canonical thing set in a non-canonical RPG universe featuring non-canonical player-characters having non-canonical adventures. My suspension of disbelief is shattered."

 

[Jer]

"I'm totally against this very specific non-canonical thing set in a non-canonical RPG universe featuring non-canonical player-characters having non-canonical adventures.

I mean, Tolkien's views on people other than him writing stories set in Middle Earth suggest that if you want to be true to Tolkien and his world you shouldn't really be playing anything set in Middle Earth anyway. And if you're willing to violate that rule he had for his world and his works then having dwarf women who say "nope - I'm outta here" to the life that Tolkien outlined that they lead in a few throwaway lines in his work is IMO a much smaller stretch.

(The idea that there aren't exceptions to the rule is already laughable to me anyway given Middle Earth. The entire premise of The Hobbit falls apart if Bilbo isn't a hobbit who acts in a way contrary to the way hobbits are "supposed" to act - without that there's no story. The idea that there might also be dwarf women who aren't acting the way the way dwarf women are "supposed" to act is in that same heritage of stories.)

 

[Christopher Johnson]

(The idea that there aren't exceptions to the rule is already laughable to me anyway given Middle Earth. The entire premise of The Hobbit falls apart if Bilbo isn't a hobbit who acts in a way contrary to the way hobbits are "supposed" to act - without that there's no story. The idea that there might also be dwarf women who aren't acting the way the way dwarf women are "supposed" to act is in that same heritage of stories.)

And there it is. Spot on and well put.

Take the "it's not canon" garbage back to subreddit.

 

[Morrus]

A female dwarf adventurer in Tolkien’s universe? No thank you. Too much against canon for me.

Player characters aren't canon, by definition. That's how RPGs work. Your character in a Star Trek RPG isn't canon, either.

 

[Maxperson]

Just to be clear: having a female dwarf is fine with me. Having a female Beorning adventurer is fine with me. Tolkien himself had a female shield-maiden killing the Witch King.

I just don't like to combine new characters with existing ones (like Gandalf) in a pseudo-exit from Moria scene, because that mixes things that happened in the books with things that didn't. I wouldn't want to see a pseudo Battle of Pelennor Fields scene with Théoden leading a force of Hobbits mounted on ponies either.

Not only that, but a female dwarf in Middle Earth is often mistaken for a male, since all dwarves have beards.

 

[Matchstick]

From an art angle the one thing that bothers me here is that the three non-Gandalf characters in the lower right are all in the exact same pose.

 

[DragonBelow]

It's an epic image, I really like it.