D&D 5E (2014) Lord of the Rings 5E Is Coming Next Month

For those who prefer to adventure in Middle Earth using the D&D 5E ruleset rather than Free League's The One Ring game (which made over $2M on Kickstarter in 2021), the 5E-powered version is coming in May!

This will be a 236-page hardcover book containing 6 new classes, journey rules, and magic which represents the more low-key magic of Tolkien.

Additionally, Shire Adventures is a 104-page book with 5 short adventures and setting details for The Shire region of Middle Earth.

That's not all though -- there will be a RIvendell compendium, and a Loremaster's Screen too.

These will be landing on May 9th.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The OG Frozen Throne expansion, as in the ACTUAL Frozen Throne expansion to Warcraft III, was about as far as I went with trying to keep up with the story.

Wrath of the Lich King actually is a really good capstone to Warcraft III. I was strongly tempted to bow out after that, as the War3 story was nice and complete. (They added more context about where the helm and sword came from since then, but it's extremely inconsequential.)

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

It can still be glorious. Nothing stopping them from making it.

Yet the gamers delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the dungeons of Khazad-dum ... shadow, and flame.

 

[Weiley31]

The FULL Live Play!

 

[EthanSental]

My boxed set came in, well earlier in the week and I picked it up today. Beautiful visuals and I’ve always had a fond place in my gaming shelf for the MERP middle-earth Angus McBride covers.

 

[mach1.9pants]

King Angus, I think. So good in osprey, too

 

[dead]

Is the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying core rules based on the 2014 edition or 2024 edition D&D ruleset? It looks like it was published in 2023 but the copy I was perusing in store the other day was a "second printing" published 2024. Have they updated anything in the second printing?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Is the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying core rules based on the 2014 edition or 2024 edition D&D ruleset? It looks like it was published in 2023 but the copy I was perusing in store the other day was a "second printing" published 2024. Have they updated anything in the second printing?

I don't think so, but that to me is all to the good. I absolutely do not want 3pp based on 5.5.

 

[CleverNickName]

I don't think so, but that to me is all to the good. I absolutely do not want 3pp based on 5.5.

Why not?

(Serious question, not trolling. I don't run or even own the 2025 rules. I'm just curious why you have such a strong opinion on the topic.)

 

[Micah Sweet]

Why not?

(Serious question, not trolling. I don't run or even own the 2025 rules. I'm just curious why you have such a strong opinion on the topic.)

5.5 explicitly moved 5e further away from a Sim footing and into a more narrative place. Design has become more intentional (which is a general good in game design IMO), but the intent is further away from my preferences. They made a number of changes that I believe were uneeded or were worse designed than similar rules for other 5e systems, like Level Up. Basically, I see no value in a slightly different version of an existing system that was already going in a direction I didn't want.

 

[CleverNickName]

5.5 explicitly moved 5e further away from a Sim footing and into a more narrative place. Design has become more intentional (which is a general good in game design IMO), but the intent is further away from my preferences. They made a number of changes that I believe were uneeded or were worse designed than similar rules for other 5e systems, like Level Up. Basically, I see no value in a slightly different version of an existing system that was already going in a direction I didn't want.

But why do we care what third-party publishers do with the new stuff? They aren't really driving that bus, so to speak.