New One Ring and Lord of the Rings Starter Sets Launching at Gen Con

Free League has announced two new starter sets for its parallel Middle Earth-based TTRPG lines. The One Ring uses a bespoke system for Tolkien-themed roleplaying, while Lord of the Rings Roleplaying is powered by 5E.

Releasing on July 31st, Over and Under Hill will sell for $29.99 and include a poster map, rulebooks, pregenerated characters, tokens, and dice, as well as the titular adventure set in the wildlands of northern Eriador.

'Not far ahead were dreary hills, rising higher and higher, dark with trees. On some of them were old castles with an evil look, as if they had been built by wicked people.'

You are enjoying a rare, quiet evening at the inn in Bree when a hunter joins your table to share a tale about a dark threat looming over the North Downs. However, you are not merely simple guests at The Prancing Pony — you are members of a Company. It is your self-appointed duty to inquire about the bone-chilling dangers that might emerge from the houseless hills beyond. Are you ready to take the road to adventure?

These new and beginner-friendly Starter Sets for The One Ring™ tabletop RPG and The Lord of the Rings™ Roleplaying 5E, based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, provide all you need to embark on your journeys in Middle-earth. Immerse yourself in a world set between the time of Bilbo’s first adventure and the events of The Lord of the Rings™, exploring the Lone-lands of Eriador and taking on the roles of characters whose stories are yet to be told.

The One Ring Starter Set – Over Hill and Under Hill and The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5E Starter Set key features:

• Condensed rules for action resolution, combat, councils, and journeys
• The complete adventure Over Hill and Under Hill, bringing the heroes deep into the wild lands of northern Eriador to face a dark threat
• A large full-color map of the lands of Eriador, with a combat stance diagram on the back
• Beautifully illustrated cardboard stand-up figures for Player-heroes and Adversaries for use on the combat diagram
• Five pre-generated and illustrated Player-heroes
• Special dice engraved with custom symbols*

You can also pre-order them on Free League's website and get the PDF version immediately.

 

[Muad'dib Pendragon]

Following up on this, I finally received both starter sets yesterday, which was sooner than the Free League customer support timeline of sometime in September or later due to a lack of product, but weeks after Gen Con in which it appeared the team had ample product physically on hand at their booth.

Although I'm disappointed in the timing, I am happy with the products.

 

[Arnie_Wan_Kenobi]

LOL. "Post 'Starters arrived Saturday' to ENWorld was on my todo list for today. I have not read the rules or adventures yet, but--as always for Free League--I'm happy with the production values.

 

[occam]

How's the adventure in the Starter Set? I don't feel a need for the physical set, but might very well buy it digitally for the adventure.

 

[Arnie_Wan_Kenobi]

How's the adventure in the Starter Set? I don't feel a need for the physical set, but might very well buy it digitally for the adventure.

I've only read the adventure for the 5e version (so far): It's pretty straightforward:

Spoiler

everyone hangs out in The Prancing Pony, a quest-giver (agent of your patron) sends you into the wilderness, there's a Journey sequence, a Journey event, dealing with exhaustion, Shadow, an event site (ability checks and combat), combat range bands/stances, clues to the next event site, NPC interaction (a Council), a major cameo, some interesting--and convenient magic items--dungeon exploration, random encounters, prisoner rescue, explosives, and a boss battle.

I'd say it does a good job of introducing the basics of LOTR:5E, 5E players should catch on fast to the differences, new players should catch on fast to the new. I need to look into how the Rules book presents Shadow, Journey, and Council (because I don't have that stuff memorized for either). It's a little railroady and linear, but it could probably serve as a solid introduction to an ongoing campaign.

ETA: Can anyone who knows the system better judge how balanced the pregens are or if there are any errors on the character sheets?

ETA2: Also, the pregens are MUCH better equipped than the Hobbit Horde in the first starter (as in, they're actually equipped). Of course, they're hardy adventuring types not a bunch of Sackville-Bagginses. (Although, personally, I still want to run the first starter before I run this one).

 

[Weiley31]

Since it got mentioned earlier, the Moria book is ABSOLUTELY fantastic.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

That's good to hear; I'm still waiting for a shipping notification from the game store I pre-ordered from. Hopefully that will occur soon.

Will echo the Moria book -- fantastic -- and I just picked up Realms of the Three Rings which had some great source material.

 

[agrayday]

Mine just arrived in USA. Maybe i missed it but I was hoping to have a combat circle, diagram handout. The original one is far too busy, and i have been using a custom simple one.

 

[stormwriter]

Mine just arrived in USA. Maybe i missed it but I was hoping to have a combat circle, diagram handout. The original one is far too busy, and i have been using a custom simple one.

The new starter set does come with a combat circle diagram, similar to the Moria book one. The old starter set came with stance cards, it was removed in the new one.

 

[Arnie_Wan_Kenobi]

The new starter set does come with a combat circle diagram, similar to the Moria book one. The old starter set came with stance cards, it was removed in the new one.

While it is on the back of the poster map, I can see what @agrayday means if they are saying that one "too busy." Although I personally like the art on it, a transparent acrylic "bullseye" with the bands labeled and in the right scale would be pretty nice. Maybe I could get on that...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I personally like the art on it, a transparent acrylic "bullseye" with the bands labeled and in the right scale would be pretty nice. Maybe I could get on that...

You might be able to find that on Etsy already. A lot of the "it would sure be nice to have this obscure tabletop thing" gets put up for sale by folks there. (The amount of stuff for Gaslands, for instance, is amazing.)