Another Bundle - The One Ring

[ffutures]

This is (as you may have guessed) an RPG based on The Lord of the Rings, published by  Sophisticated Games and Free League Publishing. I think it's the fifth or sixth RPG adaptation that I've seen. There was a previous bundle offer in 2015, but I think that was first edition.

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/OneRingStarter

The One Ring Starter Bundle offer presents The One Ring Starter Set from Sophisticated Games and Free League Publishing. Take your first steps into Middle-earth and explore the Shire as the hobbits whose children will go on to do extraordinary things, such as Drogo Baggins, Rory Brandybuck, and Esmeralda Took. With streamlined rules and ready-made characters, The One Ring Starter Set makes it easy to start playing the game.f several licensed RPGs based on JRR Tolkien's works, Francesco Nepitello's The One Ring has drawn high praise for its evocation of Tolkien's themes and atmosphere. The journey rules give every party member a role in charting their fellowship's course. Inventive Company and Patron rules in the style of King Arthur Pendragon and Mouse Guard provide player-Heroes opportunities to rest and recuperate, practice their skills, or pursue a noble undertaking. But in every adventure there lies the insidious threat of Shadow – the corruption of spirit and the destruction of hope. With its rich and detailed background, character types unique to the world, and a setting that changes as the Tale of Years progresses, The One Ring lets you feel you're playing in Middle-earth.

Though The One Ring game in its complete version covers many lands and a six-decade span from The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings, the Starter Set is set in the Shire in T.A. 2960 (1360 Shire Reckoning), two decades after Bilbo Baggins went on his adventure to Erebor. The Starter Set provides an introductory, less dangerous setting for new (and maybe younger) players. Using simplified rules and a tight focus, this set gives a taste of the game and the world. Once they become familiar with the dice-pool mechanics and play the five adventures included, players will be ready to take on The One Ring and venture all over Middle-earth.

(Note: The One Ring uses specially printed six-sided and 12-sided dice, but ordinary d6s and d12s work fine.)

We provide each title complete in .PDF. Like all Bundle of Holding titles, these ebooks have NO DRM (Digital Restrictions Management), and our customers are entitled to move them freely among all their devices. (By publisher request, the DriveThruRPG versions of these files are inobtrusively watermarked.)

Ten percent of each purchase (after gateway fees) goes to The One Ring offer's pandemic-related charity, Direct Relief. Direct Relief sends protective gear and critical care medications to health workers, with emergency deliveries to medical facilities across the US and to regional response agencies across the world.

The total retail value of the titles in The One Ring Starter Bundle is US$35. Customers who pay just US$12.95 get all three titles in The One Ring Starter Collection (retail value $35) as DRM-free ebooks, including the complete The One Ring Starter Set (retail price $20), the Loremaster's Screen and Rivendell Compendium (retail $10), and Strider™ Mode (retail $5), a rules expansion for solitaire roleplaying across northern Eriador.

"The Lord of the Rings," "The One Ring," "Middle-earth," and the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC and are used under license by Sophisticated Games Ltd and their respective licensees. © 2023 Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC & Sophisticated Games Ltd.

Back in 2015 I said "The main reason I know about this offer is because I'm on the list to get this stuff free if I want it. I've just taken a quick look at the files and it's absolutely gorgeous and seems very playable, and very good value for money; I doubt I'll end up playing it, but if I did want to run a Tolkien game this would probably be the one I go for."

However, that bundle covered a lot more ground, I think.

I'm not really in the market for new fantasy games at present, especially ones where it's likely that most players will have more detailed knowledge of the setting than I do - I've read the books a couple of times but I haven't devoted much time to them beyond that - but that's my problem. I think that the decision to limit the scope of this starter offer to one setting and era may be a bigger problem for some referees - for example, those who prefer a starting point in Rohan or an orc- or elf-centered campaign.

Having said that, it seems a reasonable price if it's the sort of thing you want.

Comments

[original_aj]

It is very nice, I already have the physical version (and PDFs). It's fully compatible with the previous bundle (which I also have, part of why I bought the new version) so you can use all that content with this one if you wish.

I think the decision to focus on areas that don't get much attention in the books (or films) will help with the background knowledge levels required. Anything a player knows is not likely to really change anything in the game setting. Also, I don't play with people who are arsey about such things anyway!

One of the reasons I really liked the ICE MERP setting was it was so seperated from the main story timeline that there was a lot of freedom to create without worrying about cannon or book characters.

[ffutures]

Fair point - and thanks for pointing out the compatibility, I hadn't really checked that.