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Whilst we wait for Jon to be able to announce C7's future plans regarding TOR, I was thinking back to the original plan that C7 had (three core sets) and even though the core set idea was dropped, where the sets were heading doesn't have to be.

The following is from one of Jon's web journals (I couldn't find the info now on C7's site) from one of the first press releases about TOR -

The August release is the first of a series of core game titles. 2012 and 2013 will see similar core releases expanding from that point, first with provisionally titled The Errantries of the King and then leading up to the War of the Ring. Each of these will expand the attention given to Tolkien's world as well as the range of playable cultures and races. "You could compare our approach to the way Fantasy Flight has handled the 40K franchise," commented Dominic McDowall-Thomas, Cubicle 7's Director of RPG Development. "We have a huge setting to explore, and this lets us approach it in stages, covering each element in detail instead of trying to stuff an encyclopedia of information into the initial release. It also helps players build their campaigns in a dramatic fashion. With Adventures over the Edge of the Wild as the starting point, the grand story of The Lord of the Rings is starting out, in the background, but players start at a point where they can influence events instead of just being along for the ride."

I still think we are close to concluding our time in the Wilderland and the Rivendell sourcebook will be the stepping stone into the next "stage" - Lonelands, Bree, the Shire, etc.

My gut feeling is we'll still follow the "The Errantries of the King" idea where you are tasked with helping Aragorn pre-LOTR when you get to Rivendell and that will be the stepping stone to new places.

Plus, you so have to use the title "The Errantries of the King" for at least one book C7, it's such a cool name.
There is a nice connection between TOR and the Adventures of Tom Bombadil in the core rule set, I won't spoil it for anyone, but in addition to the nice connection, in the Adventures of Tom Bombadil there is a poem called "Errantry" - it is such a nice touch that C7 use an old-fashioned word like that which Tolkien used in his own work. I guess I like these little nods hehe.

You raise a great point. Do you recall when I mentioned on the old boards the same thing (the connection with The Adventures of TB) & a certain ToR adventure, & Francesco responded "Clever boy?" I laughed over that one.

All the kidding aside, I agree that their next logical step will hopefully carry them across the Mountains into Eriador. I hope you're right & they write some books for that region, continuing southward toward the Rohirrim & Gondorians. They have so much they can still cover in future books, & I for one will buy 'em!

timb wrote:My gut feeling is we'll still follow the "The Errantries of the King" idea where you are tasked with helping Aragorn pre-LOTR when you get to Rivendell and that will be the stepping stone to new places.

Plus, you so have to use the title "The Errantries of the King" for at least one book C7, it's such a cool name.
There is a nice connection between TOR and the Adventures of Tom Bombadil in the core rule set, I won't spoil it for anyone, but in addition to the nice connection, in the Adventures of Tom Bombadil there is a poem called "Errantry" - it is such a nice touch that C7 use an old-fashioned word like that which Tolkien used in his own work. I guess I like these little nods hehe.

I'm not sure what connection you mean, but in "Bombadil Goes Boating" we see that Old Tom has met Farmer Maggot of the Shire. Another poem introduces "The Mewlips".

What we know about Aragorn's travels (feel free to fill in any gaps that I've left):

Year (Third Age)
2951: Aragorn, then called Estel, turns twenty years old, meets and falls in love with Arwen; Lord Elrond tells him of his true name and heritage. Aragorn leaves Rivendell.

2956: Aragorn meets and befriends Gandalf the Grey.

2957-80: Aragorn begins his great journeys and errantries. He travels under several false names and, as Thorongil, serves both Thengal of Rohan and Ecthelion II of Gondor. After leaving Gondor Aragorn journeys far into the East and deep into the South, into lands where the stars are different.

2980: After an expedition to Mordor, Aragorn enters Lorien and is reunited with Arwen. He gives her the ring of Barahir and they plight their troth.

3000: Saruman learns that the Shire is guarded by the Rangers of the North; it is unclear how involved Aragorn is in this.

3001: The guard on the Shire is doubled. Gandalf enlists Aragorn's help to discover news of Gollum.

3006: Aragorn visits Gilrean, his mother, for the last time.

3007: The death of Gilraen.

3009: Gandalf and Aragorn renew the Hunt for Gollum, spending much of the next eight years searching the Vales of Anduin, Mirkwood and Rhovanion to the confines of Mordor. Elrond sends for Arwen and she returns to Imladris.

3017: Aragorn captures Gollum in the Dead Marshes and brings him to Thranduil in Mirkwood.

3018: Aragorn introduces himself to Frodo Baggins in the Prancing Pony in Bree on September 29.

What I can't discover is when Aragorn first explored the Mines of Moria.

An excellent response!

Just reading through your excerpts from The Tale of Years (or wherever you gleaned them from), opens up multiple adventure possibilities. Just think what they can do with these types of plots

Mim wrote:An excellent response!

Just reading through your excerpts from The Tale of Years (or wherever you gleaned them from), opens up multiple adventure possibilities. Just think what they can do with these types of plots

Thanks! I used both "The Tale of Years" and "Here Follows a Part of the Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" from LotR, Appendix A.

You sound as if you also enjoy the latter. Myself as well. For example, when his father is taken, it makes a great plot line for an LM who intends to run something up in those nasty climbs - the Ettenmoors, etc. Good stuff

I rather hope we spend some time in Eriador first.
Rivendell will hopefully just be the beginning of this next "phase" of the game, and ideally we'll get some material on the Ettenmoors and Trollshaws in that book. The Shire is long overdue for some detail as well. (And I'm also holding out for the last bits of Wilderland, Dale and Erebor, to be covered in depth before we leave that part of the world behind.)

Eriador is far more compelling to me than Rohan and Gondor. While the south is much beloved and very familiar, it's the freedom to really mess with the timeline (without going against canon or changing events) that made Wilderland so appealing. Eriador is ripe for adventure in that regard... beyond Rivendell and the Shire, we've got the Blue Mountains, The Grey Havens, not to mention the Old Forest!

Oh, and of course, that mythical Moria campaign.
Oh, Moria, that would be amazing.

I agree - the North (Eriador, etc.) is more compelling to me than the other regions.

That said, however, I should probably be the bearer of bad news & point out that many moons ago (IIRC on the old boards), Gareth mentioned that they probably won't do much with The Shire because they envision it as more of a sanctuary of sorts.

That disappointed me, because I'd hoped they'd work on the Ruffians infiltrating during the period leading up to the War of the Ring, & how that could lead to the heroes eventually helping the Scouring of the Shire/Bree-land.

There's always hope that they'll change their game plan, but at least the rest of the area opens up tons of possibilities.

If the license only covers the material presented in The Hobbit an the LotRs how much of Eriador could tbey include? It has been a while since I read LotRs, but I don't remember a whole lot happening in that region.