Best order of the adventure books

[Geomtje]

So I’ve been seeing some comments that its better, story wise, to combine multiple adventure books within a campaign. What would be the best order to create a coherent story? Do it book by book or combine multiple books? And if the latter, what books should be combined, what stories from those books and in which order?

I realise that this might be a sensitive question, because everybody has their own preferences. But I would like to know this, in order to know what book to purchase, not to start a fight!

[Rich H]

So I’ve been seeing some comments that its better, story wise, to combine multiple adventure books within a campaign. What would be the best order to create a coherent story? Do it book by book or combine multiple books? And if the latter, what books should be combined, what stories from those books and in which order?

I realise that this might be a sensitive question, because everybody has their own preferences. But I would like to know this, in order to know what book to purchase, not to start a fight!

Tales from Wilderland and Darkening of Mirkwood can (and in my opinion should) be combined. TfW's adventures fit in perfectly during the first few years of DoM. I suspect that the Laughter of Dragons will work nicely with the mid to back end of DoM based on what I know of the content.

Personally, unless you relocate the adventures from other books (eg, Bree, Ruins of the North, etc) into Wilderland, I'd leave them alone to run at another time - they'd make great foundations for their own campaigns. I'm not into the idea of PCs bounding across the length and breadth of Middle-earth like some half-assed Indiana Jones sorting out all manner of problems. The occassional foray, if appropriate, outside their lands is fine but getting involved in adventures and hair pulling for a sustained amount of time feels a bit false and unnecessary to me considering all the things that PCs can get up to within Wilderland; its big enough and interesting enough, thanks.

[Geomtje]

Are there any othere books that would compliment each other, like Bree and Ruins of the North?

Any experience or advice?

[Rich H]

Are there any othere books that would compliment each other, like Bree and Ruins of the North?

Any experience or advice?

I've not played them but certainly Bree and Ruins of the North fit together if only because they are in the same geographical location - ie, Eriador. Ruins of the North is a collection of adventures though and not really interconnected so some work would need to be done in linking them up in some way if that was desired.

[Falenthal]

Horse-lords of Rohan has lots of adventure hooks that are not exploited in Oaths of the Riddermark. So Oaths can be run as is developing its own plot, and you can add side-quests as you see fit from the ideas of Horse-lords.

[Random221B]

Although Ruins of the North in its entirety would be tricky to integrate with Tales and Darkening, without it feeling like a lot of bouncing back and forth over the length and breadth of Middle-earth as Rich says, I think the scenario "Nightmares of Angmar" from that collection could integrate pretty easily, as it begins in the Vales of Gundabad, I know at least some others have incorporated that one into Tales/Darkening (after Tales, generally) and I plan to do the same.

[Falenthal]

Although Ruins of the North in its entirety would be tricky to integrate with Tales and Darkening, without it feeling like a lot of bouncing back and forth over the length and breadth of Middle-earth as Rich says, I think the scenario "Nightmares of Angmar" from that collection could integrate pretty easily, as it begins in the Vales of Gundabad, I know at least some others have incorporated that one into Tales/Darkening (after Tales, generally) and I plan to do the same.

Or you could adapt the plots to Wilderland.
Without lots of thinking about it, the Company of the Wain might be adapted to the Erringmen, with the seer being a spy for the Nazgûl instead of for Saruman.
Or Harder than Stone could be played in the Grey Mountains Narrows. After summoning and rising the trolls to action, the adventure Paying the Troll from Darkening could have more sense.

[Random221B]

Or you could adapt the plots to Wilderland.
Without lots of thinking about it, the Company of the Wain might be adapted to the Erringmen, with the seer being a spy for the Nazgûl instead of for Saruman.
Or Harder than Stone could be played in the Grey Mountains Narrows. After summoning and rising the trolls to action, the adventure Paying the Troll from Darkening could have more sense.

All true. I just meant "Nightmares of Angmar" could be incorporated into the Tales/Darkening campaign pretty much as-is, without really having to do any adaptation.