Firstly, designer of The One Ring, Francesco Nepitello, explains his vision behind Rivendell:
“Rivendell is a true ‘companion’ to the core rules of The One Ring. It contains very important rules, things that can be considered to be outside the scope of the very focused design goal of the original game, but that will certainly be very welcomed by all fans, everywhere… ”
So, with that in mind, let's take a look at what you can expect to find inside Rivendell:
The Last Homely House – As you might have deduced from its title, Rivendell contains a detailed description of the House of Elrond and the famous characters who dwell within it. As well as Imladris itself, there are rules for all many of unique Fellowship undertakings that characters who have discovered Rivendell can attempt. Rivendell makes for a rightly fabled sanctuary, but not one you can just wander into…
The Lands of Eriador – Rivendell is a setting guide for far more than just the Vale of Imladris, as it also contains a region guide for the whole of Eastern Eriador, from the Midgewater Marshes and the Barrow-downs in the west to the foothills of the Misty Mountains in the east; from Tharbad in the south to Angmar in the north. As with Heart of the Wild, each of the regions is described in-depth, along with a selection of locations and characters to use in your own games. There’s also a detailed look at the history of the region, including the rise and fall of Arnor and Angmar.
A Bestiary of New Monsters – Despite the efforts of the Rangers of the North, the lands of Eriador are home to many dangerous creatures, from the Hobbit-hating Orcs of Mount Gram to the meanest Troll of them all, the Queen of Castle Hill. But monsters of flesh and blood are the least of a company’s worries, for the dead do not rest easily in these lands, and so the Undead are described in more detail than ever before. Finally, for companies who find even these foes no match, a set of rules for Powerful Adversaries are included, to make any monster a deadly threat. And last but not least, rules for the Witch-king himself.
Rules for Magical Treasure – The shining jewel (or glittering crown, perhaps) of the new rules found in Rivendell are those for adding magical treasure to your games, not only including expansive rules that a Loremaster might use to create his own fabled artefacts, but also a selection of ready-made treasures, both famous and new. Some whisper that we have been mad enough to provide rules for the One Ring itself, but surely none would be so bold, or foolish…
Rules for the Eye of Mordor – The Shadow grows long upon these lands, and it said that a baleful eye now looks out from Mordor itself. The troubling attention of the Enemy is represented by a new set of optional rules, allowing the Loremaster to track how much attention a company draws, and the terrible consequences should they be noticed by the Eye itself…
New Heroic Cultures – Last but by no means least, Rivendell also includes rules for two new playable cultures, the Rangers of the North and the High Elves of Rivendell. Both are unique, in their own ways, as they are more powerful than any of those presented in The One Ring so far, and yet present a player with their own set of challenges.
Finally, we asked Francesco what he thought would excite fans of The One Ring the most:
“The rules for Magical Treasure and the Rangers of the North will probably be what will excite them the most. The fans have been very vocal in saying that they want to see official rules for those. The biggest surprise, however, might be the rules for the High Elves of Rivendell. The way we handle them is special, something that will really surprise everyone!”
Rivendell is written by Francesco Nepitello, with additional contributions from Amado Angulo, Shane Ivey, Andrew Kenrick, Marco Maggi, Thomas Morwinsky and James M. Spahn. It is lavishly illustrated by Jon Hodgson, Jan Pospíšil and Jeremy McHugh, with fantastic maps of Eastern Eriador created by Paul Bourne. We’ll be showcasing just some of their art over the coming weeks too.
Thank you, Andrew, for the sneak peak and the taste of things to come.