Considering purchasing TOR

[kdresser]

Hey! I'm new to RPG's and am playing through my first RPG campaign in D&D 5E with friends...and I love it. I've since been wanting to learn to DM and run a campaign in Middle Earth (which I adore). TOR seems like a good way to do this. I've also heard about the upcoming TOR D&D crossover, but I'm not sure which I will end up getting. I had a couple of questions about TOR:

1. I've never DM'd before and would like to try my hand at developing and running a single campaign with some friends. I have a bunch of minis from my LOTR HeroClix days. Do you recommend I get any material outside of the revised standard One RIng rule book? Are any of the supplementary materials going to be essential or really handy for me to have? Will I need to buy a dry-erase grid and some markers? Outside of mini's I'm really starting from scratch.

2. Outside of the low-magic and seemingly grittier setting, what are some of the major differences between the mechanics and feel of 5E and TOR to someone who is new to RPG's? I heard someone say you don't just crawl through dungeons and find loot and artifacts like in D&D. What did they mean by that? Is there no dungeon-crawling element at all? Will I not find loot and artifacts (like the troll-hoard in the Hobbit) in TOR?

3. Is there a spatial element at all or is it all narrative-driven? I do like being able to see the outlines of dungeons drawn out on a map...and being able to flank an enemy engaged with another player and attempt things like leaping off of walls and climbing to a vantage point during combat to get a better archery position.

Thanks!

-Newb RPG-lover and DM wannabe

[Hermes Serpent]

1) You should think about the laketown supplement for the GM's screen and the Laketown culture. Heart of the Wild for more background for Mirkwood, Rivendell for background material and the Eleven culture likewise Rohan and when it's available Erebor for the mountain and alternative Dwarven cultures. I'd suggest getting at least one adventure book, probably Tales form Wilderland, as that will give you a a new LM details of how to set up an adventure using TOR.

2) TOR uses very different mechanics to those used in 5e so you'll probably struggle a bit but check the various threads here as the questions have usually already been asked. Mini's aren't required but some players may find the visual aspect helpful. I'd suggest getting and printing out the two sheets that voidstate made that make Travel and Combat easier to follow/understand.

3) I wont say there are no dungeon crawling instances in TOR just that most of the action is above ground. Combat is very different to 5e, no-one has very many HP and healing is slow. Magic use is subtle and Wizards are properly LM characters rather than PC's. You will find loot and artefacts but that isn't the point of TOR. It does more to foster the idea in the books not the films so gird on your sword and fight Evil and the Shadow but don't expect huge rewards which you'll mostly give away to friends and sallies anyway as there isn't much to spend it on.

[Yepesnopes]

First of all, I will tell you go for it! TOR is a great RPG based on story telling, and in my opinion it is the RPG that so far has best evoked the feeling of Middle Earth.

1. I've never DM'd before and would like to try my hand at developing and running a single campaign with some friends. I have a bunch of minis from my LOTR HeroClix days. Do you recommend I get any material outside of the revised standard One RIng rule book? Are any of the supplementary materials going to be essential or really handy for me to have? Will I need to buy a dry-erase grid and some markers? Outside of mini's I'm really starting from scratch.

To start playing you only need the core book, it comes with an scenario you can play. Additionally you will find many high-quality fan made scenarios online which will give you many sessions of play. After this, if you and your group like the game, you can expand it with sourcebooks like Horse lords of Rohan or Rivendell, or adventure books like Ruins of the North or Tales from Wilderland.

Contrary to D&D, which originally evolved from wargames, TOR is a very narrative game, it has rules for fast and lethal combats, where while you can use minis, they are totally not needed. TOR's combat is based on an abstract dynamic combat concept, not on a tactical combat like D&D where you need a grid to see if you are attacking your "frozen" enemy from the rear or from the side.

2. Outside of the low-magic and seemingly grittier setting, what are some of the major differences between the mechanics and feel of 5E and TOR to someone who is new to RPG's? I heard someone say you don't just crawl through dungeons and find loot and artifacts like in D&D. What did they mean by that? Is there no dungeon-crawling element at all? Will I not find loot and artifacts (like the troll-hoard in the Hobbit) in TOR?

In TOR you will find magical treasures and you will crawl inside goblin and Troll caves, but that probably won't be the bulk of the game, just a part of it. The game will revolve around a story that players and game master will create, and as a part of the story, you may end up searching (or trapped) inside a "dungeon", but this is just one element that may or may not occur on a story.

Of course, if you just like dungeon crawling, you can play games which are just dungeon crawlings, but in that sense TOR is not the best game for it, its combat is way too lethal for that purpose and there does not exist the concept of healing potion. While you could just create it, I don't think TOR is the best game for dungeon crawls.

3. Is there a spatial element at all or is it all narrative-driven? I do like being able to see the outlines of dungeons drawn out on a map...and being able to flank an enemy engaged with another player and attempt things like leaping off of walls and climbing to a vantage point during combat to get a better archery position.

TOR is narrative driven, which believe me, it is a good thing. You will draw maps and you will be able to climb walls, jump, duck to get advantage positions, cover etc. during combat, but it is done narratively and there are no hard rules on how this impact the mechanics. You will get a bonus, or a malus, but don't expect pages and pages of tiny describing every single possibility in a combat. Entering into TOR rules, these sort of activities, like climbing a tree or flanking and enemy, can be easily done by narrating how you spend your advantage combat dice. But again, TOR has a dynamic combat, its combat is not based on frozen snapshots of time, where you can move two hexes and position yourself behind an enemy (this is pretty unreal) and then hit him while he just stands there frozen. Combats in TOR are chaotic and furious, all participants are moving, dodging and striking blows simultaneously (not really as there is still an initiative order).

Cheers!

[Valarian]

1. You don't need minis in the traditional sense as combat is abstracted and narrative. Markers for a combat stance sheet are useful though (see the resources thread). The One Ring core book is enough, though the supplements add to the game. Heart of the Wild describes the region of Rhovanion. Rivendell and Horse Lords do the same for Eastern Eriador and Rohan respectively. Tales of Wilderland and Ruins of the North are books containing prebuilt adventures. Darkening of Mirkwood is a complete campaign guide, with adventures outlined - though not as detailed as those in the adventure books.

2. Journeys play a big part in the game, as in the Lord of the Rings books, with a whole sub-system around this. The adventuring phase of the game breaks down in to the journey(s) and what happens when you get to where you are going. That could be a delve in to goblin tunnels to retrieve a lost artifact.

Treasure is abstracted, with a treasure point denoting living at a Prosperous level for a month. The Lake-town supplement with the GM screen has notes on using coinage instead. Rivendell has expanded rules for magical artifacts and items of worth. Treasure Seekers look for treasure and wealth. The other character callings are adventuring for different reasons.

3. As stated above, the combat system is narrative and abstract rather than moving minis around the table. You can do all of that, but the map doesn't really play a part in deciding whether it's possible. The GM decides if you can do it and what skills are involved (e.g. Athletics to leap off the walls to gain a better position) and then the player rolls the dice to succeed in the action or not. You can make combat as cinematic or as realistic as your group wishes.

[Terisonen]

Hone your skill first and end your first campaign of D&D5, unless you have plenty of time to think and read TOR rules, and even making some 'blank' use of the rule to get familiar with the mechanics. It's all to simple to get overwhelmed by a new rule when you're a begininng Master. In fact, you must have one thing: a great envy.

[Glorelendil]

3. Is there a spatial element at all or is it all narrative-driven? I do like being able to see the outlines of dungeons drawn out on a map...and being able to flank an enemy engaged with another player and attempt things like leaping off of walls and climbing to a vantage point during combat to get a better archery position.

Here's the thing, TOR very much encourages a "roll first, then narrate" approach. Which means that you don't say "I climb up on the watch tower to get a better vantage point...does that give me a bonus?" Instead you roll the dice and say, "Great Success!! From my vantage point on the tower I get a clear shot at the orcs, skewering one with my first shot."

Likewise you don't maneuver for a flanking attack in order to get a bonus. Instead you roll Battle before the start of the fight, and if you get bonus dice you can spend them on an attack, perhaps narrating, "I sneak around behind the Orc Chieftain and strike out while he's distracted by Nori. I'll use one of my bonus dice..."

All that said, there may be situations where the LM grants a specific bonus. But in general that's not actively encouraged.

You didn't ask the question, but because it relates to the question about advantages I'll also try to clarify something about traits. They are NOT meant to give bonuses. They have three very specific applications:
1) In some cases they can be invoked to succeed automatically at a common skill roll. Usually this requires that the TN be normal (14) and the consequences aren't pivotal for the game. That is, the story should not be altered significantly whether the hero succeeds or fails. I.e., you are asked to make a Fatigue test (Travel) on a Journey, so you invoke Hardy and skip the roll.
2) When you succeed on a common skill test, a trait can be invoked to earn 2nd or 3rd Advancement Points in a category. I.e., you succeed on a Fatigue test during a Journey, and your first AP in the movement category is already checked, so you narrate how your Hardy trait enabled you to shrug off the rigors of the journey, to get the 2nd AP.
3) Finally (and this is the one I rarely see used) you can invoke a trait to allow a roll when otherwise the LM wouldn't have allowed it. "That's an automatic 2 Endurance loss from the cold and hunger." "I'm Hardy." "Hmm...ok, make a Travel roll."

Then there's a final, frequently house-ruled variant: you can also earn AP by invoking traits to narrate Eye of Sauron failures. That is, you fail a skill test with the Eye of Sauron, and you narrate how your trait caused the failure. E.g., you fail your Fatigue test and explain that because of Tall you repeatedly clonk your head on low-hanging branches while traveling through Mirkwood.

The point being that Traits aren't meant to help you succeed more often at skill tests, they are meant to encourage you to narrate your successes (and failures) according to your character concept, instead of just rolling the dice. That is, they reward roleplaying with some mechanical benefits.

[kdresser]

Thanks a lot guys. This makes a lot more sense to me now. I wondered why I couldn't find any screenshots of people using minis in the game.

One more question:

Does the revised edition come with dice like the first edition? Also, Will I need to buy a set of dice for the LM and each player respectively?

[Glorelendil]

Thanks a lot guys. This makes a lot more sense to me now. I wondered why I couldn't find any screenshots of people using minis in the game.

One more question:

Does the revised edition come with dice like the first edition? Also, Will I need to buy a set of dice for the LM and each player respectively?

Dice no longer included, but you can use normal d12s and d6s without a problem. That said, using official dice adds to the experience, in my opinion. (And I'm really looking forward to the new ones.) I should think one set for LM and one for players to share would be sufficient, but more dice is ALWAYS better. In all situations, for all games. You can't be too rich, too thin, or own too many polyhedra.

[Wbweather]

No, the revised edition does not come with dice or map posters. You can easily get by with a standard D12 (11=Eye, 12=G-rune) and 5-6 D6's. (Just remember that 1-3 don't count when weary and 6's add a level of success). You don't need separate sets of dice for the LM and players, but it certainly doesn't hurt. It's worth picking up set of the official One Ring dice, if you plan on playing much.

[Rich H]

Personally, I'd just wait for the 5e version of the rules to come out. If you're new to RPGing and getting acquainted with it through D&D 5e then picking up those new rules would seem like the most prudent thing to do.