The Adventurer's Companion: Status update?

[Lara Redleaf]

I know requests for information/lamenting its absence/dwindling hype for the long-awaited book are scattered throughout multiple threads. This one is for a very specific purpose: what's going on with the Adventurer's Companion? Is it ever even going to come out? This is the one book I really care about; the rest of the stuff is much lower on the list, and I couldn't care less about D&D 5E, even if there's a TOR book for it. Is the Companion still a thing? Is it canceled in favor of D&D-based stuff? Can we please get some details on when it's going to be released and what it might contain?

[Curulon]

I know requests for information/lamenting its absence/dwindling hype for the long-awaited book are scattered throughout multiple threads. This one is for a very specific purpose: what's going on with the Adventurer's Companion? Is it ever even going to come out? This is the one book I really care about; the rest of the stuff is much lower on the list, and I couldn't care less about D&D 5E, even if there's a TOR book for it. Is the Companion still a thing? Is it canceled in favor of D&D-based stuff? Can we please get some details on when it's going to be released and what it might contain?

In the pre-order post for Adventures in Middle-earth, there is this line:

"The Adventurer's Companion and Oaths of the Riddermark are both coming along very nicely. Along with some TOR releases we've not even mentioned yet."

[Lara Redleaf]

In the pre-order post for Adventures in Middle-earth, there is this line:

"The Adventurer's Companion and Oaths of the Riddermark are both coming along very nicely. Along with some TOR releases we've not even mentioned yet."

I see, thanks. Unfortunately, that tells us basically nothing that we didn't already know, and I confess I've largely given up hope. While I understand how these things go, between the D&D developments and multiple other books being planned, written, and released during and after the time the Companion was supposed to be, it's hard to remain positive.

[Otaku-sempai]

Well, the mention confirms that The Adventurer's Companion has not been cancelled, which was what was worrying you. So you could be more appreciative of Curulon's reply. Further skepticism really isn't warranted.

[Rich H]

You know, that Adventurer's Companion is on its way, but we need to understand that it will be incredibly rules dense and those writing it will want to make sure everything in it makes sense and works as expected.

They'll be a lot of impact testing of the rules and it is likely just as complex a challenge as when the original book was written; where in that regard they were working to a blank canvas, now they aren't. Instead they are trying to add new sub-systems and elements to the existing ruleset while trying to avoid rules bloat, protect niches while adding new options, and keep things balanced where necessary. And if they're also including existing cultures, they may even be revising some of their virtues, rewards, etc.

I can see why it's taking time. The other supplements are easy to write in comparison.

[Kullervo]

I mean we saw the cover of it, so there's that at least. But yeah, as Rich said, this is gonna be a really rule-heavy book, since -any- other supplement had a great deal of lore and background info intended for Loremasters - Riders of Rohan, Rivendell, Heart of the Wild, Erebor, etc... But Adventurer's companion is almost like a second Core Rulebook - worse, even, as they have to keep in mine everything else they'd written, and its likely got precious little information for Loremasters and settings in general, as its, well, intended for players, and that means mechanics. I could be entirely off, though... as I recall now that Adventurer's Companion is also meant to include Men of Gondor? Which means either they'll put -all- of Gondor into that one book, which would be... well, odd as most non-adventure supplements are named after places; which then suggests they plan to release -two- books at once, Adventurer's Companion in pair with Gondor Supplement. That means there's even MORE work...

I am, myself, incredibly anxious to get my hands on that book, but, alas. I really hope we get AC and the Gondor book before Oaths of Riddermark, but I think we'll see Oaths before anything else - Rohirrim and Dunledings have to get their adventure book. Then again, we did see Journeys and Maps and Erebor after Rohan, so who knows.

[Jon Hodgson]

The website remains accurate - The Adventurer's Companion is still in development. The only additional news we've released is that's it's shaping up well, which it is. It's been a long job, but it's a complex supplement. We'll update with more news on release date when we have it.

[Simaruk]

We now know for sure that Adventures in Middle-earth will contain the Men of Minas Tirith and Men of Bree. This is good news, as at least some of the new stuff for The Adventurer's Companion has already passed the intellectual property approval.