playing without a GM?

[Ixxtabb]

Hey there! I've been really in this RPG for some time now, and was wondering how if it's in any way possible to play any of The One Ring games/modules without a GM. I want to start a small game with just a couple people that can follow along pre-made adventure sets, of really any length. We travel a lot, and it can be extremely difficult to find a dedicated group with a GM o play with...

Thanks a lot!

[Hamarr]

I don't know how well one ring would work as a gmless system. But if you want to create stories set in Middle Earth Hobbit Tales might be right up your alley. Each player takes a turn as a story teller and comes up with a story based on the cards in their hand. The other players try to prevent the story by introducing hazards as the story teller lays down cards. This might work well for you, as it doesn't require a gm to set up events.

[Ixxtabb]

I actually have Hobbit Tales already, but thank you for the suggestion

[Hamarr]

I was thinking more on this, and you could actually use hobbit tales in a more non traditional way. You could set the length of your adventure, short, medium, or long. A short adventure could be 4-5 cards, medium 6-7 cards, or long 8-10 cards. You can randomly shuffle the deck and take a number of cards depending on how long you want to play. As you play reveal the top card of the stack and the every player can help build off what the characters are doing. Set TNs at 14, but you can always make thing easier or harder depending on how the players feel. When going on a journey use the regular journey rules and hazards can be pulled directly from the rules for using Hobbit Tales with Hazards.

I don't really know if it would be possible to play an actual written adventure, at least without spoiling the adventure for one of the players.

[zedturtle]

I feel like there's room here to use Hobbit Tales and something inspired by the Mythic GM Emulator in order to run a LM-less game. I do think that Hamarr might be right... it seems like something like Wild Adventures would be easier to do than an actual written adventure.

Also, another consideration would be to have an LM but use Hobbit Tales/Mythic to simulate additional players. It'd be interesting to have one or two actual players (maybe playing Hobbits) that have a cast of folks who assist them, but their knowledge and willingness to help is based not on LM fiat but the draw of a HT card or what-not.

[jamesrbrown]

It may take a little imagination and a bit of preparation, but I feel that a single player or a small group of players could play through the Tales from Wilderland and Ruins of the North adventures without a Loremaster. Let the material itself be the Loremaster and just make all the necessary rolls for Loremaster characters and adversaries. All the adventures in these two supplements are detailed enough to make things interesting.

Here's how it could work:

• Take turns reading parts of the adventure out loud to one another while trying to reword it so that it sounds like a story is being told
• Give freedom for everyone to interrupt and interject by making proposals for tests and tasks
• Run the game using group consensus for all decisions
• During combat, roll randomly to determine engagements if the Loremaster would have chosen them
• During combat, the player-hero being attacked should always make the attack rolls against himself
• During combat, adversary Special abilities should be used when possible (the group should vote on the particulars)
• Follow all the rules of the game and have fun!