What books do you actually need to play this game?

[OrbitalAxolotl]

I have very limited funds and can't afford all the books. Which do you absolutely need to play and which would you really recommend for me to by next?

[DavetheLost]

You can play with just the core rulebook.

Darkening of Mirkwood and Heart of the Wid provide a gazeteer of irkwood and environs and a very nice campaign.

Which additional books to get partially depends on what you are looking for. Adventures? Player options? geographic details?

[OrbitalAxolotl]

I saw Tales From the Wild as a good collection of adventures so I was going to get that to cover adventures for a while. I'm really interested in more geographicoal locations and player options.

[Glorelendil]

I saw Tales From the Wild as a good collection of adventures so I was going to get that to cover adventures for a while. I'm really interested in more geographicoal locations and player options.

Heart of the Wild for details about the Mirkwood region. (Sort of the companion gazetteer to running Darkening of Mirkwood.)

Rivendell and Rohan for geography and player options.

The new Adventurer's Companion for player options.

[Otaku-sempai]

The core rulebook is obviously essential. If you are staying within Rhovanion for the foreseeable future, you will probably want most or all of the following:

The Heart of the Wild provides a detailed gazetteer of Mirkwood Forest, the Anduin Vales, Gundabad and the Grey Mountain Narrows. It also contains many adventure seeds if you don't mind writing your own adventures.

The Lake-town sourcebook details the rebuilt Esgaroth and the immediate vicinity, and introduces the Heroic Culture of the Men of the Lake. It is also packaged with the Loremaster's Shield.

The adventure supplements Tales of Wilderland and The Darkening of Mirkwood can keep your band of Heroes occupied for years of game-time.

The Erebor sourcebook details, not just the Lonely Mountain, but also the regions to the east of Mirkwood extending as far as the Iron Hills. It also introduces the Dwarves of the Grey Mountains and the Dwarves of the Iron Hills. Also, rules for creating and using Dragons.

[Glorelendil]

Really you want all the books. Even if you don't use them in your game. They're that good.

[OrbitalAxolotl]

That's the end goal!

[Otaku-sempai]

That's the end goal!

Further reading for the geography of MIddle-earth:
- Rivendell for eastern Eriador.
- Horse-lords of Rohan.
- The upcoming Bree sourcebook should cover most of the remainder of Eriador.
- Journeys & Maps for the four double-sided maps and new and expanded journey rules.

[Falenthal]

Begin with the Core book and Tales from Wilderland. If you like GM Screens, buy also the Lake-town sourcebook with the screen.

With that, you have enough to start playing and have some months of gaming covered.

Once you raise more funds, or have played all of Tales from Wilderland (whatever comes first ), move on to Heart of the Wild and Darkening of Mirkwood. If possible, buy also the Erebor sourcebook for completeness.

You don't need anything else to play TOR for years to come...
...but you'll want everything else, beware!

[Zulgolra]

Yes, basicaly you just need the Core Rulebook.But just that would be realy the most limited way in every aspect.

If you wan't more than that I would recommend:
'Tales from the Wilderland' (for adventures)
The DM/LM Screen with the Laketown sourcebook

-If you have no money at all, this will do and you can play for a long time-

If you have more money I would recommend:
'Heart of the wild'
'Erebor-the lonely mountain'
'Darkening of Mirkwood'(thats the campaign, but without the regiondescriptions above, it misses something)

If you still have some money, then:
'adventurers companion' (for more characteroptions...)
'rivendell' (for a new region and more rules... )
'ruins of the north' (for more adventures)

Erything else is more of a 'special interest' thing and I would not priorise it, if your budget is low...
'Horse-lords of rohan'
'Journeys and maps'