Help me out to figure if One Ring is a game for us

[Yusei]

But what I was asking if Tales from Wilderland (only read the first two adventures so far) and Darkening of Mirkwood offer plots, encounters and adventures which have more possibilities for moral dilemmas and players arguing which is the right way to approach matters and kind of "the little child will grow to be a tool of shadow, we have to kill him" kind of "there's no good choice, just various bad ones" kind of gaming?

In ToW, have a look at Kinstrife and Dark Tidings. I've only skimmed through DoM, but there were some hard decisions to be made. However, in most instances, they are made by NPCs, and players can only influence their choices.

[Yusei]

In Tolkien there is always a right choice, though it's often not the easiest choice. Tolkien doesn't mess around with angst-filled paladins deciding what to do with orc babies.

I think Gandalf would disagree with you.

[Stormcrow]

In Tolkien there is always a right choice, though it's often not the easiest choice. Tolkien doesn't mess around with angst-filled paladins deciding what to do with orc babies.

I think Gandalf would disagree with you.

How so?

[Yusei]

Well, if he thinks sparing Gollum mattered, then he would probably cared about other similar situations.

[Evening]

Combat is a tricky thing....
you are right, from a D&D (or standard rpg) perspective, it puts a lot of onus on the players. Also, since there is no concept of 'flanking' or other 'bonuses', it boils down to the player saying "I move behind the troll to strike from behind", and the LM saying "sorry, you didn't get a bonus battle die, you don't seem to be able to get behind him".

To be fair you're referring to more modern versions of D&D. OD&D + Chainmail and BECMI had hardly any combat manoeuvres, bonuses and no concept of things like attacks of opportunity. Even up to and including 2e (unless you used supplements), combat was usually a case of "I hit the Orc." or, depending on DM, you'd describe a cool move and get some arbitrary bonus for your efforts... In other words, pretty much like you described above.
I'd even argue that TOR has way more choice, subtly and options that early(ish) D&D.

Déjà vu....

Two people in our group discussed this very same opinion (which I really never thought about, but agree with) a couple of weeks ago. Spooky.

[Evening]

I understood one reason for me not getting a real good grasp of the system combined with storytelling. The rulebook doesn't really give you good written examples with engaging storytelling.

If by storytelling you mean composing a literary passage after each roll, there's a reason for that: it's not part of the game. You can do it if you want, but I for one find it ridiculous and boring.

The game requires that you explain what happens when you make your roll, not that you tell a story, however short, about it. Storytelling comes when the game is over, and you're relating your adventures to others. That's when you get to embellish your story however you like. Doing so during a game turns it into Amateur Theatre Hour.

I know I'm going to get a lot of objections to this, because I'm sure there are a lot of Thespian Wannabes out there. But really, the interesting part of the game is not in the dice-rolling; why would you want to slow that part down? Get it over with and get back to the adventure!

"there's no good choice, just various bad ones" kind of gaming

In Tolkien there is always a right choice, though it's often not the easiest choice. Tolkien doesn't mess around with angst-filled paladins deciding what to do with orc babies. Making the wrong choice leads to corruption, but there's always the possibility of redemption.

This post should be stickied.

[Evening]

Well, if he thinks sparing Gollum mattered, then he would probably cared about other similar situations.

Wasn't he spared because Gandalf had prescience or foreshadowing that Gollum would probably be involved in a momentous event somewhere in the future, and thus needed to be present?

[Yusei]

I didn't see it as foreshadowing but more as a general lesson: don't be too quick to kill. In any case, he was first spared because of Bilbo's mercy.

[SirKicley]

I didn't see it as foreshadowing but more as a general lesson: don't be too quick to kill. In any case, he was first spared because of Bilbo's mercy.

Gandalf's quote "My heart tells me that Gollum has a part to play yet."


I would say that it was both foreshadowing - based on Gandalf's intuitive nature that is party due to him being a wizard; and a lesson to Frodo. A lesson that Frodo took to heart, and was better for it as he wound up not fulfilling his task, and Gollum was a necessary part to finish the deed.

[SirKicley]

In Tolkien there is always a right choice, though it's often not the easiest choice. Tolkien doesn't mess around with angst-filled paladins deciding what to do with orc babies. Making the wrong choice leads to corruption, but there's always the possibility of redemption.

I definitely agree with (this part of) Stormcrow's post.

In "D&D / Pathfinder" adventures, there are many stories of "a drow that's good" or a "demon that is just misunderstood" and other questionable Batman / Dark Knightesque moral stories. There is a lot of grey area modern psychology type notions of what to do with an "evil creatures that are born evil" vs reared evil type shenanigans that riddle paladins and clerics thoughts on what to do.

Tolkien's was for the most part black and white. This doesn't mean that your adventures can't have a little of that. There is no "tolkine-police" coming to make sure you're keeping everything perfectly in line with The Professor's writing. However there won't be a lot of that from the published sources.

Stormcrow hit it on the head - Tolkien is about the courage and spirit of those who have to do the right thing - which is the most dangerous and difficult thing, but doing it anyways despite "surety of death and small chance of success."

That's where your flavor is going to come from. It's putting stories in front of them that seem imperiled and with no hope, and yet there are those who are going to champion the cause anyways. "If this is to be our end, then I shall make it such an end worthy of remembrance!"

That's the true magic of the writing of Tolkien's world that will inspire players. Tap into that, and I think your players will love you for it.