Brand New to this Place With Questions!

[MaSQue_]

Hello everyone, kinda super brand new to these forums and JUST found out about this RPG, although I am a little confused since it appears you have 2 games with 2 sets of rules. I will tell a little about myself so maybe it helps people see whats the best game for me.

I am an old school AD&D DM/Player since D&D was first born (yea I'm an old man lol) but I never went past 2nd edition rules because I don't like how the rules have evolved over the years turning D&D into a computer game of sorts .... soooooo many rules, and the classes just seems stupid godlike at creation ... I just prefer the classic for of pen & paper gaming. I am a long time Dragonlance gamer, due to the storyline and how the world just feels comfortable with a very serious timeline that progresses over years, which I guess is why I LOVE Lord of the Rings.

So I want to ask some questions, yea they may sound silly but I need to understand whats going on with "this" game you guys play so humor me please.

1) From what I see there are 2 games, The One Ring Roleplaying Game and Adventures in Middle-Earth. Which is the more popular game between the two meaning which is more used/played by the fan base? I would need to know this so I can have an easier time recruiting additional players to my group.

2) I assume both games still have material being printed on them correct? How many books for each game are there and again are more books inc?

3) Now, I have played D&D for many years and am comfortable with the class/race system it is, but I am thinking Wizards are done differently in this setting, and are there actual Clerics? I am just curious how the class system is done here because I am sure its not like D&D if it goes by how the movies and lore went.

I am sure I'll have a million more questions but this will do for a start. I really would LOVE to start GMing a lord of the Rings campaign for my group although I am unsure how this is done since this setting has a very hammered down timeline so I am not sure what type of EPIC campaign adventure could be ran without mucking with the canon timeline. Anyways glad to be here, nice to meet you all in advance.

[gsecaur]

You are correct that Cubicle7 is currently publishing for two Tolkien-based games. The One Ring uses a unique system that emphasizes many of the literary themes and elements of Tolkien's books, whereas Adventures in Middle-Earth is an OGL (D&D 5th Ed) game, adapting many of the mechanics that C7 developed in TOR to the OGL engine.

If you don't like latter-day D&D, my guess is that you would prefer The One Ring. However, you may have an easier job of recruiting players for Adventures in Middle-Earth, since the game is built on the framework of D&D.

The library of material published for the two games weighs heavily in favor of TOR, simply because it's been around for many years, while AiME is fairly new to the world. However, many of the AiME supplements are reworked from the material that's already been conceived for TOR, so that material can be written and published much faster, since the heaviest lifting has been done. Therefore, the library for AiME is growing fast!

There are many people on these forums who play both games, and can probably give very specific comparisons between the two. I play only TOR, as OGL/D&D is not a popular system with my group.

[MaSQue_]

I wouldn't say I did NOT like the newer rules as much as I would say I did not like how all the flash was added to them with character classes seeming like they would just look at an Orc and it falls over dead type thing. If the 5th ed rules for Middle Earth maintain the lore and FEEL of the setting then it might be an issue.

Let me see if i can explain myself better. I will base everything from the movies which I have probably watched 5+ times per all six lol, have never read the books (even though I should) ..... In the movies, you didnt see Wizards running around everyone since they are not an actual "class" so I have heard. You don't have actual "Clerics", I never seen Paladins ...... I am thinking many of the classes from D&D simply would not exist in TOR. Do they exist in the 5th ed version? Curious how classes are done in both versions.

Do certain races like Elves and Dwarves still have innate abilities such as better night vision for Elves and a natural magical immunity to mind altering affects or Dwarves with the being able to detect underground things such as hidden stone doors and the depth a Dwarf is under the ground and such? (Just trying to understand things before I go out and purchase books)

Is there maybe a FREE book, like an intro book to give an outline of how classes work in each game? Something I can look over to get a little more understand of both games?

..... and thank you for replying

[zedturtle]

Welcome MaSQue_!

As you've already learned, there are two games set in Middle-earth, and which one is a better fit is a matter of personal preferences. The One Ring has been around since 2011, and has a number of supplements available... including things like gazetteers of prominent locations (like Bree, Rivendell, The Lonely Mountain and Mirkwood) and a lot of resources for folks who are looking to find out what adventures look like in Middle-earth (There are a number of fully formed adventures and an outline of an epic 30-year-long campaign — good proof that you can accomplish great deeds whilst staying in familiar territory, canon-wise).

Learn more about The One Ring here and see FAQs here.

However, as others have pointed out, Adventures in Middle-earth has a lot of strong points as well. The release of 5th edition has seen a lot of older players become reacquainted with the original roleplaying game and a tremendous influx of new players. Some of those new (and older!) players might well want to use a familiar rules-set to explore Middle-earth. Adventures in Middle-earth uses that familiar framework, but builds it out with completely new Cultures (Races) and Classes that help create the unique feeling of Middle-earth. So far, in addition to the Player's Guide and Loremaster's Guide there has been Wilderland Adventures (a series of seven linked adventures that are ready to run), the Rhovanion Region Guide (a gazetteer that explores the Vales of Anduin and the forest of Mirkwood) and the Eaves of Mirkwood (which is great resource pack for new Loremasters, including an introductory adventure that you can run without needing the Player's Guide or the Loremaster's Guide).

Learn more about Adventures in Middle-earth here and see some FAQs here.

[Otaku-sempai]

Let me see if i can explain myself better. I will base everything from the movies which I have probably watched 5+ times per all six lol, have never read the books (even though I should) ..... In the movies, you didnt see Wizards running around everyone since they are not an actual "class" so I have heard. You don't have actual "Clerics", I never seen Paladins ...... I am thinking many of the classes from D&D simply would not exist in TOR. Do they exist in the 5th ed version? Curious how classes are done in both versions.

My own personal preference is for The One Ring. However, if you want to base your game more on the movies than on the books then I would definitely recommend using Adventures in Middle-earth. You don't necessarily need to purchase the core books for D&D 5e, but at the very least you want the free downloads from WotC of the Player Basic Rules and DM Basic Rules and/or the SDR-OLG document PDF. You will need them as DM anyway (if you don't have the core books) and can use the documents to adapt the D&D magical classes to AiMe. I recommend thinking hard about which spells, magic items or monsters should be allowed in your Middle-earth game. The AiMe Loremaster's Guide should provide some ideas along those lines. But it's easy to remember such things as Middle-earth Trolls don't regenerate, but many do turn to stone if exposed to direct sunlight. And Orcs and Goblins are essentially different breeds of the same creature.

You might find this useful; I proposed an Alternate timeline for a film-based campaign. Feel free to alter anything that doesn't work for you. Feedback is appreciated!

[gsecaur]

Re: your questions about classes -- are there wizards and clerics and the like?

The One Ring introduced the idea of Callings, which sort of (and only sort of) replicate classes for that game. Each Calling is a general motivation for why your character is an adventurer -- the Wanderer, for example, is motivated by wanting to explore new places and see new things; the Treasure-hunter is motivated by a desire to find and recover lost things; and the Scholar is motivated by a desire to recover knowledge and learn new things. (There are five Callings in the core book, and one introduced in a supplement.) Each Calling also helps to shape some skill and trait selections for the new PC.

Adventures in Middle-Earth actually uses those Callings as the character classes. Therefore, the Scholar is essentially your party's cleric, because he's the one best equipped to deliver healing during the battle. However, there aren't any true spell-casting classes as would be familiar to more traditional D&D players.

You probably can't go wrong with either option. C7 have demonstrated that they will always err on the side of remaining true to the spirit of the lore, though they also introduce plenty of opportunities to break from the canon if you wish to do so. You indicated you were concerned about the ability to run an epic game within the constraints of canon. Although the best known and most beloved campaign in TOR is based on slow decline of the Free Peoples of Wilderland, A) that's not the only campaign you could run, and B) it's still plenty epic!, and C) if you really want to do it, nobody can tell you that in your campaign the PCs can't win the day against the forces of darkness.

[MaSQue_]

Let me see if i can explain myself better. I will base everything from the movies which I have probably watched 5+ times per all six lol, have never read the books (even though I should) ..... In the movies, you didnt see Wizards running around everyone since they are not an actual "class" so I have heard. You don't have actual "Clerics", I never seen Paladins ...... I am thinking many of the classes from D&D simply would not exist in TOR. Do they exist in the 5th ed version? Curious how classes are done in both versions.

My own personal preference is for The One Ring. However, if you want to base your game more on the movies than on the books then I would definitely recommend using Adventures in Middle-earth. You don't necessarily need to purchase the core books for D&D 5e, but at the very least you want the free downloads from WotC of the Player Basic Rules and DM Basic Rules and/or the SDR-OLG document PDF. You will need them as DM anyway (if you don't have the core books) and can use the documents to adapt the D&D magical classes to AiMe. I recommend thinking hard about which spells, magic items or monsters should be allowed in your Middle-earth game. The AiMe Loremaster's Guide should provide some ideas along those lines. But it's easy to remember such things as Middle-earth Trolls don't regenerate, but many do turn to stone if exposed to direct sunlight. And Orcs and Goblins are essentially different breeds of the same creature.

You might find this useful; I proposed an Alternate timeline for a film-based campaign. Feel free to alter anything that doesn't work for you. Feedback is appreciated!

Can you explain why you say if I want my game to be more like the movies than the books to go 5th ed rules? I can't keep that same feel with TOR?



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ok so Callings are basically the classes of TOR then, and I understand what you mean by one being Wanderer or Treasure Hunter, that makes sense, but only 5 Callings? Actually learning new rules can be fun and refreshing, as long as they are not Rocket Surgery to learn lol .... TOR rules hard to learn btw?

Also not sure I might have missed this but TOR "still" releases new books for this game right?
It will be Monday before i can sit down and do some reading so sorry about these massive amounts of questions .... one more question (Question) Do you gain levels in this game like D&D? How do characters progress in ..... (searching for the right word) .... power or how do they get stronger to fight stronger enemies and such?


PS: Does the TOR version have something like a Monster manual for Middle Earth like D&D has?

I am in luck!
I have a friend that says he can loan me books of TOR, he has them boxed and put away so he has to dig em out, he is not sure what he has since he never played much. What books do I NEED to see if he has to get me started learning the rules. He says if he does not have the books I need he knows someone that has everything for TOR. Can someone give me a list of the primary books I will want to get to read?

[Otaku-sempai]

Can you explain why you say if I want my game to be more like the movies than the books to go 5th ed rules? I can't keep that same feel with TOR?

D&D (and by extension AiMe) is simply more suited to the style of campaign that might be inspired by the Peter Jackson films. TOR was specifically designed to evoke the feel of Tolkien's Middle-earth and it would be more difficult (though certainly not impossible) to adapt it to a campaign with Heroes who have less subtle magic-using abilities (no clerics, mages, druids, etc. that are readily available as player characters).

ok so Callings are basically the classes of TOR then, and I understand what you mean by one being Wanderer or Treasure Hunter, that makes sense, but only 5 Callings? Actually learning new rules can be fun and refreshing, as long as they are not Rocket Surgery to learn lol .... TOR rules hard to learn btw?

TOR is not hard to learn; it's just different from D&D and games more directly inspired by it. It would be easier to adapt D&D classes to AiMe in order to supplement the Callings then to attempt the same with TOR.

Also not sure I might have missed this but TOR "still" releases new books for this game right?
It will be Monday before i can sit down and do some reading so sorry about these massive amounts of questions .... one more question (Question) Do you gain levels in this game like D&D? How do characters progress in ..... (searching for the right word) .... power or how do they get stronger to fight stronger enemies and such?

Yes, there are more supplements coming for TOR (see: So! What's going on with TOR?) and I'm sure that we can look forward to even more that have yet to be announced. For instance, TOR players are definitely anticipating a future region guide and a campaign book for Gondor. We are also expecting books at some point that cover such places as the Shire, Lothlórien, the Blue Mountains, the Grey Havens, etc.

Heroes in TOR do improve with experience and gain in skills, new traits, and so on, but it is not tracked by levels as in D&D. Improvements to your character is achieved during the Fellowship phase between adventures. The game is designed so that inexperienced Heroes can mix with more experienced PCs more easily than in many other RPGs. The 'strength' of many Adversaries and other NPCs can be gauged by their Attribute Levels.

PS: Does the TOR version have something like a Monster manual for Middle Earth like D&D has?

No, neither TOR nor AiMe have anything resembling a Monster Manual at this time, and no such volume for either has been announced.

[MaSQue_]

D&D (and by extension AiMe) is simply more suited to the style of campaign that might be inspired by the Peter Jackson films. TOR was specifically designed to evoke the feel of Tolkien's Middle-earth and it would be more difficult (though certainly not impossible) to adapt it to a campaign with Heroes who have less subtle magic-using abilities (no clerics, mages, druids, etc. that are readily available as player characters).
Sure but I kinda am looking forward to something thats NOT similar to D&D. I 100% love the idea of no Mages, Clerics and Druids. I remember Gandalf saying something about there were only 5 Wizards so thats perfect, it brings it back to a hands on type game with down to earth characters that are not all powerful. SO I have no issues with those classes not being around and actually I would not mind an entire new rules set so maybe TOR is what I want? I see its between the Hobbit and LotR trilogy timeline so thats perfect.



TOR is not hard to learn; it's just different from D&D and games more directly inspired by it. It would be easier to adapt D&D classes to AiMe to supplement the Callings then to attempt the same with TOR.
AS I said before, I actually want a RPG thats not like D&D, I want something refreshing and new. I think my players would enjoy that as well so TOR sounds perfect.



Yes, there are more supplements coming for TOR (see: So! What's going on with TOR?) and I'm sure that we can look forward to even more that have yet to be announced.
awesome

Heroes in TOR do improve with experience and gain in skills, new traits, and so on, but it is not tracked by levels as in D&D. Improvements to your character is achieved during the Fellowship phase between adventures. The game is designed so that inexperienced Heroes can mix with more experienced PCs more easily than in many other RPGs. The 'strength' of many Adversaries and other NPCs can be gauged by their Attribute Levels.

This sounds amazing



No, neither TOR nor AiMe have anything resembling a Monster Manual at this time, and no such volume for either has been announced.
So the monster stats are listed within the books then?

What would you suggest for an opening adventure book for us? I want my opening campaign adventure to be a GRAND event so maybe it hooks my players and makes them want to come back.

I will repost this since you must have been typing your reply and missed it.
I have a friend that says he can loan me books of TOR, he has them boxed and put away so he has to dig em out, he is not sure what he has since he never played much. What books do I NEED to see if he has to get me started learning the rules. He says if he does not have the books I need he knows someone that has everything for TOR. Can someone give me a list of the primary books I will want to get to read?

an update to this is he said he may just give me what he has because he does not play RPGs anymore. So what core books should I look for and which adventure is the overall more epic one to run my group on? I want mine campaign to last a long time.

[Otaku-sempai]

So the monster stats are listed within the books then?

Pretty much. A list of monsters for TOR is included in the core rule book (or the Loremaster's Guide in the original two-book set). Other new monsters and other adversaries are introduced in later books, as well as new and expanded rules.

What would you suggest for an opening adventure book for us? I want my opening campaign adventure to be a GRAND event so maybe it hooks my players and makes them want to come back.

I will repost this since you must have been typing your reply and missed it.
I have a friend that says he can loan me books of TOR, he has them boxed and put away so he has to dig em out, he is not sure what he has since he never played much. What books do I NEED to see if he has to get me started learning the rules. He says if he does not have the books I need he knows someone that has everything for TOR. Can someone give me a list of the primary books I will want to get to read?

an update to this is he said he may just give me what he has because he does not play RPGs anymore. So what core books should I look for and which adventure is the overall more epic one to run my group on? I want mine campaign to last a long time.

You are probably fine using TOR; you can still adapt the timeline--and even the style of your game--to the films if you want. I suggested AiMe because it would be easier with that to duplicate the kinds of action and stunts that Jackson included in the films as well as introducing weapons and armor not found in TOR. As the Loremaster for TOR you are going to want, at minimum, the core rules and the adventure collection Tales from Wilderland. The region guide The Heart of the Wild would also be immensely helpful and you might also want the Lake-town Sourcebook that came packaged with the Loremaster's Screen. Anything else can wait until you see how much you like the game.

There's nothing wrong with the introductory adventure "The Marsh-Bell" that is included in the core book. If you can get hold of it, there was a stand-alone adventure released as a PDF called "Words of the Wise" but it is no longer available commercially and was never released in print form. There have been some home-brewed adventures made by fellow posters that you might be able to find by searching the forums.