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Board Games and TCGs

I Enjoyed The One Ring RPG, but it’s not for everyone

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This week, I finished my campaign for The One Ring RPG. I ran it using a mixture of the starter set and a few events I made up along the way. Please note that Free League Publishing sent me free copies of the PDFs to review for my blog. While I am very grateful, this will be my honest review. If you enjoy these reviews, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!

What is The One Ring RPG?

The One Ring Roleplaying Game is a ttrpg based in Tolkien’s iconic fantasy universe. Even though GMs can run their own stories within the world, events are meant to exist between those in The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. This is a game that is heavily driven by narrative and roleplay. The books are lore-rich and flavorful. While an extensive knowledge of the source material isn’t necessary to enjoy this system, fans of the series will have a deeper appreciation for its level of detail.

Gameplay

While The One Ring has an interesting skill and combat system, the game is roleplay and narrative-driven. Rolls can sway the narrative and lead to some funny moments, but the focus will always be on the story and creating an epic yarn within the universe.

The most unique aspect of The One Ring is the Council. The Fellowship phase is where players talk to a council and ask for permission, jobs, favors, etc. There are also bonuses associated with building a relationship with the fellowship and patrons. This is a neat feature for players and GMs who enjoy roleplaying diplomacy with the added spontaneity of dice rolls.

The system also features a very unique combat system. There is no initiative. Players always go first, unless ambushed, and they can pick typically pick the order they go in. Mechanics like combat stances, gear, and stances allow for strategy, but it isn’t meant to be min-maxed. While I’m sure some people could break this game, combat is designed to tell a story based on how the dice roll.

My favorite aspect of The One Ring is how it handles travel. To start travel, players will come together to map out their route. The GM version of this map may include obstacles the party may encounter but are kept secret till they become relevant. The party chooses then chooses from one of the four roles: Guide, Hunter, Scout, and Lookout. Players then roll their perspective skills, and a story is made based on those rolls. There are tables in the scorebook that help create this narrative, we typically just make up our own.

What I enjoyed most about travel is the fatigue mechanic. Based on the results, the party gains fatigue through the course of the adventure. Fatigue limits the amount of gear they can carry, and can make them go down quicker in combat. The only way to reduce fatigue is in town, and typically after a quest. This mechanic made travel feel more impactful, and players would be cautious of how they mapped their adventure to avoid unnecessary fatigue.

The Starter Set

The Starter set includes everything you need to run your first One Ring campaign. The box includes:

  • A 24-page rulebook
  • Lorebook for The Shire
  • An adventure book with 6 prewritten adventures
  • 8 Double-sided pre-generated character sheets
  • Two Large maps for The Shire and Eriador
  • 30 Item Cards
  • 6 Double Sided Journey Role and Combat Stance Cards
  • 2 D12 Feat Dice
  • 6 D6 Success Dice

While having the physical product with the special dice, maps, and cards is nice, it isn’t necessary. You can get by with the PDF, theater of the mind, and normal dice. You can pick up the PDF version of the starter set on DriveThru RPG.

The adventure in the starter set is a great way to onboard new players to RPGs. The adventure does a lot of hand-holding. Players and GMs are slowly introduced to the different mechanics of the system, GMs get terrific examples of encounters and descriptions, and there is a detailed lorebook to help fill the world. While experienced GMs and players will find the adventure a little slow, it is an invaluable asset for players who have never played an RPG. My biggest piece of advice for GMs running through the adventure is to not be afraid of going off-book. What you and your party make up will always be better.

I ran through some of the adventures, but we quickly went off-book because the pacing was too slow, and our interest shifted elsewhere. The adventures are fine, but they left a bit to be desired. Fans of The Hobbit might enjoy the adventure more. I don’t think the starter set is necessary unless you need a place to start or want the items in the box for your main campaign. I can’t speak for the quality of the items in the box, but I would start with just the core book if you already know how to run an RPG.

Review

We enjoyed The One Ring, and I am happy I got to run it. It was a very different change of pace, but we had a blast making up the store. We stripped away some of the mechanics that didn’t make sense for our table, like the council, and I recommend you do the same.

This system isn’t going to be for everyone. The game is heavily dependent on roleplay and storytelling. I would avoid this game if you’re group isn’t comfortable with either of these aspects. I was surprised at how quickly my group took to the new style because I have players who don’t do either, but we’ve been friends long enough to feed off each other’s jokes. Ultimately, the most fun we had in this game was when we went off script and created the dumbest, most insane story within The Lord of the Rings universe.

I wouldn’t be afraid that this is a Lord of the Rings game. My table went into this game with a vague understanding of the lore and had fun. The books are well-written and have all the lore you’ll need if that’s the kind of game you want to run. I feel like my players enjoyed reading the lore about monsters and races more than they did playing the game. While I am sure fans of the series will appreciate the details, it isn’t going to be a problem if you go into it as a casual. The books also have some beautiful illustrations so at worst, you have a cool-looking fantasy book to sit on your shelf.

I liked that we played the system, but it isn’t something that we would ever rush to play. The system is unique, the gameplay is fun, and I loved the stories we came up with, but I enjoyed other systems better. The game isn’t bad, it’s just personal preference. This game is made for a specific type of gamer who likes to roleplay high fantasy and enjoys The Lord of the Rings lore. If you’re looking for a new fantasy TTRPG to get into, make sure you are comfortable with roleplaying and storytelling. This is the type of game that you can run successfully with only 5 minutes of prep time if you’re good at improving, and your players are comfortable participating. If you and you’re group aren’t there yet, I would look elsewhere.

You can pick up a copy of the core book ($49.99) or starter set ($39) on Amazon through my affiliate links.

Board Games and TCGs

My First Session of The One Ring RPG was a Blast!

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I did receive a copy of The One Ring RPG rulebook and starter set as PDFs to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. These are my honest impressions.

I’ll be writing a more detailed review when I get a little deeper in the campaign, so stay tuned for that. If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!

I ran my first session of The One Ring roleplaying game this week and had a blast. I am running through the starter set adventures, and I was a little nervous because it is a little more roleplay and lore-heavy than what we’re used to. I was surprised by how quickly my players found their characters, and even more surprised at how true they stayed to their characters. It was a huge shift from where we started three years ago where we were all a band of murder hobos. 

Typically, our roleplay is just dominated by the person with the most TTRPG experience, but this time it was pretty consistent. Even my player with the least experience was into it. Having that session zero where we all came together to make the characters broke the ice enough to get the RP juices flowing. I never thought I would have so much fun in a game where we didn’t do combat and barely made any rolls. 

The Adventure

The starter set comes with five pre-written quests and pre-generated characters to get you started. While I understand the adventure was designed for these characters, I didn’t see the harm in letting my players create their own. We might encounter some balance issues in the future, but I can always balance on the fly if I need to.

The first quest is designed to set the scene for the adventure and get players comfortable with the game’s mechanics. The adventure starts at a party where the players can use the time to find their character and get comfortable with roleplay. It’s a solid way to start a campaign, but it’s only fun if everyone can get into character and participate. The adventure starts with a simple fetch quest, but it took us the entire session to get to the first skill check because we were having so much fun hanging out in this world with our characters.

Tips

Don’t be afraid to go off the book. We’ve all fallen into the trap of overpricing, but the most I’ve had in any RPG were in the sessions that I went into with only a handful of notes. TTRPGs are supposed to be a collaborative experience, and while you may have your plans, the players will always do something else. It’s okay if they do. 

The One Ring RPG has a well-written template of how to run the campaign. The prewritten sections have paragraphs with descriptions and dialogue to set the scene. We didn’t use any of it. I spent my prep time setting up Foundry VTT, reading over the adventure, and practicing what I had to say. Except for using Foundry for a couple of checks, we didn’t use any of it. My players started exploring the world outside of the script, and I went along. Occasionally I would gently nudge them towards a checkpoint, but I lost track of time and barely started the campaign. 

Another tip to run this campaign is to use the motivation and features offered at character creation. It helped my players find characters outside what they usually play, and it was fun to see the characters start to take shape at the table. Depending on your playgroup, you might want to brush up on the lore. At my table, lore isn’t so important, but it’s nice to have a reference for when it comes up. We usually make it up as we go because it is easier to keep track of, but The One Ring has interesting lore, and my players are actively trying to stick to it. 

The last bit of advice is to create an opening scene where the players can interact with each other as they walk to Bags End to start their adventure. This helps the players get into character and breaks the ice if it needs to. Once at Bags End, spend as much at the party as necessary. We spent most of our session at the party and exploring the world in character. We’ll eventually get to the combats, quests, and skill checks, but the party was a proper way to get the players excited for the rest of the adventure. 

Impressions

I was nervous about starting The One Ring because of how different it is from everything else I’ve run. We aren’t the biggest Lord of the Rings fans, and aside from the movies, our connection to the lore is minimal at best. That said, I love reading the lore that fills the pages of the rulebook, and I am enjoying the world it is trying to create. We may not stick to every bit of lore, but it’s the first time my players actually seem to care. I see them putting more effort into memorizing characters and places at least. 

The One Ring RPG is a narrative-focused system. Its mechanics are designed to foster this collaborative story between you and your friends. It is a beginner-friendly system, even if you’re not familiar with the works. The mechanics are easy to learn, and the lore is an interesting read, but you and your playgroup should be comfortable enough with each other to actively participate. There won’t always be a battle to fight or a check to roll. Sometimes, you just get to party as a dwarf. 

I’m enjoying the system so far and like the starter set as a way to get things started. If you’ve been looking for a new system to run, love The Lord of the Rings, and aren’t afraid to roleplay, go give it a shot. I will be writing a more detailed review once I get deeper into the book. Stay tuned for that.

Board Games and TCGs

The One Ring RPG: Session Zero and first Impressions

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Last night I held session zero for The One Ring campaign I am running for my table. I am running the prewritten campaign from the Starter Set, and while the initial plan was for my buddies to run the included pre-generated characters, we spent the time creating custom characters instead. I had a lot of fun hanging out and learning the system with my friends, and it was cool to see how engaged and interested they were in the new system. I know the adventure was designed with four hobbits in mind, but I don’t have it in me to squash anyone’s fun. 

What is The One Ring RPG?

The One Ring is a narrative-heavy TTRPG based on Tolkien’s classic fantasy series, The Lord of the Rings. Events of this game occur between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series and are meant to be stories that exist within the universe. While The One Ring is not meant to be canon, it does expand on the lore and gives fans the unique opportunity to create their own narrative within the universe.  

The best part of this system is that you don’t need to be a fan of The Lord of the Rings series to enjoy it. I have never read the books, and the closest my table has gotten to the lore is watching a movie or two in passing. Despite not being true fans of the series, we found ourselves lost in the flavor and lore that comes with it. We had so much fun making characters and learning about the different races and places, and it was cool to see my players building characters that were true to the lore of the system. If you’re a fan of Fantasy, even if you’re not familiar with Tolkien’s work, you should look into The One Ring.

Narrative Heavy RPG

The One Ring is a narrative-focused RPG. Its mechanics are designed to create collaborative cinematic scenes, specifically how the game handles combat and travel. 

Combat in The One Ring doesn’t have initiative or movement. The system offers players the opportunity to be tactical through the use of stealth and stances, but the focus of combat seems to be creating an epic tale of battle. Players get to choose their order and be creative with their actions. Eliminating things like initiative and battle maps takes away features that tend to bog down a session, but it also means players need to be comfortable with being descriptive.

I am most excited about travel in this game. Players have to map out their adventures on the beautifully drawn maps included in the book, and the book has tables to determine what happens along the way. My biggest challenge as a DM is figuring out how to handle travel, but this has everything laid out so neatly. Players pick a role (guide, hunter, lookout, scout) and roll against the relative skill to determine what they encounter on their journey. The book offers a table with vague outcomes, and it is up to the GM and Players to make it exciting. 

What I love about this system is how it impacts the rest of the adventure. This can lead to some incredibly silly and epic moments, and I can’t wait to see what we come up with.

Impressions

We haven’t touched the adventure yet, so I can’t give an in-depth review. So far, I think The One Ring is an interesting shift from what we’re used to, and we are excited to get started. Even though we aren’t true fans of the series, we love the lore and flavor of the game. I have a player in my group who is new to RPGs and was ecstatic about starting the campaign. He read the book and his first character. He typically uses pre-generated characters, but he found the inspiration to create a character that fits the flavor of the world. We all had fun setting up for the game, and I plan on running a session zero every time now. We typically pick up and go, but I liked the experience of hanging out and learning the system together. 

If you’re a fan of fantasy, this RPG has an amazing amount of lore and flavor. The system has enough resources to get people acclimated to the expansive lore, but you don’t have to be a fan of the series to enjoy the game. Keep in mind that this is a narrative-heavy system, and you and you’re table need to be ready to create this epic collective tale of adventure and intrigue. I am impressed with The One Ring so far, but I’ll be back with a deeper dive. Stay tuned for that. 

If you want to pick up the Core Rules, the Starter set, or any of the accessories, pick them up on Amazon using my affiliate links. If you enjoy my content, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to share the socials!

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Series Review: The Rings of Power (2022)

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I was initially keeping up with Rings of Power when it was first released but fell off after a couple of episodes because of its pacing. I was initially excited about this series, but that excitement has since dulled. The Rings of Power isn’t a bad series, but it isn’t the epic prequel I was promised either.

The Rings of Power is fine, but it is not without its faults. The acting is fantastic, but the writing holds them back. I love the diverse casting and it makes me happy to see people of color in prominent roles in fantasy. The fantasy genre has always felt exclusive to white people. Growing up, I enjoyed fantasy but had to hide this fact to avoid getting picked on. It is amazing to see characters of color who make an impact on the narrative instead of just being villains and henchmen. I hope this is a growing trend in the genre, even if this series isn’t the best. 

The biggest issue I have with this series is its pacing. It was too slow to be released weekly. I wouldn’t mind if this series was slow because it was carefully developing its lore. Instead, this series is bogged down by its excessive use of metaphor. The Rings of Power is desperate to sound poetic and it is off-putting. It is safe to say that the writing for this series isn’t great, and at times it sounds like a cheap attempt at emulating Tolkien. It wasn’t bad enough to make me stop watching, but it made it difficult to finish it.

The rest of the series was fine, but I wouldn’t have finished it if it wasn’t for this review. It looks pretty. The CGI cities look cool, the action is decent, and the costumes are great. They even have a fantastic villain, but at its core, this series is just average at best. 

I don’t think this series is for everyone. If you aren’t a fan of fantasy, watch the movies instead. This series is a slow burn that barely pays off. The Rings of Power only works as a supplement for those casual Lord of the Rings fans who want more stories in the universe but don’t want to read the books. This isn’t a series I’d rush through, and I definitely recommend you skip around. You can stream it all on Amazon if you have a Prime membership.

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Movie Reviews

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – First Impressions

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Amazon has just released its Lord of the Rings show, and I have to say, I am addicted. I am not the biggest fan of the series, I haven’t read the book and have only watched the Hobbit, but this show definitely sparked my curiosity. I am living proof that you don’t need extensive knowledge of the lore to enjoy this show, but having the wiki open might help you get a deeper understanding of what is going on. If you are intimidated to get into Lord of the Rings, don’t be. It is a very in-depth fantasy, but it is well done.

This is a prequel to the series as it details the events that led up to how they crafted the rings. So far there are only two episodes out for the series with new episodes coming out weekly. The acting is fantastic, the story is interesting, and the setting is beautiful. The first two episodes do a great job at introducing the different factions, setting up the world, and getting you hooked for more. They spent a lot of money producing this show, and it shows. My only complaint is that I have to wait another week to see what happens next.

If you are patient, hop on this show immediately. If you aren’t, wait till it is all out. I am definitely excited to see where this series will go.

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