The One Ring Starter Set Unboxing: Lord of The Rings TTRPG

[@TheConfessor]

Thanks for the kind overview of the Starter Set. I was the author of the Adventures and Shire supplements and bringing this book to life was my "great, impossible dream" as a game designer. I literally became a professional game designer with working on this exact product being my apex goal and when I got the job, I wept tears of joy. Hearing that it is so well received is always an absolute joy.

[@NorseFoundry]

Wow, thank you so much for sharing! It’s a beautifully put together game with incredible stories. The work is appreciated!

[@teethhuller8275]

I’ve got everything that’s been released so far for TOR2E. Amazing game!!

[@NorseFoundry]

Amazing! I’ve loved what I’ve seen so far

[@jasonnewell7036]

The fact that they have one artist doing all the line art gives the games such a wonderful sense of coherency. And the paper! The parchment style paper! I'm a massive Tolkien fan and this game gave me everything I wanted from a Lord of the Rings game. I cannot wait until the Moria book turns up on my doorstep.

[@NorseFoundry]

Agree 💯 I love the quality that Free League pours into their work.

[@simmonslucas]

The most gorgeous starter sets ever made.

[@NorseFoundry]

I agree! Couldn’t get enough of the artwork

[@Ignatius1588]

Great work - thanks for the unboxing! I have been toying with the idea of adding the One Ring to my collection, and this pretty much clinched it!

[@NorseFoundry]

It’s a beautiful set and a wonderful game to play!

[@Bingo_of_Buckland]

Bilbo and Balin are characters for LM eyes only, found it handy if Bilbo decided to go on an adventure as you can join in.

[@paulnolin862]

Enjoyed this review, new sub. Love a good map!!

[@NorseFoundry]

Glad you liked! Welcome in!

[@TheBearMoose]

This game is quite a change from I'm used to. I'm almost ready to try the Strider Mode book for my solo character, i just need to review a few rules (shadow points, fatigue, and combat).

[@NorseFoundry]

Nice! You’ll have to let us know when you try it!

[@TheBearMoose]

@NorseFoundry I had a chance to try it out, and while it was fun, I found out the hard way this is not D&D when it comes to combat. My character received a wound, and I rolled the Eye of Sauron on the wound table. Now I just have to figure out what to roll up next.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

I had some issues with the mechanics of the first edition, particularly when it comes to combat, but there is so much that I like. I haven't convinced myself to buy this yet, but I'm very, very tempted. Free League usually does such a good job on their games, too (even if it sometimes feels like they're spreading themselves too thin).

[@NorseFoundry]

It’s crazy the quality of games that they produce through so many properties!

[@TheRavenArchon]

So, a year late and you may have already gotten into the game (or not), but without knowing what you're specific issues were, I too had some minor niggling issues with TOR 1e and 2e Solves every issue I personally had with the game (especially with the errata which fixed a couple of minor hold overs and is only a couple pages long, so there's not reams of errata like, say, D&D). Also, while Jon Hodgson's 1e paintings and wood carving style page designs were great in their own right, the sketch journal style 2e uses for the interior art by Alvaro Tapia, and the chapter headers by Martin Grip are truly in a league of their own. The TOR 2e books are without a doubt the most gorgeous RPG books I've personally ever read.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

@@TheRavenArchon I still haven't gotten into it, but it's still on my list to check out. I really love the art, though. I don't have much experience with 1st Ed, and what I do have is several years old now. My memory of it was that once combat started, it felt like we were playing a different game. The comparison I had was the old Final Fantasy type video games, where you moved your icon around, exploring the map. But then you'd get into combat and suddenly zoom in to a tactical grid. That's how The One Ring felt to me. And I really don't like tactical combat. I didn't like it in video game format. I really don't like it in tabletop. Especially the idea that characters fulfill certain "roles" in the combat. It seems weirdly formalized and stiff. I'm not sure how accurate my feelings were to how the rules were written. I didn't have a copy of the book and my friend who ran it for us has since passed away, so I can't ask him for more clarifications. At this time, I don't have a regular game group. And my irregular game group is made up of people who don't really like Fantasy. So, I'm not really sure if/when I'll get around to picking up the 2nd Ed. If I did, it would likely be for solo play, and I'm not really at a shortage of solo games as it is.

[@TimothyMichael258]

Thanks you for this review, I look forward to playing this. (got my Sub) [editor's tip] When you want to "show detail" 1:17 on the items DO NOT hold them forward and try to get your camera to "refocus". Works on the paper 5:20 but not dice/minis. Just hold them at the same focal distance as your pretty mug, like next to your cheek, then "cut in" a blown up shot in post. Notice 1:47 how crystal clear your own eye is when trying to show the "eye" on the D12? 2:44 hold white cards under your chin because your lighting setup washes them out. 7:23 if you tilt the “top edge” forward slightly your lights will not wash out the pages as well. And I do love the zooming, even to over 400%, minimal detail loss compared to reaching forward out of the short focal distance of your camera. (p.s. Props to our "Glorious" shopkeeper on the shelf behind you)

[@Kitsune-Moriko]

There was no map or tables printed in my box 😢. They must have stopped doing this. Still really nice set though. 😊

[@NorseFoundry]

Oh no! I'm sorry! I'm glad you still love the set though

[@user-jt1js5mr3f]

Maybe reach out to them? I picked up my set in August and it had everything included

[@user-jt1js5mr3f]

I've found their customer service to be very responsive and helpful

[@Nalier]

My starter set doesn't have the map printed inside the box.

[@NorseFoundry]

Aw man! I’ve heard this from others too

[@Nalier]

@@NorseFoundry I admit I was slightly disappointed, but it's still a great starter ^^

[@TheRavenArchon]

I loved TOR 1e, at least in concept, but I had issues that kept it from being my default fantasy game - book layout, some of the art choices, a few oddly asymmetrical rules that felt out of place. TOR 2e fixes every issue I had and then some, and the new pen and ink art and water color headers are immaculate. Truly may be my new favorite RPG of all time.

[@NorseFoundry]

Absolutely agree with you about the art. Gorgeous book.

[@afoulke]

So this isn’t a magical playing card game?

[@NorseFoundry]

It has both magic AND cards and is also a game… so… maybe?

[@robkeeley1570]

I wil definitely solo this using mythic

[@NorseFoundry]

It’s well worth it!

[@OhioPuppy]

I’m gonna need Free League to stop making such GORGEOUS BOOKS AND SETS. I just can’t keep up.

[@NorseFoundry]

I both agree and disagree 😂

[@f.a.santiago1053]

"Let's talk Tolkien." Or do you mean... "Let's get Talkien!"?

[@NorseFoundry]

Haaaaaa I see what you did there 😉

[@fufu1405]

How is it ''unheard of'' for starter sets to have 5 adventures? They're basically 1 - 3 shots, it's not like 5 fully fledged adventures. Literally every other starter set has the same amount of content. 5e starter sets come with 1 adventure, but it's 1 long adventure that takes 10+ sessions. Call of Cthulhu also comes with like 5 scenarios.

[@NorseFoundry]

I was commenting on my own experiences with starter sets being a single adventure. I liked the idea of including multiple different stories over 1 longer one. That’s all. Nothing else to it. Thanks for letting me know about the CoC set too ☺️ maybe we’ll review it! ~Jay

[@davidmcaninch4714]

*SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

[@NorseFoundry]

💸💸💸