What To Expect From The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game

by Steven S. Long
RPG and Miniatures Studio

Bold heroes facing deadly odds to complete desperate quests... armies of Orcs following the will of the Dark Lord Sauron... wise Elves, fierce Dwarves, stout-hearted Hobbits... powerful wizards and deadly wraiths. These are but a few of the wondrous elements from which J.R.R. Tolkien wove The Lord of the Rings, an amazing epic of heroism, sacrifice, and courage. For decades, his stories have enthralled, excited, and inspired us. And now, with the forthcoming The Lord of the Rings™ Roleplaying Game from Decipher, you can create your own fantastic stories in the realms of Middle-earth.

Overview

The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, due for release in February 2002, will be a 288-page, full color, hardcover book containing the complete rules needed to play the game.

Unlike The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game from Decipher, which uses images and events from The Lord of the Rings movies, the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game is based primarily on Professor Tolkien's novels. For example, while the TCG has cards depicting Lurtz (Saruman's chief Uruk-hai) or showcasing Arwen's martial prowess, you won't find either character described that way in The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game--since Lurtz isn't in the novels, and Arwen doesn't fight in them. Similarly, the artwork in the book will be original, not stills from the movies.

The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game uses the Coda System developed by Decipher's RPG division for all of the company's roleplaying games (including the Star Trek™ Roleplaying Game). Of course, the system has been adapted for The Lord of the Rings gaming – although the core mechanics are the same, there are many differences in the specifics. For example, the Skills and Traits available in each game differ, and The Lord of the Rings has rules for things like magic, overland travel, and mass battles which aren't appropriate for Star Trek. (The Star Trek RPG has some unique rules of its own, of course; there are no phasers in Middle-earth.) Thus, a fan who knows how to play the Star Trek RPG can pick up The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game and begin play almost immediately.

Design Goals

The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game design team, led by Project Leader Steven S. Long, has kept several important goals in mind while creating the game. First and foremost, the game has to be fun for people to play. It doesn't make any difference how clever the rules are if no one understands them, or how flavorful the rulebook is if no one plays the game. At the same time, the rules have to cover all of the situations that commonly crop up in a roleplaying game, ranging from combat to spellcasting to mercantile matters. The Coda System has been designed to be quick and easy to understand, yet flexible and adaptable enough so that gamers can use it for any type of Middle-earth campaign, scenario, or encounter.

This relates to the second design goal, which is to create a system that non-gamers or rookie gamers – in other words, Tolkien fans who haven't played RPGs before – can easily understand and use. Interest in Tolkien's works could create a gateway to bring more players into the roleplaying hobby, and at Decipher we want to encourage this as much as possible. Thus, the Coda System is easy for a newcomer to understand – after just a few minutes of reviewing the examples of character creation and options open to him, a player can quickly create a new and exciting character.

Third, the designers want to preserve the "feel" and ambience of Professor Tolkien's works. The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game isn't designed to allow players to create and play any type of fantasy roleplaying campaign; instead, it's specifically geared toward playing a Middle-earth-based game with a "Tolkien-esque" atmosphere to it. For example, the characters and adventures in The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game don't emphasize the short-term goals and treasure-gathering so common in many other fantasy RPGs; instead, they focus on grand epic quests to save the world and accomplish other great deeds of heroism and valor.

The difference between other fantasy RPGs and The Lord of the Rings RPG is most apparent in the rules for magic. In most games, wizards can toss fireballs around, fly, teleport across the world, summon demons, and perform similarly grandiose feats. They can't do those things in The Lord of the Rings RPG, though; they aren't appropriate for Tolkien's world or Tolkien-style fantasy gaming. Magic in Middle-earth is subtle, flavorful, and evocative. That isn't to say it's limited – the designers have a five-page long list of spells and magical effects used or encountered in Tolkien's novels – but rather that it must obey certain dramatic rules so that it fits into the setting properly.

Fourth, the designers want to create a game that properly simulates Tolkien's world and works, even if that means creating some rules which are "unbalanced." When designing a game based on a licensed setting, the most important thing is for the game to re-create the setting faithfully – if it doesn't, gamers will be disappointed, and rightly so. They should be able to do in the game anything they see done in the novels (even if it takes them a long time to gain the experience to become powerful enough). For example, Elf characters in The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game have more innate abilities and powers than characters of other races. This causes game balance problems, since it tends to make Elven characters more powerful than other characters (and thus more appealling to certain types of gamers for that reason alone). But restricting Elf characters to make them "balanced" means they aren't true to Tolkien's work – and the whole point of The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game is to allow gamers to create stories and characters like those of Tolkien's. Fortunately, the designers' skills and experience generally allow them to minimize these difficulties, leading to a game that accurately reflects the setting, while remaining balanced.

Chapter By Chapter

The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game core book opens with two chapters describing the history and realms of Middle-earth, with emphasis on the state of the world in the late Third Age. Written by internationally renowned Tolkien scholar and experienced game designer John Rateliffe, these chapters provide a general introduction to Middle-earth for gamers. Of course, many gamers own and have read Tolkien's works, and so don't need much of an introduction. These chapters summarize the available information in an easy-to-reference format, saving readers the trouble of having to consult the novels for information in mid-game.

The next five chapters delve into the basics of character creation. The first covers Attributes. The game has six primary Attributes (Bearing, Nimbleness, Perception, Strength, Vitality, Wits), as well as some secondary ones (Reactions such as Swiftness and Wisdom, used to avoid attacks and unpleasant occurrences). It also provides the rules for Health and Wound Levels, Courage (points characters can spend to influence their actions), and Renown.

Chapter Four describes the races available for player characters: Dwarves, Elves, Hobbits, and Men. For the latter three, there are "sub-types" for players to choose from, such as Noldorin Elf, the Men of the Middle Peoples, and Harfoot Hobbits. Each race possesses its own unique abilities, such as Elven farsightedness or Dwarves' ability to withstand domination and pain.

Chapter Five details the orders – "classes" or "professions" – available to each character. Players can choose from nine basic orders: barbarian, craftsman, loremaster, magician, mariner, minstrel, noble, rogue, and warrior. Additionally, after they have acquired a certain amount of experience and skill, they may qualify for some of the six elite orders: archer, captain, knight, ranger, spy, and wizard. Future supplements will include more basic and elite orders for characters.

Chapters Six and Seven describe the Skills and Traits (Edges and Flaws) that characters can possess. The Skill list is short but flexible, covering everything from armed and ranged combat, to knowledge of Orcs, to sailing ships, to the ability to intimidate your enemies. Traits help to round out a character, providing colorful abilities to improve his chances of succeeding with quests, or dramatic hindrances for him to overcome.

Chapter Eight, perhaps the longest in the book, covers the rules for magic. As discussed above, magic in Middle-earth is subtle and wondrous – an important element in the ambience of the setting. The rules reflect this. They cover wizardry (general magic), sorcery (evil magics employed by the servants of the Enemy), and runes of power such as the Dwarves use. All of the aspects of The Lord of the Rings magic – specializing in particular types of spells (as Gandalf does), oaths and curses, prophecy and foretelling, and the different types of spellcasters – are covered. And of course this chapter contains plenty of spells, with complete rules on learning them, casting them, and converting them into inherent abilities. A section on enchanted and wondrous items rounds out the discussion of Middle-earth magic.

In Chapter Nine, readers learn all about the rules of the Coda System. It describes how to make Skill Tests and resolve actions, the ins and outs of combat, and many other rules. If you want to know how long it takes to travel from the Shire to the Carrock, how to besiege Minas Morgul, how to cope with weariness and fear, or how to slay Orcs, this is where you will learn. Coda incorporates a basic 2d6 + modifiers system that is easy to learn, but lends itself to adaptation to just about any situation that might crop up during a game.

Chapters Ten through Twelve discuss how to narrate (gamemaster) adventures in Middle-earth. They discuss the elements of epic fantasy, both generically and with specific reference to Tolkien's works and world, how to construct Tolkien-esque stories and campaigns, and how to reward characters for their accomplishments. Chapter Eleven describes the default timeframe for The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game – the 77-year period between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings – but provides options for chronicles set during the War of the Ring, in the early Fourth Age, and other time periods.

The next two chapters describe noteworthy non-player characters (NPCs). Chapter Thirteen details the Wise and the Free Peoples – everyone from Gandalf and Elrond to Merry and Pippin. Players can use these character templates for comparison (to see how they stack up against such renowned heroes), while Narrators can work them into scenarios for thrilling encounters. Chapter Fourteen, intended solely for the Narrator's use, describes the servants of the Shadow – Ringwraiths, Saruman, Orcs, Trolls – as well as many fell beasts such as wargs, barrow-wights, and the Balrog itself!

The final chapter of the book describes weapons, armour, and gear for characters to use. It includes price lists and a discussion of how the economy works in Middle-earth, since not all characters will be lucky enough to have Elrond equip them for their adventures.

Conclusion

So, as you can see, The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game core rulebook is designed to include everything you need to play. Future supplements will provide more details about the races, places, and creatures of Middle-earth if you want even more information. Stay tuned to Decipher.com for more information about additional products as their date of publication approaches.

September 13, 2001