In February 2023 we presented The One Ring Starter Bundle with The One Ring Starter Set from Sophisticated Games and Free League Publishing. Explore the Shire as the hobbits whose children will go on to do extraordinary things, such as Drogo Baggins, Rory Brandybuck, and Esmeralda Took. With streamlined rules and ready-made characters, The One Ring Starter Set makes it easy for new (and maybe younger) players to take their first steps into Middle-earth.
Of several licensed RPGs based on JRR Tolkien’s works, Francesco Nepitello’s The One Ring has drawn high praise for its evocation of Tolkien’s themes and atmosphere. The journey rules give every party member a role in charting their fellowship’s course. Inventive Company and Patron rules in the style of King Arthur Pendragon and Mouse Guard provide player-Heroes opportunities to rest and recuperate, practice their skills, or pursue a noble undertaking. But in every character there lies the insidious threat of the Shadow Path – the corruption of spirit and the destruction of hope. With its rich and detailed background, character types unique to the world, and a setting that changes as the Tale of Years progresses, The One Ring lets you feel you’re playing in Middle-earth.
Though The One Ring game in its complete version covers many lands and a six-decade span from The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings, the Starter Set is set in the Shire in T.A. 2960 (1360 Shire Reckoning), two decades after Bilbo Baggins went on his adventure to Erebor. The Starter Set provides an introductory, less dangerous setting. Using simplified rules and a tight focus, this set gives a taste of the game and the world. Once they become familiar with the dice-pool mechanics and play the five adventures included, players will be ready to take on The One Ring and venture all over Middle-earth.
(Note: The One Ring uses specially printed six-sided and 12-sided dice, but ordinary d6s and d12s work fine.)
There were three titles in The One Ring Starter Bundle (retail value $35) as DRM-free .PDF ebooks, including the complete The One Ring Starter Set, the Loremaster’s Screen and Rivendell Compendium, and Strider Mode, a rules expansion for solitaire roleplaying across northern Eriador.
Ten percent of each payment (after gateway fees) went to The One Ring offer’s pandemic-related charity, Direct Relief. Direct Relief sends protective gear and critical care medications to health workers, with emergency deliveries to medical facilities across the US and to regional response agencies across the world.
“The Lord of the Rings,” “The One Ring,” “Middle-earth,” and the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC and are used under license by Sophisticated Games Ltd and their respective licensees. © 2023 Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC & Sophisticated Games Ltd.
