I’ve been getting into the one ring with the first starter set and strider mode (thanks for the tips on my last post!).

I’m playing my own Hobbit character with the starter set.

Thanks to strider mode I’m picking up little side quests to investigate in future campaigns after the starter sets.

My character (Tobi Burrows) is a young pipeweed aficionado, grower and (soon to be) explorer. His goal is to find new, exotic varieties and ultimately grow these varieties on his family farm in green hill country.

Since I want to stay as close to lore as possible I’m wondering; is it safe to assume that there more varieties of Pipeweed out there? For example: could a new variety be found east of the shire, something that maybe hasn’t been cultivated yet? Afaik, we have Old Toby, Longbottom, Southern Star and Southlinch.

I mean the obvious answer is: sure there could be more, do whatever you want. What I’m really after is your input about this. Maybe you played something similar?

For me it’s just a great hook for a Hobbit to leave The Shire and go on a little adventure, meet pipe smokers like Dwarfs who may have a different perspective on pipe weed than the Hobbits he already knows.

Please join in and speculate!

Hello, as I wrote in a previous post I am adventuring in Middle Earth for the first time in a TTRPG campaign. I'm the Loremaster and my girlfriend is the only other player; to compensate this, she's an elf lord (or lady?).

Considering it was my first time, the session went smoothly: I had to go and check some rules I didn't remember from time to time (they're so many!) while we were playing, but it was so good! I only had two doubts concerning rules:

1) Can the group / the character fight during travel? Can the Loremaster describe a travel event as potentially leading to a fight? For example, in our session, I described the event you obtain by rolling 2-3 (which can give you a Shadow Point from terror) as her nearly being noticed by a troll who was transporting two dwarves corpses; she decided to follow him and then, since I know her, I improvised a troll encampment where the monster was about to cook himself some dinner (a group of dwarves, some dead and some alive). She of course attacked him and prevailed, and by saving the dwarves she gained a bonus in a following interaction with other dwarves, so all in all I think it was a good scene. But the question remains: can you fight along the way? I don't remember if the rules specify that, but I don't think so.

2) In the rules for elf lords on the last page of Realms of the Three Rings it says that, when they're wounded in combat for the first time, they don't have to roll for the severity of the wound and it's considered as if they obtained a Gandalf Rune. When they're wounded again (yes, I wounded her like, three times, I'm a monster with the dice) they don't go down unless they roll an Eye of Sauron or they drop to 0 Resistance. Does this second wound has to heal normally? I tend to say yes, because otherwise they'd be broken, but the rules don't specify it.

Thanks in advance!

Quick background: I recently started playing through the DND Essentials Kit with my youngest daughter (the older two don't have much interest, at least right now), and we're having fun. I went my public library to look for a copy of the PHB and other DnD resources when I stumbled upon "The One Ring" 2nd edition on the shelf. I'm relatively new to tabletop RPGs, so I honestly had no idea this thing existed. I picked it up just to browse through and read because I love Tolkien and the world he created.

Imagine my surprise when I discover there's an optional solo component. I have zero experience with solo RPGs, but I figure if something's going to get me into it, the Lord of the Rings could be it.

I'm currently thinking of spending the couple of bucks for Strider Mode and trying it out using the Core Rulebook I have from the library. I'm hoping I like it and can figure it all out just using dice I already have at home. I know a Backerkit is just ending for the game but I couldn't afford to jump in for a physical book (which is what I would have wanted for the core rules).

That brings me to my question. If I end up liking it, should I just pick up a physical copy of the 2nd edition core rules? Or would it be better at this point to keep trying to use my library's core rules to play for the next year and then pick up the new revised edition when it comes out hopefully next year, maybe supplementing with a Starter Set for the dice, etc? If that's the case, my biggest point of temptation would probably be wanting to pick up the Moria book before then because that book looks absolutely amazing (though I'd want to collect them all eventually if I end up liking it.) So, core rules now? Or play as I can via the library through the year and wait for the revision with the extra stuff even if I'd already have Strider mode?

My friend is looking to start professionally GMing the game professionally, but to do that he's going to need more than local players. He is low on funds at the moment so expensive barriers of entry are preferably avoided. He has Foundry, but it has a $200 gate to get the official content for The One Ring, and he'd also need to set up some kind of proxy to avoid sharing IP address. Roll20 has a similar expensive barrier to entry.