In its second edition starter pack, The One Ring offers players a chance to encounter characters from the pages of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit. From the time they began a Kickstarter campaign in February of this year, game designers Francesco Nepitello and Marco Maggi have continued to bring their brand of Tolkien purism to designing The One Ring’s newest edition. While pre-generated adventures and characters will not offer players a chance to play Aragon, Gandalf, or Gimli, the characters that will be available to play promise to offer players an imaginative, first-person experience with other key characters in The Lord of the Rings.
The One Ring is a roleplaying game based upon Tolkien’s classics and takes place during the 70-year period between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Players will explore the region of Old Arnor during a time in which the dark forces of Mordor are beginning to rise again and strange events are taking place beyond “the borders of civilized lands.” Though players can create characters designed and modeled upon the various races and occupations present within Middle-earth, the pre-generated characters offered in the second edition’s Starter Set are primarily hobbits.
When the Kickstarter for The One Ring’s second edition launched, it was practically funded overnight. The game’s first edition was a tremendous success due much in part to its masterful blend of purism concerning Tolkien’s vision, straightforward game mechanics, and beautifully crafted materials. In designing The One Ring’s second edition, Nepitello and Maggi flex their knowledge and understanding of The Lord of the Rings’ lore and scope, and the pre-generated hobbit characters offered in the Starter Set demonstrate their intention to keep The One Ring true to the style and voice within The Lord of the Rings books.
The One Ring 2E’s Starter Set comes with pre-generated adventures and accompanying characters including, Drogo Baggins (Frodo’s father), Paladin Took II (Pippin’s father), Primula Brandybuck (Frodo’s mother), and Lobelia Baggins (Bilbo’s cousin). Given that the primary, positive force of Hope is a key component to gameplay in The One Ring, offering hobbits as pre-generated characters fits the outlook and style Nepitello and Maggi are known to bring in designing this RPG. The intention of The One Ring is to immerse players in the story and lore of LotR rather than drum out a string of hack-n-slash adventures with overpowered characters. Playing the game through the personalities and perspectives of Drogo, Paladin, Primula, and Lobelia provides an opportunity to pay closer attention to aspects of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit timelines, which are only offered a passing glance in the films and in console games.
With its expected release in January 2022, The One Ring 2E appears to be on track to equal the success and acclaim of its first edition. The thirty various “stretch goals” the designers sought to be funded have all been “unlocked,” and many of them look to be either in production, close to completion, or ready to be included with the second edition’s release early next year. Though Free League has not confirmed releasing additional pre-generated characters beyond what is included in the starter set, there are a number of add-ons and character-related materials included in these goals that would offer bountiful opportunities to create additional pre-generated, LotR characters in the future.
