The Forgotten Lord of the Rings RPG
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- Deathstalker V looks at the largely forgotten The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game by Decipher. We also get into Tolkien, Solo RPGing in Middle Earth, Against the Darkmaster and more!
Website dedicated to Decipher's LoTR RPG:
www.darkshire....
Grab Against the Darkmaster here:
preview.drivet...
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Thank you for your review. This RPG system has been my go-to for running sessions here in Brazil. I ran this game nearly every afternoon in a park for my friends for almost two years. The setting is fantastic, and the rules, for the most part, are excellent.
Love hearing stuff like this, Brazil is my kind of place! I am not familiar with the tabletop scene but I have much love for Brazil keeping the Sega Master System alive for so long!
I've read somewhere the Brazil pay ridiculous prices for RPGs and and video games. There are gaming companies that have deliberately lowered prices for their video games there. One stating that doing so has meant the loyalty shown by Brazil gamers has 80%ish of their revenue coming from the country.
Great overview and look back DSV! Agree with you on pretty much everything you covered as well as it coming out when D20 was swamping the RPG market.
I had this game and lots of supplements for it but played it once or thrice and the combat really whiffed, taking far too long considering the fight, so it just didn't progress. There are houserules out there that do try and address that though and there were mook rules but those rules favoured quick and nimble characters which really isn't in keeping with the source material. The weapon stats were odd and even after the errata, they were still odd as far as I can remember. Also, like you say, char gen is a complete chore due to the awful organisation of the core book. I also didn't like some of the supplements either as they covered areas based on each of the films rather than go the MERP way of detailed region guides etc. The magic rules were spot on though, very flavourful and in keeping with the source material and some of the other supplements were nicely done and the books were all very well written. The photographs from the films really put me off though as I'm not a fan of photographs in RPGs of adaptions of book-based source material. I'd have very probably kept the books and put up with the weaknesses of the system (or worked on fixing them) if it would have had decent art instead of those photos from those damn films. So, yeah, overall a bit of a rough diamond - would certainly own it and play it for my RPG M-e fix, if the following didn't exist...
... that being The One Ring (aka TOR). The best iteration of RPing in Tolkien's Middle-earth and, fortunately, currently available. It has systems and sub-systems that support the themes and narrative elements of the professor's works so for RPGers that are appreciative and understand that LotR isn't D&D then you can really see the reasons for the direction they went. Also, TOR can be approached from both an epic campaign and a sandbox perspective, due to the way Free League approach the setting and set up Adventure Landmarks and the like. It also comes with M-e specific solo rules. In general, TOR has really good combat rules, travel rules which are central to any adventuring in M-e, council rules for those significant PC and NPC interations, great shadow mechanics both personal and environmental, etc and a very well put together core dice pool system that it all hangs off. Very much a fan of it.
And Against the Darkmaster. Top stuff. Combine it with the Midnight game setting and you have everything needed for a "What if Sauron Won?" campaign!
Did you try the quick resolution method of combat vs the slow detailed side? Thats something I am really appreciating about the rules, they have various scales in which to run the game. I cant fault them for how they built supplements and such, unlike Merp and the One Ring, this game only could use the hobbit and lotr books for source material. I didn't find any instances where material was pulled from the movies, but I am sure they choose areas which those who watched the movies would be familiar plus gives them easy to grab film stills for the books 🤣. I haven't seen the latest iteration of the one ring so cant make a judgment call there.
I remember using two different ways of resolving combat so possibly. Over 20 years ago.
Just a note, The One Ring can only base its content off of LotR and The Hobbit. It doesn't have a license for any of Tolkien's other books.
Its sad that nobody has done any review about those Decipher's box sets. I own the lord of the rings role-playing adventure game, and its a great game to put you into the role-playing world.
@@TwistedMind86Chern never ran across any of their box sets, but they look top notch online!
Solid overview to put Decipher's Rpg into context and to explore it's potential to successfully navigate ME.
I've given Decipher's design a very thorough assessment and can see that it has a rules/setting crunch on part with Symbaroum, of which I have 3 years Bi weekly to amazing success.
I've looked at The One Ring, RM, DM and Merp extensively as well, and each will setup a different game play experience at the table in terms of narrative and the complexity of combat and turn lengths at the table.
Because I've had so much fun with a Long running character in a grand campaign in Symabroum, i'm inclided towards narrative play as well as great combat, because I know it's possible. Decipher design needs so solid home brew, but once that is tweeked, you could do some very great character runs with this design.
Less is more: One must realize in todays RPG crowd simpler character builds and quicker turn times are trending.
However, given the Vast Merp resources one, can make a truly authentic ME campaign eh....
Thanks for your work on this RPG. Don't worry about the length of the video.
I agree, with some balancing at the table Decipher's system could very easily create some very cinematic action and story. I don't worry so much about time, but I know there has to be a limit Lol!
Great episode, Deathstalker V. I always wanted MERP when it was out, but my friends and I all played AD&D 2e/D&D Rules Cyclopedia. It’s the one game I wish Drive Thru RPG did digitally, because it’d be my first PDF RPG I’d buy. 😂
Haha would require the Tolkien license to republish and that isnt happening with the current ICE ownership. (Against the Darkmaster is the modern equivalent though!)
A classic for sure!
I'm digging it for what it is
Even got fancy theme music songs now!
Gotta thank "Richard in the UK" for that beaut!
Great review D5, I actually sold a mint copy of this on eBay for like 15 bucks a couple of years ago, now I wish I didn't, I just wasn't into the system back then.
Well if you ever want to grab it back, the price really hasn't risen from then!
I was aware of it, even saw it in a UK store, but never bought or played it.
Yeah I am hoping others who played it will chime in, I spoke with Steven S. Long who wrote the initial rules. He didn't have any major factors as to why the system wasnt more popular.
My mate had this. I was intrigued but the photo art blew it for him. We were also still heavily into playing MERP using Rolemaster rules at the time…so that probably had something to do with it’s failure to make it to our game table. We’ve tried The One Ring (1st Edition) and generally we liked it a lot and it seemed to get the flavour of Tolkien’s books nicely. I played an elf and it cemented my view that I hate playing elves! Every now and then I give it a whirl and make one up…same result every time…elves…go take a big running jump 😂 oh btw…did you try the d6 Lord of the Rings Adventure Game by ICE? I heard good things.
Nope didnt try the adventure game but the card game always intrigued me as its a story driven game!
@@RandomEncounterShow from what I could gather it was a reworking of MERP but under a d6 mechanic.
I remember seeing the LOTR RPG on shelves in stores, but it was truly overlooked because of the d20 boom. Personally, I always preferred the simpler gameplay of MERP over the full Rolemaster system. I guess I'm just one of those guys that prefers less crunchy systems. Thanks, DS5!
It depends on the game, I like less crunch with group gaming, but for solo? I want as much detail and realism possible!
I do own a copy of the Decipher game somewhere but "The One Ring" is my go to Middle-earth RPG system now (the second edition, by "Free League").
Found that in a charity shop for 2 quid.prefer Merp though.
Good find, yes it is definitely no merp!
If you remember it, it is not forgotten
Well good thing I said I don't remember it 🤣