Cubicle7 to publish Middle-earth D20/5E

[Falconer]

http://cubicle7.co.uk/dd-comes-to-middle-earth/

How about that…

[Big Mac]

I was just coming here to post a link to their D&D comes to Middle-earth story.

I didn't see that coming!

[Falconer]

It’s surely legit. Unless they screwed up something legally and it gets shut down. Still no word of whether it’s a special license from WotC or if they plan to use the OGL. Either way, it’s basically a no-brainer. Doubtless this will profit them 1000% compared to TOR sales.

I probably still won’t buy it, because it sounds like it will follow many or most of the design philosophies apparent in the TOR releases, which means the MERP line is still the most usable for conversion to AD&D.

[agathokles]

It seems rather difficult to port many (or even a few) of the design philosophies of TOR to D&D... I'd expect this version to be much more similar to MERP in style (i.e., with player wizards blasting enemies with fireballs and the like).

GP

[Havard]

http://cubicle7.co.uk/dd-comes-to-middle-earth/

How about that…

Wow, that is very cool news!

I think it makes sense too, strategy-wise. This way they could be able to draw more people into checking out the TOR system and expand their fanbase into the D&D fanbase.

Will they still be supporting TOR? How much 5th Ed material can we expect?

It seems rather difficult to port many (or even a few) of the design philosophies of TOR to D&D... I'd expect this version to be much more similar to MERP in style (i.e., with player wizards blasting enemies with fireballs and the like).

Some of TOR's ideas seemed a bit radical to me. I think it should be possible to do this in a good way though. Some ideas on how to run D&D in Middle Earth while retaining the Middle Earth atmosphere can be found here.

-Havard

[Angel Tarragon]

Hell to the yes!!

[Angel Tarragon]

Dos anyone have these? If you do, what are your thoughts on them?

[thorr-kan]

Dos anyone have these? If you do, what are your thoughts on them?

I have them. And all the TOR pdfs. I have not played and am not likely to; too many games, too little time.

But they are pretty, oh so pretty. They make good reading material. I really like them.

[agathokles]

Same here. I don't run games in the Middle Earth (other DMs in my group already cover that ground) , but the game looks and reads very nice.

GP

[oPolden]

I've been skimming through some of them - the conversion is pretty solid overall, and it looks like their whole plan with it is to just take the One Ring books and just convert the same content to be run using 5E instead? So it looks like from here on, after they're done with the content that is already out there that they're re-releasing from 5E, new things will essentially be two versions of the same material.

Been thinking of running something entirely new, and Adventures in Middle Earth looks like a really good pick!

[Falconer]

I got a chance to look at the Loremaster’s Guide. What’s disappointing to me is that, given they are drawing on their TOR material, these initial books could not be a little more encyclopedic. Instead, they are trickling out information the same way they did with TOR (start with Lake Town and Mirkwood, and slowly expand outwards; only six or so species of creatures/monsters provided initially…). I think in a decade or two they will have something really solid on their hands, especially if they can start publishing toolbox-style compilations, but, in the meantime I don’t care to be spoonfed like this.

[Havard]

I got a chance to look at the Loremaster’s Guide. What’s disappointing to me is that, given they are drawing on their TOR material, these initial books could not be a little more encyclopedic. Instead, they are trickling out information the same way they did with TOR (start with Lake Town and Mirkwood, and slowly expand outwards; only six or so species of creatures/monsters provided initially…). I think in a decade or two they will have something really solid on their hands, especially if they can start publishing toolbox-style compilations, but, in the meantime I don’t care to be spoonfed like this.

Ahh, that is annoying.

Does this game have classes similar to regular D&D?

-Havard

[Falconer]

Yes, they are (with D&D equivalents in parentheses): Scholar (Cleric/Wizard), Slayer (Barbarian), Treasure Hunter (Rogue), Wanderer (Ranger), Warden (Bard), Warrior (Fighter). Some classes are very changed and some are basically just reskinned from 5e.

[finarvyn]

I picked up most of these books recently and am having a good time reading them. They capture the Middle-earth flavor in a manner which (to me) feels a lot like their The One Ring product but with rules that I have more interest in playing.

I like the era of the setting (five years after the Battle of Five Armies) and the fact that one can adventure in M-e without having to spend all of one's time dealing with Rings. The Wilderlands book has a half dozen or so smaller adventures which can be stand-alone or a loosely linked campaign. The Mirkwood book is designed to be a single long-term campaign.

Overall, I'm liking what I'm seeing.

[Havard]

Interesting. I must say I was a bit skeptical towards this combination.

-Havard

[finarvyn]

I was at first, too. The thing is that they have redone classes so that you don't play a Fighter or Wizard or Rogue, but instead something more tailored to the world of Middle-earth. Instead of the usual generic elves and dwarves, they attribute specific benefits for being from Bree, from the Iron Hills, or wherever.

The system is a little like PENDRAGON in a way, since they assume only 1-2 quests per year and lots of rest and downtime in between. Obtaining gold isn't a big objective of the game, but building friendships with important folk is (and this is important because you can only take a Long Rest in a sanctuary place, and so you need friends in the wild to have places to do this), and much of the adventure is the journey. I've only played it a little, but the feel certainly is similar to the Middle-earth that I read in the books.

[Havard]

I was at first, too. The thing is that they have redone classes so that you don't play a Fighter or Wizard or Rogue, but instead something more tailored to the world of Middle-earth. Instead of the usual generic elves and dwarves, they attribute specific benefits for being from Bree, from the Iron Hills, or wherever.

The system is a little like PENDRAGON in a way, since they assume only 1-2 quests per year and lots of rest and downtime in between. Obtaining gold isn't a big objective of the game, but building friendships with important folk is (and this is important because you can only take a Long Rest in a sanctuary place, and so you need friends in the wild to have places to do this), and much of the adventure is the journey. I've only played it a little, but the feel certainly is similar to the Middle-earth that I read in the books.

Very interesting.

I must say I really like the idea of limiting Long Rests to sanctuary places. Might be worth importing that concept to other settings as well, depending on the needs of the game. Definitely seems appropriate for Middle Earth!

-Havard