the rules

Brent Caldwell (Order #38347327)

Brent Caldwell (Order #38347327)
 L E A D WRIT E RS
Francesco Nepitello and Lorenzo Perassi

G A ME D E S IG N E RS
Francesco Nepitello and Marco Maggi

AD D I T I ON A L RU L E S D E V E L OP ME N T
Michele Garbuggio

CON CE P T A RT
Alvaro Tapia

COV E R A RT
Martin Grip

OT H E R A RT
Alvaro Tapia, Martin Grip, Jan Pospíšil, Niklas Brandt, Henrik Rosenborg,
Antonio De Luca, Federica Costantini, Melissa Spandri, Giuditta Betti

GR APH IC DESIGN B R A ND M A NA GER

Christian Granath, Dan Algstrand, Niklas Brandt Robert Hyde / Sophisticated Games

MAPS EV ENT M A NA GER

Francesco Mattioli Anna Westerling

EDITOR S PR M A NA GER

John Marron, Jacob Rodgers Boel Bermann

PR OJEC T MANAGER S ST R EA M I NG

Martin Takaichi, Tomas Härenstam Doug Shute, Matthew Jowett

SPEC I A L T HA NK S T O

Claudio Muraro and Umberto Pignatelli

PLAYT EST ER S

Adam Rawson, Agnes Rudbo, Amanda Stenback, Andreas Lundström, Anna Ave, Charlie Conley, Chiara Ave,
Dan Price, Daniel Raab, Dennis Detwiller, Francisca Hoogenboom, Giuliano Nepitello, Kathleen Kiker,
Kyle Wood, Lorenzo Perassi, Luca Donati, Maja Emilie Søgaard Widerberg, Maner Samuel, Marco Beltramino,
Michael Kiker, Michela Baù, Peter Bergman, Peter Link, Ric Wagner, Stephen Buck, Steven Nguyen Dinh,
Umberto Pignatelli, Vanessa Ratschinske.

I SB N

978-91-89143-48-7

The One Ring, Middle-­earth, and The Lord of the Rings and the characters, items, events, and places therein
are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-­earth Enterprises (SZC)
and are used under license by Sophisticated Games Ltd. and their respective licensees. All rights reserved.

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 THE RULES

PROLOGUE
His sword, Sting, Bilbo hung over his fireplace,
and his coat of marvellous mail, the gift of the Dwarves
from the Dragon-­hoard, he lent to a museum,
to the Michel Delving Mathom-­house in fact.
But he kept in a drawer at Bag End the old cloak and
hood that he had worn on his travels; and the ring,
secured by a fine chain, remained in his pocket.

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Dearest Balin,
Almost six years have passed already since the last time you were here.
I remember very well everything you and Gandalf said when we met.
You were alarmed, and I took your warnings to heart, but I don’t think
you would find it surprising to know that news of a nameless threat is
hard to believe here in the dear old Shire. Gandalf came to see me again,
on several occasions. He seems to care about our friendship, and he says
I should indeed be worried, but his vague words of warning make even less
of a dent in the general sense of peace and protection that we enjoy here,
away in the north-w ­ est.

But don’t think that I am completely clueless! All I need is to have a look
at... the things I collected in my adventures to remember that there
is a wide and dangerous world out there. Sometimes I even miss it, the
road, the thrill, the narrow escapes. It’s my Tookish side. But then I look
at my beautiful garden, my snapdragons and sunflowers, my trailing
nasturtians... how they glow, red and golden, more beautiful than any
Dragon-­hoard that ever was, and I am back to being a Baggins.

I hope what I say won’t be too much of a disappointment to you.

You haven’t asked yet, but I know that you mean to invite me to join
you in that Moria adventure you are always talking about. I am afraid
that I have spent enough time crawling in the dark under the Misty
Mountains not to wish to do that ever again! But there’s a good bunch of
eager lads and lasses here that you might find to your liking. Why, they
are just waiting for no more than a nod in their direction from me or
from our Grey friend to go off into the blue on mad adventures! Theirs is
an age that is more appropriate to that type of business, believe me, and
I have taught them a thing or two. I suspect that Gandalf has too...
From a letter from Bilbo Baggins, Esq. to Balin son of Fundin.

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 THE RULES

example of play THE LORE­MASTER: On the left you see a small, low building. If
You struck some very good deals at the market today, and on your you want to reach it you’ll have to leave the road.
way home you decided to celebrate at The Green Dragon Inn. But
now you all regret that decision, as the sun has already set in the PLAYER-­HERO 1 (LOBELIA): Speaking in character: “Let’s go there,
west and dark clouds are gathering. at least we’ll be dry.”
In fact, you are still crossing the open fields towards your home
in the Green Hill Country when it starts to rain; it will take you PLAYER-­HERO 2 (PLAYING PALADIN): I don’t like the idea of leav-
at least another hour of restless march to get home. What’s worse, ing the road, and get closer to the trees, but I don’t see other options.
since when it got dark, you heard a wolf howling. Twice, and the I shout back to Lobelia: “I’m with you!”
second time was closer.
THE LORE­MASTER: As you reach the building, you take a look at
THE LORE­MASTER: What do you do? it, at the dim light of your lanterns. It’s a simple stone construction
with a roof covered in turf, used by shepherds. No sounds or smoke
PLAYER-­HERO 1 (PLAYING LOBELIA): I stop and look around come out of it.
for a shelter.
PLAYER-­HERO 2 (PALADIN): I look for the door to get inside.
THE LORE­MASTER: It’s dark already, and you can’t see clearly;
make a SCAN roll. THE LORE­MASTER: You find it easily, but it’s closed. There is a
wooden latch, tied with a rope. The knot looks tight.
PLAYER-­HERO 1 (LOBELIA): I have a rating of 2 in SCAN , I want
to spend a point of Hope to add 1 more. PLAYER-­HERO 1 (LOBELIA): We have no time to lose, I try to
force it open.
THE LORE­MASTER: Don’t forget to roll one Feat die too.
PLAYER-­HERO 2 (PALADIN): “What are you doing? We can’t dam-
PLAYER-­HERO 1 (LOBELIA): Yes, of course. Right, my WITS TN age someone else’s property!” Can I loosen the knot?
is 14. Let’s see; 9-1-3-5. I succeeded!
THE LORE­MASTER: You can try, roll CRAFT .

PLAYER-­HERO 2 (PALADIN): Let me see; STRENGTH TN 17,

CRAFT rating is 3. I roll 6-2-3-2, only 13… I didn’t do great.

PLAYER-­HERO 1 (LOBELIA): Ok, it’s time to use a bit of brute force…

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“THIS IS THE MASTER-­R ING, creation, the world of Middle-­earth, a mythic land from
THE ONE RING TO RULE THEM ALL.” a remote past. With The One Ring, Middle-­earth is yours
It is the year 2960 of the Third Age and the Shadow is to explore — you will travel the land searching for clues
returning. Twenty years ago, an alliance of Elves, Men, about the return of the Shadow, and have the chance to
and Dwarves defeated a horde of Orcs and Wild Wolves, play a part in the struggle against the Enemy.
under a sky darkened by Giant Bats, inaugurating a new
era of prosperity for the Free Peoples. But twenty years THE TWILIGHT OF THE THIRD AGE
is a long time for peace to last, and in many dark corners The One Ring is set in the time period running from the
of the Earth a shadow is lengthening once again. events narrated in The ­Hobbit to those told in The Lord
Rumours of strange things happening outside the of the Rings. Encompassing more than six decades, this
borders of civilised lands are spreading with increas- period is ushered in when Bilbo the ­Hobbit finds the Rul-
ing regularity, and while they are dismissed by most ing Ring, and culminates with the war fought by the Free
as fireside-­tales and children’s stories, they sometimes Peoples against the Dark Lord Sauron, and the destruc-
reach the ears of individuals who recognise the sinister tion of the Ring.
truth they hide. Players of The One Ring create a Company of heroes
These are restless warriors, curious scholars and wan- — Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and Men, seeking adventure
derers, always eager to seek what was lost or explore in the Lone-­lands of Eriador. It is a desolate country, a
what was forgotten. Ordinary people call them adven- vast region that once saw the glory of the North Kingdom
turers, and when they prevail, they hail them as heroes. of the Dúnedain, the Men of the West. Here, many wars
But if they fail, no one will even remember their names… were fought, and countless ruins dot its landscape. Shad-
This is the premise of The One Ring, a roleplaying ows move along its paths, and not all of them belong
game based on The ­Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, two to the living.
extraordinary works of fiction by the beloved author and It is in Eriador that the One Ring lies, dormant, a
respected academic, John Ronald Reuel ­Tolkien. With seed of the past that will one day bring the end of this
these books, ­Tolkien introduced readers to his greatest age of the world.

THE LORE­MASTER: Can both of you please make an AWARE- The short “unfinished tale” above is an example of what can
NESS roll? happen during play. The One Ring is what is called a pen-­and-­
paper roleplaying game. Thanks to video and online games,
PLAYER-­HERO 1 (LOBELIA): My STRENGTH TN is 18; Ah! millions of people are familiar with this form of entertain-
I rolled an Eye of Sauron 3-4-1, didn’t pass it. ment, where players create fictional heroes and explore
shared worlds populated by computer-­controlled creatures
PLAYER-­HERO 2 (PALADIN): TN 17; 5-3-3-4, neither did I! and, in online games, accessed by a multitude of other players.
In The One Ring Starter Set, players choose characters and
THE LORE­MASTER: You were so busy discussing and trying to open meet face-­to-­face around a table or across the world on video,
the door that did not notice the stranger until the very last moment. It’s and the computer is replaced by one person taking the man-
a tall, dark and hooded figure, now raising a wicked-­looking longsword! tle of the Lore­master — a director, a referee, and a narrator.
The game can be played with as few as two people (one
PLAYER-­HERO 2 (PALADIN): I draw my short sword to parry! player plus the Lore­master), and with as many as six players
or more. All that is needed are dice, paper, pencils, imagina-
THE LORE­MASTER: You were caught by surprise, you can’t act tion, and a love for ­Tolkien’s imaginary world.
this round. With a single blow, the sword cuts the rope in two. While
sheathing it, the figure finally speaks with a warm, female voice:
“Forgive my intrusion, my small friends, my name is Amantadine.
Would you mind sharing this humble shed with me?”

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 THE RULES

in the shire
This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure,
found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected.

For generations of fans, the Shire has been the gateway to the lore­master
Middle-­earth. Both the Quest for Erebor told in The ­Hobbit The Lore­master doesn’t take the role of a single character,
and that to Mount Doom described in The Lord of the Rings but is instead the player in charge of describing the setting
start here, with Bilbo and Frodo providing the readers with and managing what happens to the Player-­heroes when they
a first-­person perspective — a point of view allowing them to interact with the game world.
unravel the complexity of the world of Arda step by step. It
is a small world, almost fable-­like, where a single Wild Wolf The Lore­master begins each session of play by setting
poses a serious threat, and a Wizard is maybe nothing more the scene, playing the parts of the people and crea-
than an eccentric fireworks-­maker. tures the characters encounter — called Lore­master
In the same way, this Starter Set describes the Shire as characters or Adversaries, based on whether they are
an introductory, less dangerous setting for new (and maybe peaceful or hostile — and adjudicating the conse-
younger) players of The One Ring roleplaying game: quences of the heroes’ actions.

By using the material provided in this boxed set, the The Lore­master is the eyes and ears of the Player-­heroes, in
players will have a taste of the game and the world, charge of describing the locales where the action is taking
using a simpler set of rules and adventuring within lim- place and playing the parts of the people they meet, using the
ited boundaries. Once they familiarize with the game rules to fairly adjudicate the outcome of their actions. To do
mechanics and the scope of the game, players of the so, the Lore­master interprets and reinvents Middle-­earth as
Starter Set will be ready to take on The One Ring, and a setting for the players to explore. The ultimate goal of the
venture across the vast expanses of Eriador and beyond. Lore­master is to provide the premise for the creation of a new
epic, focused entirely around the deeds of the Player-­heroes.
These rules contain everything you need to quickly set up a game
and play the scenarios presented in The Adventures, using the
pre­generated characters contained in the box.

the player-­
heroes
With the exception of the Lore­master, each player takes the ENTERING MIDDLE-­E ARTH…
role of a single Player-­hero, a fictional character whose attri- The aim of The One Ring is to let players feel what
butes are inspired by those of the protagonists of the stories it means to go adventuring in a wild and peril-
by J.R.R. ­Tolkien. ous land from a forgotten past. It is a threatening
world that has more in common with the world
This Starter Set is played using a number of pre-­ depicted in epic sagas or with the Dark Ages of
generated characters, ready-­to-­play heroes setting Europe than with our contemporary world.
the players on the road to adventure in no time. The Players are invited to leave the age of infor-
available characters include esteemed Hobbits like mation and fast travel behind, and adopt the point
Drogo Baggins, Paladin Took, Primula Brandybuck, of view of individuals whose horizons often didn’t
Lobelia Bracegirdle, and more. extend further than a few miles from their birthplace.
The landscape revealed by this perspective is a
To enter Middle-­earth, players must simply step into their world with uncertain boundaries, and only vague
characters’ shoes, trying to think as they would think and hints of distant realms and the folks who inhabit
react as they would react. It is a game of make-­believe, a story them; a place that for these very reasons offers plenty
in the making, created in collaboration with the Lore­master. of opportunities for exploration and adventure.

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structure of the game

“Still, I wonder if we shall ever be put into songs or tales. We’re in one, of course;
but I mean: put into words, you know, told by the fireside, or read out of a
great big book with red and black letters, years and years afterwards.”

Story-­building is a fundamental component of The One Ring. In particular, players need to choose what actions their Player-­
But it isn’t about hearing a story being told, but about creating it heroes take to investigate and resolve the challenge facing
over the course of the game, as the result of the interaction at the them. Players have full control over what their heroes do and
gaming table between the Lore­master and the Player-­heroes. how they do it, but it is the Lore­master that determines how
every part of the world — from Lore­master characters to

having adventures
creatures and the environment — reacts to what the Player-­
heroes do.
A session of play is played as a series of scenes, connected
sequentially in a wider narrative arc. A scene is a single epi- In general, to play out a scene and determine its conse-
sode focusing on the Company, or part of it, facing some quences, the Lore­master and the players need nothing
kind of challenge, preparing for one, or recovering from it. more than common sense and the rules concerning
Action Resolution described on page 8. (A notable
It is up to the Lore­master to initially frame each exception are those scenes that require the applica-
scene, especially those that are putting the Company tion of the rules for Combat described on page 22 —
in danger. luckily, a rare occurrence in the Shire!)

To frame a scene, the Lore­master needs to first describe the

location where the action is taking place, and who is there
among the Player-­heroes and their potential adversaries
or allies; then, the Lore­master defines the challenge that
the Company is facing, considering the perspective of each
involved Player-­hero.

Once the Lore­master is done setting up the scene,

the players proceed to describe how their characters
react to the situation.

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 THE RULES

action resolution
Of the various burglarious proceedings he had heard of,
picking the trolls’ pockets seemed the least difficult…

As previously explained, a game session takes the form of a con- 2. KNOWLEDGE — Roll if the action aims to obtain informa-
tinuous conversation between the Lore­master and the players. tion that is not immediately available.
There are no turns, and the dialogue alternates between the If the knowledge that the heroes are looking for is
Lore­master and the players who collaborate in bringing to life a not secret or hidden, do not roll.
series of scenes in which the Player-­heroes are the protagonists. 3. MANIPULATION — Roll if the action intends to influence
one or more uncooperative Lore­master characters.
The main way for the players to participate in a scene is If what the heroes ask of them is coherent with
simply to tell the Lore­master what their Player-­heroes their motives, do not roll.
are doing, and how they intend to do it. In game terms,

the one ring dice

this is called taking an action.

when to roll
The One Ring makes use of a specialised set of dice, including
six 6-sided dice (also called Success Dice) and two 12-sided
To put it simply, the Lore­master should ask for a die roll only dice with two special icons (called the Feat dice).
if there is a possibility that a player’s chosen action might fail. A set of The One Ring dice (with exactly the right amount
of dice for use with the game) is included in the Starter
If the description of an action does not leave any Set, but players may find it useful to bring some more as
doubts about its outcome, there’s no need to make a it will be more convenient for each player to have a set
roll — the action succeeds automatically. close at hand.

making rolls
But this is not all there is to it: resorting to a roll should be
considered exclusively if the action or its goal fall into one
of the following instances: Once the necessity for a die roll has been established, it must
1. DANGER — Roll if the action is dangerous. be determined who is going to make the roll, and which ability
If the Player-­hero does not risk anything by failing, is most appropriate for the action.
do not roll.
WHO ROLLS
Determining who is going to make the roll is easy in the case
of actions chosen by the players, but can be less so if the roll
SCENES IN BRIEF is being made as a reaction to something described by the
Scenes in game work as follows: Lore­master.
1. The Lore­master describes a situation requir-
ing the players to make decisions. Generally, it is highly advisable to have a single player
2. The players investigate the situation, con- make a roll, except when something involves every-
sidering their options. Once decided, they one in the group. To do so, the players simply choose
describe their action to the Lore­master. the Player-­hero who is best suited to the task at hand.
3. The Lore­master evaluates the plan of the
players, and adjudicates whether to just WHICH ABILITY
‘say yes’ and grant them what they want to The ability to use depends mostly on the type of roll:
achieve, or ask for a die roll. ♦ SKILL ROLLS. By far the most common type of
actions, Skill rolls are required whenever a Player-­hero
More information about scenes is presented attempts to do something that can be accomplished
below in the Adventuring chapter, page 20. using one of the 18 Skills listed on a character sheet.

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 P rologue

♦ COMBAT ROLLS. When involved in a fight, the Player-­ how to read the feat dice
heroes rely mostly on their Combat Proficiencies to Each Feat Die shows numbers ranging from 1 to 10, and two
make attack rolls, and on PROTECTION rolls to avoid special icons: a Gandalf rune ( ) and the Eye of Sauron ( ).
being injured when hit. The two icons are normally read as follows:
♦ The rune is the greatest result you can get on a
Finally, the Lore­master may ask the players to make VALOUR Feat Die. When the die comes up showing the
and WISDOM rolls, prompted by sources such as fear, or sor- rune, the action succeeds regardless of whether the
cery, as indicated in the text for The Adventures. total result of the roll was enough to match or beat
the TN or not.
MAKE THE ROLL ♦ The icon is considered to be the worst result possi-
Once determined the correct ability, proceed to make the ble on a Feat Die. When the Feat Die comes up show-
roll employing its numerical rating (all abilities that can be ing the icon, the Feat Die result counts as a zero.
used to make a roll are given a value ranging from 1 to 6):

how to read the success dice

1. Roll one Feat Die, plus a number of Success Dice
equal to the rating of the appropriate ability (roll only
one Feat Die if the rating is 0). Success Dice are special 6-sided dice, customised to show the
2. Add up the numerical results on all dice, comparing numbers 1, 2, and 3 in outline, and the numbers 4, 5, and
the total to the Target Number (TN) associated with 6 in solid colour. In addition, a Success icon — the Elvish
the rolled ability. numeral 1 ( ) — appears along with the number 6. Success
Dice are always rolled together with one Feat Die.
In general terms, if the rolled total is equal to or higher than
the TN, the roll is a success; otherwise, it has failed: Add the results on all Success Dice to the result of the
Feat die, with any icons rolled indicating a superior
A successful roll indicates that the acting Player-­hero result on a success (see Degree of Success overleaf).
achieves their goal, while a failure means that some-

target numbers
thing went wrong and that the desired goal was not
achieved.
All abilities used in the game are associated with a Target
Some rules state explicitly what happens in game terms in Number, a numerical value that the roll result must match
case of a failure or a success — combat, for example, while or beat.
other situations require creativity from the players and the ♦ Most rolls made by the Player-­heroes are made against
Lore­master. three Attribute Target Numbers (Attribute TNs, for
short), based on their ratings in STRENGTH , HEART ,
In any case, the consequences of both a successful and and WITS .
a failed roll always determine a well-­defined change ♦ Each Attribute TN in the Starter Set is equal to 18
in the gameplay. minus its corresponding Attribute score (the full The
One Ring Core Rules use 20 instead).
REPEATING A ROLL
As a rule, players only have one attempt at anything that is
resolved with a die roll — when they succeed or fail, they EXAMPLE:
have done their best. Scouting ahead, Paladin Took has a chance to notice a group
If the Lore­master allows it, a failed action can be of brigands setting up an ambush. He has an AWARENESS
attempted again by the same Player-­hero if they try again skill of (2), so he rolls a Feat die plus two Success dice,
using a different ability, effectively representing a different adding up the results of all dice rolled. As AWARENESS
approach to the same problem. is a STRENGTH Skill, the roll result is compared against
Of course, a Player-­hero who is given a second chance Paladin’s STRENGTH TN, which is 15. With the Success
must always cope with the consequences of having failed the dice showing 4 and 5, and the Feat Die an 8, Paladin’s
first time… player does not need to do much maths to know that the
­Hobbit succeeded.

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degree of success FAVOURED VS ILL-­F AVOURED

A roll result that achieves its Target Number (or resulted in It is possible for a roll to be both Favoured and
the rune) and produces one or more icons is an out- Ill-­favoured for different, conflicting reasons —
come of a superior quality — a musician performs particularly when this happens, the roll is resolved normally
well, a look-­out spots enemies at a longer distance, an orator (roll one Feat Die only), even if multiple sources
succeeds in galvanizing a larger audience. The greater the would make a roll Favoured and only one would
number of Success icons rolled, the better: make it Ill-­favoured (or vice versa).
♦ (—) If no icons were scored, the action was success-
ful, but didn’t achieve anything beyond the bare mini- ILL-­FAVOURED PLAYER-­H EROES: At times, an
mum (a success). ability of an adversary or another special rule may
♦ If a single was scored, then the Player-­hero’s directly make a Player-­hero Ill-­favoured, instead
accomplishment was out of the ordinary (a great of specifying a particular roll — when this happens,
success). the unlucky adventurer is considered Ill-­favoured
♦ + If two or more icons were scored, the result was on all rolls. For example, Player-­heroes who have
absolutely exceptional and memorable (an extraordi- spent all their Hope points are considered to be
nary success). Ill-­favoured on all rolls.

die roll modifiers

Following are a number of variations upon the core rules of
the game. They represent those advantages (and drawbacks!)
that affect the Player-­heroes as the most explicit demonstra-
tion of their ability as heroes. Bonuses are indicated in the text as gain (1d) or more,
meaning that Player-­heroes add 1 Success die to those
FAVOURED ROLLS they are entitled to roll.
A Favoured roll happens when a Player-­hero possesses a spe-
cial affinity for a task. HOPE BONUS: A character’s Hope score is a pool of points
representing the reserve of spiritual vigour that heroes draw
When making a Favoured roll, players roll two Feat dice from when confronted by difficult odds, or when a particu-
instead of one, keeping the best result among the two. larly good result is required by the circumstances.

Typical sources of Favoured rolls are a Player-­hero’s Favoured A Player-­hero about to make a die roll can spend
Skills (see also Skills, page 14). 1 Hope point to gain (1d).

ILL-­F AVOURED ROLLS Hope can be spent to gain dice on any roll made by a Player-­
The opposite of a Favoured roll, a roll is made Ill-­favoured hero. It is not possible to spend multiple Hope points to gain
when a Player-­hero is suffering from some limitation. multiple bonus Success dice.

When making an Ill-­favoured roll, players roll two Feat INSPIRATION: Certain circumstances may result in a Player-­
dice instead of one, keeping the worst result among hero becoming temporarily Inspired. Inspired Player-­heroes
the two. double the benefit of spending a Hope point:

The sources of Ill-­favoured rolls are indicated in the included An Inspired Player-­hero who spends 1 Hope point to
Adventures. get a Hope bonus gains (2d), instead of (1d).

BONUS SUCCESS DICE PENALTY SUCCESS DICE

It is possible for a Player-­hero to be attempting something under Player-­heroes wish they were lucky enough to enjoy only
favourable circumstances, or employing a particularly benefi- favourable circumstances… At times, fortune seems to con-
cial talent. When this happens, the Player-­hero may be granted spire against them, they may put themselves in danger by their
a bonus in the form of a number of additional Success Dice. own volition looking for a greater benefit, or they may have

10

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BONUSES VS PENALTIES DIE ROLL RESULTS

Bonuses and penalties are cumulative — if a FEAT DIE RESULT SPECIAL
Player-­h ero gains or loses dice from multi-
1–10 Read number —
ple sources, simply add up all gained dice and
normally
subtract all lost dice. For example, if a Player-­
hero gains (1d) from one source, gains (2d) Success, regard- —
from another and loses (1d) from a penalty, the less of TN
affected roll gains a final (2d).
Counts as a zero —

SUCCESS
DICE RESULT SPECIAL

1–3 Read number If Weary: counts as a 0

fallen victim to some malicious power or spell. When this
normally
happens, a Player-­hero may suffer from a penalty.
4–5 Read number —
Penalties are normally indicated in the text as lose (1d) normally
or more, meaning that a Player-­hero rolls fewer Suc-
Read number On a successful roll,
cess dice (down to a minimum of zero Success dice).
normally getting one or more
indicates a higher quality
conditions of success

Die rolls can be modified by two special conditions that can

detailed die roll procedure

affect the Player-­heroes. Conditions are recorded on the char-
acter sheet by checking the corresponding box.
Once the necessity of a roll has been determined, follow the
WEARY steps below to do it.
The resistance of the Player-­heroes is represented in game 1. Define what the Player-­hero is trying to achieve with
terms by their Endurance score. Heroes can lose Endurance the roll. This is important to determine its conse-
in many ways, when their Endurance drops to a level equal to quences, both in the case of success and failure.
or lower than their Load score, they become Weary. 2. Select the ability to be used for the roll. Players are
encouraged to suggest the appropriate ability. The
When a Weary hero is making a roll, all the Success difficulty for the action is based on the relevant Attri-
Dice that come up showing a result in an outlined bute TN.
number (1, 2, or 3) are considered to have given a 3. Take one Feat Die and a number of Success Dice equal
result of zero instead. to the rating of the chosen ability (or two Feat Dice, if
the roll is Favoured or Ill-­favoured). Spend 1 Hope to
(See page 23 for more about the effects of losing Endurance gain (1d) — gain (2d) if Inspired.
and Load). 4. Gain or lose dice according to any bonuses or penalties
that applies to the roll.
WOUNDED 5. Make the roll. If the roll is Favoured, choose the best
Serious injuries can cause a hero to become Wounded. While result on the Feat Dice, or the worst if Ill-­Favoured. If
losing and recovering Endurance is an everyday occurrence, you roll a , the action is automatically a success.
being Wounded is a more serious predicament for an adven- 6. Otherwise, all numerical dice results are added up to
turer and will affect them for much longer. get the action result. If you are Weary, all Success Dice
results in outline (1, 2 and 3) are ignored. If the total
Wounded heroes who remain active risk being action result is equal or superior to the relevant Target
knocked out of combat and recover lost Endurance Number, the action is a success. If the result is lower
points more slowly (see Resting, page 18). than the Target Number, the action has failed.
7. If the action is successful, the number of results
rolled indicates the degree of success.

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CHARACTERISTICS
“… you have been chosen, and you must therefore use
such strength and heart and wits as you have.”

ll Player-­heroes are defined in the game by a collec- target numbers

tion of traits and numbers, describing their physi- The three Attribute ratings are used to determine a Player-­
cal, spiritual, and mental attributes, and the extent hero’s standard TNs — the default difficulty levels of all rolls
of their knowledge and capabilities. These values made to challenge the characteristics of a hero.
influence how they interact with the game rules. ♦ The STRENGTH TN is used in conjunction with all
All characters included in this Starter Set have a STRENGTH Skills, and when resolving attack rolls.
separate character sheet, a descriptive, double-­sided form — ♦ The HEART TN is used in conjunction with all HEART
the front of the sheet contains all the information stats and Skills and when making VALOUR rolls, for example to
the special traits of the character, while the back contains a resist the effects of fear.
quick description of their background and personality. ♦ The WITS TN is used in conjunction with all WITS
Skills and when making rolls of WISDOM , for example

attributes
to resist the temptation of treasure.

There are three Attributes in the game: STRENGTH , HEART ,

and WITS . These scores describe a hero’s fundamental phys-
ical, emotional, and mental capabilities:
♦ A Player-­hero with a high STRENGTH score can be
tough and fit, or quick and alert, or physically attrac-
tive or imposing. Every aspect of an adventurer that
relies on vigour or physical well-­being is represented
in the game by STRENGTH .
♦ HEART measures an adventurer’s capacity for emo-
tion, empathy, and enthusiasm. A Player-­hero with a
high HEART score can be fiery, energetic, and hard
to daunt. Activities that benefit from a passionate or
dynamic temper may be influenced by a Player-­hero’s
HEART score.
♦ A Player-­hero with a high WITS rating can be clever,
attentive, and ingenious. Any action that calls for an
adventurer to be sharp-­witted, sensible, or wise, bene-
fits from a Player-­hero’s WITS score.

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distinctive features a high Strength score is more likely to be imposing

Distinctive Features describe aspects of an adventurer’s (AWE ), to have a clear singing voice (SONG ), to be fit
build or temper, personality traits or physical peculiarities. and agile (ATHLETICS ), to have good sight and hear-
These features help players to picture their characters, and ing (AWARENESS , HUNTING ), and to possess skilful
encourage deeper roleplaying. Players are invited to take hands (CRAFT ).
into account their heroes’ Distinctive Features throughout ♦ HEART SKILLS: The Skills in this category depend
the game and to use them as guidelines, in particular when on the Player-­hero’s force of spirit. An adventurer
choosing a course of action for their adventurers. with a high Heart score may be a charismatic leader
(ENHEARTEN , BATTLE ), an energetic guide (TRAVEL ),
Additionally, players can invoke a Distinctive Feature a gracious gentleman (COURTESY ), be able to read
to improve their chances to succeed at a roll using a the hearts of others (INSIGHT ), or to understand their
Skill. When this happens, the Player-­hero is consid- hurt and how to heal them (HEALING ).
ered to be Inspired. ♦ WITS SKILLS: The Skills in this category depend on the
Player-­hero’s mental aptitude. A hero with a high Wits
A Distinctive Feature can be invoked on a roll only if, based value will quickly learn witty oratory (PERSUADE ), the
on its description, it is reasonably plausible for someone with arts of a burglar (STEALTH ), show attentiveness (SCAN ,
that quality to fare better than an individual without it. EXPLORE ), and will be clever and studious (RIDDLE ,
LORE ).

skills
Almost every action that heroes can attempt in the game is combat proficiencies
resolved using a Skill: whether a Player-­hero is walking across Combat Proficiencies express how well Player-­heroes conduct
the length of the Shire to get back home (TRAVEL ), running themselves when engaged in battle. Rolls made using Combat
away from a threat (ATHLETICS ), or listening intently to an Proficiencies are resolved in the same way as Skill rolls, rolling
orator’s speech to weigh their words (INSIGHT ). a Feat Die and a number of Success Dice equal to the rank
possessed in the Combat Proficiency used — rolling only a
In game terms, Skills represent what Player-­heroes Feat die with rank 0.
are able to do and how good they are at doing it. The
rating of a hero in a particular Skill is indicated by Combat Proficiencies are rolled against the STRENGTH
the number of filled-­in diamond-­shaped boxes to the TN when making Attack rolls (see Combat, page 22).
right of its name — the higher the number of dia-
monds, the better! The various Combat Proficiencies are presented starting on
page 17.
Skills and their use are described starting on page 14.

FAVOURED SKILLS endurance, hope and parry

A number of Skills are marked as Favoured (the box to the These additional stats are connected to a hero’s main Attri-
left of their name is checked). Favoured Skills highlight those bute scores. Endurance and Hope are the fundamental
abilities that come most naturally to a Player-­hero. resources that keep an adventurer going — Endurance points
are lost while engaging in strenuous activities, Hope points
All rolls made using a Favoured Skill are Favoured rolls. are spent voluntarily by players when their Player-­heroes try
to overcome their limits. The Parry score sets the Target Num-
SKILL CATEGORIES ber for all attack rolls targeting a Player-­hero.
Each Skill belongs to one of three categories, based on which More information on how Endurance and Hope work is
Attribute TN it’s rolled against. For ease of reference, the found on page 18. Parry is explained in the Combat chapter,
Skills are organised on a character sheet in three columns starting on page 22.
placed right under the Attribute box they depend on.
♦ STRENGTH SKILLS: The Skills in this category rely on
the Player-­hero’s physical aptitude. An adventurer with

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skills
“There is food in the wild,” said Strider; “berry, root, and herb;
and I have some skill as a hunter at need.”

The 18 Skills cover wide areas of knowledge and ability, ENHEARTEN

enabling players and the Lore­master to resolve most situa- Player-­heroes can use the ENHEARTEN Skill to instil posi-
tions encountered during play. tive feelings in others, urging them to act on the matter at
The following list presents them in alphabetical order. hand. They achieve this mainly through example, charisma,
A brief description is provided, to help identify the actions and personal conviction, rather than through the effective
that can be accomplished using each Skill. use of words (which falls under PERSUADE ). This Skill can
be used on individuals, but is particularly effective in influ-
ATHLETICS encing crowds.
ATHLETICS is a broad Skill, covering most physical activities
including; running, leaping, climbing, and swimming. EXPLORE
Player-­heroes rely on the EXPLORE Skill when they move
AWARENESS through an unfamiliar area of the Wild. An EXPLORE
The AWARENESS Skill represents a hero’s readiness to react and roll may be required during a journey to find out where
the ability to notice something unexpected, out of the ordi- the Company is heading, or to get back on track after a
nary, or hard to detect. A high Skill score reflects both keen detour; to cope with adverse natural hazards; to create paths
senses and the experience to understand what is seen or heard. through the wilderness or to choose a suitable place to set
up camp.
AWE
This Skill measures the capacity to evoke respect in onlook- HEALING
ers, and determines the impression the Player-­heroes make The knowledge of how to relieve pain and apply remedies to
on someone they meet for the first time. It can be used to restore health to the suffering is an ancient one, and treat-
instil wonderment, admiration, or even fear. AWE arises from ments differ from culture to culture. However, almost all tra-
a hero’s native charisma, but can also be engineered by a ditions agree on the treatment of serious injuries, which must
dramatic entrance or impressive attire. be tended immediately to keep from worsening.
The HEALING Skill includes bone setting and the use of
BATTLE herbs or salves.
A rating in this Skill shows a firm grasp of the rules of battle
and the capability to maneuver appropriately when involved HUNTING
in a violent confrontation. The BATTLE Skill can be used Knowing how to hunt is a fundamental skill, shared by most
to gain an advantage when fighting against a group of foes. cultures of Middle-­earth. A HUNTING roll may be required
when pursuing a creature through wild areas, or to follow
COURTESY tracks and identify a quarry by its spoor. The HUNTING Skill
The Free Peoples recognise common norms of decency and also covers preparing traps and the training and use of hunt-
ancient conventions of behaviour. Observing them demon- ing dogs or birds.
strates respect and is a way of quickly establishing a friendly
footing even with strangers. INSIGHT
INSIGHT represents the ability to see beyond appearances
CRAFT and to recognise the hidden thoughts and beliefs of people.
The CRAFT Skill doesn’t really cover the whole range of abili- INSIGHT does not reveal if someone is lying, but the infor-
ties of smiths, wrights, and other artisans, but reflects a talent mation it yields can be used to draw useful conclusions about
for making or mending things by hand. CRAFT can be used to people’s motives.
repair the wheel of a cart, or construct an improvised raft with
wood found on a river shore, or to start a fire on a windy hill.

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LORE As an accepted custom among many cultures, speaking

LORE expresses a love for learning: be it a fascination with in riddles is usually allowed among strangers meeting for the
descriptions of distant lands or an interest in family geneal- first time and wanting to speak guardedly. This Skill is also
ogy. Whenever an action involves knowledge of some kind, used to gain helpful insight from a spoken or written riddle.
a LORE test is required.
Player-­heroes are considered to be knowledgeable in the SCAN
traditions of their own people, and so the Lore­master should Player-­heroes can use the SCAN Skill when examining some-
rarely require a player to make a roll for information regard- thing closely or attentively. This Skill allows a Player-­hero to
ing them. skim through a book to locate a piece of relevant information,
look for concealed doors or hidden inscriptions, recognise a
PERSUADE familiar face in a crowd, or locate a set of tracks on the ground.
This Skill allows the Player-­heroes to apply their reasoning to SCAN rolls are generally initiated by the players rather than
convince other individuals of an idea or course of action. It the Lore­master. One roll is required for each inspection of
can be used to influence small groups of listeners, but only if a small area, such as a room. AWARENESS , rather than SCAN ,
used in an appropriate context, such as a common hall. Per- is used to see if a hero passively notices something.
suasion requires more time than other Personality Skills, but
can have a more lasting impact on other characters’ actions. SONG
Hobbits and Men, Elves and Dwarves, even Goblins and
RIDDLE maybe Orcs: all creatures of Middle-­earth celebrate by playing
Owing its name to the ancient game, the RIDDLE Skill rep- music and singing songs. Great deeds and grim misfortunes
resents the ability to draw conclusions from seemingly uncon- are remembered in verse, and pleasant or comic stories are
nected scraps of information by deduction, reasoning, and told to ease spirits and find comfort.
intuition. Adventurers also rely on RIDDLE whenever they are The SONG Skill is used to recite poems, sing songs, or
forced to talk about a subject but prefer to conceal part of play instruments suitable to a character’s Culture. It can also
what they know; for example, to tell something about them- be used to learn new works or create original compositions.
selves without revealing their identity.
STEALTH
Player-­heroes resort to STEALTH whenever they need to act in a
furtive or secret way. The Skill includes hiding, moving
quietly, and shadowing others. These activities often
rely on quickness and precision, so a stealthy
Player-­hero combines practised caution with
the ability to judge the right moment to
take a chance.

TRAVEL
In the Third Age, the cities,
villages, and towns of Middle-­
earth are often separated
by many leagues of wild
or deserted areas. A roll
of TRAVEL may let a
Player-hero estimate the
length of a journey,
read a map or evalu-
ate whether a stranger
on the road can be
approached safely.

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combat proficiencies
Legolas shot two through the throat. Gimli hewed the legs from under another
that had sprung up on Balin’s tomb. Boromir and Aragorn slew many.

There are four different Combat Proficiencies in The One as lances. Warriors equipped with a spear typically use it in
Ring: AXES , BOWS , SPEARS , and SWORDS . Each one represents conjunction with a shield, and they usually carry an additional
a level of familiarity with a number of weapons of similar kind, weapon, such as a sword or axe.
allowing a Player-­hero to attack using any weapon covered by
that specific Proficiency. The SPEARS Combat Proficiency allows a hero to make
The characteristics of all war gear carried by the Pre­ ranged and close combat attacks using a short spear or
generated Heroes are detailed on their character sheets, or a spear, or to fight in close combat using a great spear.
on the illustrated Item Cards included in the Starter Set.
SWORDS
AXES The sword with a straight blade has always been the weapon
Axes and other bashing weapons are often preferred to swords of choice among free Men and Elves. A mark of nobility or
by warriors who favour a more brutal approach to fighting. rank, swords of superior make are passed down by generations
Historically, the axe is the weapon of choice for most Dwarves, of warriors, and arms of ancient lineage are often imbued
and for their folk it surpasses the sword in both nobility and with spells and curses, the bane of the servants of the Shadow.
respect. Dwarven weaponsmiths apply their cunning to mak- Swords vary in size, shape, and quality as diverse as the folks
ing axes of many different shapes and uses, and from metals that craft them. Many malevolent creatures have devised
of various colours. swords after their own fashion, usually crude counterfeits of
those made by Men and Elves.
The AXES Combat Proficiency allows a Player-­hero
to use an axe, a great axe, a long-­hafted axe, but also The SWORDS Combat Proficiency enables a Player-­
a mattock. hero to attack in close combat using short swords, swords,
and long swords.
BOWS
A traditional hunting weapon, the bow is also commonly used
in warfare. Made from a single piece of wood, or from a com-
position of wood, horn, or even metal, bows are a versatile
weapon. They can be used during sieges, from horseback, in
dense woodland, or in the open field. Archers usually carry
another weapon to draw when the enemy gets closer; they sel- BRAWLING ATTACKS
dom carry shields, as they can’t use them when shooting a bow. Adventurers who must leave behind their trusted
weapons may find themselves forced to fight
The BOWS Combat Proficiency enables a Player-­hero unarmed, or to rely on a simple dagger, or even
to make ranged attacks using a bow or a great bow. a thrown stone. When this happens, they rely on
their martial training to save themselves.
SPEARS ♦ Player-­heroes performing an attack while
The spear is arguably the most widespread weapon across unarmed, or using an improvised weapon,
Middle-­earth, arming kings and soldiers, riders and infantry. roll a number of dice equal to their highest
It is often no more than a long wooden shaft, tipped by a Combat Proficiency, but lose (1d).
leaf-­shaped metal head, but some spears are works of majes- ♦ Unarmed attacks have a Damage rating of 1,
tic artisanship, valuable heirlooms of noble households. The and cannot cause a Piercing Blow (see Com-
length of a spear varies according to the use it is designed bat, page 23).
for. Spears can be wielded one or two-­handed to thrust and
lunge, cast to pierce from a distance, or used from horseback

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endurance and hope

Health and hope grew strong in them, and they were content with each good day
as it came, taking pleasure in every meal, and in every word and song.

Endurance and Hope are what keep the Player-­heroes on the SHORT REST: Under most circumstances, a day of adventur-
road, providing them with reserves of energy and with that ing allows for a maximum of one short rest, usually in the
additional momentum that sometimes is the only chance a middle of the day. If a precise timing account is desired, a
hero has to prevail. short rest may be said to correspond to at least one hour of
inactivity.
During play, heroes lose Endurance points as the result
of exertion and of suffering harm, and they spend Hope With a short rest, adventurers recover a number of lost
voluntarily when they must succeed against difficult odds. Endurance points equal to their STRENGTH (Wounded
heroes do not recover any points at all).
The maximum Endurance and Hope values of the characters
are shown on their character sheets, while the Current Endur- PROLONGED REST: Under normal circumstances, the group
ance and Current Hope boxes are used to keep track of any of Player-­heroes is allowed to take a single Prolonged Rest
changes that occur during play (alternatively, players can track each day, (usually, a night’s sleep). The Lore­master may allow
them using different coloured counters, dice or glass beads). the group to take more than one Prolonged Rest if the Player-­
heroes are recovering in a safe and comfortable place.

endurance Player-­heroes taking a prolonged rest recover all lost

Endurance represents a Player-­hero’s resistance and is taken into Endurance points (Wounded heroes recover a number
account whenever an adventurer is subjected to some form of of points equal to their STRENGTH ).
harm. In particular, Player-­heroes lose Endurance during com-

hope
bat, when they suffer physical damage from any other source,
or as a consequence of any strenuous task requiring great effort.
Hope is a hero’s reserve of spiritual fortitude and positivity.
Player-­heroes whose Endurance is reduced to zero drop A hopeful character can keep going when physically stronger
unconscious, and wake up after one hour with 1 Endur- heroes have already succumbed to despair.
ance point (unless they are also Wounded, see Resting). During play, players can spend Hope to gain a Hope
bonus on any die roll, or to trigger the effects of certain
WEARY Cultural Virtues.
Used in conjunction with a hero’s carried Load, Endurance
determines when the weight and bulk of any equipment starts Player-­heroes whose Hope score is reduced to zero
to affect a Player-­hero’s performance. are spiritually drained — it is impossible for them to
find the energy required to push themselves beyond
Heroes become Weary if their Current Endurance their limits.
score becomes equal to or lower than their total Load.
RECOVERING HOPE
When this happens, check the Weary box on the character Recovering Hope points indicates that the Player-­heroes are
sheet. Player-­heroes remain Weary until their Endurance reaffirming their lost sense of confidence.
score rises above their Load again. ♦ Player-­heroes who are down to zero Hope in the
course of an adventure recover a single point of Hope
RESTING once they take a Prolonged Rest.
Player-­heroes regain lost Endurance points by resting. The ♦ All Player-­heroes recover a number of Hope points
extent of the Player-­heroes’ recovery depends on whether equal to their HEART score between adventures.
they take a short rest, or a prolonged one.

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valour and wisdom

“There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West.
Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure.”

The heroic stature of an adventurer can be measured in dif- rewards

ferent ways. The One Ring uses two gauges to show this: WIS- Rewards represent the characteristics of such high-­quality
DOM and VALOUR . weapons and defensive gear, priceless instruments of war
WISDOM expresses the Player-­heroes’ trust in their own given to heroes by their own folk or family, or by generous
capabilities, their self-­confidence and capacity for good judge- lords honouring them by letting them choose a weapon or a
ment. VALOUR is a measure of a hero’s courage, as tempered suit of armour from their personal armoury.
by dangerous deeds. Individuals of valour are willing to place
themselves in danger for the safety of others. The Rewards earned by the Pregenerated Heroes are
The Lore­master may require the Player-­heroes to make fully explained on their character sheet.
a roll, testing their WISDOM or VALOUR .

When this happens, such rolls are resolved as usual, virtues

rolling one Feat Die and a number of Success Dice Virtues are special abilities that complement a hero’s arsenal
equal to the appropriate rating in the challenged abil- of Skills and Combat Proficiencies, describing aptitudes that
ity — The difficulty is the HEART TN for rolls based on come naturally to an adventurer, or that arise through time
VALOUR , and the WITS TN for rolls based on WISDOM . and practice. Much more than simple talents, Virtues define
the heroic stature of the Player-­heroes.

The Virtues practiced by the Pregenerated Heroes are

fully explained on their character sheet.

useful items
Any tool, instrument, or device carried by a Player-­hero to
perform one or more specific tasks is a useful item. Things
like a hammer, or a hunting knife, or flint and steel to start
a fire, and so on.
Useful items are listed on a Player-­hero’s character sheet.
To determine if they gain a Player-­hero an advantage, they
are associated with a Skill.

If a Player-­hero is making a roll outside of combat

using a Skill associated with a useful item, and the
Lore­master deems that this should grant the hero an
advantage, the Player-­hero gains (1d). Only one item
can benefit the same die roll.

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ADVENTURING
Even the good plans of wise wizards like Gandalf and of
good friends like Elrond go astray sometimes when you are
off on dangerous adventures over the Edge of the Wild…

he One Ring is played as a series of sessions, com-

parable to the episodes of an ongoing tv show;
usually, two or three sessions are played as part of THE ADVENTURES
a longer ‘story’, called an adventure. During each The five, ready-­to-­play scenarios presented in The
session it is the job of the Lore­master to challenge the play- Adventures have been created expressly for this
ers, putting them in difficult circumstances, setting fiendish publication. They are potentially playable using
riddles for them to solve, and confronting them with formi- the full rules for The One Ring, but they have been
dable opponents. written specifically with the participation of the
The gameplay is a dynamic narrative, as the players Pregenerated characters in mind. This notwith-
take action to explore the situations they encounter. The standing, the guidelines presented in this chapter
Lore­master then describes what happens as a result of their may still prove useful to a Lore­master intending
actions, and the players again react to the new circumstances, to play them.
and so on.
The Lore­master keeps the story flowing through a mix-
ture of preparation and improvisation.

how adventures work

An average adventure should occupy the Lore­master and 1. INTRODUCTION
the players for about two or three sessions of play, with each If the session is the first one of an adventure, the Lore­master
session clocking in at around 3 hours of gaming. presents the current situation to the players. This usually sets
Generally speaking, every single session tends to follow a date or time of the year (when), a location (where), and
the same structure: defines an introductory situation (what) that includes infor-
1. Introduction mation that allows for the involvement of the Company (why).
2. Scenes If it’s not the first session of play, then the opening scene
3. End of the Session picks up from where the adventure broke off at the end of
the previous session.

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2. SCENES 3. END OF A SESSION

Once a session has started, the gameplay transitions from When the time allocated for the game session is up, the Lore­
one scene to another, with each scene describing a situation master and the players face two possible situations:
requiring the players to make meaningful decisions. ♦ If the session ends without the players reaching a satis-
factory conclusion, the gameplay will resume at a later
Each scene can vary in duration from less than an date with another session. When the playing group
hour of play time (a short but meaningful encounter), meets again, the Lore­master starts by summarising
up to the entire length of the session (an important what happened in the previous one.
gathering taking many hours of game time to be com- ♦ If, on the contrary, the current narrative arc has
pleted). Between a number of main scenes and sec- reached its conclusion, the Lore­master draws the final
ondary scenes, a session of play should not last more curtain on the gaming session. The adventure is over.
than three or four hours. Time to plan for the next!

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combat
There was a ring and clatter as the Company drew their swords.

Even in a peaceful land like the Shire, combat may be the sad
but unavoidable culmination of a scene. Should a fight erupt,
the Lore­master and the players must follow the rules pre- STANCE CARDS
sented in this section to make the fight a momentous event. This Starter Set box includes a set of stance cards
—these are meant to be used with The One Ring
Once a combat encounter is initiated, the following core rulebook. The full rules for fighting and trav-
steps must be applied in order to keep the action elling allow the players to choose a more specific
flowing. stance during battles, and to assign a role to each
Player-­hero during a journey.

opening volleys
Players wishing to use the Stance cards can still
do so, knowing that Forward, Open and Defensive
If the Player-­heroes and their opponents are separated by are all Close Combat stances, and that Rearward
a distance, at the start of a fight all combatants are allowed is the Ranged Combat stance.
to make ranged attacks before combat at close quarters is
initiated.
The Lore­master must determine how many volleys to
allow, based on the distance separating the fighters — under
most circumstances, all combatants are entitled to at least
one volley using a bow or a thrown weapon. If the distance
is greater, then the Lore­master might allow combatants to 1. STANCE
let loose two volleys, or even more. All Player-­heroes select whether they will fight the round in
Close Combat, or Ranged Combat — Player-­heroes can choose
All volley attacks are resolved as normal ranged attacks freely to fight in Close Combat at the start of each round,
(see next page). Normally, the volley exchange is while they are allowed to fight in Ranged Combat only if
resolved with the Player-­heroes launching their vol- there are at least two other adventurers fighting in Close
leys first, unless the Lore­master considers the circum- Combat.
stances to favour the opposition.
Fighters in Close Combat exchange blows in the thick
When the opening volleys are completed, the combatants of the fight, using swords, axes and other close com-
cover the distance that separates them and begin fighting bat weapons, while those engaged in Ranged Com-
at close quarters. bat stay back, using ranged weapons like bows or
spears, and can be targeted only by attackers using

close quarters rounds

similar weapons.

Once fighting at close quarters is initiated, the gameplay is 2. ENGAGEMENT

broken down into a cycle of rounds, played one after the At the start of each round, Player-­heroes fighting in Close
other until the end of the battle. Combat must choose one or more opponents to engage.
Each round follows the sequence set out below: If all opponents are already engaged, Player-­heroes with-
1. Stance: The Player-­heroes choose their stances. out an adversary must join another Player-­hero fighting
2. Engagement: All combatants in Close Combat are an enemy.
paired with one or more opponents. Player-­heroes fighting in Ranged Combat cannot be
3. Attack Rolls Resolution: The actions of all combat- engaged in Close Combat, and can only be attacked by ene-
ants are resolved, with those fighting in close combat mies using ranged weapons.
going first.

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ENDURANCE LOSS
When a melee or ranged attack roll succeeds, the target suf-
MORE ENEMIES THAN HEROES fers an immediate loss of Endurance equal to the Damage
If there are more enemies than heroes, it is rating of the weapon used.
possible that there will be enemies left when ♦ Player-­heroes who see their Endurance decrease to
everyone fighting in Close Combat has engaged match or go below their total Load score become
an adversary. If this happens, the Lore­m aster Weary; if their Endurance is reduced to zero, they
chooses whether the ‘spare’ enemies engage a drop unconscious instead.
Player-­h ero who is already fighting in a Close ♦ Adversaries do not normally become Weary due to
Combat stance, or stand back to attack with a Endurance loss, but are normally eliminated upon
ranged weapon. Enemies who stand back to use reaching zero Endurance.
a ranged weapon may attack any Player-­h ero
involved in the fight. SPECIAL DAMAGE
If a successful attack roll produces one or more Success icons
( ), they can be used to trigger one or more special results.
Each heading below indicates how many Success icons are
required to trigger the corresponding effect. Multiple Suc-
cess icons can be used to trigger different results, or the same
one multiple times.
3. ATTACK ROLLS RESOLUTION ♦ HEAVY BLOW — ANY WEAPON ( ): You have hit your
Unless differently specified, the attacks of all combatants are opponent with great force and precision — Spend 1
resolved with the Player-­heroes going first. When all Player-­ Success icon to inflict to your target an additional loss of
heroes have resolved their attacks, the Lore­master will resolve Endurance equal to your STRENGTH rating (adversaries use
those of their adversaries. Close Combat attack rolls are their Attribute Level instead).
resolved first, then all Ranged Attack rolls follow. ♦ FEND OFF — ANY CLOSE COMBAT WEAPON ( ): You
An attack is a die roll made using the Combat Proficiency exploit your successful attack to place yourself in an
corresponding to the weapon used. advantageous position — Spend 1 Success icon to gain a
♦ The difficulty of all attack rolls by the Player-­heroes is Parry modifier of +2 against the next attack aimed at you.
based on their STRENGTH TN, modified by the Parry ♦ PIERCE — BOWS AND SPEARS ( ), SWORDS ( ): You
rating of the targeted enemy. have hit a less-­protected part of the adversary’s body
♦ The difficulty of all attack rolls made by adversaries — Spend 1 Success icon to modify a Feat die numerical result
against Player-­heroes are equal to the target hero’s of your attack by +2, thus possibly triggering a Piercing Blow
Parry score instead. ( and   results are unaffected).

A successful attack roll inflicts damage in the form of an PIERCING BLOWS

Endurance Loss based on the weapon used, and may inflict In addition to causing the loss of Endurance points, any
additional Special Damage types based on the Degree of Suc- success­ful attack may inflict a Piercing Blow.
cess of the roll. Finally, attacks may cause more long-­lasting
injuries if a Piercing Blow is scored. An attack roll produces a Piercing Blow on a 10 or
result on the Feat Die.

Characters hit by a Piercing Blow must immediately roll one

Feat Die, plus a number of Success Dice equal to the PRO-
TECTION value of the armour worn (a PROTECTION Test).

The Target Number for the roll is equal to the Injury

rating of the weapon used by the attacker. If the roll
fails, then the target of the attack has received a life-­
threatening blow — a Wound (see below).

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 THE RULES

WOUNDS Each hero may be administered a successful HEALING roll

Most adversaries are killed outright when Wounded (unless only once. A failed roll cannot be repeated until at least a
specified differently in their description). Player-­heroes, on day has passed, as the failure of the treatment isn’t immedi-
the other hand, can resist being Wounded once without seri- ately apparent.
ous consequences, but risk more if injured a second time.

When Player-­heroes are Wounded for the first time

they check the Wounded box on their character sheet.

As seen under Endurance on page 18, Player-­heroes whose

Wounded box is checked recover Endurance slowly. SERIOUS INJURIES AND DEATH
The rules about injuries as detailed in this Starter
Player-­heroes who are wounded a second time (they Set are meant to evoke a mood that is more
receive a Wound when their Wounded box was already appropriate to stories as those presented in The
checked) see their Endurance drop to zero, and they Adventures — adventuring in the Shire is meant
fall unconscious. This second Wound is not recorded to be exciting, maybe thrilling, but never life-­
on the character sheet. threatening. H ­ obbit adventurers and their like
are meant to return home with an exciting tale
Player-­heroes recover from their injuries between adventures, to tell to their many relations, not to be mourned
or in a week. They are allowed to reduce the severity of their after their demise.
Wound with a HEALING roll:

A successful HEALING roll reduces the time required

to recover by 1 day, plus 1 day for each icon scored
(to a minimum of 1 day).

OTHER ACTIONS THAN ATTACKS TALKING WITH THE ENEMY

Players may propose to do something different from Often, the Company faces creatures capable of speech.
an attack roll, something unusual or unexpected (this Orcs and the most intelligent among Trolls speak a
is usually a sign that they are enjoying the game, and debased version of the Common Tongue, for example,
the Lore­master should encourage it wherever possible). and Dragons can outwit in conversation the smartest
The factors to consider when resolving actions other adventurer. This means that violence need not be the
than the attack rolls are time, difficulty, and consequences. only way to survive a combat…
♦ Can you perform the action in one round, or will it Some good roleplaying and clever thinking might
take more time? The Lore­master must decide, but allow the Player-­heroes to find a way out of a dangerous
for such cases consider a round to last a maximum of situation, for example, tricking an excessively powerful
30 seconds. enemy into thinking that the heroes are much stronger
♦ Does the action require a die roll? If so, success or than they really are, or by outright deceiving them. Think
failure must have clear consequences. Generally, if of Gandalf tricking the Stone-­Trolls, or Bilbo challeng-
succeeding at an action will grant an advantage to ing Gollum at the Riddle Game, and then entertaining
the Player-­heroes, a failure should cause a disadvan- Smaug with a clever conversation. But a wicked Lore­
tage of equal importance. master should remember that the opposite is also pos-
sible — a cunning adversary might find a way to trick the
Player-­heroes and lure them into a trap, or put them in a
disadvantageous position using only words.

24

Brent Caldwell (Order #38347327)

Brent Caldwell (Order #38347327)
Brent Caldwell (Order #38347327)