Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5e

[RedRobe]

I didn't get any bites from my previous thread about LotR 5e and Shannara, so here is one just about LotR 5e. Has anyone read the core book, GMed, or played it yet? I've found a couple of live plays on YouTube which I've enjoyed, but I haven't played or GMed yet. I'll post more when that changes.

My initial thought upon reading is that it will be a more serious game than D&D 5e due to the lack of a magic system. It will also be a more dangerous game considering how short and long rests are dependent upon the characters' location as well as requiring much more time.

That's all for now. I'm interested in what others think. Thanks in advance!

[Kimera757]

I don't think many people buy third-party content. I haven't bought the books.

I don't know what you mean by "more serious" but maybe you mean harder? If someone is playing a game that is "true" to LotR then D&D 5e won't actually fit. At low levels PCs have very few hit points and few Hit Dice (poor recovery). This is bad because PCs can turtle after getting mauled by an encounter. (Adventuring while half dead is foolish, but not adventuring to save the world is also foolish.)

I know of a group that did a pretty good job of this with 4e (high starting hit points, but slow inflation, and very good out of combat non-magical healing) at low level. They made Aragorn a warlord because the term ranger means different things for different players. :)

I've seen blogs saying you could do LotR at very low levels (back in 3e) but I don't agree. Gimli and Legolas can each kill almost two dozen opponents in one lengthy encounter. Aragorn himself has done quite a few things prior to LotR such as defeating the third Numenorean kingdom. The halflings seem to have very high AC (they rarely get hit, and then that gets turned by their magic armor). And trolls get killed by sunlight (puzzle bosses that are overpowered if they don't figure out their massive weak spot).

So IMO,

Come up with better non-magical healing. No need for better in-combat healing, but perhaps more Hit Dice. Avoid starting at 1st-level (but LotR PCs probably don't reach high levels either). Limit classes - no obvious magic for any classes that have spellcasting. (Something like the ranger's aiming spell would be fine. The only wizards or clerics would be elves who never leave their lands.)

Long waits between rests are alright. The LotR characters sometimes fought in (and against) entire armies, or made desperate forced marches through mountains.

[RedRobe]

LotR Roleplaying 5e uses most of the 5e mechanics, but has its own 10-level classes, and races that fit Middle Earth. By more serious, I mean more dangerous based on the time and conditions in which it takes to heal. There are no casting classes, but some classes or races (specifically elves) can use instances of magical success for certain actions which are described by the player. You will have to read the rules about that yourself, as I don't have my book with me at the moment. One of the classes has a non-magical healing ability since they are primarily healers.