Lord of the Rings Adventure Game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Cover art by Angus McBride | |
| Designers | Jessica M. Ney and Pete Fenlon |
|---|---|
| Publishers | Iron Crown Enterprises |
| Publication | 1991 |
| Genres | Tolkien fantasy |
| Systems | unique system |
Lord of the Rings Adventure Game is a fantasy role-playing game published by Iron Crown Enterprises (I.C.E.) in 1991 under license from Tolkien Enterprises that is based on the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, specifically The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
Setting
Lord of the Rings Adventure Game (LOR) is a simple, "level-less" role-playing game designed to help introduce new players and gamemasters to role-playing, and was intended as a stepping stone to I.C.E.'s more complex Middle Earth Role Playing (MERP) game.[1] The boxed set contains a 32-page rulebook, a large color map of Northwest Middle Earth, a black & white map of Bree and environs, and cardboard characters with stands. A 64-page booklet contains an introductory scenario, "Dawn Comes Early",[2] in which the adventurers must rescue a companion and deal with a pair of trolls. They also encounter Gandalf.[1]
LOR is set in Tolkien's Middle-earth in 3017 of the Third Age, between the adventures of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit and the events of The Lord of the Rings. The player characters can interact with the main characters of The Lord of the Rings, but do not take direct roles in the events.
System
LOR uses a simple "level-less" system that requires only two 6-sided dice to resolve skill checks and combat, an expansion of the even simpler rules used by I.C.E. for its Middle Earth Quest adventure gamebooks. Attributes and Skills rated between -5 and +5. Skills can be modified to a rating above or below these limits (i.e. under -5 or over +5). An attack roll consists of rolling two dice, adding the attacker's skill rating and appropriate weapon rating and subtracting the defender's defense and armor rating. The result is looked up on a table to determine success or failure, and if it is a success, how much damage is sustained.[1]
Character generation
Players choose a profession and race from a limited list:
- Scout (hobbit or elf)
- Warrior (human, dwarf or elf)
- Ranger (human or half-elf)
- Bard (human or elf)
The player randomly determines the character's three attributes (Strength, Agility and Intelligence), and chooses skills from six categories (Melee, Missile, General, Subterfuge, Perception, Magic). If the character is a spellcaster, the number of spells and their power are quite limited.[3]