The One RIng is the best TTRPG that I've found for invoking the spirit of Tolkien's Middle-earth.

The Road Goes Ever On is a great product for a Loremaster who wants his campaign to range over a large area of Middle-earth. It does differ in several ways from the previous Journeys & Maps for The One Ring. For one thing, the new booklet lacks a section on boats and ships (with expanded rules for river and sea Journeys); perhaps these rules for Adventures in Middle-earth were intended to be included in a future Gondor Region Guide. The previous sections on "Boats and Ships" and "Regional Hazard Episodes" have been replaced with "Events Expanded" (suggestions for expanding on Journey Events), "Encounters on the Road" (rules for NPC encounters), "Dangers Along the Way" (pre-generated enemy troops), "Battle Maps" (a pair of maps for camps along the road), "Avoiding Battle" (an optional system for awarding Experience for avoiding battle) and "Sights None Yet Have Seen" (options for awarding Experience on Journeys).

I was happy to discover that the PDFs for the included maps had been updated from the ones for J&M. Specifically, I see that the Mines of the Dwarves in the southern Blue Mountains are present on the PDFs, where they are missing from the ones for the older set. These maps seem to be otherwise identical to those in the TOR product.

The plans look nice, though I acquired them for my wife. I'm sure she'll find them useful, for her Doctor Who game if nothing else.

Some RPG supplements feel like useless baggage that only exists to inflate a game publisher's profit margin. That has never been the case with Cubicle 7's supplements and sourcebooks for The One Ring Roleplaying Game and the Adventurer's Companion continues this tradition. Some might be frustrated with the duplication of content in the form of Heroic Cultures that have appeared in previous supplements but, even so, some are either expanded on or presented here for the first time. And then there is the new calling of Leader, new rules for combat, new masteries and addtional options for the Fellowship Phase and character advancent and development. This is a solid addition to The One Ring.

Recommended.

I prefer not to review a product until I have a physical copy, but I do possess the pdf for Journeys & Maps and I like what I see so far. I have some minor quibbles with the maps, if only because of some minor omissions (in particular, I thought that the region of Khand should have been labeled on the maps of Mordor). I am still mildly disappointed that the Sea of Rhun remains beyond the borders of the maps of Wilderland and much of Forlindon and Harlindon are missing from the maps of Eriador. But I can still hope for those details in futher releases.

I am very pleased with the addtional journey rules and the notes on specific regions and new hazards. I know that a few errors have been pointed out that should be corrected before the physical product sees print. Also, especially appreciated are the chapters on boats and ships and on creating ruins. Even the notes on natural wonders, finding lodging and fellow travelers are welcome.

I've only looked at Ruins of the North briefly so far, but I like what I've seen. The suppliment provides a nice mix of adventures for TOR and it is already providing value to me in regards to a home-brewed adventure that I'm working on.

The Darkening of Mirkwood - pdf review

This is going to be a gorgeous book. Adventure seeds cover 30 years, bringing the game up to the year TA 2977. Those 30 years are broken down into three distinct periods: The Last Good Years: 2947-2950; The Return of the Shadow: 2951-2960; and The Darkening of Mirkwood: 2961-2977. There are a few pages near the end of the book that largely duplicates information from the companion sourcebook The Heart of the Wild, this is the Appendix, which covers the Nazgul of Dol Guldur and other Characters and Creatures specific to the campaign. However, the duplication is probably worthwhile for ease of reference.

This is definitely a book for Loremasters/GMs as opposed to Adventurers but well-worth getting. The physical product is expected to be in stores in April. Recommended.

THE HEART OF THE WILD finally began shipping in the U.S. from the warehouse by the end of September. I received my copy on Tuesday, October 1, and I've been looking it over ever since. I received the PDF file a couple of weeks ago, so I knew that the product was a beautiful and well-organized resource for THE ONE RING rpg. The physical book is a gorgeous 128-page hardcover, nicely bound that should stand up to many gaming sessions. Some entries have been deliberately left a bit sketchy, to be filled in later in the yet-to-be-published The Darkening of Mirkwood campaign book. What is here is valuable information on Mirkwood Forest and the Vales of Anduin for any TOR Loremaster.

The book is well-designed. The cover and interior art is both lovely and atmospheric, conveying well the tone of the regions and peoples covered. Recommended to all TOR Loremasters.