In terms of layout, writing and overall "feeling" this is a beautyful game right on the mark of my Tolkin vibes. The game has - by design - a very limited but deep focus on a particualr region, which results in more limited character options (races/cultures) than in earlier LotR games like MERP. It has been said on the forums that the name "The Hobbit RPG" might be more apt.

However, I have some significant issues with the game systems. I also thought about some "houserules" to fix those:

1. Culture defines about 75% of your character's traits Not only do all members of a culture gain the same "cultural blessing", but a lot of skill ratings are defined by your culture. The custzomization options (selecting your calling; free skill points) are limited compared to this preset skillset. As a result, two characters of the same culture will be very similar, and even if you try very hard you won't be able to make two different characters from the same culture. And you won't be able to have a hobbit who is not very good at courtesy for example. Suggested house rule: Reduce the skill ratings for commoin skills from culture by one each (3 becomes 2, 2 becomes 1 and 1 becomes 0). Increase number of free skill points from 10 to 30 - results in same total skill ranks, but with much more freedom

2. Traits give auto-success Traits are similar to FATE aspects, but they do not give a fixed bonus, but an auto-success when the player can argue that a trait should apply to the test. This is an automatic success NO MATTER THE SKILL RANK OF THE CHARACTER AND NO MATTER THE DIFFICULTY OF THE TEST! So even if you have no skills in "explore" and you want to navigate the nastiest swamp you could imagine, a player with an "adventurouse" character could just argue that this is just an adventurouse thing to do and get an automatic success. A player with the "burglary" trait will ALWAYS succeed in picking pockets, opening looks or disarming traps. This hugely removes tension and exitement from play - having 4-5 players at the table (with each character having 5 traits) you can be sure that at least one will have a solid case to apply a trait to every test you can think of. And - as opposed to FATE aspects - there is no cost to call in a trait. This is combined with very different "power levels" of traits. Just compare the trait "smoking" (you know everything about tabaco) with above mentioned "burglary"). Suggested house rule: It costs a hope point to use a trait, and a trait gives a flat out +4 bonus to the test (instead of auto-success)

3. Rolling a "12" on the d12 is an auto-success If you roll a "12" (or Gandalf-rune if you use the custom dice) on your feat d12, you have an automatic success. Again, this is valid NO MATTER YOUR SKILL NOR THE DIFFICULTY OF THE TASK. So if you never shot a bow, but want to hit a coin at maximum range with strong winds blowing at night, you have a 1:12 (about 8%) chance of hitting the coin. Same chance by the way for the best elven sharpshooter out there. (Yes, of course a smart GM would call on common sense in such an extreme example, but the problem will come up at every table more borderline cases.) Suggested house rule: A "12" on the feat d12 counts as a "10" and you may reroll and add the feat d12

I have been devouring Cubicle Seven's One Ring since I got the PDF yesterday and would like to reveal it is pretty awesome.

More than one game in recent years has tried to recapture the red box magic of D&D and failed terribly (hello Dragon Age). One Ring manages to succeeds for a number of reasons, first the mechanics are simple and punchy. They use a specially modified d6 and d12 forming the basis of mechanics, these are part of the physical boxset but you can use a standard D6 and D12 PDFers. These simple mechnics have a two fold advantage, firstly that the action and resolution works quickly; secondly that for the newer gamer that C7 try to entice they will not be over awed by a wodge of dice and options allowing them to just enjoy playing in Tolkien’s world.

There a number of things I really love in the character creation mechanics. When creating an adventurer hope and shadow stands out. A character’s Hope score defines the reserves of spiritual vigor that heroes draw upon when put in danger. Players can choose to spend a point of Hope to tap a player-hero’s energy reserves and possibly push him beyond his limits Whilst a hero’s Shadow rating undermines his Hope score, as his spirit is being weakened and corrupted.

This captures the Judeo-Christian vein that runs through Tolkien’s work (if that concept puts you off it’s a similar concept that flows through the Saxon and Nordic myth cycles that Tolkien Riffed off). It performs a vastly important and enjoyable concept in gaming that I have loved since West End Game’s Star Wars. Heroes should be capable of amazing feats but should also be flawed. Without a shadow of doubt this makes characters much more exciting and a hero’s journey more memorable.

It manages to do two important things for me, once a character sheet is in front of me I do not want it just be a chunk of stats I want it to feel like I have a character defined. In a licenced game I also want the system to take me down a road that captures the idiom and tropes of the world I am about to play in. For me Margaret Weis Productions are the masters of this, their Leverage game is beyond amazing growing out of the wonderful framework first seen in Serenity and Battlestar Galactica. One Ring achieves this with knobs on and is almost, almost as good as the amazing Leverage.

Let me expand on this by overviewing the mechanic of company and ‘Fellowship’. This is an important concept through Tolkien’s book and replicated throughout the game. The group of player-heroes is more than a band of roving mercenaries brought together by mere necessity. At its foundation are communal goals and mutual respect. This is recreated in the game by a shared pool of Fellowship points. During the game, players use these points to recover spent Hope. On other words, there is a reason for the company or party to be together. Yes those sneaky suns of bitches are also sneaking in narrative style mechanics under the cover.

This extends throughout the game and importantly at the tale end of adventures ant into the Fellowship phase. If anyone ahs ever played Pendragon you may be used to the concept that certain number of adventures occur a year. One Ring takes a similar idea, that adventurers do not adventure all the time. In the intervening time the players take over from the Narrator as the direct storyteller and gain some time to describe what happens tot heir character. Maybe they fall in love, or spend their loot on a lovely tavern or the player wants to define the character of their black sheep brother further. This mechanic is genius, pure and simple. Within the agreed sandbox of the game it allows players to contribute and breath life into a shared world. The best games I have even run or played in are based on this concept. When a group claims share ownership of a story the campaign becomes one you will talk about for years to come with your gaming chums. (A nod to my Conan group from a few years back who still set the standard I have not quite been able to reach since)

A special note to C7’s art director Jon Hodgson his enchanting artwork brings an amazing life to Francesco Nepitello words. Jon is lifting the quality of the books C7 are producing to epic standards and his versatility is amazing. I’ve been looking at the forthcoming Shadow’s over Scotland in preparation for a podcast right now and it is amazing how effectively he switches idiom and style.

I cannot wait now to get my hand on the physical product. I know Angus and Dominic love the boxset and they want us all to feel like we did when we opened that boxset for the first time (for me it was 3rd Edition Call of Cthulhu). They managed to get the little shiver from me when I opened Doctor Who for the first time and the pictures of One Ring make me feel this is going to be even better.

The One Ring: Adventures over the Edge of the Wild is a thing of beauty. The artwork is superb, the layout clean, and the writing easy to follow.

The rules for the game are tightly designed, and intereact in new and surprising ways that are a welcome change to tried-and-true mechanics that we see all the time in other games.

The game works hard to remain true to it's source material, and elements in the mechanics all work to support and encourage the Tolkien feel, while introducing a less commonly explored and understood area of the Wildlands, where player characters can go out and be heroes without being overshadowed by various NPCs.

Cubicle 7 takes on the burden of coming up with a product that lives up to the legacy of the fiction that inspired it, and succeeds effortlessly.

This is an excerpt from the full review on my blog. To see the full review, kindly visit: http://wp.me/p5H0U-Pg