Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game

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Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game

Designer(s)	Steven S. Long, Christian Moore, Owen M. Seyler, Ross Isaacs
Publisher(s)	Decipher Inc.
Publication date	2002
Genre(s)	Fantasy
System	Coda System

The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, released by Decipher Inc. in 2002, is a role-playing game set in the Middle-earth of J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction. The game is set in the years between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, but may be run at any time from the First to Fourth Age and contains many examples of how to do so. Sourcebooks cover the events of The Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson's film trilogy adaptation.

The system for LOTR is called CODA and is rather like a cross between RuneQuest and Traveller with Advantages and Disadvantages from the Hero System and Feats from Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition. This is not to decry the system; it is clean, functional and well described, although it has been criticised for poor system testing of the first edition. In 2003, LOTR won the Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Game 2002.

The game is the third licensed game for the setting, the others being Middle-earth Role Playing and its simplified sibling the Lord of the Rings Adventure Game, both from Iron Crown Enterprises.

[edit] Classes

The character classes available in the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Adventure Game are:

Barbarian: A warrior of the wilds who may lack some of the refined skills and weapons of other fighting men, but who make up for it with woodcraftiness and ferocity. Many Dunlendings, Druedain, and Easterlings belong to this order.

Craftsman: A person skilled in the arts of making, able to craft items both useful and wondrous, or who serves others in some ordinary capactiy. Sam Gamgee, Barliman Butterbur, many Dwarves, and the Noldorin jewelsmiths are all craftsmen.

Loremaster: One wise in the lors of Middle-Earth and who, though not a true caster of spells, can use some minor or subtle magics. Denethor, Celeborn, and many Elves are loremasters.

Magician: One who works magic and casts spells based on learned lore and wisdom, but who is not nearly as powerful as a wizard.

Mariner: A sailor, one who knows how to work and steer ships great and small over the wide seas and on the Great River. Coastal Gondorians and the Corsairs of Umbar count many mariners amoung their number.

Minstrel: A singer of songs, teller of tales, and a chronicler of brave and noble deeds. With his words and music, he can inspire others.

Noble: A person who, due to birth, wealth, accomplishment, or the like, is regarded as of high rank in society, entitled to deference and respect from other folk. Boromir, Denethor, Aragorn, Celeborn, and even Frodo belong, at least in part, to this order.

Rogue: A person who lives and works with his wits and deft hands, often at questionable or outlawed pursuits. He may be a spy for the Enemy, a professional treasure seeker, or simply one who prefers subtlety and guile to warfare and bloodshed. Biblo, during his brief adventure with Thorin and company, became a member of this order. Grima Wormtongue is also a rogue.

Warrior: People, such as guardsmen, soldiers, and archers, who are trained to fight with weapons. This is the most common order depicted in The Lord of the Rings, and it may likely be so in most chronicles as well. It includes Aragorn, Boromir, Eomer, Eowyn, most Rohirrim, Beregond, Prince Imrahil, and eventually, Merry and Pippin.