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 1 Introduction

players' Guide 1 Introduction

eco/e to t%e word of .R.R. 6okiens i/agination. If you %a"e enCoyed reading t%e books or

watc%ing t%e /o"ies based on %is works incuding 6%e Hobbit ? 6%e >ord of t%e Ring s? 6%e 7i/ariion ?

and %is /any ot%er works? and wis%ed you coud de"e furt%er and enCoy ad"enturing in t%ose ric%y

created ands? t%en you wi find t%e Eä RPG7 +Roeaying Ga/e 7yste/, your gateway to enCoying

/any /ore %ours and years of fun e5oring t%is "ast i/aginary rea/.

 1.1 What is a Role-playing GameRoeaying ga/ing +RPGing, is a cooerati"e? nonco/etiti"e? recreationa acti"ity su//ed

u as :interacti"e storyteing.; Roe aying ga/es +RPGs, are cooerati"e? i/ro"isationa? so/ew%at

structured but argey free for/ :interacti"e stories; t%at take ace in t%e articiants i/agination?

usuay seated around a tabe and using aer and enci to track e"ents? ocations? and ersons of

note. 6yicay one of t%e articiants is c%osen to act as t%e referee? known "ariousy as t%e Ga/e

=aster +G=,? 8ungeon =aster +8=,? 9arrator? or ot%er tites. 6%e G= creates or /odifies t%e settings in

w%ic% t%e ot%er articiants? t%e Payer $%aracters +P$s,? wi interact wit% eac% ot%er and wit% "arious

9onPayer $%aracters +9P$s, under t%e contro of t%e G=. 6%e grou of articiants t%en dyna/icay

unfod a series of socia interactions and e"ents for an i/ro"isationat%eaterike e5erience? wit%out

%ysicay acting out any t%e acti"ities of t%eir c%aracters.

 6%e articiants create i/aginary c%aracters in a story run by t%e G= w%o acts as writer?

director? and referee of t%is i/aginary ay. Particiants gat%er around a tabe? write down notes and

statistics about t%eir c%aracter? and t%roug% diaog? wit% so/e occasiona dice roing or ot%er

rando/iing de"ice? unfod t%e story. 6%e acti"ity is si/iar to c%id%ood :ets retend; ga/es? but

wit% so/e key differences. 6%e ayers are not dressing u or %ysicay acting out t%e acti"ities as

t%ey use t%eir i/aginations and "erbay describe t%eir c%aracters actions to eac% ot%er? and t%ere are

ceary defined rues wit% t%e G= acting as /oderator and faciitator to kee t%e ga/e ay fowing.

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 1 Introduction

 1.1.1 ! "rief e#ample of a role-playing session.

 6%e Ga/e =aster and t%e ayers /eet in a co/fortabe setting around a tabe. 6%e G= and

ayers %a"e created :c%aracter s%eets; wit% infor/ation about t%e "arious c%aracters t%ey wi be

using. 6%e G= tyicay ro"ides so/e background story? and t%en so/e oortunity for c%oice and

action decarations by t%e ayers. Here is an e5a/e of a w%at a G= /ig%t describe to t%e ayers as

a s%ort sceneA

ou and your friends %a"e Cust waked into t%e

courtyard of an ancient buiding. 6%e courtyard is

aro5i/atey forty feet s-uare. 6%e was? buit of a tan

coored stone /ateria aarenty indigenous to t%e

area? aear to be constructed in aign/ent wit% t%e

four oints of t%e co/ass. 6%ey are about t%irty feet%ig%. ou entered fro/ an oening in t%e sout% wa.

ou see t%e nort% wa %as so/e stairs going u? and

t%e east wa on your rig%t %as w%at aears to be a

soid /eta door %anging oen on rusted %inges. 6%e

was are cru/bing in aces? and /uc% is o"ergrown wit% i"y and weeds. In t%e center is a arge

fountain about fifteen feet %ig% in w%at aears to be t%e for/ of a series of t%ree fower3ike terraces.

7urrisingy? t%e fountain is currenty souting cear and coo ooking water on t%is %ot? dry? dusty day.

>ooking at t%e water? you are /ore acutey aware of %ow dry your /out%s are after t%e ong days %ike

to arri"e %ere? wit% no water re"iousy in sig%t.6%e wind is beginning to ick u as a stor/ fro/ t%e sout%? wit% ig%tning and dark couds

 gat%ering? -uicky aroac%es. It is getting cooer and windier by t%e /inute...

2 % t d o y o u d o 4

 )t t%is oint? t%e ayers eac% take turns "erbay describing to t%e G= and t%e ot%er ayers

w%at actions t%eir c%aracters wi take. 7o/e wi %a"e /undane actions and resuts? ot%er action

atte/ts coud %a"e surrising conse-uences.

8ice are fre-uenty used to si/uate t%e rando/ e"ents t%at can occur in ife? and /ake it

unknown in ad"ance? e"en to t%e G=? w%at e5acty wi %aen ne5t. @or e5a/e? so/eone /ay

decide to ci/b t%e stairs? w%ere t%ere are so/e oose stes? and using t%e ro of a die to deter/ine

%ow agie t%e ayers c%aracter is? /ay ea to t%e to unscat%ed? or /ay %a"e a bit of a fa to dea

wit%. !f course? t%ere aso coud be troube in t%e for/ of iintentioned bandits urking be%ind t%e

entrance of t%e door....

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 1 Introduction

 1.$ %o& is The ( R)G System *ifferentfrom other role-playing gamesystems

=any ga/e syste/s are designed for :generic; ca/aign ocations? intentionay ea"ing t%e

rues oen and broad so t%at t%e syste/ can be used in a "ery wide "ariety of settings. 7o/e syste/s

focus on a secific genre suc% as fantasy :sword and sorcery;? science fiction? etc? but wit%out being

i/ited to a secific :word; or ca/aign setting. 7ti ot%ers focus on secific ca/aign'uni"erse

settings suc% as 7tar 6rek? 7tar ars? ing )rt%ur? $a of $t%u%u +%orror,? %ee of 6i/e +fantasy,?

etc. Eä RPG7 fits into t%e ast category? a syste/ designed secificay to fit into a 6okienbased

ca/aign setting? wit% rues t%at atte/t to en%ance t%at e5erience.

 6%ere %a"e been a nu/ber of atte/ts at creating ga/e syste/s adated to .R.R. 6okiens

=iddeeart% since t%e /id 1#&s. 6%e origina 8ungeons < 8ragons was %ea"iy based on 6okiens?a/ong ot%ers settings? incuding :%obbits; as a ayer c%aracter race? but 8<8 was designed to aso fit

/any ot%er settings if desired. Inteectua roerty issues forced t%e 8<8 creators to c%ange %obbits

to %afings? and /ake /any ot%er c%anges. In t%e eary 10&s Iron $rown Enterrises /odified t%eir

Roe/aster syste/ and created t%e first icensed 6okienbased RPG? asting unti 1. @ro/ 2&&1

t%roug% 2&&* 8eci%er /odified t%eir $!8) syste/ for t%e second icensed 6okienbased RPG but

wit% far /ore restrictions on w%ic% /ateria t%ey coud use t%an I$E %ad re"iousy been restricted to.

=ost recenty? in 2&11 $ubice # and 7o%isticated Ga/es reeased t%e ne5t icensed 6okienbased

RPG caed 6%e !ne Ring RPG +6!R RPG,.

Prior to 6!R? in eac% case of t%e co//ercia 6okienbased roe aying ga/e syste/s? t%e

co//ercia "entures were actuay Cust /odified "ersions of t%eir /ore generic syste/s roug%y

adated to fit into t%e 6okien setting. 6%is %as ended u a bit ike ounding a s-uare eg into a round

%oe. ou can  /ake it fit wit% enoug% ounding? but it ea"es so/et%ing to be desired in t%e fit. 6!R

deri"es fro/ "arious ot%er syste/s? but is t%e first co//ercia roduct designed secificay Cust for

use in a =iddeeart% setting. %ie t%e 6!R RPG %as ro/ise t%ey are aso under "ery stringent icense

restrictions.

 1.$.1 '( R)G +,er,ie& 

Eä RPG  is designed fro/ t%e ground u? e"ery ste of t%e way? as an atte/t to en%ance t%e

e5erience of roe aying secificay in .R.R. 6okiens i/aginary uni"erse in w%ic% =iddeeart%

geogra%icay is but a s/a +t%oug% significant, iece. E"ery atte/t is /ade to de"eo t%e

/ec%anics to i/ro"e t%e :susension of disbeief; and en%ance t%e :6okienis%; fee t%at /any

eoe e5erience fro/ reading t%e books. 6%e syste/ is a"aiabe in t%ree "ersions as an atte/t to

co"er t%e ga/ut of ga/er tyes and t%eir tastes.

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 1 Introduction

 6%e Eä RPG  is 9!6 based on any of t%e /o"ie? 6J? radio? or audio interretations of 6okiens

works. !ny %is written works ubis%ed w%ie .R.R. 6okien i"ed? and t%en /any ot%er works

ubis%ed ost%u/ousy by $%risto%er 6okien? are used as source /ateria. E"ery atte/t is /ade tofoow t%ese resources in as consistent a /anner as ossibe? t%oug% t%is often resents c%aenges

due to t%e /any contradictions between different "ersions of 6okiens works? t%oug% t%is is generay

not an issue in %eing to en%ance t%e feeing of aying in =iddeeart% and t%e surrounding areas. In

areas w%ere :6okien canon; +a %ea"iy argued toic unto itsef in t%e 6okien co//unity, directy

conficts? efforts are /ade to offer a defaut aroac% as consistenty as ossibe. 7o/eti/es t%ere wi

aso be incuded otiona aroac%es to t%e sa/e toic +usuay in t%e Eä RPG )d"anced Rues , for

G=s and ayers w%o do not refer t%e defaut aroac%.

 $ '( R)G "asic Rules+,er,ie& 

 6%e Eä RPG Basic Rues  are designed to %e you create a c%aracter as -uicky as ossibe? so

t%at you can begin aying rig%t away. it% t%e guidance of a G= w%o %as aready read t%e rues? a

tyica first ti/e c%aracter creation rocess s%oud ony take about 1( /inutes to be ready for ay?

assu/ing you do not Cust use a regenerated c%aracter ro"ided to you by your G=. Pay testing %as

indicated t%at once ayers %a"e /ade one c%aracter? t%e subse-uent c%aracter creation rocess can

be co/eted in as itte as ( /inutes.

 6%e Eä RPG7 Basic Rues are e5acty t%at? basic. E"ery atte/t is /ade to kee c%aracter

generation "ery si/e and -uick? a"oiding co/e5 /ec%anics for fes%ing out t%e c%aracter in ter/s

of ga/e statistics. Instead of /any attribute scores? t%e basic rues use ony 4. Instead of a ong ist of

skis trying to co"er e"ery concei"abe action or ski i/aginabe? Cust t%ese 4 attributes are used in

conCunction wit% a die ro to deter/ine success or faiure for certain c%aenges or e"en for co/bat.

Instead of /any different sies and s%aes of dice? ony one si5 sided +1d*, die is needed. 6%is e"e

of si/icity can create robe/s for ong ter/ ay? but work fine for s%ort ca/aigns. 6%is syste/ is

reay ony designed for first ti/e ayers +and ga/e /asters, to di t%eir toes into t%e roeaying

ga/e e5erience. E5erienced roeaying ga/ers wi ikey find t%e syste/ acking in /any areas.

Hoefuy t%ose w%o articiate in using t%ese basic rues wi enCoy it so /uc%? t%ey wi want /ore?

and be ready to take t%e ne5t ste by earning t%e Eä RPG7 7tandard Rues.

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