Day (counts on his fingers) 14 – Two weeks of the #CharacterCreationChallenge, but still not halfway there. For this one we look at Eradan, a Ranger of the North in the Free League‘s The One Ring^TM. Aragorn being my favorite LotR character since I first read it in 1979, how could I not?

Eradan comes from a noble line – not the line of Elendil, but an ancient and well-respected family nonetheless. Long he has spent his days and nights protecting those who dwell in Eriador from the evils of the night.

Being both brave and self-sacrificing, he soon was entrusted to lead bands of his own, concentrating on the Wight-haunted Barrow-downs. Wielding the sword of his ancestors, he seeks to destroy the evil spirits left behind by the Witch-king of Angmar.

He now readies himself to depart from his people and, in fellowship with a few adventurous strangers, take on an even darker and dangerous mission.

The One Ring

Officially licensed to represent the works of Tolkien, The One Ring attempts to bring the feel of Middle Earth to an RPG and, based on what I have read, succeeds.

Just reading through the rules, I can see it is quite different from ordinary fantasy RPGs.

Just like the novels, it is magic-lite and what magic is there is not the common Vancian kind.

It also doesn’t use traditional levels, but rather the acquisition of points that may be used to increase your character’s skills and proficiencies.

I really like the idea of using a Heroic Culture rather than race/ancestry and the use of a Calling rather than a class. And the mechanics for endurance and its impact on combat and the use of hope that can be spent in the moment but requires replenishment are pretty cool.

I did find myself hopping around the rules quite a bit to build my character and I was (and still am) confused about the Characteristics.

Case in point: For Rangers of the North, Kings of Men is listed as a Cultural Blessing, and I see where that gets added to the character sheet. Allegiance of the Dunedain is also listed. Am I supposed to choose between Kings of Men and Allegiance of the Dunedain? Do I get both but only record one on my sheet and just try to remember the other.

I haven’t found an answer online (using an admittedly very cursory search).

All in all, a pretty nice RPG. I’m torn as to whether I would want to play it (other than a quick test). For me, growing up with the Hobbit (I played Tom the troll in a junior high school production) and the Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth was a place to visit to observe the great tales rather than a place to inhabit and adventure in.

Knowing how things turned out, it’s a bit harder for me to invest in knowing that my character won’t make any real difference.

Still, be sure to check it out if you’re a Tolkien fan like I am or just want to try a unique, low-magic fantasy setting. You can grab a copy on DriveThruRPG.