D&D Lord of the Rings book hits shelves very soon

The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying artwork from Shire Adventures, depicting Bilbo slipping out of Bag End's front door and putting on the One Ring — (Image credit: Free League)

You'll be able to play in Tolkien's world of hobbits and elves in just a few weeks using D&D rules thanks to The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying.

Due to launch on May 9, The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying is a 236-page D&D adaptation of The One Ring game. This means it converts everything from the system into D&D rules that are compatible with Dungeons and Dragons books, offering six different kinds of character to play as (ranging from dwarves to rangers of the north) and six new classes. Numerous monsters have been given D&D stat blocks as well, and the book includes mechanics for journeys, 'councils', artifacts, and creating nameless horrors like the Balrog of your own.

The book is currently up for pre-order on publisher Free League's website for around $49, but you can also get it from Amazon for $57.99. Meanwhile, UK readers can grab it at a discount via Wayland Games - it's currently £38.69 instead of £42.99.

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It won't be alone, either. Along with a Loremaster / Dungeon Master screen that comes with a Rivendell compendium detailing the last homely house, Shire Adventures is also set for a May 9 release. This is based directly on The One Ring Starter Set and offers five short adventures set throughout the hobbit homeland. These introduce players to the rules gently, so it's a good place to begin if you're adventuring with newcomers.

The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying products on a plain background — (Image credit: Free League)

Don't think this is all a re-tread of the movies or books, though. Despite the title, The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying doesn't take place during that story's events. Instead, it's set decades before in the largely-unexplored north of Middle-earth.

This isn't a complete translation of everything for The One Ring, either. The Ruins of the Lost Lands supplement (detailing the lone-lands of Eriador) hasn't been announced for the D&D system yet, and neither has the new The One Ring story expansion that will "hint at a growing danger" for the Lord of the Rings RPG. However, adaptations feel like a safe bet if The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying is successful.

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I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, but these days you'll find me managing GamesRadar+'s tabletop gaming and toy coverage (I spend my time here handling everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news). I've also been obsessed with Warhammer since the 1990s, and love nothing more than running tabletop RPGs like D&D as a Dungeon Master.