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I don't know about you, but after a months-long D&D campaign with stakes heavy enough to squash you underfoot, sometimes you need a break. A holiday, even – and with this new release, I think I've found the perfect destination.
What's the perfect antidote to world-ending conflict? Causing all sorts of mischief as a hobbit, of course. If you want a palette cleanser from the best tabletop RPGs, it doesn't get much better than Free League's The One Ring: Hobbit Tales or its D&D equivalent, The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying: Shire Adventures. These books are less "harrowing odyssey" and more like Merry and Pippin mucking around at the beginning of Fellowship of the Ring. It's a surprisingly refreshing take; rather than epic adventurers, you're low-level halflings getting into all sorts of shenanigans. It's the epitome of light-hearted.
This module for The One Ring system explores the Shire in all its glory, and also features a short adventure that sees you causing mischief in the name of Bilbo Baggins. Sound familiar? It's a repackaging of The One Ring Starter Set that's now out of print, which we described as a "warm, cozy hug" in our review. While this is probably my preferred version, it's worth noting that you'll need to get your hands on the core rules somehow to play - such as the full One Ring Core Rulebook, which you can find at DriveThruRPG.
UK: £32 £26.90 at Magic Madhouse
Want to stick with D&D or ease your party into a wider Lord of the Rings campaign? This is the version to get. It's exactly the same as Hobbit Tales (with a full breakdown of the Shire alongside a prewritten adventure), but everything's been redone in the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition system. That means you can jump right in if you're already familiar with D&D; this book doesn't really use the unique mechanics that Lord of the Rings Roleplaying introduces.
UK: £31.99 £28.79 at Wayland Games
Usually, the One Ring and Lord of the Rings Roleplaying see you galivanting across Middle-earth in a bid to undermine the growing Shadow (they're set between The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, after all). Yet this hobbit-focused sidebar is a definite exception to the rule. You play as upstanding members of Shire society that have been cajoled into nonsense by none other than Bilbo Baggins. You see, Bilbo has long-since returned from his quest to the Misty Mountain and seems rather… bored. Therefore, what better way to generate some excitement than stealing an old map from the local museum? This sets up a series of low-stakes adventures that gradually increase in drama, but remain pleasantly easy-going from start to finish. It's low-stakes, but in a cozy sort of way.
That's just a third of the book, too. The rest is dedicated to mapping the entirety of the Shire and its environs, giving your players other places to explore or the kernel of quests you can flesh out into full adventures. With that, your journey doesn't need to end with the climax of the written campaign; you can continue creating havoc across the hobbit's homeland should you so choose. There's even an opportunity to encounter figures from the lore like Tom Bombadil.
As noted above, this once featured as part of the old One Ring Starter Set and I've run it in that form a couple of times. My players always had a blast. It serves as a great intro to roleplaying games or a breather between bigger storylines, so I'd certainly recommend adding it to your collection.
In terms of which book to get, I think there are advantages to both. Personally, I adore The One Ring's bespoke system and think it's easy to get into; it's on the lighter side, focusing on drama at table rather than a litany of stats. Its Fellowship and Shadow mechanics feel incredibly true to the books, too. However, you will have to get your hands on the core rules as well to learn it – probably via the main rulebook (which you can find easily enough at DriveThruRPG). Again, I don't think that's a bad thing; this system is fab, so is worth delving into beyond Hobbit Tales.
Your other option is to grab the D&D-based Shire Adventures, and being realistic, this is probably the better option for most. You don't necessarily need the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Core Rulebook (available at Amazon) to join in because the self-contained adventure doesn't really touch on anything outside of core D&D, and it includes pre-generated characters. Plus, it's in a system your players are likely to know already. It's the path of least resistance.
Either way, I'd highly recommend trying one of them. I have a lot of fond memories mucking about in the Shire, and I'm willing to bet your players will too by the end of all this.
For more recommendations, why not check out the best board games or the best card games?
