The One Ring 2E with Strider Mode Campaign Reflection and Review

The One Ring 2E with Strider Mode Review and Reflections

Are you on Twitter? Follow me @croakersrpg. I talk about the blog, chat with other TTRPG creators, and have interesting conversations.

With our Shadows in Eriador, The One Ring 2E with Strider Mode mini-campaign coming to a wrap, I'm looking back on the actual play and the system as a whole. 

Click here to find all the chapters of the mini-campaign.

Reflections on the Campaign

Was it fun? The simple answer is yes. I had a great time playing and writing the campaign. Was it the best solo experience I've ever had? That still belongs to Starforged: Ironsworn. The character I created was interesting. In some ways, Alfred was a typical Tolkien hero, normal and unassuming until called upon by the greater forces of Middle Earth to undertake a quest. Much like the Hobbits of the Shire.

The world of Eriador is such a rich one with tremendous lore and history. It's a fantastic world to play in. The region has enemies, heroes, allies and safe-havens, but it isn't as loaded down with lore and active players as much as Gondor would be in this period. That gives you the freedom to play and create your own stories. 

I wrote six sessions of about 2,000 words each and I'd say that is equivalent to two traditional sessions of 3ish hours or a very long traditional session, so more or less a one-shot or mini-campaign. That length of gameplay is perfect for me and stretches over a month and a half in real time. I think I'll keep my actual plays at around that time in the future. 

Next time I'd love to play in the Shire! Photo by Andres Iga on Unsplash

Now for a review of The One Ring 2E as a solo game, using Strider Mode

I recommend this game if you are a fan of Lord of the Rings and Tolkien. No other game can capture the feeling and aesthetic of a Lord of the Rings adventure. If you want to wander the hills of Eriador on an epic quest to defeat the dark lord, this game is a must-have. If you don't love Tolkien, hmmm it's still a fun game but I wouldn't say it's essential for your solo gaming library.

The Core Game

Fantastic design and art direction. Not overly flashy, it fits well with what we expect from Lord of the Rings. The book is well laid out and easy to follow, the rules read well and can be learnt easily enough. I would have liked to see a rules cheat sheet but I didn't struggle too much shifting through the book to find various parts of it.

Free League always has incredibly high-quality products and whenever you see their stuff, you can know it's going to be well done and designed with fantastic art. 

Strider Mode Rules

The Strider Mode Rules were well done also. You can tell they thought about it and play-tested it a ton. The rule variations were helpful, as they made the game easier for your character, recognising that solo play can sometimes be a more difficult affair for characters without any allies. I appreciated all tables being collated at the end of the book for ease of reference. While the supplement was not nearly as long as the core book, it had everything needed to play your solo campaign, and no unneeded fluff. 

The tables and random prompts were enjoyable and used the same dice as the main game (D12s and D6s). While not a deal-breaker, it is good to have a solo game engine that uses the same dice.

I hope Strider Mode is the gateway game for a ton of new players to the Solo world. Come on in new players! The water is warm and not in a weird way. 

As a Solo Experience

Much of The One Ring 2E is based around group play, helping your allies, and being that Fellowship that fights the great evil. That portion isn't as usable in a solo campaign unless you are running multiple characters, which is possible but more difficult. This was something I considered may be a problem at the start of the campaign but it wasn't a glaring issue throughout it all, but I just felt something was missing. 

Also, I'd consider The One Ring 2E to be about a medium level of rules complexity. It certainly is easy for a group of players around a table to remember all the rules and how they work together, but my little brain spent a bit too much time attempting to recall rules and checking the core rules a third or fourth time. I did learn the rules well enough by the end of the mini-campaign, but I also didn't get to sections of the rules such as the Fellowship phase or Yule. 

Would I come back to The One Ring 2E? Yes, I would and I may in the future. Alfred's story may not be over. There may be more treasures to find and more enemies to stop. And who knows what Gandalf the Grey has in store for him.

---

What is next for my actual plays? I'm happy to say I'll be playing Agon by John Harper! It is a fantastic game with a setting in ancient Greek mythology. Think Hades and the Odyessy but also Fast and the Furious because it is action-packed.

RPG Books I Use (And support the blog!)

These are the books I used to write this blog. These are affiliate links, if you click this link and buy something from Drive Thru RPG, I get a small cut of the price at no extra cost to you. It will help support the blog and allow me to buy new and interesting books!

The One Ring 2E Core Rules

The One Ring Strider Mode