Image by Jon Beowulf via openart.ai
LotR Roleplaying (D&D 5e) - The Ruins of Eriador
The Tale of Years for Eriador is unwritten and there are many lost or unfinished tales that tell what happened before the War of the Ring.
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Bi-weekly / Sunday - 1:00 AM UTC
Dec 14 / Session 9
Session Duration / 4–5 hours
Campaign Length / 15–25 Sessions
4 / 6 Seats Filled
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Schedule
Meet your party members
4/6
About the adventure
This is an overarching campaign that occurs in the time between Bilbo's return and Frodo's departure. Explore strange events that are perhaps shadows of the Second Age... or may be portents of the return of the Enemy. Visit the dwarves of the Blue Mountains. Spend time with the elves of Lindon, Rivendell, or Lorien. Improve life for the people of Bree, Tharbad, or Lon Daer. Perhaps, eventually, you will even find the courage to undertake an expedition into Moria. Events will unfold based on the actions of the characters, as their successes (and failures) shape the direction of the campaign and the future of the land. Chapter 1 - The Star of the Mist There is an ancient tower in the easternmost foothills of the southern Ered Luin (the Blue Mountains), what remains of a powerful castle from the time of the Kings. Wanderers speak of an eerie blue light that sometimes can be seen even from Sarn Ford, like a star shining above the river mists.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
4.9
(40)
1 year on StartPlaying
139 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Inclusive
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
Running live games in the San Antonio, TX metropolitan area and online games for anywhere in the world. I've been playing D&D since 1983 and DMing since 1985. Creating worlds to be explored and working with others to create memorable stories is an absolute joy. Life has forced me to abandon my hobby a few times but I found my way back because this is such a unique thing - collaborative storytelling in which everyone is a major character. I love being a part of tales that will be remembered forever. My job is to ensure everyone is having fun, whether you're the diva, the wallflower, or somewhere in between. My decades of experience allow me to change my approach based on the group's familiarity with the rules. In fact, running a game for a group completely new to gaming puts a huge smile on my face. My sense of humor has been described as a bit on the dark and sarcastic side, and I set a more serious tone in my worlds. I don't force that tone on the players, though, so you're free to do what you want. At the same time, I try to ensure my worlds make sense, so actions have consequences. Succeed and you will change the world. Fail, and you also change the world. Adventuring is a dangerous occupation (otherwise everyone would do it) so you should expect appropriate challenges. I excel at in-person games (San Antonio, TX) but a majority of my games are run on Roll20 + Discord because I gave up on WotC's virtual tabletop. I mostly run D&D 5e but also run BECMI D&D, AD&D 1e, Aliens RPG, Call of Cthulhu, Rolemaster, and Starship Troopers. I am semi-retired so have unmatched schedule flexibility.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Again, there are no pre-generated characters and the character options are significantly different from standard D&D 5e. Characters can be created in D&D Beyond if the proper selections are made (guidance provided after joining) or in Roll20 following the instructions for the Culture and Calling you want to play. Expect to spend close to an hour creating your character (unless you've done this before). I recommend using 27-point buy, but I am available for a supervised roll if you wish to gamble. What you roll is what you get. If you have an existing character for Lord of the Rings Roleplaying, you can import it after you join the game in Roll20.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
There are no pre-generated characters, but I will walk you through character creation because it is significantly different. Everyone will need: - a desire to play a hero in Middle Earth - a free or paid subscription to Roll20 - access to Discord (PC or mobile app) - working mic and speakers (headset/headphones recommended) You do not need: - to have seen or read The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - an in-depth knowledge of the history of Middle Earth - the ability to speak the elvish (Sindarin or Quenya) or dwarven (Khuzdul) languages
What Beowulf brings to the table
Message me at any time if you have questions. The game will be run in Roll20 (character sheets provided), but character sheets in D&D Beyond can be used if you follow the instructions to create a Lord of the Rings Roleplaying 5e character (guidance provided after joining). You will also need to install the Beyond20 browser plugin. There are custom maps and tokens to maintain the Middle Earth vibe, and custom macros that make it easier to focus on your character instead of the character sheet. I lean into Rule of Cool (do not abuse it) and reward good roleplay and lucky rolls.
Homebrew rules
LotR RPG is built atop the D&D 5e (2014) framework, with numerous tweaks and additions to make it work within the world that Tolkien defined. Most notably, there are no playable spellcaster classes. If casters are what you enjoy, this is not for you. To balance this, your character has access to numerous feats and awards that *you* select. I also added Weapon Masteries because they're a boost to martials... and everyone is now a martial.
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Headphones
Internet
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Beowulf creates a safe table
The mechanics for combat and skill checks are the same in Lord of the Rings Roleplaying, so things will be familiar once character creation is complete. As far as gameplay goes, I make quick rulings instead of halting the game to research an obscure rule for a specific situation. See my Session 0 document (available after joining) for more information on how I do things. You are free to interrupt the game at any time if you are concerned about something, and there is a dedicated Discord channel for private discussions. I want everyone to have fun, but no one's fun comes at the expense of someone else's.
Content warnings
Safety tools used