You may have noticed– tabletop RPGs are experiencing a renaissance, and there is no shortage of amazing games to play. One of the best out there, ranked at #15 on RPGGeek.com, is The One Ring 2e from Free League Publishing.
To run a One Ring 2e game online, you’re going to need a virtual tabletop (VTT). These web platforms allow you to simulate the experience of an RPG experience, with everything from digital dice to the ability to share maps, audio playlists, and upload character sheets into templates.
Here’s what you need to know about the most common VTTs, and which one is best if you’re trying to start a game of The One Ring 2e with your gaming group!
Note: Whenever I talk about the cost, only one person in the group needs to pay. If you’re a player, you don’t need to pay to use any of these platforms, although you might choose to all chip in to pay for a license or subscription together. Apes together strong!
A further Note: You can search for Game Masters on StartPlaying by which VTT they use! There are GMs for all of the VTTs I mention here offering games on SPG. Just go to “More Filters” and filter by “Game Platform.”
Alchemy
This first one is here because I love Alchemy, and I would extra love it if there was a One Ring 2e option available on Alchemy! The work they’ve done to create an immersive VTT for D&D, Call of Cthulhu, Fallout, Vaesen, Vampire the Masquerade, and more is absolutely phenomenal. I know that, if The One Ring 2e ever receives attention from them, it will be a beautiful thing.
Owlbear Rodeo
If you just want a basic VTT to show your players a map and move around the tokens, Owlbear Rodeo is great.
Cost
The Free tier on Owlbear Rodeo is all most game masters will probably need. If you anticipate running more than 2 campaigns at the same time, The Fledgling and Bestling tiers offer you more storage space, the ability to personalize your rooms (change the name and the background image), and most importantly, the capacity to host more rooms!
Complexity
Owlbear Rodeo is very easy to learn. Among all the VTTs, this is one of the simplest to just create an account and start playing.
User Experience
The only downside of being free and very easy to learn is that you get what you pay for. If you want to run a game with lots of bells and whistles, look elsewhere.
Especially because The One Ring 2e leans significantly more into theater of the mind than some other systems, you really don’t need dynamic lighting, special effects, or other features in the same way that you might for a heavy tactical game like D&D. If I were to run a One Ring 2e game on Owlbear Rodeo, I would use the map feature to create visual scenes for locations like Bag End, Weathertop, and Rivendell.
One downside of using Owlbear Rodeo is not really anything against what it’s trying to do – just a comparison to what the other VTTs offer. There are no One Ring 2e character sheets on Owlbear Rodeo. This may be a reason to use another VTT.
Another downside of using Owlbear Rodeo is, there’s no dice feature. There are online dice rollers you can use, like Discord Dice UI, but just know that it will take a little extra setup, while some of the other VTTs have built-in dice ready to use. This is especially important with The One Ring 2e, since the dice system is unique! The One Ring 2e uses a special d12 + d6 system, where you roll a Feat die (d12) plus a certain number of Success dice (d6’s) depending on your character’s abilities.
Final Assessment: 3/5
Roll20
Roll20 is the VTT I use for almost all my games. For D&D, Blades in the Dark, and even Call of Cthulhu, Roll20 has everything I need and more.
Cost
The Free tier on Roll20 is enough to get you started! As a game master running games professionally on StartPlaying, I find it worth it to invest in the Pro tier ($8.33/month). For about a year and a half, when I was just starting, I was on the Plus tier ($4.17/month), which was perfect at the time.
Complexity
Roll20 is fairly easy to use. A happy medium between the bare bones Owlbear Rodeo and the vast customization of Foundry.
User Experience
The One Rine 2e character sheets on Roll20 will work adequately, and the dice will roll. This is a step above some other options.
At higher paid tiers, Roll20 even offers access to API scripts and mods, which is one of the main draws of using Foundry. In that way, Roll20 is more customizable than you might think.
If you are already subscribing to Roll20 for D&D and want to get started running One Ring 2e games, Roll20 is a very good option. However, I will say that Roll20 feels heavily tilted towards D&D, with partnerships with Wizards of the Coast. The One Ring 2e doesn’t get nearly so much love as D&D does on Roll20.
Final Assessment: 4/5
Foundry
The apex of VTTs according to many gamers, Foundry can be somewhat intimidating for new users. Here’s what you need to know before you dive in and start setting up your One Ring 2e game on Foundry.
Cost
Buying a Foundry license will cost you $50, unless you can time your purchase with a seasonal discount, usually around the holidays. Thankfully, the license is a one-time purchase, and not a subscription! (That makes it a great gift adventurers might want to give a worthy Loremaster around the holidays!)
Other costs that you might encounter are paying for hosting, which can set you back $5-25 per month. Hosting on the Forge, like I do, will cost either $4.49, $8.99, or $12.99 monthly, depending on what tier you choose.
Complexity
The one downside of Foundry is, once you purchase your license, you need to find a server to host your game, or learn how to host it yourself. There are good basic options (check out Oracle, the Forge, or Molten), so this is not a serious drawback, only a consideration.
Unlike Roll20, you can’t just subscribe and start playing. Setting up modules and navigating future updates of the software can be tricky, but there are resources out there for those who are motivated to learn. There are several great YouTube channels that offer a beginner plenty of help to get the most out of using Foundry!
If you’re more of a reader, check out the Foundry Knowledge Base, which is a treasure trove of articles on getting started. If you only want the bare minimum to get started, check out the Encounter Library.
User Experience
This is where Foundry shines. Foundry is unrivaled for the capacity to deliver an amazing experience to your players. Like Roll20, you can create soundtrack playlists, handouts, maps, and character sheets. But the people behind all the crowd-sourced content are passionate geniuses.
The One Ring 2e module is a work of art, with fonts, themes, and buttons specifically designed for a Tolkien aesthetic. There is a full compendium available to download into your game that includes macros for all the weapons, distinctive features, rewards, and adversaries in the Core Rulebook, although none of the text will be included due to copyright rules. Adding all of that text can be tedious, but once you’ve done the work, you can easily transfer it between games.
I think some of the functionality of Foundry is wasted on a One Ring 2e game, because so much of the power of Foundry lies in its dynamic lighting features. Again, this is not a tactical game where line of sight is a relevant mechanic like it might be in D&D or Pathfinder 2e.
However, I run two One Ring 2e campaigns, and both of my groups love the experience. Very subjectively: it feels good to run The One Ring 2e on Foundry.
Perhaps the best argument in favor of using Foundry is the open source, fan-made modules available for any game, including The One Ring 2e. Join the Foundry VTT Discord server for even more support.
Final Assessment: 5/5
The Final Word
Playing The One Ring 2e online doesn’t need to be complicated. If you’re a game master like me, you can’t go wrong between the three options. If you don’t mind spending a monthly fee, but you want to get playing as soon as possible, Roll20 is a great option that many people use. If you want an amazing interface and don’t mind investing the time to learn a vast VTT, hosting Foundry on the Forge is a great option. That’s what I do for my own One Ring 2e games. And if you have the tech know-how to host Foundry yourself, that seems like the best possible option!
Ultimately, my advice is to just go play The One Ring 2e. It’s an amazing game! There are plenty of games already happening that you can join today.
Isaac is a professional game master who runs weekly, biweekly, and monthly games for The One Ring 2e, Blades in the Dark, Call of Cthulhu, Cyberpunk RED, and D&D 5e on StartplayingGames, with an emphasis on creativity, proactive roleplaying, and character-driven stories. His favorite character voice to use is Gandalf the Grey. You can play with Isaac on StartPlaying.
