Ten New/Upcoming RPGs Worthy of Your Attention in Late 2016

Adventures in Middle Earth – Cubicle 7 Entertainment (Fall 2016)

Some may wonder why Cubicle 7 is releasing an OGL 5e series of Middle-earth books when their biggest selling game line is The One Ring. The answer is actually really simple. The team at C7 have done an amazing job bringing the world of Tolkien to their own in house game but that’s only scratching the surface of the potential audience for their work. The One Ring can be an acquired taste, with a few unusual gaming conventions (not bad, just different than what many players are used to), while 5^th edition Dungeons & Dragons has a rabid and established fan base; some people play D&D and only D&D as far as an RPG. It makes perfect sense for C7 to convert their current line up to the open gaming license with Adventures in Middle-earth.

The PDF edition of the Player’s Guide will arrive in September with the print edition to follow this Fall. The Loremaster’s Guide in both PDF and print are also scheduled for an Autumn release.

From Cubicle 7:

In Adventures in Middle-earth the greatest fantasy setting of all time comes to the world’s favourite roleplaying game rules! Take your gaming group to Middle-earth with these thematic and atmospheric, OGL-compatible setting guides.

This bundle gets you both the Player’s Guide and the Loremaster’s Guide, with free PDFs of both on release.

Smaug has been defeated, the Battle of Five Armies has been won, and Bilbo has returned to the Shire. But much danger still remains, and from the Orc-holds of the mountains to the dark and corrupt depths of Mirkwood a darkness waits, recovering its strength, laying its plans, and slowly extending its shadow…

In Dale, King Bard sends out a call for brave adventurers to journey to Laketown and assist him in restoring the glory of the North.

Adventurers come from all the Free Peoples of Wilderland and beyond, all heeding the call to adventure. Spurred on by diverse callings – whether it be the lure of the road, the hunger for ancient lore, or the simple urge to defend hearth and kin, adventurers from across Wilderland are preparing to explore Middle-earth and to battle the rising threat of The Shadow wherever it may be found.

The Player’s Guide

The Player’s Guide gives you the Middle-earth setting-specific rules and guidance to create your characters and adventure in the world of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings using the OGL 5e ruleset.

Character creation features Cultures and Classes designed for Middle-earth to help you get deep into the setting from the very start of your adventures. New rules add excitement to your journeys and encounters, and chart the corruption of the Shadow in the unwary or unwise.

The Quest begins with this lavishly illustrated, hardcover Adventures in Middle-earth Player’s Guide, followed by the equally beautiful and useful Adventures in Middle-earth Loremaster’s Guide. You can start playing right away with this Player’s Guide, and the latest edition of the world’s most popular roleplaying game rules.

Adventures in Middle-earth: Players Guide contains:

• 11 Middle-earth specific playable Cultures
• 
 6 New and unique Classes
• 
 13 New Backgrounds custom-made for Middle-earth
• Middle-earth appropriate arms and armour

• Unique Journey rules

• New rules for Corruption

• New Audience rules

• Rules for The Fellowship Phase

• Middle-earth maps (as the end papers) for Players and Loremasters

224 pages, hardcover, full colour

The Loremaster’s Guide

We’ll be releasing more detailed information on the Loremaster’s Guide in the coming weeks – this bundle is intended as a convenience for our customers who know they want both supplements.

Adventures in Middle-earth:The Loremaster’s Guide contains:

• Copious setting information for the Loremaster
• Advice on running Middle-earth games
• Rules for treasure
• Expanded Journey rules advice and options
• A Middle-earth bestiary

144 pages, hardcover, full colour

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Jeff McAleer

Founder/Editor-in-chief of The Gaming Gang website and host of The Gaming Gang Dispatch and other TGG media for fifteen years, Jeff takes on any and all sorts of games but is especially ready to tackle roleplaying games and strategy games. He's been involved with the hobby since he was just a wee grade school lad, over four decades ago.

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