LORD of the RINGS
This is a Talisman variant game based on Tolkien's Lord of the Ring game by Hasbro. In this game each person plays a Hobbit character. You must work together as a Fellowship to destroy the One Ring before Sauron finds it. The variant encourages cooperative play but also includes competitive scoring rules.
If you have not yet played Hasbro's Lord of the Rings run to your local game store and buy it. It is a GREAT game!
Setup:
Cut the Adventure deck in half. Place the "One Ring" card in one half of the deck and shuffle it very well. Now place the other half of the Adventure deck on top of it.
Place the Gandalf cards face up, side by side next to the play area, so all players can see them.
Deal out the Character cards face up, one to each player. Each character then takes any items they begin the game with.
Gameplay:
If a character's alignment ever turns Evil he dies.
If a character dies he is NOT reincarnated.
If the Ring-bearer dies EVERYONE loses the game.
When characters land on each other, instead of encountering the space they may Trade any number of Objects, Magic Objects, or Followers.
Characters may NOT attack each other.
Remove the Arena, Judge, Phantom, and Evil Darkness cards or just discard them when drawn and draw another to replace it.
This game is intended to promote cooperative play. Characters will have to make noble sacrifices for the good of the Fellowship. This may even include sacrificing themselves. If a character dies he does not necessarily lose the game, as long as the One Ring is destroyed he still wins. Only if the Ring-bearer or everyone dies do they lose the game, so the entire group either succeeds or fails.
Fellowship Combat:
The Fellowship may also try to work together to defeat enemies. After you have rolled the die for your move, if you are on a space with another character and you will land on a face-up Enemy card for your movement, you may take the other Hobbit character with you and add his Strength to yours in Combat. If you are defeated you both lose a Life. The other character must agree to join you in the Combat. This counts as normal Combat but is referred to as "Fellowship Combat".
Ringwraiths:
The
Enemy-Spirit cards represent Sauron's Ringwraiths. These include
the Ghosts, Wraith, Demon, Lich, Shade, Shadow, Banshee, Ghast, Vampire, and
Specter. Whenever you encounter these your alignment changes: If you are of
Good alignment you turn Neutral. If you are of Neutral alignment you turn Evil
(you die).
The Ringwraiths do NOT include the Demon and Wraith in the Tomb, the Spirit
in the Forest, or the Vampire Bats card.
The Power of the Ring:
Whoever carries the One Ring is the Ring-bearer. The Ring-bearer may put on the One Ring to turn Invisible once a turn. While he is invisible he may Evade any encounter for that turn or re-roll the die once. Each time you put on the One Ring you are drawn to the darkness: If you are of Good alignment you turn Neutral. If you are of Neutral alignment you turn Evil (you die).
Once a character has found the One Ring you may try to make your way to the top of Mount Doom (the Crown of Command space). You do not need a Talisman to enter the Valley of Fire but only the Ring-bearer may pass through the Valley of Fire. The Ring-bearer may then try to destroy the One Ring by rolling one die and add +1 for each Talisman he owns. On a roll of 4, 5, or 6 you successfully destroy the One Ring and the Fellowship wins the game. If you roll a 1, 2, or 3 you fail all characters must lose one Life. You keep trying until you succeed or the Ring-bearer is killed.
Gandalf Cards:
Characters may discard 4 Spells as a group at any time to summon the aid of Gandalf. When you summon Gandalf you pick ONE Gandalf card of your choice and use the card immediately, they may NOT be saved. Once a Gandalf card is used it is placed face down and can not be used for the rest of the game.
Spells:
You may only cast the number of spells your Character's Craft allows you to carry per round. Example: If you have a Craft of 3, you may cast 1 Spell per round. If you have a Craft of 6 or more, you may cast 3 Spells per round.
Scoring:
If you want to track how successful your games are follow this formula:
IF you destroy the One Ring count up all of the surviving character's Magic Objects, Spells, and Followers. Multiply that number by the number of characters that are still alive. This makes it a little more competitive to try to beat your previous scores.
FAQ:
Subject: Pippin
- Pippin may not use the War Horse or Psychic Blast with his special ability.
Subject: Merry
- Merry may not use his special ability in the Inner Region.
Subject: Fatty
- Fatty may not use his special ability if there is already a card on the Woods space.
- Fatty may draw a card in the Woods, and then decide to draw an extra one.
- If Fatty uses his special ability and draws an extra card in the Woods, you must discard one of them.
- If Fatty only draws one card in the Woods, he may not choose to discard it with his special ability.
- If Fatty draws an extra card in the Woods and one of them is a Ringwraith, he may choose to discard it without changing his alignment.
- Fatty may use the Orb of Knowledge and
Metamorph Spell with his special ability but he may only encounter one of the
cards drawn in this way.
Example: Fatty uses the Orb of Knowledge and Metamorph Spell in the Woods.
He draws 4 cards and encounters one.
Subject: Trading
- When you land on another character to
Trade, you must trade at least one item for one item.
Example: Sam can not land on Frodo just to give him the Sword.
- You may trade any number of items for
at least one item.
Example: Sam may trade his Sword to Frodo for his Ax and 2 Gold.
- You may trade different items but they
can not be the exact same card.
Example: Sam could trade his Sword for one of Frodo's Followers.
Example: Sam could not trade his Sword for Frodo's Sword.
Example: Sam could trade his Shield for Frodo's Magic Shield.
- You may not Trade with another Character who is a Toad, Enslaved, or losing a turn.
- You may Trade with another Character instead of encountering the space.
- In the Inner Region you may only trade with another character on the Plain of Peril or Valley of Fire.
- If you land on another character in the Desert and he trades you a Water Bottle, you do not lose a Life.
- If you receive the Familiar Follower in a trade, you do not need to lose a Life.
Subject: Ringwraiths
- Whenever you encounter a Ringwraith your alignment immediately changes. If you are turned Evil you die immediately and may not fight the Ringwraith.
- Whenever you encounter a Ringwraith you must change your alignment, even if you defeat it in Psychic Combat.
- If you Evade a Ringwraith you do not encounter it and change your alignment.
- If you use the One Ring to turn invisible and Evade a Ringwraith, you must still change your alignment for using the Ring.
- If you defeat a Ringwraith with the Cross you must still change your alignment.
- If you enslave a Ringwraith with the Staff of Mastery you must still change your alignment.
- If you draw the Ghost that materializes, you do not change your alignment. If the Ghost is placed on a space occupied by another player, they do not encounter him. You only change your alignment if you land on the card and encounter it.
- If there are more than two Ringwraiths on a space you choose which one to encounter first. If you Evade the first one you may evade the other automatically. If you encounter the first Ringwraith your alignment immediately changes. If you are defeated or have a Stand-Off in Psychic Combat against the first Ringwraith, you may not encounter the other. If you kill the first Ringwraith and then encounter the second, you must must change your alignment a second time.
- The Preservation Spell does not prevent your alignment from changing.
Subject: The One Ring
- You may Trade the One Ring to another character.
- You may never drop or discard the One Ring. The One Ring may not be stolen or discarded by the Raiders, Alchemy Spell, Gust of Wind Spell, Alchemist, Chinese Dragon, Warlock, or Whirlwind. The One Ring may be taken by another character with the Acquisition Spell..
- The One Ring counts towards carrying one object. You may not use the Bag of Carrying, Concealed Pouch, Mule, Porter, or Horse and Cart to carry the One Ring.
- You may not use the One Ring in the Cursed Glade.
- If the Ringbearer is turned into a Toad he continues to carry the One Ring. As a toad, he may use it to turn Invisible but his alignment still changes.
Subject: Gandalf cards
- When you discard 4 Spells has a group
you must be in possession of all four Spells.
Example: Frodo can not discard a Spell, draw another Spell (with his special
ability) and then discard that Spell to help summon Gandalf.
- Characters
may only discard Spells to summon Gandalf.
Example: Frodo may not discard the Counter Spell just to draw another Spell.
- Discarding a Spell to summon Gandalf does not count as casting a Spell.
Subject: Fellowship Combat
- Fellowship Combat may only be used against face up Enemy cards. It can not be used against board encounters, Stranger cards, or Place cards.
- You may not use Fellowship Combat against Enemy cards with a Craft attribute.
- You may not use any Object, Magic Object, Spell, Follower, or Special Ability that modifies your movement to land on an Enemy card in Fellowship Combat. This includes Merry's special ability, the Poltergeist, Raft, Horse, Horse and Cart, Speed , Water Walking, Slow Motion, or Teleport Spell.
- If another character agrees to help you in Fellowship Combat you must encounter the Enemy card. It may not be Evaded or use a Follower to fight in your place.
- There can only be a maximum of two characters in Fellowship Combat.
- If you are defeated in Combat you may still use any Spell, Helmet, Shield, or Armor to prevent the loss of Life. If one character prevents his loss of Life it does NOT prevent the other character's loss of Life.
- You may only add to each other's Strength. This may include any Object, Magic Object, Spell, or Follower that adds to your Strength in Combat.
- You may use the War Horse and Psionic Blast Spell in Fellowship Combat.
- Pippin may not use his Craft instead of Strength in Fellowship Combat.
- You may not use the Psionic Wand in Fellowship Combat.
- If you land on a space that requires you
to draw more cards, both players encounter them one at a time starting with
the Active Player (the player who is taking their current turn).
Example: It's Frodo's turn and Pippin agrees to fight a Fellowship Combat
against a Dragon in the Ruins. Frodo draws another card to take the total to
two:
- Frodo
draws and encounters the Patrol event and is immediately sent back the the Village
and Pippin must fight the Dragon alone.
- Frodo draws and encounters the Book of Spells. Only Frodo gains his full complement
of Spells and the Book vanishes to the discard pile.
- Frodo draws the Magic Stream. If Frodo and Pippin defeat the Dragon they may
both gain a Strength point and two Strength points remain on the Magic Steam.
- Frodo draws the Holy Lance card. If they defeat the Dragon, Frodo may take
the Holy Lance. If he does not, then Pippin may take it. If anyone drops an
Object it must be left on the space. The next character that lands there may
take it if able.
- Frodo draws a Giant Lizard. They must now fight a Strength 10 monster horde.
- Frodo draws the Vampire. If they defeat the Dragon, Frodo must change his
alignment (see the Ringwraith section above) and fight the Vampire in Psychic
Combat. If Frodo is defeated the Vampire gains a Life and Pippin must change
his alignment and fight him. If Frodo defeats the Vampire Pippin does not need
to change his alignment. If Frodo Evades the Vampire he does not change his
alignment but Pippin must then fight the Vampire or Evade him.
- Only the Active Player may keep the defeated Enemy card for Strength points.
- You may not share items in Fellowship
Combat.
Example: If Frodo has the War Horse, only he may add his Craft to his Strength.
Example: If Frodo casts the Psionic Blast Spell, only he may add his Craft to his Strength.
- A Character who is a Toad, Enslaved, or losing a turn may not be used in Fellowship Combat.
- The Doppelganger's total Strength is the total Strength of the Active Player.
Game Variants:
If you want an extra challenge, only Frodo can destroy the Ring. If he dies you all lose the game immediately.
For shorter gameplay you may have Frodo start with the One Ring.
If you want to play Sauron, draw an Evil character at random. This is your agent and he will follow all of your commands. You play the Evil character and if you deliver the One Ring to Mount Doom (the Crown of Command) you win! If a Hobbit character is turned Evil he is not killed, instead he joins the Evil side! Evil characters can NOT change their alignment, ignore any instructions to do so. Evil characters may wear the One Ring to turn Invisible but must lose their next turn. Evil characters may attack face up Enemy cards together and you trade items when you land on the same space but only with other Evil characters. Evil characters may attack Good characters and Good characters may attack Evil characters.