Free LeagueFree League The One Ring: Ruins of the Lost Realm - Lord of the Rings Card Game, Multi, M, 14+ years, RPG supplement, Tabletop Card Game, Requires Core Rule Book or Starter Set

(Note: this is not a card game: its a sourcebook, and the first one published after the Core Rules Book for The One Ring 2nd Edition role playing game came out in 2022. The Amazon description above suggests that it is a card game.)Of course I should state that this BOOK is an addition from those rules - to make any sense of this book and to use it you will have to get the Core Rules book ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Free-League-Publishing-Ring-Core/dp/9189143450?ie=UTF8&tag=mh0a9-21&hvadid=&hvpos=&hvexid={aceid}&hvnetw=o&hvrand=&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_7dy1f5hemb_e )So leaving that aside this book is a collection of ideas to help a Loremaster (in Dungeons & Dragons speak that is the Dungeon Master role) run Adventures set in part of the world created by JRR Tolkien as Middle-earth.PART of the world? - well there are further sourcebooks like this one planned to cover other regions in detail.Ruins of the Lost Realm refers to the lands: people, history and geography, that were the old kingdom of Arnor, and a few smaller surrounding regions (e.g. Lindon, the Shire*, Rivendell). It actually concentrates on the southern parts of the region of Eriador. And it organises this in three different ways: political, geographical and historical.The ambitions of three external power groups (Corsairs, the Dunlending folk and Saruman in Isengard) are sketched out, and given a timeline of activity - I call this the political path (18 pages)Twelve specific locations are examined (dwarf halls, elf havens and dells, remnants of human groups in the wild, and a few darker places) each given two or three pages of flesh on bones - several geographical paths. These 12 locations are illustrations of what the designers refer to as LANDMARKS in the Core Rule book. Some are straight from Tolkien and others are home brewed. (66 pages)Seven descriptions of communities that are established - some very tenuously - because they are what remains after the ending of the North Kingdom. The first of these is the old city of Tharbad - which gets its own town map and short list of interesting "citizens" too - and these places are often loosely based on things mentioned in the appendices of Lord of the Rings. This is what I call a historical path. (22 pages)QUALITY of the book: top notch. Physically great to hold, nice solid feel to the pages; a limited use of colour for a few pages, most art is black & white, red ink is used to highlight some text here and there.Now I am not a complete Convert to the Second Edition of this game: there are definite improvements from the old version here, yet there are some changes that I think are a step too far. HOWEVER that does not stop me from saying that this is a clever & careful addition to the game. It is faithful & respectful to Tolkien without a doubt: and it is solidly anchored in his world. Of course it is something new, but this book offers a great way to expand into and roleplay in the Eriador lands of Tolkien's world. With plenty of flexibility and discretion for a Loremaster to develop their own style within this frame.Since that is the declared intention of the Designers - to give the players control and authority over the game - I have to conclude that they have been successful.This sourcebook describes the setting of this region. There are no scripted stories to follow along, no exact quests or missions outlined for you. It is the atlas for you to plan your own journey with.(There is already a companion book - Tales from the Lone Lands - that will help you with example stories, but that's another review!)* actually the Starter Set for this game covers the Shire in its own way