Legendary, delightful, full of content. Moria Through the Doors of Durin is full to the brim with happiness hormones for Lord of the Rings fans.
The One Ring 2e is a one-of-a-kind role-playing game. The mechanics are sweet, the publisher is Free League (best promo department far and wide) and the illustrations are artistically top notch.
Moria? Downwards!
225 pages of text, two pitch-black ribbon markers and a map of the Mines of Moria to take out at the back. Every LotR fan should buy this, even without being a role-player. The map of Moria (you have to let that melt in your mouth: map of Moria!) is also printed on the inside of the book cover at the front and back. The binding is matt and the cover shows the Mellon Gate to Moria. I say: Speak friend and enter!
What is this book?
This is not an adventure book, not a campaign book, it is not a setting book. Or is it? This book is most likely a city book, if you like. Similar to the Warhammer city tomes, which are packed with locations, plot hooks and monsters or NPCs. Moria is packed with information and inspiration on rooms, locations and creatures to easily play an entire campaign in the dwarven depths of Moria. That’s why I’m talking about a “campaign” here.
So many adventures
What the “campaign” wants is easy to explain: Dungeon Delving. It’s the most legendary dungeon in history. I know there will be mostly orcs and goblins in there. And yes, those who are used to Gelatinous Cubes and Mimics may find it boring. But hello: Moria? This is the mother of the underground vault, underdark or not.
The “campaign” sends the companions on a quest. In search of treasures, in search of mithril and in search of the legend of Durin. And in the end (who would have thought it?) there may be a Balrog in eternal slumber somewhere in the depths of Moria. So: stay away from the edges of wells with armor. Really.
And then the map of Moria again … When I look at the beautiful map and realize how many levels Moria actually has and that dwarves carved it into the mighty stone of the Misty Mountains, it sends a shiver down my spine. Let alone the idea of descending into these dark and contaminated tunnels, hundreds of meters underground. I forget that this was only the brain of a philologist whose third name was “Reuel”.
Goosebumps
What I once criticized is now the strength of this book and of The One Ring: being able to play where the legend lives. The only downer: there is not a single actual adventure in “Moria – Through The Doors of Durin”. This makes the book all the more rounded, from an artistic point of view. But you really have to do the work yourself.
In my opinion, to enjoy this perfectly formed book, you need exactly (only) that: respect, love and fascination for the Lord of the Rings. Anyone who reveres this story, who has lived, suffered and loved in this world, will find many more happy hours with “Moria – Through The Doors of Durin”.
If you are a hardened OSR dungeon fighter or high-fantasy dungeon slayer, you might not be able to resist yawning at the scenery and basic enemies described.
I myself, however, cannot help but tremble in awe. These brownish illustrations, reminiscent of ink drawings, reflect the power and historicity of this gloomy, musty, damp tomb that has been closed for an infinitely long time. Random tables, unexpected creatures, venerable dwarven sites – it’s as if I could experience the adventure myself and climb into the sacred halls of Durin, unsure whether there will be a way back for me. But would we be heroes if we didn’t dare anyway?
Free Solo
If you like and or play The One Ring anyway, if your heart beats for Middle-earth, if you want to live the legend, then this book is for you. Visit Moria. Who wouldn’t want to shout “Flee, fools!” and base jump into the Balrog’s living room?
Around thirty pages of solo mode follow from page 189! If you don’t have a group, if you want to go to Moria alone, if you want to enjoy the experience deep inside your own head in silence, you can use the book as a solo RPG with the so-called “Strider Mode”. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your character has to stumble through Moria all alone, as you assemble your own party of companions and undertake mission after mission to explore and map Moria. The rules don’t sound uncomplex, but also exciting.
Conclusion
Monumental.
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