“There are many powers in this world, for good or for evil. Some are greater than I am. And against some, I have not yet been tested.” Gandalf the Grey – ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’
Time for another update on The Road Goes Ever On’ (RGEO), my possible gaming project for 2027.
What is RGEO?
RGEO will be a solo game, combining the best elements of my recent projects (STAFF and DWSSG3e+ along with Barbarian Prince) where the player assumes the role of a fellowship of adventurers in Middle Earth!
Quality Tests
Tests are a core element of RGEO and you often have to make a Test based on a Quality, such as a Leadership (LDR) or Spirit (SPR). This Test is sometimes for just a specified Character, as in combat, but mostly uses the total Quality added from all Companions.
Any Quality Test has a target number for success, such as a LDR 3 Test. In any such Test, you roll a number of D6 equal to the specified Quality and each die that rolls 4-6, gains a ‘success’, indicating progress. You pass the Test if you have a number of ‘successes’ equal to the number of the Test, such as a standard SPR 3 Test requires 3 successes from the combined SPR of all Characters in your Company.
If you roll no successes (all dice rolled have a result of 1-3) then you fail the Test. If you have some successes, but not enough to reach the target number, then you may continue the Test next Turn. If you then roll no new successes, you fail the Test.
There are several variations on this standard Test sequence:
• An ‘Easy’ Test scores a success on each die roll of 3-6
• A ‘Difficult’ Test only scores a success on each die roll of 5-6.
• A ‘Trait’ Test only adds the Quality of Characters with the specified Trait, such as ‘Ranger’ or ‘Elf.’
• A ‘Valiant’ Test requires all the successes to be achieved in a single roll or the Test instantly fails.
These variations can also be combined, so a ‘SPR 4 Difficult Valiant Wizard Test’ would require only Wizards in your Company to make the Test, and they would have to gain 4 successes of 5-6 in a single roll. “You shall not pass” indeed!
Why is RGEO only a ‘possible’ gaming project?
There are many, many games that take place that use ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’. I want to make sure that players would actually play another one before I commit myself to months of work only to find nobody will play it! I believe I do have some really good ideas to go forward to make RGEO more of a solo rpg experience than the a card or war game, to instead create heroic adventures in Middle Earth.
Hobbit and Wizard RGEO Memberships
To gauge interest in RGEO, I have created a membership scheme here on my website so that real support for RGEO can be determined. There are two tiers of membership – Hobbits ($2 a month) and Wizards ($5 a month). If there is not enough support for RGEO to go forward by Nov 26, I will close the membership so members will not lose more money. In this way, a 4 month pledge is only $8 (Hobbit) or $20 (Wizard).
'Hobbit’ membership shows support and backing for RGEO. Think of it as buying a drink for me in ‘The Green Dragon’, and I’ll make sure all the Hobbits get some fun ‘second breakfasts’ on the journey. ‘Wizards’ also get some exclusive ‘first-looks’ at concepts and materials for RGEO. They’ll also sit on my ‘White Council’ for the game, where I’ll be asking them for feedback on possible content. Both will also gain exclusive RGEO cards.
AI and artwork
I want to avoid any use of AI in the project so have decided to use photographic images from the Peter Jackson to avoid stealing art from other sources. I hope the studios have made enough billions off the IP to not mind...
If RGEO is commissioned as a project it will, as always, be a FREE set of PDF files to download and PNP here on my coffee website in April 2027: https://buymeacoffee.com/dragoncymru
I’m always open to questions and feedback about RGEO and membership, so please get in touch!