Apologies if there is already a thread for this, but I didn't see one at first scan...

Picked this book up last week and must say I am pretty darn impressed! The presentation is absolutely gorgeous (Paizo and WOTC should take notes from Cubicle 7), and contains a lot of art that is quite in line with the classic look of Tolkein's world.

New options: Cultures replace a character's Race, there are 6 new classes (no casters at all), new backgrounds, a bunch of new Feats (renamed as Virtues), and a Shadow Stat that replaces Alignment. New rules for journeys which looks pretty cool, and rules for fellowship, which is a variant downtime system.

Since there are no clerics and wizards, the Scholar class has some options for healing and some minor spellcraft.

These rules seem excellent to support any low-magic setting. I could quite easily run a Game of Thrones type of setting with this system.

Don't know when I'll get the group to try it, since we're quite enjoying B/X at the moment, but this is really the first 5e book besides the core that has gotten me reasonably excited. Volo's is decent and worth a look too, but this book is really cool.

I haven't had a chance to get a copy of this yet, but I've read through their The One Ring game line and overall I'm impressed with the Tolkien feel that they have established. If this book can capture the same feel using 5E rules then I'm definitely interested in getting a copy.

Does the One Ring And this new 5E version mesh will with the MERP stuff? I've got a huge shelf of MERP books from way back and would love to dust it off and get some use out of them.

You can use MERP stuff with TOR and AME, though the two latter RPGs are more firmly grounded in the late Third Age that MERP is. That may require some work.

AME does a good job of capturing Tolkien's world like TOR did and remains true to the D&D ruleset despite many new character options and rules, including all new classes, races, backgrounds and equipment. I don't think it supersedes TOR totally as the rules are a little wonky, especially compared to the well playtested and stable D&D5e ruleset. But it still a good option, especially if TOR isn't your thing mechanically or D&D5e is.

For completeness, you can run AME with just the Basic D&D PDF that is freely available, but you will likely want the upcoming Loremaster Guide.

Loremaster guide should be interesting. While the player's guide gives you enough to make middle-earth characters up and running, it definitely feels incomplete for running a colorful campaign.

Played some MERP/Rolemaster back in the day... no doubt parts of the older supplements would be useful in an AME game, especially the fluff. Don't know if much else could convert to AME/5e. I'd use MM monsters in place of ones in the module or convert your own. There are no examples of monsters in the AME players guide, but there's stats for a few NPCs.

I was really interested in this until I found you it wasn't standalone.

Quote from: danbuter;931794I was really interested in this until I found you it wasn't standalone.

Technically true, but you can run it with the Basic D&D PDF that is freely available (actually around 20 pages of the Basic D&D PDF

Quote from: danbuter;931794I was really interested in this until I found you it wasn't standalone.

Like Skywalker said below you just need the Basic D&D Rules and those are free.

I really like AME. I think depending on the support could be my favorite Middle-earth game (Decipher's being my favorite). I purchased TOR but I really didn't jive with the mechanics at all. I think they did a really good job applying the 5E ruleset to Middle-earth. Some of the complaints I've read about online come from 5E players that want to mine the game for their 5E campaign. While some things can be mined quite easily the game really is built around the Middle-earth setting. Also, people that complain about feats being called virtue need to go eat a dick.

Quote from: southpaw;931604Does the One Ring And this new 5E version mesh will with the MERP stuff? I've got a huge shelf of MERP books from way back and would love to dust it off and get some use out of them.

MERP is not the same feel as The One Ring/Adventures in Middle Earth. But.... because AiME is using D&D 5e, you can tack on what you need from the core rules to give the same feel as how Middle Earth is depicted in MERP.

Also the vast majority of MERP material set in 1650 in the Third Age where AiME and TOR are set in the 2940's just after the Battle of the Five Armies.

Quote from: danbuter;931794I was really interested in this until I found you it wasn't standalone.

As Skywalker said, The D&D basic rules are sufficient to run this. Just about the only thing that needed are the actual combat rules, and the ability/skills/saves rules. The stuff in the form of race, class, background, and feats ("virtues") are cover in the Players Guild. And equipment as well. You are not going to use magic items, you are not going to be using spells,  and when the loremaster guide is out you will probably not be using much of the monsters either.

But if you want to they will work with AiME.

Sounds way better than recent LoTR related rpg-products.

If any C7 people are reading, I wouldn't be opposed to being sent a review copy.

I doubt I'll order it because of the cost as well as shipping unless Canadian Amazon picks it up. On the other hand, should it appear at my FLGS then it's quite likely I won't be able to leave the store without it and I don't even like Lord of the Rings and by don't like I mean I read half the trilogy and ended up throwing it out a window.

Quote from: Krimson;932466I doubt I'll order it because of the cost as well as shipping unless Canadian Amazon picks it up. On the other hand, should it appear at my FLGS then it's quite likely I won't be able to leave the store without it and I don't even like Lord of the Rings and by don't like I mean I read half the trilogy and ended up throwing it out a window.

I can't say anything about shipping to Canada, but I just got a copy from Miniature Market for about $25. I've gotten a lot of One Ring books from them for well under Amazon prices. Another good option I've found is waiting for the big sales that some sites like Noble Knight run periodically through the summer and around the holidays.

Quote from: Brand55;932482I can't say anything about shipping to Canada, but I just got a copy from Miniature Market for about $25. I've gotten a lot of One Ring books from them for well under Amazon prices. Another good option I've found is waiting for the big sales that some sites like Noble Knight run periodically through the summer and around the holidays.

Well it's not like I need it right away. I have two OSRs (Apes Victorious and Low Fantasy Gaming) due to arrive in the mail hopefully tomorrow. This game looks like it could work for low fantasy stuff and well mostly it's shiny and I want it. But it is a book that would likely appear at my FLGS so that's probably my best bet. I got DCC last time I was there and they have lots of Cubicle 7 books there.

Quote from: Krimson;932486Well it's not like I need it right away. I have two OSRs (Apes Victorious and Low Fantasy Gaming) due to arrive in the mail hopefully tomorrow. This game looks like it could work for low fantasy stuff and well mostly it's shiny and I want it. But it is a book that would likely appear at my FLGS so that's probably my best bet. I got DCC last time I was there and they have lots of Cubicle 7 books there.

Yeah, that's understandable. While 5e is far from my favorite system I think AiME would work great for low fantasy stuff; as was mentioned, it could probably easily be hacked for a Game of Thrones campaign or something similar. I could easily see myself using it instead of A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying should I ever get around to doing that Night's Watch campaign I've wanted to try.