Ring Goons
A downloadable game
Ring Goons is a hack of Tunnel Goons by Nate Treme, set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Inspired by The One Ring 2e by Francesco Nepitello, it allows players to experience adventures as Men, Elves, Dwarves, or Hobbits during the Third Age.
Each player will need a character sheet, a pencil, and two six-sided dice (2d6).
Ring Goons © 2024 is licensed under CC BY 4.0
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Development log
- Minor changes70 days ago
- Ring Goons V292 days ago
Comments
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Looking at creatures like the Nazghul or Mumakil with DS of 20+, you could certainly tackle those with a specific magic weapon designed for them, but I’m looking at a home brew rule. What if players could add one dice plus their bonus for each member of the fellowship to attack a single enemy, needing one Fellowship point for each member? Four members could roll four dice plus their bonus to coordinate an attack on a single enemy. If they succeed, they use one fellowship point and if they fail, they lose all they “wagered”. Thoughts?
I really like your idea! I think it has a lot of potential as a rule.
One thing that might need some extra thought is whether this kind of coordinated attack should be allowed against any enemy. With so many dice rolled, the players might end up defeating almost any foe too easily, which could take away from the tension and danger of encounters.
My original intent was for certain creatures, like the Nazgûl, to be so terrifyingly powerful that players would want to avoid them at all costs .
Maybe this rule could be limited to specific situations or be used as an idea for the party to avoid a close encounter or some great danger. But overall, it’s a really solid concept and I appreciate you sharing it!I would love to hear about your adventures in Ring Goons!
I was thinking along the same lines. One thought I had was that the party could lose all their Fellowship dice for doing this as a way to make it costly so you wouldn’t even consider doing it against an Uruk Hai (against a cave troll it might be helpful!). But I also don’t want the group to feel like Voltron where they can just “join forces” and overcome any obstacle. It’s tricky to thread the needle. Maybe some foes are just beyond you.
Exactly! Some foes are too dangerous for you to tackle.
I really love the idea though. Maybe it could be a mechanic that is "unlocked" or gifted by the elves in the form of a special item. Or a team ability that is unlocked when a party shares a lot of adventures together. The same way that Samwise was able (against all odds) to defeat Shelob in order to protect Frodo. Really love the Voltron parallel (MMPR fan as growing up). As you said, it's tricky to thread the needle but the idea is really good an it deserves to be considered more.
I have been gaming for 35 years. This unbelievably good. What fun! I hope you’re proud of it.
Wow, thank you very much! It means a lot!
I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for doing this. I think TOR is overly complex and am hacking it + Dungeon World + others for a simpler game. No elf PCs, and a "response to elves" trait.
I like your take on Hope and Fellowship. We're only on our third session playing so still tweaking it.
Thanks a lot! I agree with TOR while an excellent game, feels a little too crunchy for me.
The no elf PCs is a smart choice I think. I hope you enjoy it.
Loving my solo play of Ring Goons. Thanks for putting this together.
Really happy to hear this! I would love to hear your stories!
Two hobbits are investigating rumors of a hobbit family disappearing where the Shire borders the North Moors. As they get near a farm, smoke is rising from burnt buildings and they encounter an elf from one of the Wandering Companies. They also discover goblin tracks heading West. While tracking the goblins, the trio meets up with a ranger who is tracking the goblins too.
The dice are with the new Companions as there are a number of successful Guide rolls and they eventually track down a small band of goblins with five captured hobbits Northeast of the Grey Havens. An ambush in the woods gives the Companions enough of an edge to kill most of the goblins, but one goblin escapes.
Fleeing back to the Shire, the dice roll a friendly encounter for the Companions. They meet a group of dwarves returning to the Blue Mountains. Hearing their story, the dwarves give the group two extra supplies and start sharpening their axes hoping to meet the goblins.
Just at the borders of the Shire, the Companion’s luck turns as they are attacked by a pack of wolves. The elf rolls two Ones for his attack on the largest wolf. So his bow breaks along with taking the damage. However, the ranger & the two hobbits beat off the attack.
As night falls at the edge of Hobbiton, the ranger & elf depart for Bree. They invite the hobbit pair to join them in a week. The captured hobbits are reunited with their family in Hobbiton & ale flows in celebration.
But questions remain. Why were goblins in that area? Will the Companions go after the goblins? Or does another quest await them? We’re off to Bree to find out.
Used Perplexing Ruins’ Fallen Solo Oracle Card as the GM Oracle.
Wow very nice! Sounds like you had a great time and you remained faithful in Tolkien's work.
Love Peplexing Ruin's work btw.
Thanks a lot for your story!
My pleasure. Looking forward to playing Ring Goons more this week.
Nice session! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! Their adventures continued after this initial solo play. However, they are currently resting in Rivendell after a challenging adventure in the Ettenmoors. I will definitely be back to play more Ring Goons.