Strider Mode
Strider Mode is a core supplement for The One Ring, written by Shawn Tomkin and Matt Click and published by Free League Publishing.
By Aaron T. Huss
Learn more about Strider Mode here
Purchase Strider Mode here (paid link)
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Strider Mode is a set of supplemental rules for The One Ring that allows you to play in solo mode, utilizing all the adventure material already published. Strider Mode is not a solo RPG in the traditional sense where the narrative of the adventure determines the outcome of your good or bad rolls. Instead, the Loremaster is replaced by a series of resolution tables for different types of conflicts, encounters, and events, requiring the player to effectively adjudicate the outcome using the tables as guidance. Additionally, due to the fact it utilizes published adventure material, the rules for character creation and combat are altered slightly in the favor of the player character to even the odds. The rules system is also altered slightly with some favorable rules for the Feat Die, Special Success, and Risk Levels.
It’s difficult to go into further details without giving away the meat of the rules. I do find this a fun way of taking your game and finding a way to enjoy it on your own, but it requires a lot of additional management on the part of the player. The solo system is powered by random rolls and reference tables, so you’ll need to keep them close at all times. If you’re really into The One Ring and love Middle-earth, it’s worth a shot. If you do a lot of your gaming with solo RPGs designed to play solo, this may have too many fiddly bits for you.