Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Sourcebook -- December 9, 2003

By Steven Creech, Exec. Chairman

Available from FRP Games for $23.95 (save $6.00)!!

Initiative Round
The Two Towers Sourcebook is the latest offering by Decipher for the Lord of the Rings roleplaying game. Written by Scott Bennie and Matt Forbeck and retailing for $29.95, this 128-page supplement picks up where its predecessor (The Fellowship of the Ring Sourcebook) left off. Set up in the same chapter format style as the previous book, things kick off with the detailing of the events and journey of the companions that make up both the books and movie.

Chapter two details the notable characters from The Two Towers. While primarily heroic characters, you do find a few minions of evil here, such as Saruman and Grima Wormtongue. Some of the information in this chapter is repeated from The Fellowship of the Ring Sourcebook, especially regarding the principal characters. There are some differences, however, that take into account a character's new experiences (such as Frodo and Gandalf). You also find new character stats from those who were first introduced to us in The Two Towers including Eomer, Erkenbrand, Quickbeam, and Theoden. Relevant magic items that the characters possess are also detailed with many of them reprinted from The Fellowship sourcebook.

Chapter three covers the noteworthy locations seen in The Two Towers. Laid out in alphabetical order, each location entry is a summarization of that area along with adventure hooks that narrators may make use of. Starting with Aglarond, traveling through Fanghorn Forest and ending with Zirakzigil: Durin's Tower, every major location from book and movie are covered. As usual, new game mechanic goodies are scattered all throughout this chapter, making it a valuable read for any narrator.

Critical Hit
The summarization of the differences between the movie and the book is certainly a strength. Those who wish to follow the course of events as Tolkein originally penned it have those options laid before them just as those who want to follow Peter Jackson's vision instead. The 'In the Game' section of each character entry does a very good job in showing the narrator how best to incorporate the character into his chronicles. Essentially, this could be thought of as a mini-adventure hook section done in a slightly different format.

Critical Fumble
There is a significant amount of information that is repeated, almost word by word, from previous source materials. Some gamers will not appreciate this, given the cost of the book. I do understand the need for it (the book is meant to be a standalone product) but it still seems redundant for those who have the other LotR RPG books. Another criticism is the referencing of other books in the series for more information. An example of this is Saruman's Staff, where readers are directed to Fell Beasts and Wondrous Magic for a detailed description of the staff's powers. If you are going to list some of the staff abilities, why not be complete? It hasn't stopped the development team in other matters within the book.

Coup de Grace
The Two Towers Sourcebook is an excellent resource that follows in the footsteps of previous works with the same standards of quality and information. The price to page vs. content ratio still comes across as a bit on the high side, but narrators who run regular chronicle sessions will likely find this to be a non-issue.

Gamers who use both d20 and CODA will find substantial utility in nearly all of Decipher's Lord of the Rings roleplaying supplements. The conversion to d20 isn't difficult but it is time consuming. Both systems are skill based and use target number resolution as a principle mechanic. Overall, the book is good and has value beyond the roleplaying game extending to the Tolkein enthusiast, given the success of the films. It is worth perusing at your gaming store but it is something you will have to want to have in order to better justify the cost.

Review Scores
Game Mechanics Rating: 13 (87%)
OGL Open Content Rating: N/A
Originality Rating: 16 (70%)
Playability Rating: 13 (59%)
Presentation Rating: 30 (94%)
Value Rating: 14 (58%)
Reviewer Opinion: 6 (60%)

Overall Total (Does not include OGL rating): 92 (73%)
Final Grade: C+