This is high quality stuff, not just in the presentation, but in linking things to the source material and the thought put in to some of the mechanics. Quick thoughts (to the extent we care about balance here) - Against the Shadow is very weak as a virtue. Dwarves get Untameable spirit, which gives 1d on Shadow (Sorcery) tests and +1 Maximum Hope. Mathematically, Favoured on a roll is generally a little worse than 1d, except at very low dice pools, plus 1d can add a 6 to a roll while favoured cannot. I'd buff this a little, benchmarking against Untameable Spirit, Against the Unseen and Strength of Will. You could let them "Rally Comrades" as a secondary action once per combat, as there's precedent for that in other virtues. - Combat spells: maybe let 6s there be spent to boost damage (with Heart or Strength, so Wits isn't the Attack, Parry and Damage stat for Istari)? - Giver of Hope: assuming you pass (!), this is miles better than the Hobbit Virtue "Three is Company", as in a 4 person group you're looking at giving 6+ hope back (more with a great success or better). Doesn't bother me too much as I think we want the Istari to be cool! - Forgotten Lore: I'd buff this. We see other cultures that get a Virtue that allows magical successes (Broken Spells, Ways of the Wild, Beorn's Enchantment, Natural Watchfulness) and they cover 3 Skills and in some cases give an additional bonus. - Friend of Birds and Beasts: I'd include a small mechanical benefit, as similar virtues for other characters do that and allow communication (Brother to Bears, Language of Birds, albeit in both cases they cover a narrower range of animals). - I'd include a way for the Culture to get Inspiration on rolls. While they can use distinctive features like everyone else for skill Inspiration, for other rolls (attacks, Shadow tests etc) it can be good to have a route to making them inspired: every core rulebook culture can do this (but not all of the ones in Wilderland). This is an easy way to buff some of the Virtues.

Like so much this Magical way, really inspired by Round/dice and Fatigue points loss, you sticked so much to TOR mecanism. Perhaps I won't let players play Istari character but will keep your Magic stuff for NPC or why not for Scholar ! thanks a lot

I would frikkin LOVE to play as Radagast the Brown. He's just barely fleshed out which gives players a chance to fill in the gaps with their imagination. Really appreciate you making this. Subbed.

I really love this take on Wizards! Very fun. I’ve always been against magic-wielding characters in Middle-earth RPGs, but… I could actually see myself using this. Bravo!

I'm LOVING these videos. They are so helpful and well-made! Keep 'em coming!

I need to say again. AMAZING VIDEO. Like others. Everything careful mentioned. Thank you. I'm thinking about that..

This is great, thanks!

These are all so great. Thank you for making them. One of my players would love to play an Easterling, so if you're looking for ideas, that one would be amazing. They wanted to make a corsair.

This is a great take on the Istari. I’m not sure player wizards are a good thing, but there are some valuable ideas for running NPCs here.

Love the boss man def deserve more than 110 subs!

While lost endurance points restore with a rest, fatigue points do not. Fatigue points are somekind of "travel scars", reducing your weariness threshold in the comming adventures. Fatigue points restore in safe heavens and ..... maybe in some special adventure spots (a village becomming friendly after a sucessful council ?, a cleared dungeon ?). According to 2.ed rules these wizards will become perma weary and unable to cast spells in a short time. Perhaps use a "free" spell system associated with a rising failure risk. (A spell might failure with woe or rise the awareness score from the eye of sauron. Losing hope points is another option). If this gets too complicated then istari "need" a special ability to let them regenerate fatigue in a special way.

Good idea, I love it! Don't forget the Eye Awareness while doing Magic. I think this can be added as an extra "cost" to a spell, or some Virtue, like ehen you reveal your true identity. But really nice done!

Awasome man another great video keep it up.

Glad you are making such things! As currently The One Ring is my absolutely favorite rules system. They are so interesting, well thought, narrative and very thematic for the tolkien's world game. BUT! As I like Tolkien books very much... this setting seems soooo... limiting for an RPG game. Lack of magic user is one thing. SO: I would really like to use those rules for other settings, and my dream come true scenerio would be: someone make a science fantasy game based on this ruleset! But as they are they are seem not so hackable and seem as a lot of work to make them work for other settings. So currently moved to the YZE rules with step dice... but wouldn't mind buying other games with those rules!

2:30 the meaning of the colors of the Istari is in relation to Black, the color of Sauron. Each color represents an aspect of the opposition against Darkness. In the legendarium, there was never any sort of "rank" within the Wizards, or any distinction concerning their powers. They all played (or should have in the case of Saruman) an equally important part in the struggle against Sauron.

Love this!

Your LOTR videos are great 👍

Another great video as always. I just wanted to comment on the improvement to audio, very nicely mixed. I’m really looking forward to your experience with Strider Mode and hearing your thoughts

brilliant

Nice work. Id probably use for strider mode rather than a group game.

This is amazing stuff! I'm not sure I would allow any of my players to play one of the Istari but, this could surely be useful if Gandalf ever accompanied them! May I ask how you make your pages? Do you have a template or something like that? I am developing game aids for me that would benefit from looking more like the source material! Than you again. Love all your videios!

perhaps a little too complicated as all the mechanics are already in the system - would be easier to just allow magical successes on any skill or combat skill by spending hope.. this can be flavoured how ever you want

bbbbbro amaizing, did u sheared this in the one ring discord?

i have always wondered and i want to know your opinion, what about playable Orcs?