The Hobbit DC "set": An Unexpected Journey (The Canadian set)

[sheriffharry]

New member here, been playing LOTR TCG since the very first week in 2001, played at the Worlds in 2002 (eliminated on the first round though..). Love the game but disliked all the change in "Shadows", especially the new cultures and site path, and drop a bit from the scene then, but that's another story...

I saw the new Hobbit movie three times and I think the LOTR TCG potential is enormous.
I think there's enough talent on this board to build a modest fan-made "virtual set".

Here's what I have in mind:

- Let's have a modest objective: about 64 cards, just enough to play a full game with just the new cards.

- Cultures: Dwarves, Shire, Gandalf (including Radagast,s stuff), Elves, Gundabad(NEW/Warg-riders), Moria(=Misty mountains goblins, including Trolls), Nazgûls (for wraiths and everything Corruption-related), Gollum, Dragon(NEW, for the next movie, just a couple of "foreshadowing" cards)

- For the game Mechanics, the most important thing would be to establish a new ring-less beginning of the game and possibly totally ring-less games. Rules would be the same, but Corruption could be added without an actual ring-bearer and winning/loosing should be mostly a survival test. Bilbo would key to winning/loosing, even without the ring, so you still have to protect "The Hobbit" to win. This will need some thinking..

- I would return the site path to a 1 to 9 numbering scheme. The THREE regions could still be used for game-text, I'd like a combination of the two.

- We would need something like two new loaded keywords and two new unloaded keywords at minimum. Dwarven are obviously the key target of one of these, maybe Wargs for the other. We could recycle a lot of the old Moria stuff for the Goblins and Trolls. Warg-riders are pretty much already established, as all other cultures. "Dragon" should be something special, but indirectly affecting the game for now.

- Conditions/Events/Allies would recycle a lot of the old mechanics. Some "Riddle" cards for Gollum are a must.

That's about it to start with.

Obvious cards:
New Ring

Thorin+ the 12 dwarves (Maybe 2 by card in some cases to respect the 9 companions limit..)
Gandalf (rare+common?)
Bilbo (rare+common ?)
Gollum (+new Riddle cards=events/conditions??)
Radagast (+hat, sledge, house, staff, etc.)
Elrond
Random Elves
Random Dwarves
Random Hobbit allies
Eagles

Azog
Random Wargs/Warg riders
Goblin-King
Random Goblins
The Three trolls
Stone Giant (maybe not..)
Dol Guldur's Wraith
Mirkwood Giant Spiders

Sting
Glamdring
Pipe-weed/pipes
Fir cones
Contract
Ponies
Mirkwood evil taint
Necromancer (condition ?)
Smaug's sleep (condition)

Sites:
Bilbo's Hole
Trollshaws
Rivendell (site 3 or 6?)
Misty Mountain (outside)
Misty Mountains (inside)
Buckland
Rhudaur plains
Rhudaur forest
----

I'll stop here.
Anybody in ?

[sheriffharry]

Ok let's start with a couple of simple rules for this:

1) Anybody can submit a card lore. Let's stick to the list in the first post at first. (Except maybe new events/conditions/sites/possessions would be welcomed)

2) DO NOT redo a card already submitted, propose CHANGES to the card lore instead.

3) Try to re-use mechanics and keywords from others. There should not be more than 3 or 4 new keywords in the set.

That's about it. The result will surely be a bit shaky at first, coming from different minds, but the initial goal is to reach a "playable" set of 64+ cards. We can fine-tune things as we go on.

[sheriffharry]

Here's a first new rule. Nothing fancy, but it's a start..

Ring-less rules
------------------
1) With cards of this set, you start the game with Biblo Baggins (from the new set) as a "ring-bearer" but no One Ring (set it aside). All other starting fellowship rules applies.
2) While you have no ring, burdens go on Bilbo. If Bilbo dies or is corrupted, you lose the game.
3) Biblo can acquire the One Ring (through the playing of 2-3 "Riddle" event ??) during the game

Obviously the new ring should make Bilbo much harder to kill, and the Bilbo card should read something like "Resistance+5 while not wearing the One Ring".

[sheriffharry]

OK, let's get this train on the road.. here are two new cards for the set:

•Radagast, Wizard with an addled mind
Companion • Wizard
Strength: 8
Vitality: 4
Resistance: 7
Exert Radagast to play Radagast's Sled from your draw deck.
Any phase: Discard two cards at random from hand to draw a card. If you do, do not reconcile your hand during the Regroup phase.
---

•Radagast's sled
Possession • Support Area
To play, spot Radagast.
The move limit is +1.
Skirmish: Exert a companion three times to cancel a skirmish involving him (except Bilbo/the Ring-bearer).

[macheteman]

I do not yet have any card ideas (i'm sure i will later) but i'll start by giving my 2 cents on what you have so far!

•Radagast, Wizard with an addled mind
Companion • Wizard
Strength: 8
Vitality: 4
Resistance: 7
Exert Radagast to play Radagast's Sled from your draw deck.
Any phase: Discard two cards at random from hand to draw a card. If you do, do not reconcile your hand during the Regroup phase.

title is a bit too long, mybe "radagast, woodland friend" or something shorter "radagast, the simple", or maybe even "radagast, addled wizard"

i would probably go with a different kind of game text. something like this:

when you play radagast, you may heal a companion. (representing his care of other creatures and his healing of the hedgehog in the film)
Regroup: discard 2 cards from hand to draw a card.


•Radagast's sled
Possession • Support Area
To play, spot Radagast.
The move limit is +1.
Skirmish: Exert a companion three times to cancel a skirmish involving him (except Bilbo/the Ring-bearer).

love where this one is going! radagast's sled was awesome. fast. and in fitting with radagast's already present move limit +1 theme, we should indeed make the sled move limit +1.

I think it would be better to make the sled play onto radagast and be vitality +1 and say "exert Radagast 3 times to cancel a skirmish involving a companion (except bilbo...)" this would represent how radagast drew the wargs away from the company.

those are my 2 cents. i've always enjoyed making DC's for the Hobbit, so i'm sure i will be back to make some before long.

[sheriffharry]

Bilbo, Gollum, Smeagol, The One Ring and Riddle events:

[zero] •Bilbo Baggins, Respectable Hobbit
Companion • Hobbit
Strength: 3
Vitality: 4
Resistance: 8
Ring-bearer
While Bilbo do not possess the One Ring he is Resistance +6.
Minions skirmishing Bilbo gain:
Skirmish: Exert this minion twice to exert Bilbo once.
---
•The One Ring, Gollum's precious
While wearing the One Ring, each time bearer is about to take a wound, add a burden instead.
[Maneuver:] Wear the One Ring until the Regroup Phase.
[Skirmish:] While wearing the One Ring, add four burdens to cancel a skirmish involving the ring-bearer.
---
•Gollum, Foul Minion
Minion
Strength: 5
Vitality: 4
Site: 6
To play, spot an underground site.
Assignement: Exert Gollum three times to assign him to Bilbo. No other minion can be assign to that skirmish.
---
•Smeagol, Fun Companion
Companion
Strength: 3
Vitality: 4
Site: 6
Ring-bound To play add a burden.
Discard Smeagol if not underground.
Fellowship: Pay and exert Smeagol three times to take a Riddle card from your draw deck.
---
Thirty white horses on a red hill...
Event(Riddle)
Play at an underground site.
To play in Region 1, spot Gollum or Smeagol.
Maneuver: Put this riddle under Bilbo. If you spot Smeagol, discard him.
---
What have I got in my pocket?
Event(Riddle)
Play at an underground site.
To play discard a riddle from under Bilbo.
To play in Region 1 or 2, spot Gollum or Smeagol.
Maneuver: Play The One Ring on Bilbo. If you spot Smeagol, discard him.
---
This thing all things devours...
Event(Riddle)
Maneuver or Skirmish: Cancel a Riddle event or make Gollum strength +3.
---
Note: No site 9 should be underground.



Now, who else wants to try a new card ??

[sheriffharry]

Great suggestions!
New Radagast and Radagast's sled:

•Radagast, Addled Wizard
Companion • Wizard
Strength: 8
Vitality: 4
Resistance: 7
When you play Radagast you may heal a companion.
Exert Radagast to play Radagast's Sled from your draw deck.
Regroup: Exert Radagast and discard two cards at random from hand to draw a card.
---

•Radagast's sled
Possession
Vitality +1
Bearer must be Radagast.
The move limit is +1.
Skirmish: Exert Radagast three times to cancel a skirmish involving him (except Bilbo/the Ring-bearer).

[macheteman]

• Thorin, Oakenshield
Companion - Dwarf
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Bilbo and each Dwarf you spot is strength +1.
At the start of each skirmish phase you may spot bilbo or 3 dwarves to reinforce a or token.

[sheriffharry]

• Thorin, Oakenshield
Companion - Dwarf
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Bilbo and each Dwarf you spot is strength +1.
At the start of each skirmish phase you may spot bilbo or 3 dwarves to reinforce a or token.

I had something similar in mind for the dwarves (bonus when 3+ attacking, using a loaded keyword). But this might be a simpler way!
Now we need a dwarf condition that uses those tokens. Pay 2, with two tokens on it already, remove a token for +1 strength for a dwarf? called... "Glory of Erebor" or something like it... ? Can you finish my thought ?

Also: All dwarves should be DAMAGE +1

[macheteman]

The Lonely Mountain Calls
Condition - Support Area
When you play this condition, place a token on this card.
Skirmish: Spot Bilbo and remove a token from this condition to make a Dwarf strength +1.

[macheteman]

i tend to disagree about the damage +1. usually they do, but the lack of damage can emphasize their uniqueness. for instance, this thorin will never be less than 8 strength, probably never less than 9 (bilbo ringbearer) and strengthens all the other dwarves. reinforcing tokens all the way. maybe we could add twilight -1 when in starting fellowship. but i think it best to leave damage +1 for some of the older and more grizzled dwarves of the company.

[macheteman]

• Orcrist, Biter
Artifact - Hand Weapon
Strength: +2
Bearer Must be Thorin.
Bearer is Damage +2.
" the goblins simply called it Biter. They hated it and hated worse anyone that carried it."

[Zurcamos]

I think the idea of Bilbo not starting with the ring is the best idea I've heard for a Hobbit expansion (it should be by default), though him getting burdens while not bearing it doesn't make sense to me.  That's the whole point of burdens.

[macheteman]

the opponent could place the burdens on the ring, and then they will be assigned to bilbo when he finally gets the ring. just an idea...

[sheriffharry]

1) I agree on dwarves. They are different dwarves! (not +1)

2) As for burdens... I don't think you can remove them completely from the game. But by making Bilbo Resistance 14 without the Ring (see his card) I doubt a corruption victory would be a common occurence. This is a choice from the Fellowship player: get the One Ring to make Bilbo less vulnerable, but then Corruption by burdens becomes a problem. One could see burdens as battle weariness, as Bilbo wanting to abandon the quest, as he did in the movie and book. And without Bilbo, there is no success possible, as we all know.

but I agree this could need reworking.