The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game: History & Editions

There is no single event called "The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game." It refers to several distinct tabletop RPG systems published over decades.

Year	Title	Publisher	System
1984	Middle-earth Role Playing (MERP)	Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE)	Rolemaster-lite (d100)
2002	The Lord of the Rings RPG	Decipher Inc.	Coda System (2d6)
2011	The One Ring: Adventures Over the Edge of the Wild	Cubicle 7 / Sophisticated Games	Custom (d12 + d6)
2023	The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying (5E)	Free League Publishing	D&D 5th Edition OGL

Each edition is a standalone rulebook; campaigns "happen" whenever a group plays.
MERP (1984–1999) had the largest supplement line (over 80 books).
The One Ring (2011/2022 2nd Ed.) is widely praised for capturing Tolkien's themes.
The 2023 5E adaptation allows D&D players to use familiar mechanics in Middle-earth.

Choose an edition based on preferred complexity (MERP crunchy, The One Ring narrative, 5E familiar).

Role Playing Games