Which are the best 1ed scenarios? Preferably one-offs/standalone, not entire campaigns (Darkening or Laughter). Official or fan created such as Other Minds etc doen’t matter.
And which of those are fitting to use in second eds timespan?
I am currently running Wilderland Adventures (adapted to Forbidden Lands system but that's another story coming from the fact I own an Adventures in Middle Earth 5e scenario), and it's huge fun.
7 small scenarios, very diverse, and plenty of Lord of the Rings' feelings.
I remember seeing an Excel sheet somewhere with suggestions on time/order/location for playing all the published adventures, but cannot for my life find it now? Help!
The first adventure of Tales from Wilderland is a pleasant little trek. Good introductory sort of thing where a new Company can bond easily. Don't Stray from the Path.
From the same collection, Kinstrife has all the elements needed to use the key sections of TOR2e: It has Journeys all over the Anduin area; an interaction with a Patron; a Council with village elders in Stoneyford is easy to assemble; and a good fight / battle. Again its at a low level of demand, so a LM might have to ramp it up for an experienced crew: but if they are experienced, then the LM is too probably.
I'd like to recommend something from the other sourcebooks, but since most are so tied to a region or culture, I think that some will be more or less popular with your own gaming group because of the uniqueness of that region. E.g. Erebor reeks of dwarves; Rohan has so many horses; Eriador is steeped in the history of the Dunedain. If it were me, I don't have much attraction for the Rohirrim scenarios. And most of the Angmar parts of Ruins of the North don't inspire me as much as the Dalelands, or Mirkwood.
One storyline in the Darkening of Mirkwood campaign is the quest to reopen the dwarf road. That is something I do think is very open ended - if you want that.
For me Oaths of the Riddermark has been really good. Plenty of Middle Earth Rohan Politics and some of the adventures are really good, and we are up to session 45
Our previous campaign merged together Mirkwood, Tales of the Wilderland, Eriador and the last parts Erebor. That got to 80 plus sessions.
Guess the real question is do you have a particular favourite part of ME? if one of the 1st Ed covers that go for that one
Thanks for the input! Will try to merge Eaves of Mirkwood (maybe having a disguised Balin as one of the dwarves) with the To Journey's End and Eagles Eyrie + Don't Leave the Path + some stuff from Marsh Bell (which I don't like, "too generic/DD fantasy"). This will be the start. Maybe squeeze in the Black Arrow while in Laketown before The Gathering of the Five Armies-festival.
Just to share my personal choices: I have just started a campaign (not a backer so only got the books when they came for all to purchase) and will be starting with the PCs at a big fair in Bree, to get people used to the game mechanics.
Here is the First Edition material I am using:
I am adapating the Dragontide part of the Laketown booklet (the archery contest) and the fan made Theft of the Moon (very good intro' scenario, totally aimed at learning the game mechanics).
Then I will be using of Old Bones and Skin from the Bree book as a first adventure (I do plan to run The Star of the Mist from the 2E book too).
I have also started putting in seeds from The Company of the Wain adventure from Ruins of the North, so as to (maybe) run that later on.