The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Trick-Taking Game

Setup: follow the chapter card for characters, threats, gifts, and events, marking mandatory characters. Normally reveal one lost card; if it is the 1 of Rings, deal another and shuffle the One Ring back. Deal twelve cards each with three players or nine each with four; hands remain secret.

Characters and exchanges: normally the player dealt the One Ring takes Frodo, the appropriate player-count side, and the Ring token. Choose characters clockwise from Frodo’s left, including all mandatory roles, then resolve setup powers in order. An exchange passes one card facedown and receives one back, possibly the same card; Frodo cannot exchange the One Ring.

Tricks: the leader plays one card, then everyone follows clockwise. Follow the lead suit if possible; otherwise play any suit. Normally the highest card of the lead suit takes the whole trick and leads next. Frodo normally leads the first trick; chapter and card instructions can override this.

Rings: this suit runs from one to five. It cannot be led until a Rings card has been played into another suit’s trick, unless the leader holds only Rings. When legally playing the One Ring, its player may elect to win automatically or treat it as an ordinary rank-one Rings card. Rings two to five are not trump.

Information and goals: discuss only public information during setup and play. Do not show or describe secret hands or discuss character preferences during setup. Mark a goal only when it is achieved and cannot subsequently fail. Stop early if all goals are secured, or failure is inevitable.

Chapter changes: later chapters introduce threats, gifts, and events as directed. Card instructions override general rules. Gifts are used only in the specified chapter, once per chapter, rather than carried permanently into later chapters.

Short chapters: when hands are exhausted, check every chosen character; specified characters may retain cards. Every goal must succeed for the group to advance. Any failed goal loses the chapter, which may be retried.

Long chapters: complete required characters over several rounds. Record completion only when every chosen character succeeds in that round. Completed characters may be chosen again but must still meet their goals. Use Frodo each round; optional characters need not be selected, but must succeed if chosen. After failure, restart the chapter or retain completed characters, subject to chapter exceptions.