A criticism I’ve seen for running The One Ring is the belief the events of your game really don’t matter. Frodo and the Fellowship save the day, not your players, if you stick to canon. And while this is true, your One Ring campaign can shine new context on that tale and approach it from an angle asking the question why Sauron received no aid from the orcs in the Misty Mountains, Mt. Gram and Mt. Gundabad. Why did Cairn Dûm not answer the call to war?
Because of your campaign!
Now this doesn’t need to be the focus of your game. There are a lot of other options available to you, especially if you have the boxed set which details the Shire, or Ruins of the Lost Realm and Tales of the Lone-Lands which provides adventure locations and scenarios for your group to play through. But if you want to attempt the suggestion above the Core book gives you a couple of launching off points to design around.
After years of quiet, Goblins are once again raiding Combe’s livestock. Why have they returned at this point? A simple answer is they are a forward scouting party that has gotten reckless and risked discovery. I’ve posted previously what that opening adventure phase can look like.
That nicely leads to an even greater threat, Búrzgul the “Butcher”, son of Bolg, lurking in the South Downs with a pack of Wargs led by Ash. Both of these villains are described in the core book though I added that bit about him being Bolg’s son for extra gravitas.
Set up these adventures using Gandalf as the group's patron. He is a blast to run, and mechanically his favours provide one of the better patron benefits to the party. Gilraen is another great choice, linking the Companions to the faded glory of the Rangers and their cause. Both also offer the sudden appearance of NPC Rangers to aid in the Companions endeavors when required.
A short follow up adventure can come in the form of the companions helping a local woodsman. At the summer Smoke Ring Festival, some of the players may compete for the prize of an elegantly crafted pipe while news reaches the Companions that Finch Talltree, Forester of Archet, recklessly seeks the troll that killed his father. Saving the Forester before something tragic happens brings the Companions more local renown while establishing a pair of eyes and ears they can lean on. Plus, it sets up the first encounter with a troll, those things are no joke!
A great side quest which can also link to the overall theme of the campaign comes from the sourcebook, Ruins of the Lost Realms. Perhaps the players need a break from all the orc and troll hunting. A trip through the Shire presents a completely different vibe. Light hearted. Mischievous. Peaceful. A place worth protecting. Maybe Bilbo is the patron of this phase, seeking the Companions aid in locating a rare book at the library in the White Towers, where tragedy awaits. The sourcebook presents the White Towers as an adventure location with a series of events already set in motion. Cirzor, a spy of the Enemy, adds a new layer to the machinations of the Enemy for the Companions to disrupt.
Other avenues to explore include weaving in PC backgrounds. One of my group created a Ranger from the North who wielded a spear, an ancient family heirloom. His father was wounded by a terrible creature and never fully recovered. Fort Arlas, another adventure location from Ruins of the Lost Realms, has a particularly nasty evil for the Companions to face and drive out of the north.
Or wounded Companions forced to flee from battle may lose important heirlooms, the recovery of which becomes a side quest within the overall campaign that can easily tie to the main plot. Said item taken to Rath Sereg, an orc stronghold described in Tales From the Lone-Lands becomes the adventure, another orc threat requiring the Companions attention whose defeat disrupts the Enemies plans in the north. And don’t get me started on all the cool stuff The Hill of Fear offers as the Eye of Mordor fixes its gaze on the Companions. The Hills defeat provides a possible end point for the campaign, or at least the “first season” of play, and a satisfying run of adventures for your group to sink their teeth into.
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