I would say the majority of games I’ve played in and observed start at The Prancing Pony in Bree. Nothing wrong with that, of course, it is an iconic location for Lord of the Rings fans and a great meeting place for multiple cultures.
But sometimes we like to mix it up. Here are some suggestions for other starting points:
- Bilbo’s house in the Shire
- The Summer Smoke Ring Festival at Staddle
- The Dwarven House outside of Mithlond
- The Halls of the Dwarves (detailed in Realms of the Three Rings), particularly Clearweather Market
- I called the inn in Clearweather Market “The Bedrock”
- The Bridge Inn at Tharbad
- The Queen’s Hall at Lond Daer
- The Last Bridge or Sarn Ford, with a crisis already underway
- Weathertop, with Rangers asking for help with a crisis from those traveling on The East Road
- In media res – traveling on The East Road or south on the Greenway, with a destination already in mind
These are suggested with the idea of being a newly formed mixed-culture party. Other locations might be suitable with a more restricted set of cultures.
References
- Phillip’s Notes on The One Ring 2e – for more Loremaster notes and resources