I bought this product because, unfortunately, the group I'm gaming with wants to use the travel rules contained within. Otherwise, it is not worth the money. While in general, The One Ring is a great game, and most of the products for it have been pretty good, Journeys and Maps is brutally and unforgivably flawed. Yes, I knew the maps were crippleware when I bought it. I didn't expect them to be so poor resolution that they look like crap at "100%" zoom level on a 1080p monitor, but they do.

It's too bad that Cubicle 7 is addicted to the idea that they should try to force their fans (who'd rather not carry around huge piles of dead trees when a lap-top with a set of files is so much more convenient) to have a choice between crappy low-res maps, dead trees, and getting the maps from other sources, but that IS what the game company has left us with. I don't like it, and I don't appreciate it-- and I do NOT FIND CUBICLE 7'S EXCUSES FOR THIS DECISION ACCEPTABLE. It's greed and disrespect to their audience. Nothing more, nothing less.

And for that-- it's too bad I can't give this product a "0 stars" rating-- it doesn't even deserve the 1 star I had to give it because that's the lowest the rating system goes.

Whilst the 'maps' aspect of the title might be the draw card for many players, there is certainly more to this product. The maps are of good resolution on a computer screen, but you will need a very good printer to get the best value from them. As someone who already owns maps (and an atlas) of Middle-Earth, it was the 35-page booklet that was of more interest.

In this slim volume, we are treated to a host of plot hooks based on terrain type that vary immensely. It is very obvious that a lot of development was invested in this section as the hooks do not read like standard fantasy but instead take the time to link to the flavour of Tolkien's world. Many are based on familiar touchstones so that those new to Middle-Earth can easily grasp the idea - but those with a 'veteran' appreciation can certainly expand on the ideas and link to deeper lore if desired. Next is a section on ships and the sea for those - like the Elves - who hear the call of the waves and wish to send their own vessels out. It includes a range of encounters and plot hooks to really bring out this aspect of the world. Th penultimate section proves that the authors really understand adventuring in Middle-Earth. It starts with the premise that not all interesting parts of the world are about encounters and combat, and that natural wonders deserve to be part of the story (and given the amount of descriptive narrative in Tolkien's books, they are completely right). The book then leaves the reader with guidance on creating ruins in the flavour of Amon Hen or other iconic locations and asks all of the questions of the GM that should be considered in a land with so rich a history.

This is not just a boon for 'The One Ring' but will be a worthwhile investment for anyone running a Middle-Earth RPG.

Brilliant!

I love maps, and these are fantastic. I love seeing Middle Earth the way it's laid out by these authors. As well, the 39-page Journeys book has a great many Hazard possibilities, and that makes me very happy.

All-in-all, a very well-made product.

This book is a tremendous resource for any One Ring Loremaster who wants to flesh out his journeys! I love how well organized all the info is, and how creatively written each part is. The book has great ideas / encounter seeds for hazards in general, arranged by terrain difficulty, and even some for specificly named locaitons. The journey by boat section was particularly timely, as I bought this book just as my group embarked on a boating adventure. I love how there are whole sections on creating environmental features (waterfalls, thickets, caves, mines), meeting people and stopping at local farmhouses (poor, rich, roadside inn, etc.), and even a whole chapter devoted to creating ruins for your party to discover! The maps look great, too! They are plenty detailed enough for using on my laptop / tablet screen while preparing or projecting on my TV during gameplay.

I prefer not to review a product until I have a physical copy, but I do possess the pdf for Journeys & Maps and I like what I see so far. I have some minor quibbles with the maps, if only because of some minor omissions (in particular, I thought that the region of Khand should have been labeled on the maps of Mordor). I am still mildly disappointed that the Sea of Rhun remains beyond the borders of the maps of Wilderland and much of Forlindon and Harlindon are missing from the maps of Eriador. But I can still hope for those details in futher releases.

I am very pleased with the addtional journey rules and the notes on specific regions and new hazards. I know that a few errors have been pointed out that should be corrected before the physical product sees print. Also, especially appreciated are the chapters on boats and ships and on creating ruins. Even the notes on natural wonders, finding lodging and fellow travelers are welcome.

This product give you map in use for The One Ring Journey Rule and it is usable even in the electronic form. However, if you are fond of high quality map, you have to purchase the product directly in hardcopy, and not in electronic form. That's say, it's a nice addition for the rule and for mapping Middle Earth.

This product is not primarily about maps. Yes they are there and they expand the places that one can travel, but I believe what makes this such a great addition to the game is the material that can be used by the Lore Master to make the Journey phase of the game something enjoyable and memorable. Sometimes it can be challenging to embellish all the travel rolls with meaning and enjoyable details. There is so much useful material here and I cannot wait to begin encourporating it into my game. I would highly recommend it.

The product is, primarily about the maps. The maps, however, are at 1/8th the usual-for-Cubicle7 linear resolution, making half the product of VERY limited utility. The pixelation was noticeable at 100% view in acrobat, unlike other products in the line. Worse, this was an intentional crippling by the company, so as "to prevent competition" with the hardcopy product... (according to Jon Hodgeson, of C7.) In short, the text isn't worth $14.95 even dead tree, and the maps are almost worthless at the included resolution. Being a PDF-Only purchaser, my advice to others like me: Don't. You can find better resolution unofficial maps done by fans already online. (Comparing the 200% view with other products in the line, I had to hit 1600% to get similar pixelation.)

Whilst in many games, travelling to a place forms part of the adventure, in The One Ring the journey often IS the adventure, so this is a timely and useful addition to the game line. Anyway, I love maps!

So, let's start with the maps. They're glorious. And big - looking at the PDF version, on a large-screen PC, I'm not even getting 50% of them full-screen. There are four maps in total: Rohan & Gondor, Mordor, Wilderland and Eridor... but each comes in two forms, one for players and one for the Loremaster. The Loremaster version has loads of locations and other details, whilst the player version is the sort of thing a local cartographer might have made and sold to the Company when they were planning their next trip. A real delight to the eye, and practical for the game as well. The paper ones will no doubt look nice on your wall or enhance your tabletop when playing.

The set also contains a 32-page book which explains that Journeys and Maps is all about the adventures a company can have on their travels - chance encounters, hazards, natural events and more. The first chapter looks at travel by road, with plenty of ideas for things that might happen to the company arranged by region, making it easy to select the most appropriate event for them. Unfriendly locals, opportunistic thieves, or darkness lurking in a ruined farmhouse and more await... or they might just get lost! There are also suggestions about tailoring Hazards to specific regions, with a wealth of examples to get you started. Any can prove a momentary distraction, many have the potential to be developed into far more.

The next chapter deals with Boats and Ships. This provides just about everything you might want to know about travelling on the water rather than the land, with both river and sea journeys being discussed. There are notes on planning journeys, the types of vessel available... and of course hazards specific to the water.

The next section looks at things apart from hazards that can be used to enliven journeys. Here are interesting things to see, places to spend the night, fascinating people to talk to... not every encounter or event need be a bad one despite the abundance of hazards provided earlier.

The last chapter, Bones of the Earth, discusses ruins and explains how to design your own. Start by deciding who built it and what it was originally used for, then think about its present appearance and what it is being used for now. A whole bunch of ideas here. Finally, there is an Index of Locations covering everything that's been published to date, telling you both the book and the page number you'll need to consult to find out more.

Overall, this is a well-nigh essential aid for the Loremaster, and the maps are beautiful!