The Heart of the Wild

TOR5E

The Heart of the Wild
Publication Information
Author	Gareth Hanrahan, Francesco Nepitello
Illustrator	Jon Hodgson, Jan Pospíšil, Ben Wooten
Publisher	Cubicle 7 Entertainment
Released	18 July 2013
Pages	128
ISBN	978-0-85744-143-0

Rhovanion Region Guide
Publication Information
Author	Gareth Hanrahan, Francesco Nepitello
Illustrator	Jon Hodgson, Jan Pospíšil, Ben Wooten
Publisher	Cubicle 7 Entertainment
Released	2017
Pages	140
ISBN	978-0-85744-320-5

The Heart of the Wild is an adventure supplement for The One Ring role-playing game. A version for Adventures in Middle-earth, titled Rhovanion Region Guide, was also released.

Official description

The Heart of the Wild is a resource for The One Ring: Adventures Over the Edge of the Wild describing the lands of the River and the Forest – the Vales of Anduin along the banks of the Great River, and the trackless forest of Mirkwood to the east. It expands on the descriptions given in the Loremaster’s Guide, offering new sanctuaries and new perils for the players to discover. Each region is described in detail, listing potential friends and foes, sites of interest and potential adventures.

An expanded bestiary contains a host of strange creatures and servants of the Enemy, from the beasts of the forest to the fabled Great Spiders. Variant Cultural Backgrounds like River Hobbits or Wayward Elves offer new options for adventurers, while new Fellowship Phase actions bring the wild to life in your games.

Follow the Anduin river down from the chill springs of the Misty Mountains to the southern edge of the Wild! Explore the dread forest of Mirkwood, running from the lonely thickets of the north to the very gates of Dol Guldur! Enter the Heart of the Wild, and defend it against the rising Shadow.

Reception

In a review for Other Minds 16, José Enrique Vacas de la Rosa described The Heart of the Wild as a book that “perfectly captures the spirit of Tolkien’s work and combines it with very useful gaming material.” He did note some minor lore issues. The first is the appearance of a Mannish ghost, which he found to clash with Tolkien's writings on the fate of Men after death. The other concerns the incorrect placement of the “City of the Éothéod” on the map, whereas the actual text placed it correctly.