Tolkien Christmas Gifts

[Tulkas the Mighty]

In light of this approaching holiday season, I thought it would be a good idea for us all to put our heads together and ask questions about gift ideas... whether its for putting it on your own list or for someone else. Ask questions of other people who may already own it and recommened things that you have and enjoy. Begin!
I have question to start it off... Does anyone know if the trivia in the LotR Trivial Pursuit is from the movie or thebook? Would you reccommend this game?

I have the LotR monoploy and while it doesn't have trivia or anything like that, its fun if you enjoy the game already just because of the Middle Earth twist.

[Boromir88]

Seeing that the EE has recently come out, I'm sure that would make a pretty fine gift.

[the phantom]

Does anyone know if the trivia in the LotR Trivial Pursuit is from the movie or thebook?

From a toy store page-

Product Description: Classic Trivial Pursuit game play with 1,800 The Lord of the Rings questions based on the movie trilogy.

Yep, it's the movies.

At first I didn't want to get it because it was about the movies (because I know more about the books), but my mom pointed out that it levels the playing field a bit if I were to play it with my friends. If the game was about the books I'd kick their butts, but they've watched the movie as many times as I have so they might give me some competition that way.

I'm you're a Risk player, you might as well buy LOTR Risk. That's one thing I'm getting for Christmas.

And ROTK EE... well... that goes without saying.

(oh, if you want a book-based game, check this out)

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Tulkas the Mighty

Does anyone know if the trivia in the LotR Trivial Pursuit is from the movie or thebook? Would you reccommend this game?

There are (as far as I know) two games - one based on the book and one based on the films. See this thread for further information: Lotr trivial pursuit.

I would certainly recommend the book-based game, which I reviewed on the thread linked to above.

Personally, I am hoping that Santa will bring me this game for Christmas. It looks gorgeous - worth it for the gameboard alone.

[Boromir88]

I know the book trivial pursuit (and probably the movie one too) can be found at Barnes and Noble.

I also love the LOTR Risk Game, brings back the fun 8 hr days of risk, only LOTR style.

SpM, I haven't played the War of the Ring yet, but also another good one looks like the Battle for Middle-Earth. (click)

[Sapphire_Flame]

Oh, love all the trivia games! *drool*

I'm hoping for some of the HoME books, personally, and the GBA game of "LotR: The Third Age". *bounces* And a new LotR calender.

Another thing, which I will probably be getting for myself, is Blind Guardian's CD "Nightfall in Middle-earth". Silm songs! Huzzah!

Abedithon le,

~ Saphy ~

[Lalwendë]

I have the film based Trivial Pursuit but so far nobody has dared to play it with me. I can recommend the 50th Anniversary Tolkien Calendar as it's simply beautiful with all Tolkien's own artwork. It's much nicer than the film calendars. Or have a rummage on e-bay for the UK Royal Mail Tolkien stamps which were issued earlier this year - they look good in a frame, I can personally vouch for this. 'Tis getting rather late for shopping now though, isn't it? You might get trampled by the hordes!

[HerenIstarion]

Cheers

Anyone sending a request for a gift to me by PM before Christmas (and providing me with their e-mail address) will get two Christmas Gifts from HerenIstarion. What they are precisely will remain a secret (call it surprise )

Cheers

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

I can recommend the 50th Anniversary Tolkien Calendar as it's simply beautiful with all Tolkien's own artwork.

It is indeed. I bought the diary version for my sister-in-law for Christmas (together with the RotK EE), and of course just had to look through it before wrapping it up. It includes the pages from the Book of Mazarbul that are in the 50th Anniversary edition of the book (another good Christmas present idea).

I am hoping for the Calendar for Christmas. It will more than make up for the loss of my RotK film 2004 Calendar.

By the way, if you click on the link to the playtesters site for the game I linked to above (War of the Ring) and then click on the picture of the gameboard, you get a great view of it. Being a lover of boardgames (as well as Tolkien), I am going crazy in anticipation of playing this. Artwork by John Howe too.

[Lindolirian]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

I have the film based Trivial Pursuit but so far nobody has dared to play it with me.

Ah yes, I have the same problem. I have asked for a few Tolkien trivia games in the past (and this year just for good measure), but everyone refuses to buy them for me because it would only invite a one-sided slaughter fest in which they would all perish before my mighty fist. Ok Lindo, enough with the power-trip, you dork.

Hmm, yes, that's why I love the Quiz Room because most people are on or above my level, which is most exciting.

[Boromir88]

Ya, most the people I know, enjoy LOTR, and might have even read the books, but they aren't like what you would call a "barrowdowner." Not that obsessed with it. But, I finally met someone who enjoys Tolkien as much as I do, and might have even been reading him longer then me.

[elronds_daughter]

I have the film based Trivial Pursuit but so far nobody has dared to play it with me.

Yes, same here. Though the excuse I get is, 'It takes too long to play and we don't have time.' No time, my foot. Just because I crushed them in the first game they don't want to finish the second one.... though, I must admit, I didn't exactly preserve everything perfectly... perhaps we should just start a new game.

[Elianna]

Know what they should make and I would gladly drool over and say it was the only thing I wanted for Christmas?

The Red Book of Westmarch.

Surprised they haven't seen the marketability of such an item.

[HerenIstarion]

The Red Book of Westmarch - good marketing idea. It would include the Hobbit, LoTR and some UT items, I suppose

As for my Christmas Present, I forgot to mention it in my previous, I've ordered one of the last BD T-Shirts . Hope it gets here by Christmas. Promise to publish a photo too

cheers

[Boromir88]

The Red Book of Westmarch - good marketing idea. It would include the Hobbit, LoTR and some UT items, I suppose

Actually Heren I was in Barnes and Noble looking for a copy of the Sil (I haven't read it yet ), and there was The Hobbit, FOTR, TTT, and ROTK, hardback covers in a big red casing (and the covers were red). I don't think it was called "The Red Book of Westmarch," but it's an interesting thought?

[Lindolirian]

I have the collector's edition of the Lord of the Rings, a three-in-one book with a red leather cover. But I think when it comes to the actual Red Book of Westmarch it would, as Heren said, have to include more than LotR. Hmm... this is what I got when I Googled "Red Book of Westmarch".

[HerenIstarion]

Heh, googled is a good new verb. Thanks for the links too

[elronds_daughter]

Google as a verb has been around quite a while. Perhaps you just haven't seen it.....

I want to know if that War of the Ring is any good, I know I'll be getting this for Christmas. I read some reviews online that is OK for people who aren't use to playing RTS games (my case) but I wouldn't mind some feedback from actual gamers here.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Ancalagon-the-black

I want to know if that War of the Ring is any good

Sorry, can't help you there, as it's on my Christmas list too. But if you go to the link I gave above, you can download the rules and the Playtester site has quite a bit of additional information on it. This should give you an idea what it's like.

Also, I believe that the Barrow-Wight has the game in his bony hands. So if you dare to disturb his ghoulish slumber, he might offer you his views.

[Elianna]

Originally Posted by Ancalagon-the-black

I wouldn't mind some feedback from actual gamers here.

Well, I'm the sister of an actual gamer, and my brother says of War of the Ring: "Don't even rent it." Of Third Age: "Rent it, don't buy it." His other gamer friend said 3rd Age was FF10 in M-E. And a gamer friend of mine whines that the makers of 3rd Age stole all of our Nine Watchers ideas. (yum, pluggage)

[The Saucepan Man]

Sorry. I may have misunderstood. I was talking about the War of the Ring boardgame, rather than the video game. Being rather long in the tooth, I prefer the former to the latter.

In any event, if you were talking about the video game, ignore what I said ...

[Lindolirian]

Anyone hear anything good about The Sillymarillion? I know it's not by the Harvard Lampoon like Bored of the Rings, and it came out this year... so is it a good deal?

[Orophin]

Ive never heard of it. Ive read bored of the rings and it was pretty entertaining. If this other book is of the same sort Im sure it will be good.

[Elianna]

LotR stuff I actually got for Christmas: Tolkien Bestiary and punk pins of the whole Fellowship together, Frodo and Aragorn and one that says "I went to Middle Earth and all I got was this lousy ring."

[elronds_daughter]

I now own the ROTK EE!!! My grandmother is so wonderful.....

[Lindolirian]

Well let me see, I got Bored of the Rings, The Sillymarillion, Letters, Author of the Century, and Road to Middle Earth. Right now, in my haze of painkilling drugs after my surgery, I can't comprehend much of it very well, so I'm putting them off for a bit until I can understand the higher-level writing. The parodies, however, are much easier on my woozy brain and have proved that laughter is the best medicine. Most of you all probably know about "Bored" because it's been out since '69 I think, but the Sillymarillion came out this year. So far, it's kept almost exactly with the story, with some really hilarious and clever twists of names. Other than that it's not quite like "Bored" because it doesn't vary from the story at all, and I was slightly disappointed at that, but it still remains a good knee-slapper. Or in my case, cast-slapper.... Hmm, I also got LotR Risk and the movie version of Trivial Pursuit. I actually haven't opened either, so... Anyone else get good stuff?

[Lhundulinwen]

I got a fantastic poster of all the major LOTR movie characters, and ROTK EE!! Yay! Not bad, not bad at all.

[Morgul Queen]

I got the RotK EE (I was allowed to watch it before it was wrapped, yay!), the 50th Anniversary Diary (which I can't bear to write in), The Hobbit Companion (very funny), the Fell-Beast Action Figure (I have about 20 now), the 2005 Movie calender (the pics shall join my wall as soon as 2005 is over) and! and! and! Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett!

Woo Hoo! (C Celeborn)

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by me

Personally, I am hoping that Santa will bring me [The War of the Ring boardgame] for Christmas. It looks gorgeous - worth it for the gameboard alone.

It's mine - all mine! My .... precioussssss!

[Laitoste]

I got FOTR EE (I got the first one free with the test drive of a Kia and then my mom said I didn't need another version of the same movie, but she finally gave in!!!), ROTK EE (love it!), and LOTR Monopoly from my brother. He only got it for me because he loves the game and can't convince me to play the regular or Packers version. Why do I want to play a game that I always lose and then am mocked because of it? Anyway, it's really cool (even though I lost again ) and I like the LOTR twist to make the game shorter.

[mark12_30]

It doesn't sound like a LOTR gift at first. But when you've collected enough Tolkien music to fill a data CD with mp3s, then an ipod is a Tolkien gift indeed.

Oh, and let's not forget the Movie-Poster-Calendar. All that willpower resisting the lure of posters paid off unexpectedly.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by SpM

It is indeed. I bought the diary version for my sister-in-law for Christmas (together with the RotK EE), and of course just had to look through it before wrapping it up. It includes the pages from the Book of Mazarbul that are in the 50th Anniversary edition of the book (another good Christmas present idea).

In Waterstones they have the Tolkien 2005 50th Anniversary Diary reduced to just £5. I snapped one up of course.

Originally Posted by Me

I have the film based Trivial Pursuit but so far nobody has dared to play it with me.

Finally the game has been played, and in a contest of 'best of three' the final score was 2-1 against me. But I was playing against an illustrious 'Downer. And there was almost that apocryphal moment known to all Trivial Pursuit fans where one player gets control of the dice and makes it the whole way around the board. The 'film' category was alas the nemesis which prevented this, with its weird questions about the size of the various 'bigatures' and "who played third orc to the left of the first anonymous orc" and so forth. Many of the questions in the other categories were so easy that the only option was to resort to extremes of pedantry regarding answers, e.g. "the answer was The Nazgul, not just Nazgul, so you are clearly wrong". So, let this be a warning to any fellow obsessives, you may not find it quite the challenge you had envisioned.

[Lolidir]

i know this is too late for Cristmas, or is it? there always next year and then birthdays. i dont know about you but i like to collect a lot of different things. i have some posters. My favorite things i have are the action figures. sounds a little childish but hey, when i look over there and see them all sitting there and looking so cool it just makes me smile. i dont know about all you guys buy my most ultimate dream and wish is to get the swords. i really want the fighting knives of Legolas, and then Anduril, then maybe Glamdring. but that would just be so cool to have those hanging on the wall. well theres my Christmas list for anyone that cares.

A little aside - HAPPY 50TH POST TO ME! YAY FOR ME.

[Lindolirian]

...but this is the best place to ask about Tolkien products, it seems.
Does anyone own the Interactive Encyclopedia of Arda? If so, are the extra features worth it? Or is the website good enough? Thanks for your help!