Adventures in Middle-Earth attempts to adapt the fifth edition rules of Dungeons & Dragons to the themes of Tolkien's Middle-Earth.[5][6] This is accomplished by altering several core mechanics of the 5th Edition rules.
Player classes no longer have access to spells. Class and ability names have been changed to fit the setting. Classes include:
Scholar - a new class to represent lore or healing based professions
Slayer (replacing Barbarian)
Treasure Hunter (replacing Rogue)
Wanderer (replacing Ranger)
Warden (replacing Bard)
Warrior (replacing Fighter)
Spells and magic have been stripped from the rules. Spells are now emulated by class abilities or virtues.
Races have been replaced by cultures. Races (such as men) now exist under multiple different cultures, each culture receiving different mechanical benefits.
Feats have been replaced by Virtues.
Alignment has been removed. Rules for corruption are used for character moral guidelines. Each class has a shadow-weakness that triggers when too much corruption is acquired.
Journey rules have been created to add rules for planning a trip, traveling, and arriving at a destination. Hex-grid maps are required for game play.
Audience rules have been created to add more mechanics and character options for social interactions.
Skills have been expanded, adding Riddle, Traditions, Lore (replaces Arcana), and Shadow-Lore
Fellowship Phase has been created to handle long periods of character downtime, in which characters are not actively adventuring together but still furthering their own agendas. Fellowship phase activities might include healing, training, meeting new allies, or researching lore.