Roleplaying in Middle-earth

Conrad B Dunkerson wrote:
 > "Berislav Lopac" <berislav.lopac.l.TakeThisOut@duoplus.hr> wrote in message
 >
 > Yeah, the whole 'feel' of MERP is very different from that of LotR.
 > Especially when you start looking at the magic system.

Too true. It is actually a "stripped-down" version of Rolemaster, which is a
fully-blown fantasy system, and both are IMO quite inappropriate for ME.

 > Several years ago I took over an RPG group that had been using
 > Rolemaster (closely related to MERP). Couldn't stand the rules and
 > slowly transformed them into a completely unique system.

I have tried several approaches, including a variant of AD&D (where I solved
the Elves problem by making them a race *and* a class at the same time),
until I set down for GURPS, which was adaptable enough (check
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.thecabal.org/gurps/rareitems/index.html#merp" target="_blank">http://www.thecabal.org/gurps/rareitems/index.html#merp</a> for some of my rules
modifications). However, lately I found the whole system too cumbersome, and
have discarded it in favor or more rules-light systems such as Risus, but
have soon dropped out of gaming altogether.

 > Ran a
 > campaign set in the First Age of Middle-Earth to the east of the
 > Misty Mountains... primarily because Tolkien didn't tell us alot
 > about that region for that time period.

For some reason, my favorite period has always been the mid-Third Age,
specifically fifteenth century. In some way, it is a period most like a
"classic" fantasy RPG setting, with the largest number of civilized
'countries' (we have Arthedain, Cardolan, Angmar, Rhudaur, Moria,
Vidugavia's Rhovanion and Gondor, along with "forbidden" Elvish realms such
as Lindon or Lorien), a central bad guy (the Necromancer) spreading his
agents everywhere, barbarian invasions (the Wainriders) and even a
fully-fledged civil war (the Kin-strife). This gives the most opportunities
for a varied roleplaying experience, which can range from fighting Goblins
in Misty Mountains, to discovering Necromancer's and Wainrider agents in
Laketown and Dale, to fighting (and losing) against Angmar's forces in
Arthedain, to fighting (and winning) against Castamir in Osgiliath, to -- if
one wishes -- discovering unknown lands to the East and South "where the
stars are strange".

Berislav<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Roleplaying in Middle-earth 

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 23:43:07 +0100, in a fit of madness "Berislav Lopac"
<berislav.lopac.l.RemoveThis@duoplus.hr> declared:

 >How many posters here has had any experience with roleplaying games set in
 >Middle-earth?

Galadriel and Gimli is a fun one.

Or Shelob and Gollum if you're a bit more kinky and have some rope.

Oh, wait. Not that kind of role-playing.

Never mind. Sorry.

--
R. Dan Henry
danhenry.RemoveThis@inreach.com<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Roleplaying in Middle-earth 

Does anyone know any good online sources for Fourth Age Middle Earth material?
Also, Berislav, do you have a website for your campaigns?

"Berislav Lopac" <berislav.lopac.l RemoveThis @duoplus.hr> wrote in message news:<bvhd1i$kfi$1@ls219.htnet.hr>...
 > Conrad B Dunkerson wrote:
  > > "Berislav Lopac" <berislav.lopac.l RemoveThis @duoplus.hr> wrote in message
  > >
  > > Yeah, the whole 'feel' of MERP is very different from that of LotR.
  > > Especially when you start looking at the magic system.
 >
 > Too true. It is actually a "stripped-down" version of Rolemaster, which is a
 > fully-blown fantasy system, and both are IMO quite inappropriate for ME.
 >
  > > Several years ago I took over an RPG group that had been using
  > > Rolemaster (closely related to MERP). Couldn't stand the rules and
  > > slowly transformed them into a completely unique system.
 >
 > I have tried several approaches, including a variant of AD&D (where I solved
 > the Elves problem by making them a race *and* a class at the same time),
 > until I set down for GURPS, which was adaptable enough (check
 > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.thecabal.org/gurps/rareitems/index.html#merp" target="_blank">http://www.thecabal.org/gurps/rareitems/index.html#merp</a> for some of my rules
 > modifications). However, lately I found the whole system too cumbersome, and
 > have discarded it in favor or more rules-light systems such as Risus, but
 > have soon dropped out of gaming altogether.
 >
  > > Ran a
  > > campaign set in the First Age of Middle-Earth to the east of the
  > > Misty Mountains... primarily because Tolkien didn't tell us alot
  > > about that region for that time period.
 >
 > For some reason, my favorite period has always been the mid-Third Age,
 > specifically fifteenth century. In some way, it is a period most like a
 > "classic" fantasy RPG setting, with the largest number of civilized
 > 'countries' (we have Arthedain, Cardolan, Angmar, Rhudaur, Moria,
 > Vidugavia's Rhovanion and Gondor, along with "forbidden" Elvish realms such
 > as Lindon or Lorien), a central bad guy (the Necromancer) spreading his
 > agents everywhere, barbarian invasions (the Wainriders) and even a
 > fully-fledged civil war (the Kin-strife). This gives the most opportunities
 > for a varied roleplaying experience, which can range from fighting Goblins
 > in Misty Mountains, to discovering Necromancer's and Wainrider agents in
 > Laketown and Dale, to fighting (and losing) against Angmar's forces in
 > Arthedain, to fighting (and winning) against Castamir in Osgiliath, to -- if
 > one wishes -- discovering unknown lands to the East and South "where the
 > stars are strange".
 >
 > Berislav<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Roleplaying in Middle-earth 

"GFORCE99" <primuscomics.DeleteThis@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:edd995cf.0402110526.6fdf816d@posting.google.com...
 > Does anyone know any good online sources for Fourth Age Middle Earth
material?

The Library's ancient history section.
It might be a little vague though at first.
Starts to get more specific around Egyptian times.

T.A.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Roleplaying in Middle-earth 

GFORCE99 wrote:
 > Does anyone know any good online sources for Fourth Age Middle Earth
 > material?

LOL to "the American's" reply. Sorry, but basically that's it -- Tolkien
himself said that the Fourth Age is the Age of Man, ie. this very history we
all know. There is no further information about FoA by Tolkien except what
you can find in the Appendices to the LOTR, and the unfinished (actually,
barely started) story entitled "A New Shadow" that can be found in HOME XII:
The Peoples of Middle-earth.

If you really wish to play in FoA, I reccomend you the Other Hands archive
(www.otherhands.com), and a little googling will probably also turn out
something. Maybe the best approach would be to make your own extrapolations,
starting from what we know of FoA and expanding on that: what happened to
Arnor and Gondor, to Rohan, Lorien, Dale, Mirkwood, Mordor and other
locations.

Personally I don't really like FoA as a roleplaying period, since it really
departs a lot from the Middle-earth of LOTR and the Silmarillion. As I
mentioned before, I find mid-Third Age, specifically the fifteenth century,
the most exciting to game at.

 > Also, Berislav, do you have a website for your campaigns?

There is a long neglected site of mine at <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.duoplus.hr/incanus/," target="_blank">http://www.duoplus.hr/incanus/,</a>
and there is an article about the Lands of Rhun and Harad I wrote. You will
also there find a link to my old site, "Rare GURPS Items", which has rules
for using GURPS system for playing in Middle-earth; most of that is also
useful if you use some other gaming system.

Berislav<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Roleplaying in Middle-earth