A Brief History of Tolkien RPGs

JohnRTroy · Dec 2, 2008

Aus_Snow said:
Interesting theory. What facts and/or figures is it based on?

It's pretty obvious the influence of today's fiction has been influenced by the presence of gaming in general, especially the effect RPGs and video games have had. Take a look at all the D&D clones out there, and how the D&D game has affected just about all the Video RPGs out there. Record of Lodoss War was a D&D campaign, or how books like the Economist covered the death of Gary Gygax and the influence on the culture. Authors who started in gaming have mass followings, etc. Just look at the Wikipedia articles and references.

This is pretty much the circle of life. At one time for instance, Lil' Abner was the most popular comic strip and had an impact on the culture. You couldn't go anywhere without finding LA merchandise such as Shmoo figures. Then Charles Schulz with Peanuts ended up replacing this in pop culture. I see D&D as the Peanuts that eclipsed Lil' Abner. Something too will replace D&D as the major influence on fantasy, just give it time...

Aus_Snow · Dec 2, 2008

JohnRTroy said:
It's pretty obvious the influence of today's fiction has been influenced by the presence of gaming in general, especially the effect RPGs and video games have had. Take a look at all the D&D clones out there, and how the D&D game has affected just about all the Video RPGs out there. Record of Lodoss War was a D&D campaign, or how books like the Economist covered the death of Gary Gygax and the influence on the culture. Authors who started in gaming have mass followings, etc. Just look at the Wikipedia articles and references.

Sure, hey, I would never deny that RPGs (and roleplayers) have crept into certain other areas of business and popular culture, to some degree. Not sure to what degree, though.

It was just a heck of a claim. Well OK, it seemed that way to me. I'm actually willing to believe it, but I still haven't really heard or read anything that I've found compelling enough, so that I do. Not so far, anyhow.

Maggan · Dec 2, 2008

JohnRTroy said:
(The "brain addled by drugs" comment was pretty damn unfair).

I read that as the writer making fun of an improbable theory. Basically he dismissed it as an improbable rumour, insteda arriving at the "lawyer" explantion.

At least that's how I read it at my first read through, and how I read it now that I went back to the text.

/M

Grimstaff · Dec 2, 2008

Maggan said:
I read that as the writer making fun of an improbable theory. Basically he dismissed it as an improbable rumour, insteda arriving at the "lawyer" explantion.

At least that's how I read it at my first read through, and how I read it now that I went back to the text.

/M

That is a bizaare statement: "the cocaine theory, the widespread belief that years of rumored drug abuse during E. Gary Gygax's time heading up TSR's Hollywood branch had addled his brain."

Is that a joke, or an actual rumor - I'd certainly never heard it before...

crash_beedo · Dec 2, 2008

Interesting read - I was definitely a MERPs and Rolemaster collector, we played some but it was a bear at the table and 1E D&D was so easy to run and homebrew. The article makes sense why MERPS/RM either involved the early Third Age or the Fourth Age for placing adventures.

Funny that 4E could be an ideal Tolkien system - you could play a Martial-only campaign, either introducing new classes for things like Istari (wizards) with toned down spells, or relegate magic to ritual casting. Herbalism, which plays a part via Athelas (and MERP went crazy with the herbalism), could be handled similar to Alchemy or Rituals, too.

Dunno if WOTC will seek out any licenses for a 4E setting book, but the 4E class structure and revisions to healing supports low-magic, high-cinematic action much like the LOTR movies.

Elphilm · Dec 2, 2008

FraserRonald said:
I got the ME map poster from ICE that showed the area involved in the LotR to be a very small section of the continent. We had a LOT of fun filling in the blanks!

Is it something like this map?

I mean, when you look at where the familiar parts of Middle-earth are on that map, the sheer vastness of the unexplored lands boggles the mind. Whatever happened to the Blue Wizards, Alatar and Pallando, who went to those eastern and southern parts of the world? According to the Encyclopedia of Arda, "Tolkien hints that they were responsible for the founding of strange cults in distant lands." Sounds like a great plot hook to me!

FraserRonald · Dec 2, 2008

Elphilm said:
Is it something like this map?

That would be the one! It was, of course, larger and designed in the Tolkienesque map style we all remember from LotR.

Elphilm said:
I mean, when you look at where the familiar parts of Middle-earth are on that map, the sheer vastness of the unexplored lands boggles the mind. Whatever happened to the Blue Wizards, Alatar and Pallando, who went to those eastern and southern parts of the world? According to the Encyclopedia of Arda, "Tolkien hints that they were responsible for the founding of strange cults in distant lands." Sounds like a great plot hook to me!

Odd you should you mention that . . .

Yes, that was one of the hooks, also the basis for the Big Bad in our Fourth Age campaign.

Ydars · Dec 3, 2008

I always wanted to run an adventure where the PCs were one of the parties sent out ahead of the Fellowship to draw off the eye of Sauron and his minions.

In LoTR it mentions that in the days before the council, Elrond's sons Elladan and Elrohir went out into the land and checked many passes including Caradhras and passed on into Lorien. It also hints at attempts to confuse or decieve the eye and his spies.

It would be great if a party, including some dwarves disguised as hobbits, set out from Rivendell pursued by Sauron's agents. I would have had them head away from the route of the Fellowship towards where Tharbad once stood (in Cardolan) and then head south to Gondor, since that is what Sauron would expect; ie he expected someone to take up the ring and try to master it and challenge him for its power, not try to destroy it.

That way the party could be part of that great tale without actually having to alter history. They could even carry something (a lesser ring) to convince the eye they had his prize.

Daztur · Dec 3, 2008

The problem with playing an RPG in a setting that is created in books about epic adventure is often the PCs end up playing very minor roles compared to what happened in the books (relegating PCs to "cleaning up" after the defeat of the real big bad or the common Star Wars RPG trope of "while Luke saves the galaxy, you get to play Traveler!"). Or playing in such a different time or place that it doesn't really feel like you're part of the books.

What I'd do if I ever ran a game in the Middle Earth is start it off like this:

"Frodo just got ran over by a horse cart and the Sacksville Baggins have finally got their hands on the inheritance. While playing in their new house a few young hobbits come across a golden ring with strange writing on it."

Your characters are those young hobbits. And go! I think that would be a hell of a lot more fun than playing as a cleaning detail for the cannon characters.

Donovan Morningfire · Dec 3, 2008

Certainly an interesting read.

As for Middle-Earth as a "viable setting for an RPG," I think that ultimately depends on when you set it.

I remember seeing, quite a while back, a campaign series an online supplement for the Decipher version that took place towards Witch-King's campaign against the Northern Dunedain before their fall, and allowed for the PCs to have their share of heroics. So it's not impossible.

Also, there is the Fourth Age, and while magic and mysticism is slowly fading, it's not going to vanish entirely, nor are the elves and the dwarves going to simply blink out of existence, though they will be much less common as time marches onward. Not to mention that the Decipher core book there was a fair amount of talk of the work that Aragorn had cut out for him and his kingdom and creating a world of peace. Having played in a short-lived campaign set several decades after the crowning of Elessar, there's plenty to do, such as preventing some two-bit despot from garnering enough power/influence to become another Sauron in terms of causing strife and suffering, which can be just as heroic since you've prevented such a monster from wreaking havoc.

A Brief History of Tolkien RPGs

JohnRTroy

Adventurer

Aus_Snow

First Post

Maggan

Writer for CY_BORG, Forbidden Lands and Dragonbane

Grimstaff

Explorer

crash_beedo

First Post

Elphilm

Explorer

FraserRonald

Explorer

Ydars

Explorer

Daztur

Adventurer

Donovan Morningfire

First Post

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