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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ourph" data-source="post: 3288665" data-attributes="member: 20239">I don't know that this is an accurate statement.  I think when Gary et al. insist that Tolkien wasn't a major influence on D&D it is usually in the context of playstyle, not flavor (such as the types of races available or the make-up of an adventuring party).  IMO, D&D was intended to allow Tolkien style player characters in a world where the adventures, society, mythos, etc. was based around the other literary influences (Vance, Burroughs, Anderson, Howard, etc.) Gary often cites.  Where D&D did NOT draw inspiration from LotR (at least in D&D's original form) was in the structure of the adventure itself.  It's obvious from the 3LB and supplements that the "point" of adventuring wasn't to go on epic quests like that undertaken by the Fellowship of the Ring, but to explore forgotten tombs for treasure and to relieve gangs of slavers of their ill-gotten wealth.  The fact that the hobby later embraced the LotR adventure paradigm just points out that the popularity of the LotR probably meant the game would have headed in the Tolkien direction no matter what Gary and Co. did with the original game.Yes, inclusion of Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, and multi-racial adventuring parties was a marketing ploy (or a concession to fellow gamers or whatever), but I think it was also a recognition that some of the flavor aspects of Middle-Earth (ascendance of man, Elves as a fading race, Hobbits as pudgy, reluctant burglars, etc.) could be successfully and entertainingly integrated with a sword & sorcery based adventure theme - and that options could make the game more fun.</blockquote>

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