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I’d like to hear from anybody about their experiences with I.C.E.’s old Middle-Earth product line — less so about MERP as a system, and more about the regional supplements, adventures, etc.

I always loved looking at the ads for these books, but other than briefly owning a MERP rulebook I’ve never read any of them.

28 thoughts on “I’d like to hear from anybody about their experiences with I.C.E.’s old Middle-Earth product line — less so about…”

  1. Sub! I own the books which detail all the book characters. At least for some, it’s a great history resource. There is a lot of non-canon stuff, but it adds some depth for some characters, like the Nazgul.
    Interested in what adventures and such were like. I don’t remember those

  2. < ![CDATA[Sub! I own the books which detail all the book characters. At least for some, it's a great history resource. There is a lot of non-canon stuff, but it adds some depth for some characters, like the Nazgul. Interested in what adventures and such were like. I don't remember those]]>

  3. I have the core book, which was delightfully slim, I think on the assumption that you would buy a bunch of RM supplements. It includes a sample adventure called Something Something Trollshaws, that, as I recall, did a terrible job emulating Tolkien, but was a perfectly serviceable way of getting to know the rules for travel, investigation, social activity, and combat.

  4. < ![CDATA[I have the core book, which was delightfully slim, I think on the assumption that you would buy a bunch of RM supplements. It includes a sample adventure called Something Something Trollshaws, that, as I recall, did a terrible job emulating Tolkien, but was a perfectly serviceable way of getting to know the rules for travel, investigation, social activity, and combat.]]>

  8. < ![CDATA[I think RM is the kind of game I would LOVE for someone who really loves it to run. It's like BW for me in that way, in that there are so many bits and pieces that seem great, and I can't make them gel in a pleasing way, but I bet someone can!]]>

  9. As I recall they carved out their own non-canonical time periods and within those did some very non-canonical stuff.

    When I collected a few to steal from for TOR, I was rather gob-smacked by how not-tolkiensian they were.

    Thieves guilds, assassin cults, magic shops to buy magic items. It was basically D&D with hobbits intead of halflings.

    I was sorely not impressed.

  10. < ![CDATA[As I recall they carved out their own non-canonical time periods and within those did some very non-canonical stuff. When I collected a few to steal from for TOR, I was rather gob-smacked by how not-tolkiensian they were. Thieves guilds, assassin cults, magic shops to buy magic items. It was basically D&D with hobbits intead of halflings. I was sorely not impressed.]]>

  14. < ![CDATA[I love 'em, though primarily for the adventures, maps and a few seeds to encounters. I have run them with MERP in the dim and distant past, but more recently with Hollowpoint adaptation Hobbitpoint.]]>

  25. I own a pile of them. I enjoyed reading them but never got a group interested in playing the setting.

    I really kinda like the non-canonical “South” modules best; south of Mordor, with tropical jungles, vast deserts, wickedly cruel Elves, and weird Zelazny influences (i.e. Trump analogues for communication amongst the wicked Elf clan). Also identity-swapping potential “mentor” npcs.

    This ain’t your gaffer’s Middle Earth. 🙂

  26. < ![CDATA[I own a pile of them. I enjoyed reading them but never got a group interested in playing the setting. I really kinda like the non-canonical "South" modules best; south of Mordor, with tropical jungles, vast deserts, wickedly cruel Elves, and weird Zelazny influences (i.e. Trump analogues for communication amongst the wicked Elf clan). Also identity-swapping potential "mentor" npcs. This ain't your gaffer's Middle Earth. :)]]>