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.
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
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.
Ara Winter RM was the fantasy game of choice when I was in college.
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!
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.
Ralph Mazza It was basically D&D with hobbits intead of halflings.
This sounds like a good way to do D&D, honestly.
It was basically D&D with hobbits intead of halflings. This sounds like a good way to do D&D, honestly.]]>
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.
Hobbitpoint.]]>
Paul Baldowski but more recently with Hollowpoint adaptation Hobbitpoint.
I have no words for how cool that sounds.
but more recently with Hollowpoint adaptation Hobbitpoint. I have no words for how cool that sounds.]]>
Ara Winter I’d embrace the non-canonical stuff and run it as “Middle-Earth with D&D bits”. Better than running D&D with Middle-Earth bits, IMO.
O, Elbereth! I had no idea how much stuff ICE produced for this line. 107 books produced over 13 years.
tolkiengateway.net – Middle-earth Role Playing – Tolkien Gateway
tolkiengateway.net – Middle-earth Role Playing – Tolkien Gateway]]>
110 if you include the Lord of the Rings Adventure Game and it’s supplements.
Lord of the Rings Adventure Game and it’s supplements.]]>
Mark Delsing A session report of Hobbitpoint, if you care! I think it was based upon ICE supplement Gates of Mordor rpggeek.com – Orcs of the Green Eye (Hobbitpoint Session report) |
Hobbitpoint, if you care! I think it was based upon ICE supplement Gates of Mordor rpggeek.com – Orcs of the Green Eye (Hobbitpoint Session report) |]]>
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. 🙂
Dain Lybarger I can’t decide if that sounds awesome or awful. 😄