Brief History of Tolkien RPGs

A Brief History of Tolkien roleplaying games

http://sacnoths.blogspot.com/2008/11...kien-rpgs.html

Very interesting read.

Thanks for providing it, Jem'Hadar!

Yes, it is an interesting read. I find his argument that Tolkien had to have some influence on the original D&D quite convincing. If you had never heard of D&D but had read the LOTR trilogy & then picked up a D&D Players Handbook, you would definitely see the similarities.

I can also see the influence of the LOTR movies on recent versions of D&D & other fantasy RPGs, esp. when it comes to imagery. In some fantasy RPG books that came out after the LOTR movies, I can see the influence of the movies in the way elves, dwarves & orcs are depicted in these RPG books, for example.

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Originally Posted by Jem'hadar

Yes, it is an interesting read. I find his argument that Tolkien had to have some influence on the original D&D quite convincing. If you had never heard of D&D but had read the LOTR trilogy & then picked up a D&D Players Handbook, you would definitely see the similarities.

I can also see the influence of the LOTR movies on recent versions of D&D & other fantasy RPGs, esp. when it comes to imagery. In some fantasy RPG books that came out after the LOTR movies, I can see the influence of the movies in the way elves, dwarves & orcs are depicted in these RPG books, for example.

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It inspired I think the shift on elves in the 4th edition.

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Yes, it is an interesting read. I find his argument that Tolkien had to have some influence on the original D&D quite convincing. If you had never heard of D&D but had read the LOTR trilogy & then picked up a D&D Players Handbook, you would definitely see the similarities.

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Some of which aren't even that subtle! (Eladrin anyone? I mean, seriously. They, what? switched two letters around?)

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Originally Posted by Jem'hadar

Yes, it is an interesting read. I find his argument that Tolkien had to have some influence on the original D&D quite convincing.

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I'm really hoping this is an ironic understatement.

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Originally Posted by The Tatterdemalion King

I'm really hoping this is an ironic understatement.

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Normally, I would have intended my statement to be ironic, but I understand that Gary Gygax once denied Tolkien had any influence, or very little influence, on D&D.

Bahaha, well it's bad form to speak ill of the dead, so expletive deleted :D It's clearly influenced :D

Even if it wasn't conscious, it was influenced. There's no way there are so many blatant similarities. I mean, I know Tolkien based his stuff off of myths (where they would have had to have gotten their influence, if not from Tolkien), but still.

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Originally Posted by Jem'hadar

Normally, I would have intended my statement to be ironic, but I understand that Gary Gygax once denied Tolkien had any influence, or very little influence, on D&D.

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Well, Greyhawk and reports from Gary's game definitely have more of a Lankhmar/Dying Earth feel to them, but LotR was probably the template for thousands of D&D games since Gygax wrote it. Plus... you know. It's got Elves.