LOTR RPGv2

[Feanorgil]

This is just throwing an idea for discussion out there. With the lapse of the license and the coming of the new LOTR/Hobbit movies. Who is going to produce the new game that is sure to come? Decipher would be nice if they picked it back up and executed with diligence. I thought the product was great granted it's out put was irratic and I wish the material was better condensed. They quality was there.

Also in the meantime has anyone considered composing a Version 2 of LOTR RPG CODA? Look at all the great fan driven material out there. Also the ICE/MERP material is a great resource. No one can deny the impact of the HALL of FIRE fanzine.

Feedback anyone?

Vaughan

[zehnwaters2]

Well I'd be more than willing to be involved should someone want to. Maybe collect together some of the better rulings/revisions/additions from HoF and other sources?

[Tobian]

You know, something as simple as a compiled version of the Hall of Fire, made as a 'book' might be a pretty cool resource, so it's all codified and amalgamated, with an index, and maybe some extra splat to get it all together?

[Feanorgil]

A complied HOF would be an excellent idea... What I have found very discouraging is all the great info is all over the place. How can you maintain game flow when you have to search through so much stuff.

I am still of the opinion that a New Core Rule book needs to be complied.

[Landorl]

I would love to see this happen. I think a lot of the rules work well, but some things need to be redesigned. I think that the combat system needs to be hit pretty hard.

I like the way that skills are handled, but sometimes there can be a few too many modifiers.

[Feanorgil]

Starting to organize things... The hardest part is the putting the resources in the right folder. Yes I am paper oreineted... Thankgod for printer scanner copiers.

My First task is a Revised Core Book.

Questions to pose the membership here?

1. Enchanced options for Elves and Dwarves... they reach maturity over a longer period of time. I am wondering if they should get extra racial picks or a Larger background package?

2. Elven Spell Casting as a racial ability?

3. Sorcerer/ Necromancer as an Elite Order.

4. Creating Villians?

5. Crafting matrix based on that of LOTRO?

6. Craftsman (Apprentice) elite orders: Journeyman, Master, Grandmaster

7. Lesser Dunedain (Mixed Heritage - not my Idea Barrowing from someone else)

8. Mixed Elven Heritage: Noldo-Sinda, Sinda-Nandor, Noldo-Nandor

9. Option for playing Half elves? There were more than just the three mentioned unions... Dol Amroth proves that!

It is just the beginning

[Landorl]

Sorry, I haven't been on here for a short time, but I want to pipe in on a few of your suggestions.

1. I'm a bit torn on this. They do reach maturity later, but because of that, they may be slower at developing skills. However, even at a slower rate of development, they could still have a bit of an advanced level of skills over a 17 year old human.

3. Yes, but only for NPCs or if you allow for evil players.

6. I think that if you are going to do this that there should be just one elite order - Master Craftsman.

7. I like this idea. I would let them take one thing from the Dunedain package and add that to their lesser race.

8. I think that this becomes a little more tricky. For an elf, I would generally say that they have the lesser of the races. (I don't think that you can have any Noldor traits unless you have been to Aman)

9. Rather than half elf, I would say elf-blooded. Of course, isn't that what was covered by the Dunedain? I just believe that Dol Amroth was better at keeping their Dunedain roots, and nobility than the rest of Gondor, so it was more evident that they were descendant of elves. (I am probably wrong about that though)

One thing that I would love to see you add is a redesign of the combat system. I think that was the games biggest weakness.

I have been working on a rewrite myself. I have taken the Basic System Reference that was done by Gandalf of Borg, and have borrowed some of the work that he did there, and then started my own rewrite. However, my rewrite is for my own game world, so I am doing some things that would be different from Middle Earth, So far I have been working on the skills, and will be moving forward from there.

[Feanorgil]

I have hammering out the the organization of material and first gathering all my sources for the biblography....

I have broken it down to

1. LOTR Players Core Book (Chapters 1-8) ( lots of merging material from Decipher and HOF, and the LOTR Companion)
2. Saga & Granduer :LOTR Narrator's Core Book (Chapters 9-11 from the Core, Additions from HOF, FBWM and a few other authors out there) (+3 Three small adventures)
3. Fear, Fell Beasts and the Shadow (The Monster Manual + How do evil Characters)
4. 3rd Age Atlas-Source Book (the FOTR,TT, RPTK Source Book with MERP and HOF sources)
5. 4th Age Atlas and source book ( a free for all)
6. the Elder Days ( the 1st & 2nd Age source book and atlas)

[Feanorgil]

Celegorm seems to have taken the lead on much of what I have already started to work on ... I even pulled the big box with all my paper files and notes.... I guess it it back to work on this. Inspirational though: Hall of fire, other minds fanzines, and of course Celegorms work.

[GandalfOfBorg]

Organizationally and conceptually, the CODA BSR is compiled based upon the format of the LOTR CRB, puts things in a proper order to support character creation and provides a framework from which anyone can create their own set of rules.

[AslanC]

Casts Raise Thread...

But has anyone ever thought of doing a revised edition, scrape out the LOTR stuff (or file off the serial numbers) and fix the system?

I think this is a great system, but it does need a lot of work.

Doug B and I tried to do it but found little interest and support a few years back.

Has that changed?

[The Tatterdemalion King]

I believe there's a CODA SRD somewhere on GandalfOfBorg's site.

[AslanC]

Thanks, I have a copy of that sir

but not quite what I am asking about. I am asking if there returns interest in doing an actual revision of the rules.

[The Tatterdemalion King]

I believe there was a giant fight about CODA 2.0 a while back, mostly over administrative issues.

[AslanC]

I believe there was a giant fight about CODA 2.0 a while back, mostly over administrative issues.

Really?

Between who?

Though that said, it doesn't stop the idea from moving forward either.