Lord of the Rings RPG - What will you do with it?

[AndorMan]

For those who are interested in picking up the LotR RPG, what kind of campaign and adventures will use play with it?

While I loved the books, I have no real interest in the game. Without wholly violating continuity, how can players become involved in the War of the Ring in a way that will actually make a difference? The LotR universe is not like the Star Wars or Star Trek universes, where it is implied that there are more of what you see (i.e. More Jedi in the Republic, More Rebel factions, More Starfleet Vessels, etc.) performing other herioc deeds. There's only 9 Nazgul, one Gandalf, one ring to rule them, etc. The story has a definitive beginning, middle and end (an end which also has the elves leaving the world and magic sort of disappearing.)

So, what will you do with this wonderous place?

AndorMan
One Andorian To Rule Them All

[Ineti]

Having never read the books (blasphemy, I know), I doubt I'll do much of anything with it. I may buy the adventure game if it comes out before the Trek RPG just so I can see what the system looks like.

However, I have ideas for a fantasy campaign, so I may pick up the LOTR RPG to see how it stacks up to D&D just so that I have some options when/if I run that story.

[Cochrane]

If I buy the game, I guess it will mostly be for the source information. After reading it, if my friends are interested, we might play it, but I don't know how likely that is. I've never touched any of the novels, and I don't remember if I saw the Hobbit, but I think I will watch the new movies.

[Phantom]

I've only read the first book, Im half way through the second. Just because it is THE LORD OF THE RINGS RPG doesn't mean you have have characters in the War of Ring. Even if you do they could be members of a Gondorian company that fought against the orcs in one of the battles.

LOTR has just as many RPing opportunities as any other genre piece that do not require blowing the canon of the base story. My group had played a few games of the ICE version over the years. We never ran into any of the Fellowship or any other canon character (I don't want to nail myself down to a particular time...Can't remember which era our games ran in) and we had great fun without destroying any continuity of the original story.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, just because the RPG is named after the LOTR it dosen't necessarily follow that you have to run your game in that time and place as related in the books.

[Liquidator Queeg]

Originally posted by AndorMan
Without wholly violating continuity, how can players become involved in the War of the Ring in a way that will actually make a difference?

There was plenty going on during the War of the Ring that the PCs could get involved with. All you have to do is lift bits out of the trilogy. Resistance against "Sharkey" in the Shire, battling with the Rohirrim against the orcs and nasties under Saruman's banner, dealing with the flood of orcs and yet more nasties from the South in Anorien, helping with the defence of Minas Tirith. Heck, there's a whole boatload of stuff a PC party could do. Sure, they may not be "Da Man" that throws the One Ring into Mount Doom and saves the world, but there's certainly a lot of adventure potential where the PCs can "make a difference" if you just look closely enough.

The LotR universe is not like the Star Wars or Star Trek universes, where it is implied that there are more of what you see (i.e. More Jedi in the Republic, More Rebel factions, More Starfleet Vessels, etc.) performing other herioc deeds. There's only 9 Nazgul, one Gandalf, one ring to rule them, etc. The story has a definitive beginning, middle and end (an end which also has the elves leaving the world and magic sort of disappearing.)

Well, magic certainly doesn't "end" when the elves leave. The elves didn't create magic, they're just the most attuned to it besides the Istari. And, in fact, not all the elves do depart from the Grey Havens after the war--just many of them. Furthermore, Gandalf (one of the Istari) isn't the only "Wizard" left in Middle-Earth. Radagast the Brown remains (IIRC) and there are several other unknown Wizards who dwell (supposedly) in the east. We don't know anything at all about these Istari. Perhaps one of them turn "evil" like Saruman did. The PCs could be agents of King Elessar and help him to thwart an evil Wizard's encroachments during the Fourth Age (or something along those lines).

I won't dispute that the story has a beginning, a middle and an end, but I don't believe you're giving the time between that beginning, middle and end enough consideration; it's a far greater span of time than just the War itself. Remember the Ring was forged by Sauron in the Second Age (1600), so there's plenty of "time" in which to stage adventures for the PCs and still have the Ring play a part. The War of the Ring occurs at the end of the Third Age (3018), so there's 3000 years plus another 1800 or so in the Second Age after the forging of the Ring that the Narrator can use to run stories directly related to the Ring.

Besides, I'm not even mentioning anything about running adventures in the First Age! Talk about exciting stuff!

So, what will you do with this wonderous place?

AndorMan
One Andorian To Rule Them All

Far too much to mention in one post.

Steve

Steve's editorial note:
"Gandalf (one of the Istari) isn't the only "Wizard" left in Middle-Earth." should read "Gandalf wasn't the last Wizard in Middle-Earth."

Just a quick fix for you Tolkien detail buffs.

[TomMarg]

Personally I won't be picking up the system, while I loved the trilogy, which inspired me to a very great degree to get my first rpg, Dungeons & Dragons basic set ( the box with the blue cover), I could simply re-read the books and put together my own campaign for LOTR.

Also, for me anyways, i cannot see myself purchasing yet another system. For something like this at best, i would purchase it, only if it was a resource book for another system, or a multi-system resource.

[calguard66]

Originally posted by AndorMan
For those who are interested in picking up the LotR RPG, what kind of campaign and adventures will use play with it?

While I loved the books, I have no real interest in the game. Without wholly violating continuity, how can players become involved in the War of the Ring in a way that will actually make a difference? The LotR universe is not like the Star Wars or Star Trek universes, where it is implied that there are more of what you see (i.e. More Jedi in the Republic, More Rebel factions, More Starfleet Vessels, etc.) performing other herioc deeds. There's only 9 Nazgul, one Gandalf, one ring to rule them, etc. The story has a definitive beginning, middle and end (an end which also has the elves leaving the world and magic sort of disappearing.)

So, what will you do with this wonderous place?

AndorMan
One Andorian To Rule Them All

If you read the books carefully you will see that there was more going on that the immediate vicinity of the main characters. There were important battles fought far from Minas Trith...

There are other eras and Ages to set the campaign in... including the Fourth Age, and the rebuilding of Arnor (my personal favorite).

As for elves, the last ones didn't leave until decades after the War of the Ring... and perhaps one or two didn't leave after all. Worst comes to worst, don't have any elves...