Middle Earth Roleplaying (MERP) - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Rhugga II · 10-09-2009, 05:50 PM

I am new to the forum. I have recently discovered ICE's Middle Earth Roleplaying and I was wondering about downers' thoughts on it. I have heard most of the complaints already and am curious to discuss it with people who are/were into it.

Nogrod · 10-10-2009, 01:19 PM

If you mean that MERP -system as such - and not the ICE's ready-made adventures - I'd say it served it's purpose and provided hours after hours of fun.

It was our first actual step into roleplaying and we played many memorable sessions with it - changing into the Rolemaster rules little by little.

One could make complaints about the characters and abilities etc. not being true to a Tolkien universe, but then again who says you have to use all the possibilities a game might offer you? And I think that goes to any game: use them as you wish or see fit to what you think is reasonable (no, I'm not suggesting you come up with new rules as how a Rook moves in Chess but I think you get what I mean

).

Haven't played it in ages but I remember it with warmth, whatever the shortcomings were.

The question of how much should roleplaying be throwing dices and looking for the results from tables and how much it should be more free'er interaction is another topic and I'm not commenting on that here.

Ibrîniðilpathânezel · 10-10-2009, 02:26 PM

I used to run games using the MERP system as a basis. I agree that some of the details are a tad off for well-known characters, but that's easily adjustable. What we found most troubling was how long it took to set up original characters, due to the amount of detail and choices that have to be made. I finally wound up asking the players what they wanted their characters to be like, generally speaking, and I did the setting up for them. Turned out that worked very well, as I was able to tweak the characters for the planned campaign, so that nobody would wind up feeling left out because they'd accidentally designed a character that was just not well suited for the situations. Of course, I've never stuck to the rules as a GM; I always adjusted things on the fly to account for problems the group was having, or situations I just couldn't resist tossing them into. It turned out to be fun for all involved.

Rumil · 10-10-2009, 05:30 PM

Ah good old MERP,

lovely maps, not canonical, due to them not having the licence for anything apart from LoTR.

Left leg wounds,

Parachuting hippo,

Happy days!

Nogrod · 10-11-2009, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumil

Left leg wounds,

Minor calf wound!

Thinlómien · 10-11-2009, 11:08 AM

Well - I think MERP is rather uncanonical, but if you take the racial descriptions and such with a pinch of salt, I think it's very enjoyable. And after a while you might get bored with the system because (unlike Ibrin implies

) it is very simple, maybe even too simple. Anyway, I think it's very nice, especially for tabletop RPG novices.

10-09-2009, 05:50 PM	#1
Rhugga II Pile O'Bones Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Cameth Brin ("The Twisted Hill") Posts: 21	Middle Earth Roleplaying (MERP) I am new to the forum. I have recently discovered ICE's Middle Earth Roleplaying and I was wondering about downers' thoughts on it. I have heard most of the complaints already and am curious to discuss it with people who are/were into it.

10-10-2009, 01:19 PM	#2
Nogrod Flame of the Ainulindalë Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Wearing rat's coat, crowskin, crossed staves in a field behaving as the wind behaves Posts: 9,308	If you mean that MERP -system as such - and not the ICE's ready-made adventures - I'd say it served it's purpose and provided hours after hours of fun. It was our first actual step into roleplaying and we played many memorable sessions with it - changing into the Rolemaster rules little by little. One could make complaints about the characters and abilities etc. not being true to a Tolkien universe, but then again who says you have to use all the possibilities a game might offer you? And I think that goes to any game: use them as you wish or see fit to what you think is reasonable (no, I'm not suggesting you come up with new rules as how a Rook moves in Chess but I think you get what I mean ). Haven't played it in ages but I remember it with warmth, whatever the shortcomings were. The question of how much should roleplaying be throwing dices and looking for the results from tables and how much it should be more free'er interaction is another topic and I'm not commenting on that here. __________________ Upon the hearth the fire is red Beneath the roof there is a bed; But not yet weary are our feet...

10-10-2009, 02:26 PM	#3
Ibrîniðilpathânezel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Back on the Helcaraxe Posts: 733	I used to run games using the MERP system as a basis. I agree that some of the details are a tad off for well-known characters, but that's easily adjustable. What we found most troubling was how long it took to set up original characters, due to the amount of detail and choices that have to be made. I finally wound up asking the players what they wanted their characters to be like, generally speaking, and I did the setting up for them. Turned out that worked very well, as I was able to tweak the characters for the planned campaign, so that nobody would wind up feeling left out because they'd accidentally designed a character that was just not well suited for the situations. Of course, I've never stuck to the rules as a GM; I always adjusted things on the fly to account for problems the group was having, or situations I just couldn't resist tossing them into. It turned out to be fun for all involved. __________________ Call me Ibrin (or Ibri) :) Originality is the one thing that unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of. — John Stewart Mill

10-10-2009, 05:30 PM	#4
Rumil Sage & Onions Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Britain Posts: 894	Ah good old MERP, lovely maps, not canonical, due to them not having the licence for anything apart from LoTR. Left leg wounds, Parachuting hippo, Happy days! __________________ Rumil of Coedhirion

10-11-2009, 11:08 AM	#6
Thinlómien Shady She-Penguin Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: In a far land beyond the Sea Posts: 8,093	Well - I think MERP is rather uncanonical, but if you take the racial descriptions and such with a pinch of salt, I think it's very enjoyable. And after a while you might get bored with the system because (unlike Ibrin implies ) it is very simple, maybe even too simple. Anyway, I think it's very nice, especially for tabletop RPG novices. __________________ Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill I will conquer Blood is running deep, some things never sleep Double Fenris