Other Hands Issue 01.pdf

8/14/2019 Other Hands Issue 01.pdf

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Other Hands is an international gaming journal de-voted to fantasy role-playing set in J.R.R, Tolkiens sec-ondary world of Middle-earth. It is a quarterly, non-profit publication welcoming submissions dealing with anyaspect of gaming in the context of Tolkiens world: sce-nario ideas, rule suggestions, gaming product reviews,gamemastering aids, bibliographic resources, essays onMiddle-earth, and whatever else our readership wouldlike to see in print. In a word, Other Hands aims to be thedefinitive Tolkien-related gaming journal for a world-widerole-playing community.

How did Other Hands come to be? The need for thisjournal derives in part from the particular licensing ar-rangement existing between the Tolkien Estate and IronCrown Enterprises (the gaming company responsible forproducing and marketing the Middle-earth Role Playing sys-tem). The license to publish Tolkien-related role-playingproducts is a world-wide license held exclusively by IronCrown. This means, in effect, that anyone wishing theirMiddle-earth gaming materials to see print must gothrough Iron Crown. This places certain inherent limita-tions upon the prospective author.

To begin with, it means that the writer must utilize theofficial game mechanics ofMiddle-earth Role Playing, even ifhe or she prefers a different game system. There are alsocertain restrictions built into Iron Crowns contract with

Tolkien Enterprises stipulating that no materials set in theFirst or Second Ages of Middle-earth may be published.Finally, a prospective author writing on a region previously

described in an earlier Iron Crown module is constrainedto conform his or her own ideas to what someone else haswritten.

None of these limitations imply anything positive ornegative about the quality of Iron Crown's products; theyare simply inevitable consequences of the legal arrange-ments described above. In the past, this problem was over-come by publishing ones material in a gaming magazine(e.g. White Dwarf). Today, however, no major English-language gaming journal exists that is interested in publish-ing Tolkien-related material (most are now devoted to aparticular game companys products). Hence, there is a gap

which needs to be filled for Middle-earth gamersOtherHands seeks to fill that gap.

Within the pages of Other Hands the interested gamermay publish materials with reference to any game mechan-ics he or she chooses (including Rolemaster and Middle-earth

EDITORIAL:Introducing

Other Hands

o t h e r

h a n d s


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Dear Folks,This is an open letter to anyone who might be perusing Other Hands. It embodies a few thoughts that the crew at Iron Crown

Enterprises (ICE) want to impart to people who are interested in gaming in Middle-earth. We hope to shed some light on our pub-lishing program and invite some constructive discussion about our future plans.

As you may already know, ICE holds the exclusive, worldwide license to produce adventure games based on J.R.R. Tolkiens TheHobbit and The Lord of the Rings. We acquired these very special rights in 1982. It took us two years to con- vince Tolkien Enterprises andthe Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien that we were a worthy choice, and it has taken us another ten years to reach the stage where we areready to revise and relaunch what has become our most notable product line.

Before talking about ICEs plans, however, we think it is important that you know where we are and where we havebeen. In this context, chew on the following:

General Philosophy

ICE cares about what gets writ-ten as much, or more, than whatgets sold.

While we have failed on occasionto produce an excellent (or even toler-able) work, ICE believes that quality is

much more important than quantity.Well researched, well written, and wellpresented material makes us feel betterabout ourselves and our careers. Ofcourse, about our work, it also makescommercial sense. Quality productsgenerally perform better, especially inthe long run.

Commitment

ICE has always tended to look atmatters in terms of the long run.(Having started with very little capital,we had no other choice.) This per-spective can be dangerous, in that itcreates a rationale or pretext for someunhealthy delays; however, it has alsoenabled us to build a company andlearn a craft in the face of some verydaunting obstacles. Patience and com-mitment form the foundation of ICEsstrategy.

ICE treats the Middle-earth licenseas a fundamental part of our publish-ing program. We will remain commit-

ted to the property forever. What wehave published so far is only a begin-ning. ICE intends to keep laboring andtinkering until we get things "justright" which means we will persistin our quest until we perish. Thisopen-ended commitment is not unlikeProfessor Tolkien's own creative jour-

ney.Creative Philosophy

ICEs crew is trained in cartogra-phy, history, architecture, and (per-haps most importantly) anthropology.We care about these, and numerousother, disciplines which impact on thesort of creative and interpretive work

WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM...


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fundamental to the study of Middle-

earth. We try as much as possible toemploy the same techniques em-ployed by Professor Tolkien, and weshare his broad, interdisciplinaryapproach (with special emphasis onland and language) to every aspect ofour research. The idea is to createseamless works.

ICE pays more attention to, andtakes greater care with, this subjectmatter than any other potential licen-see. The point is to combine real

world experience with fresh fan-tasy. For example, when we do apiece on barrow-downs, we travel toEurope and actually visit similarround-barrows, long-barrows, andthe like. When we endeavor to cre-ate proper names in the Variagtongue (Varadja), we study Russian(which Tolkien alluded to as ananalogous language). At the sametime, we do not rely on tired andmundane fantasy for- mulas (e.g.,simply plugging in Chinese-like

peoples and cultures in the East.)Form

ICE long ago dedicated itself toproducing both outstanding mapsand fine linguistic-based, interpretivefantasy, staying true to the methodsemployed in the creation of J.R.R.Tolkiens works. We have alwaystried to employ good cartography,solid graphics, and compelling art-work in our publications. In most

cases, we have succeeded. Nonethe-less, we feel that there is a lot ofroom for im-

provement. If nothing else, our past

offerings have often been too unevenin quality and a little too textheavy.

Plotlines

ICE does not design productsthat simply retell tales already well-told; rather, we provide consumerswith adventure and mystery in awonderful setting borne out of thosetales. This approach is in the bestinterest of all parties concerned withquality gaming. We do not dilute thetales, nor do we demean them.

Rules Philosophy

ICE originally designed theMid-dle-earth Role Playing (MERP) game in1982. We wanted to provide con-sumers with a set of solid game me-chanics with which to adventure inEndor. We tried to avoid graftingTolkien's world onto an existinggame system (as is the case with mostother licensed adventure games).

While we accomplished one of thesetwo goals (MERPis a good set ofadventure game guidelines), we fellshort of effectively achieving theother goal.

Unfortunately, ICEs presenta-tion of the MERP rules left much tobe desired. We often created a senseof confusion and complexity, evenwhere the guidelines were conceptu-ally simple. In some cases (e.g., withthe magic and character creation

rules) ICE also failed to create afeeling that MERP was designedaround the setting. We failed tocreate the feeling that the

rules were uniquely well-suited tothe world of Middle-earth. So, whileour Middle-earth products are gen-erally very well received, and whilethe vast majority of our fan mail isextremely positive, there is a lot ofroom for design improvement.

Much of the problem can be at-tributed to the fact that ICE wantedthe supplements, not the rules, to

tell the tale of Middle-earth, Thisenabled us to reach more consumers,for we knew that many gamerswould prefer to play another game oreven make up their own rules. Wesuspect that, to this day, a large por-tion of the folk adventuring in Endoruse TSRs Dungeons & Dragons orAD&D rules, even though they em-ploy our Middle-earth supplements.This philosophy, however, has di-luted the line. We plan to addressthis problem in our forthcoming

revision program (see below).There is little doubt, though, that

MERPhas been a commercial success.Besides selling over 300,000 English-language copies, ICE has generatedone of the best foreign-languagetranslation and distribution ever seenin our industry. Middle-earth prod-ucts are now available in nine differ-ent languages. Three more transla-tions are currently in progress.


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Closing

Thoughts

adventure. In other words, these productswill serve both as standalone games using astandardized set of rules and as programmedadventure supplements for both Lord of the

Rings Adventure Game and MERPplayers. In thelatter context, the series will replace ICEsoldAdventure Modules and Ready-to-Run Mod-ules.

Each Middle-earth Adventure (e.g., TheMines of Moria) will be boxed and will con-tain full color cardboard playing pieces, plas-tic playing pieces, linkable full color card-board playing surfaces, dice, full color crea-ture and character templates, and a bookletcovering both the adventure plotline and theassociated guidelines. Playable in an evening,

each adventure will serve as both an enter-taining boardgame or as highly visual roleplaying game supplement. They will be theperfect link between traditional boardgamesand more advanced games.

4) Middle-earth BoardgamesFourth, ICE hopes to finally produce a

mass market strategy boardgame that capturesthe drama and flavor of Middle-earth at thetime of the War of the Ring. We have threesolid designs to work with, and we have fi-nally located cost-effective sources for all of

the components necessary to produce anaffordable, first-class boardgame offering. Theproduct will contain plastic playing pieces, amounted mapboard, and beautiful cards.Targeted at consumers aged 13 and older, itwill provide both introductory and intermedi-ate level rules.

Should the 3D Middle-earth Adventures se-ries appear successful, we hope to producefull-blown boardgames based on the samegame rules.

ICE believes that it has the education, ex-perience, and skill to create the finest line ofadventure gaming products ever published.After all, we are working with the greatestfantasy setting published in modern times. Inorder to achieve this goal, we have soughtcounsel from a host of interested sources.ICE is hoping to address all of the criticalcriticisms expressed in the pastincluding

product quality, product format and revenueflowand we should be able to build anextremely strong program upon the currentfoundation. Should you wish to contributeany thoughts along these lines, feel free towrite us at the following address:

ICEP.O. Box 1605Charlottesville, VA 22902USAAttention: Pete

We look forward to laboring in the worldwe love so dearly during the coming years, andwe hope to continue refining and improvingour work. Ultimately, ICE believes that ourlabors will be fruitful. We hope you agree.

For ICE, Pete Fenlon


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Due to the strict restraints delineated

by the Middle-earth gaming license, IronCrown Enterprises has thus far publishedrole-playing material set only in the ThirdAge of Arda. Moreover, their modules havealmost exclusively emphasized the period ofthe 1640s, despite the great gaming op-portunities to be found at other moments inTolkien's invented history.

This article attempts to remedy thatsituation: to show how an enterprisinggamemaster might make use of the First,Second and Fourth Ages as settings forroleplaying. Each section begins with ageneral description of the situation in theknown world during the given time pe-riod, followed by one or more adventureideas (including suggestions for player-character backgrounds). This material maythen be utilized as a starting point fordeveloping a campaign beyond the usual

fare.

The most suitable setting for role-playing in the First Age is Beleriand asnarrated in Quenta Silmarillion, during

which time the Noldor return toMiddle-earth to reclaim the Silmarilsfrom Morgoth. This period beginswith Morgoths attack on the realm ofThingol, just prior to the coming ofthe Sun and Moon, and ends with theWar of Wrath some six hundred yearslater.

The WorldBeleriand suffers from a merciless

struggle between Morgoth the BlackEnemy and a fragile alliance of Menand Elves. The moral dispositions ofthe latter range from purest white(e.g. Tuor, Melian, Beren, andLthien) to grey-black (Fanorsseven sons). There is no room fornegotiation or

compromise with Morgoth; the con-flict must continue until one side hasperished. Those who collaborate with

the forces of Angband will be be-trayed (like Gorlim), or fail and perishfrom other causes (like Maeglin). Theworld is painted in strong colors andis peopled with heroic individuals whofight for no petty causethe struggleis about power, glory and incredibletreasures; hence it is suggested thatmoney not exist in the campaign(there are no indications of the pres-ence of coins in Beleriand).

Morgoth et ConsortesBetween the time of the first sun-

rise and the War of Wrath, Morgothdwells in his subterranean fortress ofAngband far to the north, and passesits gates only when challenged by Fin-

I. In Angband's Shadow:Beleriand in the First Age

Oderint dum metuant Caligula


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golfin. His servants who openly orclandestinely fight for his cause inBeleriand and in other parts of Middle-earth are many and diverse; some are

described only as fell beasts (leavingthe gamemaster free to invent his orher own terrible creatures). Tolkienmentions such minions as Balrogs (whowield magical power over fire),werewolves (who apparently do notshapeshift), vampires, wingless drag-ons, and phantoms with Mannish orElven guises. Such creatures are usu-ally evil spirits given shape by Mor-goths fell arts, and have powers andsenses that far excel those of Men and

occasionally even of Elves. Orcs andTrolls form the common soldiery ofAngband [Note that, while these seem-ingly do not differ from their laterantecedents, Uruk-hai and Olog-hai donot yet exist, being bred by Saurononly in the late Third Age.]

Following the Dagor Bragollach in455, Morgoth acquires many Elvenand Mannish prisoners, some of whomhave their wills crushed by his powerand are transformed into obedientservants. Occasionally he sends suchindividuals back to their homelands tospy or spread lies. Only a hero likeHrin Thalion is able to resist suchpower (but even he is spiritually in-jured by his many years in captivity).

Sauron participates personally inthe wars of Beleriand, possessing thefana of a fair Elf. He is often sur-rounded by werewolves, especiallyduring his rule of Tol-in-Gaurhoth(457-467). Lthien is the only oneamong the Free Peoples able to sucess-

fully confront him (even a hero likeFinrod cannot overcome Sauron'smighty magic).

The NoldorThe Noldor of Beleriand have all come

from Aman against the explicit will ofthe Valar and are subject to the Doomof Mandos for the fell deeds commit-ted during their journey. This cursemanifests itself through deep distrustamong their princes, and is frequentlypunctuated by conflict between thesons of Fanor and other Noldorinleaders, climaxing with the sack ofMenegroth and the killing of Dior andNimloth.

The Seven Sons ofFanor

Caranthir, Curufin, Celegorm,Maedhros, Maglor, Amrod, and Amrasdiffer considerably in their disposi-tions; the first three are the most ruth-less and brutal; Maedhros and Maglorare more sensible and try to mediatebetween their brothers and other lead-ers; Amrod and Amras are not particu-larly active in these internal strug-gles.Together with their father, allhave sworn a terrible and irretractableoath: to slay any who seek to deprivethem of a Silmaril. This oath is theireventual undoing, since it brings theminto conflict not only with Morgoth,but also Thingol, Beren, Lthien,Dior, and others who struggle againstthe shadow of Angband. The brothersparticipate in the Kin-slaying at Al-qualond, conspire against both Finrodand Orodreth, and kidnap Lthien (nowonder that the other Elven princes

do not dare to trust them!). In theend, the oath causes the death of six ofthe brothers, only Maglor surviving tothe end of the First Age.

The Princes of theNoldorFingolfin, Fingon, and Finrod Fela-

gund lead many of the Noldor in Bel-eriand in the struggle against Morgoth,but are not bound by Fanors oath.Most have high ideals and are littlecorrupted by the war. Finrod Felagundis even prepared to abandon his realmin order to assist Beren in his quest.The Noldor are foremost warriors andreside in fortresses at strategic loca-

tions along Beleriands northern bor-der. Their principal occupations arehunting (there are no hints that theNoldor practiced agriculture),weapon-making, and preparation forwar (in which they appear as the onlywarriors who fight from horseback).

The SindarThe Sindar (Grey-elves) are those

who remained in Beleriand and chose

not to cross Belegaer to the UndyingLands. They are not as powerful as theNoldor, but know their land anddeeply love it. They prefer to dwell inforests (principally in Doriath withinthe Girdle of Melian). Their King, EluThingol, resides there with Melian hisqueen in the Caves of Menegroth. Heis nominally the overlord of all of Be-leriand. The Sindar fight mainly withspears and bows and, at first, encoun-tered great difficulty when confrontedwith Morgoths Orcs. Later they seem

to have obtained superior weaponsfrom their Noldorin relatives. TheLaiquendi (Green-elves), who areclosely related to the Sindar, dwell inthe forests of Ossiriand as hunters andgatherers.


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The AvariThose Elves who remained in

Cuivienen and refused to join themigration westwards are known as the

Avari. They have never been subjectthe influence of the Valar and, so,differ considerably from the Elves ofBeleriand. During the years betweenthe kindling of the stars and the firstsunrise, they spread over most ofMiddle-earth. The Sindar of Beleriandsuspect that there are Avari east of theEred Luin. [These, however, are neverdescribed in Tolkiens works apartfrom the reference that the Sindarbelieved that the Avari might havebecome like the wild animals of the

forests. If you wish to introduce Avariin your campaign, there is great free-dom to define them as you wish. Theyhave likely diversified into tribes sun-dered from one other since the time ofthe Awakening].

MenThe three Houses of the Edain

reach Beleriand around 310, befriend-ing its Elven princes and joining the

war against Melkor. The closely re-lated Houses of Beor and Hador aretall and skilful warriorsthe ancestorsof the Nmenreans. The Haladin areshorter and prefer to dwell in isolatedforest settlements. This tribe does notsurvive the First Age, since it is com-pletely defeated by Morgoths forcesin 496. The few survivors are absorbedby the two other tribes. These Edainappear to possess a level of technologycomparable to that of the Vikings orthe Iron Ages Germanic tribes, subsist-ing on agriculture and hunting, andliving in small villages or farms. Manyof the Edain are renowned warriors,some of whom are almost as skilful as

their Elven contemporaries. Theyeventually paid a terrible price fortheir fidelity to the Noldor with thedestruction or enslavement of theirvillages at the hands of Morgothsservants.

Various Easterling tribes arrive inBeleriand during the 5th century,some of which ally themselves withthe Noldor, while others join theranks of Angband. [Mostlikely these are not relatedto the Easterlings thatharass the realm ofGondor during the ThirdAge.] A few Drughuinhabit the wilds ofBeleriand, preferring a

withdrawn life (thoughthey are swornenemies of Angbandand will gladly slayOrcs).

DwarvesDwarves seem to

be of little importanceto the affairs ofBeleriand. Their two

major settlements, theminingcities of Nogrod andBelegost, are located in EredLuin on the border ofEriador. Occasionally,Dwarven artisans and warriors enterBeleriand. These are Morgoths im-placable foes, but not necessarilyfriends of the Elves. Possession of aSilmaril leads to Thingols dath andthe first sack of Doriath at teir hands.The Dwarves are the best makers ofweapons and armor in Middle-earth,and their own works can endure eventhe heat of dragon fire.

Other RacesSome Ents and Entwives live in

Ossiriand but, as always, prefer to stayout of the affairs of Men and Elves

(with one or two exceptions). Themajority of their numbers appear tohave remained east of Beleriandamong the vast forests between EredLuin and the Misty Mountains. Eagles

who serve Manw live in the moun-tain peaks which surround the hiddenvale of Gondolin, and keep watch onBeleriand for the Valar. Occasionally,they intervene to assist the Elves (e.g.the rescue of Maedhros). Skinchangers(like the Beomings of the Third Age)

may also have existed among the FreePeoples of Beleriand. [The gamemas-ter is free to introduce beings suitableto the mood of The Silmarillion, keep-ing in mind that some animals areassoci-


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ated with the forces of good, such aseagles and bears, while others, likewolves and bats, typically serve Ang-band.]

MagicThe use of magic affects the senses

and alters perceptions, affording pow-erful disguises or illusions (cf. OfBeren and Lthien in Quenta Silmaril-lion). While common to Beleriand, itis only exercised by a few, very pow-erful individuals. Apart from the Valarand the Maiar, only some of Morgothsevil spirits (e.g. Thuringwethil and theBalrogs) and some Noldor (e.g. Finrod

Felagund) seem to be spell-casters.Neither Men nor Dwarves have accessto such power. [Magical artifacts (suchas swords) are quite common, butthere are no references to magicalgadgets that are common in fantasyroleplaying games (e.g. rings of flyingor cloaks of invisibility). The game-master mst be careful so as not todestroy the mood by introducing un-suitable artifacts.]

LanguagesThe main language in Beleriand isSindarin, the native tongue of theSindar and the Laiquendi. The Noldororiginally spoke Quenya, but its usehas been prohibited by Thingol. SomeNoldor surely know Telerin and Vali-norean. Dwarves speak the secretiveKhuzdul among themselves, but useSindarin with outsiders. The Ents havetheir fantastic tongue which no otherrace can be taught. The Houses of

Bor and Hador speak similar dialectswhich form the roots of Adnaic, thetongue of the later Dnedain. TheHaladin and Easterlings speak theirown language. [What language theservants of Angband use is not clear;but

it is certainly not the later BlackSpeech, since that was invented bySauron during the Second Age. Mor-goth may have devised a tongue for hisservants.]

Player-characterBackgrounds

The heroes of the First Age are of afar greater stature than those found inlater ages. But while player-charactersmay possess truly heroic qualities,these should not approach the level ofone like Beren or Finrod, such thatthey might alter the basic fabric ofBeleriand's history (though they may

well be far better than anything foundin a Third Age campaign). They shouldalso be well-equipped from the start ofthe campaign in order to be properlyprepared for the struggle against Ang-band.

Campaign ThemesThe world of Quenta Silmarillion

is replete with grandiose deeds, heart-rending tragedy and dramatic atmos-

phere (in addition to ignoble betrayaland a good dose of horror). A cam-paign set in Beleriand should thereforeoffer more than the conventionalmonster hunt. Happy endings arerare under Angbands shadow, andwhen someone succeeds in an heroicaction, a bitter price must often bepaid. Moral flaws (most often pride)and ill-judgment typically result indisaster.

The Watchful PeaceA suitable campaign setting mightbe the period between the arrival ofthe Edain and the Dagor Bragollach(31045 S), during which time thereis comparative peace in Beleriand as

the protagonists prepare themselvesfor the war which they know willcome soon enough. Morgoth attemptsto divide the Eldarin princes by sowingdiscord and suspicion. Fanors sons

conspire to achieve their private goals;Caranthir, Celegorm, and Curufin areeven ready to confront Beren andLthien. In such a setting it is oftendifficult to determine who is yourfriend and who is only feigning.Player-characters might belong to thehousehold of a Noldorin prince (e.g.Orodreth at Minas Tirith). BothSauron and Fanors sons activelyconspire against their lord and try toinfiltrate his fortress with their agentsin order to strengthen their positions.

The Wanderingsof the Haladin

During the 360s, Haleth leads herpeople on a long and strenuous migra-tion from Estolad to Talath Drnen andBrethil, searching for an area wherethe Haladin can lead their traditionallyindependent lives. It is possible to runthis long march as a campaign in

which player-characters are Haladinleadersperhaps advisers or com-mandersunder Haleth, whose role isto plan and execute various tasks (suchas reconnaissance, transportation, ormilitary strikes that will facilitate theprogress of the migration). Halethherself might actually be run as aplayer-charactera truly charismaticleader comparable to Napoleon, MaoZedong or Alexander the Great.


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The Evil YearsAfter Dagor Bragollach in 455, the Elves and Edain are

gradually pushed southwards from Dorthonion. Theirdefenses collapse completely at Nirnaeth Arnoediad in 473and Angbands armies pour into Beleriand. In 496, Nar-gothrond is sacked by Glaurung. At about the same time,the Haladin are crushed and a few survivors scattered.Menegroth is sacked in 505 and 510, and in 511 Gondolinitself is destroyed. Only the Elven settlements on Balarsurvive unscathed, being under the protection of Ulmo.During these chaotic and evil years, many hardy guerillabands (such as those led by Barahir, Beren, or Trin) carryon a desperate struggle against the servants of Angband.

Morgoths commanders expend great efforts to capturethese freedom fighters, and in the most difficult casesSauron himself participates (as when Barahirs band isdestroyed).

A campaign with this theme would place heavy empha-sis on wilderness survival (the antagonist being not onlyOrcs and Easterlings, but also the merciless climate).Characters must find food, water, and lodgings in order tosurvive the harsh winters of northern Beleriand. Occasion-ally, they may get assistance from the Edain villages thathave been enslaved by the Easterlings, but such actionsmay be perilous; the servants of Angband ruthlessly useany deceptions to capture or kill guerilla warriors.

This timeline covers the years between the arrival ofthe Noldor and the War of Wrath (compiled with helpfrom Robert Foster The Complete Guide to Middle-earth (NewYork: Ballentine Books, 1978) and Paul KocherA ReadersGuide to Silmarillion (London: Thames and Hudson, 1980).Regrettably, there are few dates referred to in the tales;hence it is often impossible to locate events exactly.

Just prior to the first Year of the Sun and the coming ofthe Noldor, Morgoths armies engage the Sindar in theFirst Battle of Beleriand. The victory of Angband leadsMelian to set the girdle of her protection upon Doriath.The Second Battle, Dagor-nuin-Giliath, is fought upon thearrival of Fanor's people. He falls, but Morgoth's hosts aredriven back to Angband.

1 The Sun and Moon rise for the first time. Fingolfin reachesMiddle-earth and is named High-king of the Noldor.

1-20 Thingol grants the Noldor leave to settle and defend theunpopulated regions of northern Beleriand, but exerciseslittle control over the Noldo princes.

51 Finrod Felagund begins the building of Nargothrond.52 Turgon discovers Tumladen and begins the building of

Gondolin.c. 60 Dagor Aglareb, the Third Battle. An Orc attack on Dor-

thonion is repulsed by the hosts of Fingplfin and Maedhros.c. 100 Gondolin completed.155 An Orc attack on Hithlum is repulsed by Fingons host.255 Glaurung emerges for the first time, but is routed in a

battle on Ard-galen. The Dragons do not appear again for along time.

c. 306 Maeglin is born.c. 310 The three Houses of Edain reach Beleriand from the south-

east. Beors House arrives first and is guided by Finrod toEstolad, where it settles. The next folk, the Haladin, re-main in Thargelion. During the following year, the Houseof Hador arrives and migrates to Estolad. After some wan-dering, Bors

folk settle in Dorthonion and allies itself with Finrod ofNargothrond. Hadors people settle in Hithlum and EredWethrin. After some years the Haladin are driven out ofThargelion by Orcs. They move to Estolad and, after someyears, Haleth leads her people westwards through NanDungortheb to Brethil and Talath Dimen. Many other Menfrom the three Houses remain in Estolad until NimaethArnoediad.

c. 330 Maeglin arrives in Gondolin. Eol and Aredhel die.c. 370 The Haladin settle in Brethil.c. 425 Hadors House settles in Dor-lmin.c. 441 Hrin is born.c. 444 Huor is born.455 Dagor Bragollach, the Fourth Battle. Ard-galen is devas-

tated by rivers of fire from Angband. During the winter,

the March of Maedhros and Dorthonion are conquered byMorgoths hosts. Fingolfin is killed by Morgoth at the gatesof Angband. Fingon becomes King of the Noldor.

457 Sauron captures Tol Sirion and changes it to Tol-in-Gaurhoth (Isle of the Werewolves). Bors tribe flee fromDorthonion to Hithlum; only Barahirs outlaws remain.The Easterlings arrive in Beleriand and settle in its easternparts.

A Brief Chronology of Beleriand during the First Age


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460 Barahir and his men die. Only Beren survives.462 An Orc attack on Hithlum is repulsed. Hrin becomes chief-

tain of the House of Hador in Dor-lmin.465 Trin is born.466-468 The adventures of Beren and Lthien, during which Finrod,

Huan and Carcharoth die. Sauron is expelled from Tol-in-Gaurhoth by Lthien and his tower is destroyed. A Silmaril iswrested from Morgoth and given to Thingol. Beren andLthien settle in Tol Galen.

473 Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the Fifth Battle. The hosts of the Eldarand the Edain are utterly crushed by Morgoths forces.Hithlum is settled by the Easterlings. Tuor is born.

474 The Falas is ravaged by Orcs. Crdans people flee to Balarthe mouth of the Sirion.

482-501 Turins tragic adventures, well described inNarn Hn Hrin.They are too extensive to be summarized here.

496 The Haladin are defeated and withdraw into the forests.Nargothrond is conquered by Glaurung and Orcs.

502 Hrin dies.

503 Tuor and Idril marry.505 Dwarves from Nogrod slay Thingol in Menegroth and

steal the Silmaril, but are themselves slain during their es-cape. The jewel is brought back to Menegroth. Meliandeparts Middle-earth. A Dwarven army sacks Menegrothand captures the Silmaril. During their return marchBeren kills them and recovers the jewel, which is worn byLthien for some years.

509 Beren and Lthien die. Dior is King of Doriath and wearsthe Silmaril.

510 Fanors sons attack Menegroth to capture the Silmaril.Caranthir, Celegorm, Curufin, Dior, and Nimloth areslain, while Elwing escapes to Sirion with the Silmaril.

511 The Sack of Gondolin. Turgon and Maeglin die. Tuor andIdril flee to the Mouths of Sirion. Ereinion Gil-galad isKing of the Noldor.

520 Fanors four surviving sons attack the Elven settlement atthe mouth of Sirion in search of the Silmaril, but fail tocapture it. Amrod and Amras fall in the fight. Some dec-ades later, Erendil reaches Aman and appeals to theValar. The Hosts of Valinor go to Middle-earth and theWar of Wrath is fought. The First Age comes to an end.

Less source material exists for the Second Age than for other periods in the history of Middle-earth. Appendix B (RotK),Akallabth, and a section in Unfinished Tales make up the bulk of the available data. In this Age the Dnedain realm of Nm-enr rises from its humble birth, reaches its peak of glory, and plummets into darkest evil, while Sauron builds his first em-pire in Middle-earth, deceives the Noldor of Eregion, fashions the One Ring, and finally brings about the destruction ofWesternesse. Hence, the Second Age has great potential for gamemasters seeking freedom to design their own campaign.

AmanThe Undying Lands have not changed since the First Age,but play no active role in the Second. The Elves continueto sail there and, at times, Teleri from Tol Eressa voyageto Elenna or Endor. In the 34th century Ar-Pharaznsarmament causes Aman to be removed from the Circles ofthe World.

Nmenor (Yzyan)Elenna is a star-shaped isle with an area of about

171,000 square miles [Its geography is well described in

Unfinished Tales.]. It is exclusively populated by theDnedain, descendants of the three Houses of the Edainwho were allied to the Elves during the First Age. It seemsto have had a pleasant climate, perhaps comparable to thatof northern California. The soil is good and there are noreports of bad harvests or famine among its population. A

The World

II. Yzayan ber alles:the Second AgeRuleYzyan, Yzyan rules the waves.

Edain always are a master-race Adnaic hymn, c. SA 3100


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voyage from Elenna to Aman takes56 weeks, and to Middle-earth 78 weeks. The native tongue ofNmenor is Adnaic, a derivative ofthe languages spoken by the Houses ofBor and Hador in Beleriand. Sindarinand Quenya are also used for solemnoccasions.

The Nmenreans are aware oftheir superiority over other Men andof their inferiority to the Elves. Ini-tially accepting this situation grace-fully, they respect the Elves, and seekto transmit their culture to the lesserMen of Middle-earth; but from 1800

onwards pride overcomes theNmenrean heart, and they graduallyabandon their traditional ideals andturn to evil ways. Their friendshipwith the peoples of Middle-earth turnsto conquest, colonization, and sup-pression, while their attitude towardsthe Eldar becomes envious. Duringthe 23rdcentury Tar-Atanamir iswarned about this development byemissaries of the Valar, but the kingand his followers pay no heed. A smallgroup of Dnedain, who call them-selves the Faithful, retain the old ide-als. For this they are ostracized, andtowards the end of the Age are subjectto outright persecution. In order tosurvive many of them settle in Middle-earth, and at the end of the Age thisgroup survives the Downfall and es-tablishes the realms of Gondor andArnor.

Northwestern Endor[Northwestern Middle-earth suf-

fered great destruction at the end ofthe First Age, but from the SecondAge onward its geography seems tohave remained stable. Hence, one caneasily use the extensive, publishedmap material for the Third Age byadjusting its settlements and politicalborders.] The Second Age is consid-ered a dark time for the peoples ofMiddle-earth. It seems likely that theylive at the same level of technologyand social organization as the Edain ofthe First Age, and are probably basedon clans and tribes, centered aroundagricultural villages in the extensiveforests. Some of the peoples ofEriador were distant relatives of theNmenreans and spoke languagessimilar to Adnaic (see footnote 3from Aldarion and Erendis in Unfin-ished Tales). There is some migrationinto this region. For instance, duringthe reign of Tar-Aldarion, Easterlingsserving Sauron entered Eriador.

The Elves live mostly in Lindon,

ruled by Gil-galad, and in Lothlrien.The latter are mostly Silvan, as are theElves of the Greenwood. Apart fromthe Noldor in Eregion, the Elves ofEriador are Sindar. Gil-galad seems tohave gained significant influence in allof Eriador as the years passed, and hisrealm is essential to the resistanceagainst Sauron. Eregion constitutesthe

third major Elven settlement in northwestern Middle-earth, but is destroyedby Saurons armies in 1697. After thisevent, Imladris is established by Elrondas a refuge. Others include the Nandorsettlement of Edhellond in Belfalas.

The cities of Belegost and Nogrodwere destroyed in the War of Wrath,but the Dwarves soon built new man-sions elsewhere in the Ered Luin.Khazad-dm survived into the SecondAge unscathed, and grew to becomethe greatest of Dwarven cities in Mid-dle-earth. The Ents have withdrawninto Fangorn, whereas the Entwives

live in the fertile lands on the other sideof the Anduin. They disappear at theend of the Second Age when the area isravaged by war.

It seems that Hobbits only reachnorthwestern Middle-earth during theThird Age. Where they lived during theSecond Age is not mentioned in anysource.

The Nmenrean

PresenceThe Men of Nmenor spend the earlyyears of the Age building their homeon Elenna. They return to Middle-earth in 600 when a ship voyages toLindon. Soon thereafter, they encoun-ter Edain living around Lake Evendimin Eriador. During the 9th century, theybuild the port of Lond Daer (Vinya-lond) at the mouth of the RiverGwathl in order to facilitate the ex-ploitation of Eriadors vast forests. Inthe 1690s, Yzyan sends an army to

oppose Sauron in Eriador. TheFaithful establish Pelargir in

2350


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as a foothold on the continent. Many settle in Belfalas, Le-bennin, Anrien, Calenardhon, and around Evendim, re-gions under Elvish influence and hence shunned by theKings Men.

Sauron's EmpireDuring his sojourn in Eregion (12001590) Sauronwears a fair semblance (most likely the fana of an Elf) such

that he is able to persuade many Noldor that he really is anemissary from the Valar (which must be quite a feat!).Around the year one thousand he establishes the realm ofMordor, and in 1600 fashions the One Ring in preparationfor war against the Eldar. In the ensuing conflict (16931701) his hosts raze Celebrimbors realm, but are unable toconquer either Lindon or Khazad-dm. When Nmenorsends its army to the aid of Gil-galad, Saurons armies arecrushed and forced to retreat back to Mordor.

Sauron then bides his time in Barad-dur (being immortal,

he is in no hurry). He expands his realm eastwards and sub-jugates many peoples but, at the last, surrenders toNmenor in 3261. Yet, in humbling himself, Sauronachieves his ultimate goal: the destruction of Nmenor.

The Rest of Middle-earthVery little is written about the rest of Endor

during the Second Age. Hence, a gamemasterhas great freedom of design. There are,however, certain facts in the primarysources which must be taken into account.According to The Silmarillion there are

Avari, Men, and probably also Dwarvesin other parts of Middle-earth.

From the reign of Tar-Aldariononwards the Men of Nmenorexplore the coasts of Endor,but nowhere do theyencounter any culture ashighly developed as theirown, nor any sailors ofequal skill. Around 2200the Nmenreanattitude changes andthey begin to establishcolonies along the coasts. Thenatives are subjugated andforced to serve Dnedainmasters who demand heavytribute. Umbar is the focalpoint of the Nmenreandominion in Endor andbecomes a vast fortress. TheKings Men mainly colonize

the region south of this port. (Several of these colonies sur-vive the Atalant and their evil inhabitants become implaca-ble enemies of Gondor during the first millennium of theThird Age.) During Ar-Pharazns reign, the Nmenreansbecome rapacious conquerors who enslave whole popula-tions and sacrifice enemies to the cult of Melkor.

But the Nmenreans are never so many that they can evicta native population from its homeland; instead, they becomea ruling class that administers and exploits the natives. Theybuild forts, roads, bridges, and establish garrisons in order toensure their rule. A colony is partially ruled by Nmenreanlaw, in which Dnedain have many privileges. Their armiesare partially recruited from the natives but have exclusivelyNmenrean officers. Preferably, soldiers are stationed in anarea whose language they do not speak. [The colonial poli-cies of the Roman empire may be the best comparable ex-ample from our own age.]

Campaign ThemesNmenor plays an active role in Endor from600, when the Entuless sails into Mithlonds

harbor, to its downfall in 3319 (approximately twenty-seven centuries). A thousand years pass between thetime of Tar-Atanamirs reign, when the Nmenreans

left the path of the Valar, and Atalant. When oneconsiders all that has happened in our own age

over a comparable period of time, the vasttemporal scope open to the gamemaster

becomes apparent.

Player-charactersThe fact that the Second Age saw no

great heroes to match those ofBeleriand should be kept in mind

when scaling the relative powerlevel of player-characters. Playersshould be able to choose the sameraces available in a Third Age

campaign with the exception ofHobbits.


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16/36

Vietnam wars (1945-1975).] Whilethe characters strive for these goalsSaurons emissaries work in secret toinfiltrate and establish their own posi-tion, which will be used to give themthe real power in the end. The charac-ters actually have to fight at two frontssimultaneously.

The Elven DiplomatsWhen the Shadow falls over Nu-

menor, many Eldar in Middle-earthbecome worried and act to protecttheir interests and the Free Peoplesfrom Yzyans rule. In such a cam-paign characters could be Elven dip-lomats with human assistants, sent toa distant

land by Gil-galad to actively intervenein a succession conflict. A ruler isdying and his heirs vie for the throne.One is supported by Nmenor, andSauron has sent secret emissaries withthe task of discrediting those involvedand to cause a civil war.

Atalant's AftermathWhen Elenna perishes in 3319 a

new era begins. Elendil and his fol-lowers reach the shores of Middle-earth, unite the Elf-friends there, andestablish Gondor and Arnor. ManyNmenrean colonies survive, andUmbar remains a stronghold for theevil Yzyan culture; but the KingsMen have lost their cohesion andspend

much time fighting each other whilethe oppressed people rebel againstthem. Sauron returns to Mordor andcontinues his relentless war againstthe Dnedain. The two final decadesof the Second Age are a chaotic timeof much war, espionage, and schem-ing in which the Last Alliance besiegesMordor itself. In this setting charac-ters might serve Elendil in variouscapacities.

The Age ends with the death ofElendil, Gil-galad, and Saurons fall.Isildur seizes the One Ring, and a newera arrives with hopes of better fu-ture. But that, as they say, is a com-pletely different story.

During the War of the Ring,Gandalf predicted that there wouldcome new threats to the Free Peoplesafter Sauron, but he could not seeanything furtherhe affirmed thatone must confront the evils of one'sown generation, and leave the de-

fense of the future to others. Afterthe fall of Sauron the reunited King-dom of Gondor and Arnor faces thefuture without help from the Istari orthe Eldar. The Age of Men has ar-rived and supernatural forces gradu-ally fade away. The Elves voyage toAman or disappear into the deepforests and shun Men. Tolkien

wrote very little of this era. In theAppendices it is said that Elessar andomer fought the remnants ofSaurons minions wherever theyappeared. Their armies went to wareast and south of Gondor. The Orcsare not yet exterminated, and ravage

the Misty Mountains and the Green-wood for another century or so.

One advantage of a Fourth Agecampaign is that player-charactershave much greater scope for influenc-ing the course of history, which ismore limited in previous ages. Char-acters have opportunities to make

their own fortunes or, perhaps,even to rule their own realms. [Ihave been told that Tolkien oncebegan writing a novel set in Gondorduring the Fourth Age. Being dis-satisfied with it, he never completedit. I was told that the basic idea was

that evil again infiltrated Gondorand made some people serve a Darkreligion. These hints inspired myfriend Kathrin Vestergren and I tooutline the following campaign forGondor several decades after KingElessars death in 120, emphasizingpolitics and intrigue.]

III. Return of the Shadow:

the Fourth AgeHistory has no happy endings just crises that come and go Isaac Asimov


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The Lands of MenThe Fourth Age is the era in which

the realms of Men assume control ofnorthwestern Endor, Gondor andArnor controlling the lands betweenthe Misty Mountains, the Ered Luin,Forochel, Mordor, and Umbar. Rohanand The Shire preserve their ancientautonomy within this reunited king-dom while retaining close allegiance tothe Dnedain. Mordor has been takenover by the former slave populationwhich inhabits the fertile area aroundthe lake of Nurn, and is allied withGondor. In Rhn and Harad little haschanged. The old realms remain, albeitliberated from the Shadow, and theirinhabitants are probably not too keenon Gondorian hegemony in the region.Many of these have long traditions ofresisting the Dnedain, and such cul-tural memories will linger on for manycenturies.

Elves and DwarvesThe Elves are gradually departing

Middle-earth, though a significantSilvan population remains in Lrienand the Greenwood for many centu-ries into the Fourth Age. Some Sindaralso stay for a long time in the GreyHavens, having the responsibility ofproviding ships to those that depart toAman. Few bother with the affairs ofMen in Middle-earth. Much of their

power has waned since the destructionof the One Ring and the departure oftheir mightiest Lords. They all realizethat their prime has passed and that

the dominion of the continent has fi-nally passed to mortals.

Dwarvenkind enjoys a brief renais-sance once their principal enemiesorcs and dragonshave been deci-mated or exterminated.Khazad-dm isonce again retaken by the Naugrimand its ores are exploited for newwealth. The Dwarves, however, aredestined for a slow decline

and eventual extinction (due todemographic factors). Their outlyingsettlements in Ered Luin and else-where are gradually abandoned as theAge progress and the Dwarves with-draw to Khazad-dm.

Sauron's HeirAncient legends speak of how

Sauron deceived Celebrimbor and theElven-smiths in Hollin during theSecond Age. He came to them as An-

natar, Lord of the Gifts, claiming tobeen an emissary of the Valarmanybelieved him. One of these wasCelebrimbor's sister Ariel, who wasseduced by Annatar. Soon after he hadleft Hollin for good she gave birth to adaughter, Aelindur. Ariel died frombirth complications and the child wasbrought up by her uncle.

When Saurons armies crushedHollin they captured Aelindur andbrought her to Mordor. What then

became of her is not clear. There aretales of a golden-haired maiden livingin a mansion at the shore of Nurnen.There Aelindur had a garden in whichshe grew evil herbs. When Sauronperished at the end of the Second Age,she escaped in the ensuing chaos andsought refuge somewhere in the east.

Aelindur'sFourth Age Plans

In time Aelindur has become al-most as evil as her father, though notas powerful. She can be portrayed as akind of fallen Galadriel (read the se-quence when Frodo offers Galadrielthe Ruling Ring in Lorien). Being part-Noldo, she is bound to her physicalbody. Aelindur has great knowledge ofmagic and possesses much more talentthan any other Elf (save perhapsLthien, another Maia-Noldo child).Only an Istar can match her in magic.According to the essay on the Istari(Unfinished Tales), Radagast, Alatar andPallando remain in Middle-earth dur-ing the early Fourth Age and mayenter

The World


18/36

the plot as Aelindurs foes for reasonsranging from helpfulness to the desireto remove a potentially troublesomecompetitor.

When Saurons domain collapsedafter the War of the Ring, Aelindur

realized that this would be her bigopportunity. Both the most powerfulElves (Galadriel and Elrond) and Gan-dalf departed from Middle-earth at theend of the Third Age. The only poten-tial rivals remaining are the three Wiz-ards, but of these only Radagast residesin northwestern Endor, and his inter-est does not lie in power over Men.Pallando and Alatar have long sincedeparted for eastern lands.

Aelindurs goals are simple: venge-ance and power. She wants to throwthe Dnedain realms into chaos andassume control over the remnants,using discontented Haradaic and Gon-dorian noblemen as her primary tools.

Unlike her father she does not rule astate, nor does she have any hosts ather direct command; instead, sherelies on her black arts and cunning toachieve her ambitions. She will infuseevil and egotistical thoughts into theminds of powerful individuals, re-molding them to suit her purposes.When the Men of Harad revolt againstGondor under her servants' leadership,many Dnedain nobles will rebelagainst their own King and a new Kin-

strife will ensue. Then Aelindur in-tends to reveal herself as the saviorof the realm, and with the help of herminions and her great powers usurp-the throne of Gondor, initiating a darkreign that may last for centuries.

Aelindur has great patience as sheis not subject to mortality. She is alsovery careful, preferring to work herwill through intermediaries withoutbeing seen. Whenever she comes outinto the open, she is incognito, claim-ing to be an Elda who has not yet goneWest. If her true identity should berevealed, her plans might fail.

On the southern shore of Nurn you find

Aelindur's misty flower field

with her magic roses, black and white.

In the hour of midnight

she is dancing right across the field

weaving signs of magic, runes of might.

And she sings: Burzum k,

chanting words of power, Sauron's child.

And then the swaying magic roses

growing in the field obey,

sending streams of evil, pale as death.

For though each rose is graceful, it is

filled with Mordor's baleful breath

used by Aelindur Elvenmaid.

And when the Moon is rising,

then an evil eye looks down on you,

sending forth her powers to your mind.

You wake up to the sound of chanting;

Aelindur comes to you

wearing words of magic, words to bind:

Be my slave, be my slave!Then you must surrender, and you do.

Thus you are, thus you are

bound with words ofchaining, thus you are.

The Ballad of Aelindur


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The Conspiracy Tools

Aelindur has many means to fur-ther her plots. She has established avariant of the old cult of Melkor inGondor, whose clandestine priestspreach the coming of a Dark Queenwho will save the Dnedain from theircurrent decadent ways and re-establishtheir ancient power and might (Thecult should be utilized in style remi-niscent of H.P. Lovecraft: dark rites inthe moonlight and strange societiesconspiring against the realm).

Another variant of the cult hasbeen created for the Southron peo-ples. There her servants preach resis-tance to Dnedain dominion and therecovery of traditional Southron vir-tues. The goal should be to break theshackles of the Northmen under theleadership of the freedom-giving GreatQueen and regain what was lost inthe War of the Ring. The cult is suc-cessful among discontented nobles andmerchants.

Rohan is a serious obstacle toAelindurs plans since its oher is themost powerful military unit in north-western Middle-earth, and the kingsof Harad can never field a matchingcavalry force. Aelindur pursues twostrategies to achieve this. One is todevelop a horse plague to kill off alarge percentage of Rohans herds.The other strategy is political: enticingthe Dunlendings to once again strikethe western Riddermark to regaintheir ancient possessions. Arnor is still

so sparsely populated that it lacksstrength enough to successfully inter-vene in a Gondorian civil war. Also, anorthern host must march throughDunlending territory before reachingGondor, whichshould delay it signifi-cantly.

Player-charactersThere are many ways for player characters

to get involved in Aelindurs conspiracies. Theymight come to realize that something is awry inMinas Tirith. People are denying the true Dnedainideals and breaking old customs and traditions forpersonal gain. There are persistent rumors of evil forcessecretly gaining adherents in the city, and the charactersmay be the only ones who realize the extent of thethreat. They are then forced to combat it alone, whiletheir compatriots disregard their warningsexcept forAelindurs allies who oppose them with all possiblemeans Such a campaign might well be centered on MinasTirith and be flavored by a tinge of horror. The all toocommon expeditions into dungeons and fights against

Orcs should be completely absent. Instead, the campaignshould emphasize investigative role-playing. Charactersmust ascertain the true nature of the evil machinationsthey have discovered, who is involved, and how to stopthese individuals from realizing Aelindurs plans. Prepar-ing an armed rebellion is a difficult task and the conspira-tors would have to make many preparations: findingsuitable allies, securing the loyalties of military units,establishing efficient clandestine communications, etc.Such activities can usually be discovered, providing oneknows what to look for.

If a civil war breaks out in Gondor characters may tryto change its course [perhaps involving table-topwargaming]. Many battles will be fought for the controlof the three strategic cities of the lower Anduin valley:Pelargir, Minas Tirith, and Ithiliens new capital of Ost-in-Ernil (the successor of the ruined Minas Morgul,located in the hills of Emyn Arnen). It is even possiblethat player-characters might choose to ally themselveswith Aelindur. If so, she will most like betray them inthe end, as befits her nature.


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The Lord of the Rings is foundedupon the premise that the search for powerand knowledge contains within itself thepossibility of corruption, and throughoutTolkiens writings these themes are closelyintertwined. The imaginary races ofMiddle-earth are each defined in terms of theirsusceptibility to corruption as well as theircapacity for resisting the lure of power. Agamemaster who seeks to incorporate thisnobility of resistance into the realm ofgame mechanics may wish to consider thefollowing rule suggestion for a statisticembracing the quality of fortitude, de-signed for use with the Middle-earth RolePlaying andRolemaster rule systems.

As with the doctrine of OriginalSin, the potential for corruption inTolkiens world inheres within a per-sons created nature; hence, nobleactions and a desire to do good maywork to offset the corrupting influ-ence of poweron the other hand,such efforts may paradoxically lead

one down the path of evil. It is worthconsidering the corrupting conse-quences of power in Middle-earthsince, in a role-playing context, thepursuit and acquisition of power in itsvarious forms is a common orienta-tion of player-characters.

Exemplars ofCorruption and theRaces of Middle-earthExamples of the self-undoing and ul-timately self-destructive nature of thewill to power abound in Tolkienswritings. The discord introduced byMelkor into the Music of the Amurlocates the primal Fall before the crea-

tion of the world and sets the patternfor those who are to follow. Amongthe ranks of the Maiar, the figures ofSauron and Saruman are exemplary oftwo different paths of corruption.Saurons conscious allegiance toMelkor from the beginning, and hisunchallenged inheritance of his mas-ters dominion which in turn led to hisown overthrow, may be contrasted tothe more complex character of thewizard Saruman, who began with adesire for good but whose attempts to

fight the Enemy with his own weaponsresulted in his metamorphosis into thatEnemy. Significanty, this fall fromgrace was accompanied by the acquisi-tion and creation of powerful artifactsand the knowledge of their use. Inter-estingly, both Sauron

and Saruman in their origins were ofAuls people, whose characteristicdesire to make in the fashion of theirCreator was fraught with the ambigui-ties of sub-creative power. Otherexamples of betrayal and self-deception brought about through thepromise of power include Ar-Pharazn, the Nazgl, the Dead Menof Dunharrow, and the Haradrim.

Individual propensities for corrup-

tion and resistance are to be situatedwithin a larger context of racial andcultural characteristics. Men as a raceare extremely diverse and, as such, aresubject to varying degrees of corrup-tion and corruptibility. Lesser Men,such as the Easterlings or the Ha-radrim, are highly susceptible to thelies of the Enemy; by contrast, theEdain, blessed by Ilvatar with height-ened faculties of discernment andfortitude, are paradoxically morevulnerable to the fear of Death and thedesire for deathlessness within theCircles of the World. The Northmanancestors of the Dnedain share manyof the weaknesses of Lesser Men butare set apart from the latter by theirenduring ties with the West


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As a subset of Men, Hobbits repre-sent something of an anomaly withinTolkiens world. Their absence fromthe recorded history of Middle-earth is

used by Tolkien to amplify certainqualities which make them distinctivein their ability to resist corruption anddomination; namely, their lack ofdesire for power. Most Hobbits haveneither the will nor the need to go outof their way to obtain power; instead,their activities are oriented towardcontentment. The whole idea of ad-ventureat least at the time of TheHobbit and The Lord of the Ringsisunpalatable to their sensibilities. This

general avoidance, however, does noterase diversity among the differentbranches of Hobbit-folk.

Dwarves are characterized by anuneasy coexistence of intense loyaltyand honor on the one hand, and apotentially amoral vanity and greed onthe other. The former positive quali-ties are most forcibly presented in TheHobbit and The Lord of the Rings, whilein The Silmarillion their less admirablequalities are more often emphasized(though this impression may be, inpart, a result of the implied Elvenperspective of Tolkiens narrative ofthe events of the First Age).

Of the kindreds of the Elves, theNoldor exhibit the greatest similaritiesto the Dwarves and, as such, oftenshare in the unstable affinity betweennobility and corruption. As a whole,however, the Eldar are to be distin-guished from all other races with re-spect to power and corruption becauseof their deathless nature. Because of

their unalterable connection to thelife-span of the world itself, Elves lackto a certain extent the drive for tem-poral power that characterizes mor-tals.This quality, however, is balancedoff

by their closer connection to the sub-creative process, which leaves themprey to all the temptations associatedwith such power. As Time wears on,

the Eldar become both less motivatedto actively strive for power and morekeenly aware of the Enemys machi-nationshence, in the Third AgeSauron was no longer able to deceivethe Elves or to cajole them into hisservice. This generalization, however,may not technically apply in the samedegree to Avari Elves dwelling inplaces other than north western Mid-dle-earth.

Artifacts of PowerIron Crowns Middle-earth RolePlaying products often leave one withthe impression that Tolkiens world isoverflowing with magic items; butscarcity (rather than abundance)would better characterize magicalartifacts within Tolkiens sub-creation. Those few that are men-tioned tend to carry with them aweight of doom and history whichoften has a great deal to do with defin-

ing their use and personal conse-quences. Most artifacts enhance somefaculty or capacity of their user, oftenbestowing power in direct proportionto his or her own inherent power orcapabilities. This progressive increaseof power, however, may be accompa-nied by a corresponding, corruptinginfluence over the user. Moreover,the full potential of an artifact is oftenonly realized or understood as it ex-tends control over its user. In thisrespect Tolkien and Lovecraft share a

similar view of the transgressive ef-fects of power and knowledge on theself. This contradictory dynamic re-quires a corresponding game me-chanic in order for it to be evokedeffectively in the course of play. Theconcept of a fortitude scale is intro-duced to serve this function.

FortitudeThe Fortitude Scale (FS) is meas-

ure of a character's natural leaning

towards good or evil. It bears someresemblance to the traditional conceptof alignment, but is dealt with dif-ferently. Proximity to and/or use ofpower beyond ones measure maydiminish ones Fortitude score. Forti-tude may be maintained or regainedthrough resistance to the temptationof corrupting power, or by the per-formance of certain actions defined bythe gamemaster as being in oppositionto or in rejection of the corruptingevil. The maximum Fortitude attainable is defined by the level of onesnatural or inherent power. A charac-ter whose Fortitude score has fallen tozero or below has become irrevocablycorrupted and effectively leaves thecontrol of its player at the gamemas-ters discretion.

Two possible methods are herepresented for generating Fortitude: 1)1D100 role; reroll any score belowthe characters Intuition statistic, 2)Fortitude = lowest prime statistic of

the character, and may not exceedIntuition score by more than 15points. Either method is valid. Notethat the second method tends to gen-erate a higher score. If neither theMERPnor Rolemaster systems are beingused, the easiest method for generat-ing the Fortitude Scale statistic is toconvert two appropriate statistics topercentile scores and use them as

described above.


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Race ModifiersDWARVES +5

UMLI +4ELVES

Vanyar +20

Noldor +10

Teleri +5

Avari 0

Half-Elves +5

HOBBITS

Fallohides +10

Harfoots +15

Stoors +15

MEN

Beornings +5Black Nmenreans -10

Corsairs -5

Dorwinrim 0

Dnedain +5

Dunlendings -5

Easterlings -5

Haradrim -5

Lossoth 0

Rohirrim 0

Rural Men 0

Urban Men 0

Variags -10Woodmen 0

Woses +15

ORCS

Uruk-Hai -15

Common Orcs -10

Half Orcs -10

TROLLS

Olog-hai -20

Normal Trolls -10

Half-Trolls -15

Using FortitudeThe FS statistic may be used in a

variety of situations. All players are

required to make a successful FS role(as a percentage) whenever their char-acters gain a level of experience. Afailed role results in a loss of FS equalto the number of the new level. Thissimulates the potential for corruptionoccasioned by the new level of mas-tery. This does not imply that thecharacter is becoming evil; it simplymeans that if a situation emerged inwhich that character were required toresist the lure of corruptive power, his

or her claim to greater mastery wouldprove to be one more disadvantage. AnFS roll may be required if a characterinitiates combat against an opponent oflesser level than him or herself. Afailed roll results in the loss of a singleFS point. An FS roll may also be re-quired whenever a character makes useof magical power not otherwise inher-ent to his or her own being (i.e. anykind of magic that is acquired). Afailed roll results in a loss of two FS

points. These examples are intended tobe illustrative of how the FS statisticmight be creatively used at the discre-tion of a gamemaster. Similar circum-stances may be designated as opportuni-ties to increase or award FS points.

Fortitude may be deployed in sev-eral contexts outside of combat. Ex-amples include knowledge-focused re-search (e.g. spells), mid-level increasesfor certain skills, and so on.Role-playing based examples aremore difficult to offer generalizedguidelines for, but could incorporatemundane forms of corruption (e.g.dishonesty, bribes, treachery, vice,

etc.) as well as magically-charged eventssuch as oathbreaking or crossingpurity boundaries. Once again, FS rollsshould be made at the GMs discretion.The use of artifacts may require an FSroll modified by the Will of the artifact(1-20). A failed roll results in FS lossappropriate to the magnitude of theartifactss Will, or by some other crite-rion.


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This essay inaugurates what I hope will become a regular feature of Other Hands; informeddiscussion of various aspects or themes of Middle-earth which will fully take into account whatTolkien himself has written or said about them. As role-players it is our job to be sub-creatorsthatis, to make Middle-earth our own by inventing something new, rather than limiting ourselves to theprinted page; and as each reader of The Lord of the Rings will have his or her own unique pictureof what Middle-earth is like, so too each gamemaster will create an idiosyncratic version of its historyand of the events which take place within that setting.

Tolkiens annalistic histories of the Third Age (as found in the infamous Appendix A) lendthemselves to such diversity. They are painted in broad strokes and leave many blank spaces to be in-terpreted and explored by the enterprising gamemaster. There is, in fact, a long tradition of mockhistory among Tolkien fansof pretending to write about Middle-earth as if it were the real world(i.e. applying principles of real world historiography to Tolkiens imaginary history in the hopes ofachieving a supposedly more objective orless idiosyncratic version of the gaps left by Tolkiens writ-

ings).These mock histories ofMiddle-earth provide an abundant resource for role-players seeking crea-

tive ideas to incorporate into their own games, and are therefore usually worth a read (they are an en-demic feature of most Tolkien fanzines). They also have a tendency to be frustrating if one already hasa highly opinionated view on things Tolkien (as do I). This is partly due to their inevitable idiosyn-crasy, but often they lack any discernible rhyme or reason whatsoever. This, in turn, is usually the re-sult of a certain morbidity that must accompany any attempt to write a mock history of a fictionalworld for the hell of it. This morbidity (I use the term jokingly) is less characteristic of the role-player,

for whom the desire to contemplate the secondary world is closely linked to a practical goal: the needto create a richly-detailed background in which to set a game. In other words, mock history conjuredup by the role-player is usually more interesting than that of the pure Tolkien junkie since the formerintends to do something with it.

But while the will to game is perhaps an important ingredient to more consistent mock historywriting, it does not wholly erase conflicting interpretations of Tolkiens world. This section of OtherHands will be devoted to such history writing; and to open further debate and interchange among ro-leplayers regarding different possible ways of reading the evidence. I want to emphasize in closingthat the goal of this section, as with everything else in Other Hands, is to jurther enjoyment ofMiddle-earth as a setting for fantasy role-playing. We welcome submissions which invent new mate-rial out of whole cloth, but the focus of this particular section will be on what Tolkien has actuallywritten (i.e. the published works to which we all have access) and how it might best be interpreted andused creatively.


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Rhovanion and theRealm of Gondor

The lands described by Tolkien asRhovanion (Wilderland) have beenthe subject of a number of IronCrown publications, beginning withSouthern Mirkwood in 1983. In thesemodules, the view has been advancedthat during the Third Age theDnadan realm of Gondor formallyoccupied and administered the wideplains south and east of Greenwoodthe Great, giving to them the nameDor Rhnen (cf. Mirkwood: TheWilds of Rhovanion, 1988:4647).

The scenario proposed, then, is of aterritory controlled directly as amilitary border-march. Tolkien,however, seems to suggest a ratherdifferent picture of the relationshipbetween the South-kingdom and theplains of Rhovanion. What I want toargue, on the basis of the informationprovided in Gondor and the Heirs ofAnarion (RoTK: 324-3 37), is thatRhovanion is better understood as

frontierthan as a border-march.

hovanion, I suggest, was never occu-pied by the men of Gondor as por-trayed in the ICE modules. The in-darin designation Dor Rhnen isherefore inappropriate.

Rhovanionas a frontier

The view that the Dnedain oc-cupied the plains of Rhovanion de-rives fom Tolkiens statement that

during the reign of Hyarmendacil I(10151149) the realm of Gondorextended east to the inland Sea ofRhn ibid:325). This is accountedfor by te reference to the ninth kingTurambar (541667), who avengedhis fathers death at the hands of theEasterlings and won much territory

eastwards (ibid:324). This view ismost likely correct, since there areno further references to Rhovanionuntil the time of Hyarmendacil; how-ever, this does not imply direct occu-pation or even formal claim to theterritory on the part of Gondor, forat a later point in the narrative we aretold that the kingsgave the Northmenof Rhovanion wide lands beyondAnduin south of Greenwood theGreat, to be a defence against themen of the East (ibid:326).

This suggests two things. Firstly,it appears that the intention of thisgrant of land was to create a fron-

tier or buffer-zone against Gondorsenemies by delegating the burden ofmilitary defense such that the Dne-dain would not have to occupy theregion themselves. Secondly, whilethe kings of Gondor are representedas giving these lands to the North-men (thus implying some kind ofproprietary claim) it seems unlikelythat the Dnedain perceived Rhovan-ion as belonging to the territory ofGondor.

Other information would seem tocorroborate this view. That Romen-dacil II would have shown especialfavour to a man who named himselfKing of Rhovanion (ibid: 326) im-plies a recognition of autonomousrule. Whatever the reality of thepolitical situation in 1248 may havebeen, it would appear that Gondormade no formal claim over Rhovan-ion in the same way that it claimedpossession (for instance) of Haron-dor. On the other hand, if Vidugaviahad been the first Northman to claimroyal prerogative over Rhovanion,then previous to him Gondor mayhave advanced a nominal claim to thelands east to the inland Sea; but itseems highly unlikely that such aclaim would involve any kind of en-

actment on the part of Gondor.Moreover, the recognition ofVidugavias kingship and the absenceof any evidence to suggest a change inaffairs until the invasion of the Wain-riders points to a strengthening ofNorthman autonomy as it becomesmore and more oriented towardsGondor.

In the first Wainrider assaultupon Gondor in 1856, we are toldthat: The people of eastern andsouthern Rhovanion [presumably theNorthmen] were enslaved; and thefrontiers of Gondor were for thattime withdrawn to the Anduin and

the Emyn Muil (ibid: 329). HereRhovanion is called the frontier ofGondor, and this function is linked tothe freedom or enslavement of theNorthmen. If this can be taken as amodel, then we would suspect thatRhovanion emerged in this capacitywith Turambars initial grant of theplains to the Northmen in 541, that itreached its culmination in the time ofVidugavia and his descendants, andthat some four hundred years later it

ceased to be a defensible frontier. Weare given no positive evidence that itever recovered this role.

Thus it seems that Rhovanionfunctioned as a frontier of Gondor forapproximately one thousand-threehundred and fifteen years of theThird Age. It exercised militaryautonomy throughout the period ofits settlement by the Northmen, andat least in the time of Vidugavia(1250?) it enjoyed formally recog-nized political autonomy as a king-dom in its own right. This frontierautonomy and the absence of anyenduring contact with Dnedain isreflected by the fact that in 1250Rmendacil had no knowl-


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edge of the language, manners, andpolicies of the Northmen (ibid:326).Finally, there is no evidence that thefrontier ever received a Sindarin name

(as would have the case if Dnedainhad settled there or had laid formalclaim to the territory). Hence it islikely that its original name Rhovan-ion was retained because it was neveroccupied by the men of Gondor. Fi-nally, the realm of Vidugavia was re-garded by the high men of Gondor tobe an alien country (ibid).

The Kings of Gondor

and the NorthmenWe return now to the problem ofthe exact nature of the relationshipbetween the kings and their Northmanallies, investigating the development ofthis relationship from the perspectiveof the emergence and decline ofRhovanion as a frontier. The basis forthe grant of Rhovanion to the North-men was their supposed ethnic ties:they were the nearest in kin of lesserMen to the Dnedain (being for the

most part descendants of those peoplesfrom whom the Edain of old hadcome) (ibid). The favour shownthem in the grant was therefore prob-ably couched in the idiom of kinship,and most likely lacked any formalcharacter.

The undefined nature of this alli-ance is made manifest by the fact thatRmendacil found it necessary tostrengthen the bond between Gondorand the Northmen (ibid) as a resultof uncertain loyalties on the part of thelatter during the second wave of East-erling invasions: the Northmen didnot always remain true to Gondor, andsome would join forces with the East-erlings, either out of greed for spoil, or

in the furtherance of feuds amongtheir princes (ibid). Earlier we aretold that the numbers of the North-men had increased greatly in the

peace brought by the power of Con-dor (ibid)most likely this refers toTurambars route of the Easterlings in541. It is therefore probable that theseprinces emerged as a result of theexpansion of the Northman populationand territory from Turambar to thetime of Rmendacil. If this is the case,then we can ascribe the cause of theeventual weakening of Northman loy-alty to the kings in part to these inter-nal conflicts. At least one characteristicwhich defined the nature of theseprinces was the fact that each con-trolled a separate realm (e.g.Vidugavia). Land and booty, then,were apparently the most importantelements in establishing ascendancyover competing princedoms.

Rmendacil had two strategies fordealing with this situation, both ofwhich involved co-opting the struggleof the princes for the interests of theruling house of Gondor. His solutionwas partially motivated by the external

threat of the Easterlings; but perhapsmore fundamental to his reasoning wasthe incipient danger of civil war withinthe realm he was soon to inherit.Tolkien provides few clues as to theunderlying causes of the Kin-strife(1432-1447), but one of them surelymust have been Rmendacils appoint-ment as Regent of Gondor in 1240.This view works off the assumptionthat Pelargir was the center of opposi-tion to Eldacar, and that the rule of

that haven had at least from the timeof Siriondil been traditionally be-stowed upon the kings son (thusavoiding any development of Pelargirinto a rival power against Osgiliath).

With the creation of the Regency (anoffice which most likely did not sur-vive Rmendacil) the heir to thecrown was hindered from taking con-

trol of the haven, and its rule passedon to (again, my own assumption)Calimehtar and his descendants. Whenat last the Kin-strife broke out, tworeasons are given for Castamirs ascen-dancy over the other rebels: 1) he wasCaptain of Ships, and 2) he enjoyedthe support of the people of thecoasts and of the great havens of Pelar-gir and Umbar (ibid: 327). In otherwords, it seems that the rift betweenPelargir and Osgiliath began with thedivision of power between Rmendaciland his younger brother Calimehtar;the latter (or his descendants) appar-ently began to develop military andpopular support along the coastal pe-riphery of Belfalas Bay in order to cre-ate a separate power base from whichto challenge Osgiliath. If this hypoth-esis is plausible, then it may shed somelight on what was going on in Rhovan-ion between Rmendacil and theNorthmenjust as Calimehtar wascultivating his own foundation of

power in the south, so too Rmendacilwas securing himself and his heirs bystrengthening ties with Rhovanion.

The first manner in which Rmen-dacil exploited the situation beyondAnduin was his recognition and sup-port of Vidugavias claim to the king-ship of all Rhovanion. Whether or notthis favour was formally granted, it wasconfirmed in practice by the Regent'ssending of his son Valacar as an ambas-sador. This relationship was renewed

by Valacars subsequent marriage toVidugavias daughter which ultimatelyprecipitated (or rationalized) the Kin-strife. We do not know how long thisrelationship endured, but it was cer-


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tainly in effect for the duration ofEldacars reign (1432-1490). Thesanctuary given the exiled king duringthe interim of the Usurpers reign

indicates that Vidugavias descendantswere interested in maintainingEldacars future patronage.

The second means of turning theprincely conflict in Rhovanion to theadvantage of Rmendacil was hisrecruitment of Northmen for hismilitary force: he took many of theminto his service and gave to some highrank in his armies (ibid: 326).Eldacar his grandson continued thispolicy of favor towards Northmen by

whose help he had regained thecrown (ibid: 328) by settling many inGondor following the Kin-strife. In allthis it is crucial to keep in mind thatthe political autonomy of Rhovanionbecame more sharply defined as itsinvolvement with Gondor increased.There is no positive evidence to sug-gest that the region was ever directlyoccupied or controlled by the Dne-dain.

ConclusionWhile this scenario of the relation-ship of Rhovanion to Gondor is, Ibelieve, more plausible than thatoffered by the Iron Crown modules,we are nevertheless left with theproblem of explaining why (if this wasthe case) the territory beyond Anduinwas included within the realm of thekings in reference to the time of Hyar-mendacil. We have imagined that de

facto the Northmen of Rhovanion

exercised political and military auton-omy, while nevertheless acknowledg-ing some kind of bond legitimated bykinship. By way of comparison, theNorthmen of the Vales of Anduin arealso said to have acknowledgedGondors authority (ibid:325); but

unlike their brethren beyond Anduin,the realm of Gondor is never said tohave encompassed the Vales of An-duin north of Celebrant. This distinc-

tion may therefore be in part a conse-quence of the fact that Turambar hadwon the lands eastward by militaryconquest, whereas no such militaryexpedition was ever recorded to havebeen carried out in the northern An-duin vales. The grant of Rhovanion tothe Northmen was therefore based

upon right of conquest as well as theirancient kinship. This is the most logi-cal explanation for the de iure inclusionof Rhovanion within the realm of the

kings until the time of Vidugavia andRmendacil.


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CHRIS SEEMAN:I would like toopen this discussion with a leadingquestion which I think is of centralimportance to the whole matter ofrole-playing in Tolkiens world. As agamemaster one must always considerthe elements that make up a goodgame. Let us, then, begin by askingourselves: what goes into making agood Middle-earth gameor, alterna-tively, what in a game evokes the feelofMiddle-earth rather than some otherfantasy setting? What is it aboutTolkiens world that attracts us asrole-players?

BRIAN T. MURPHY:Most ob-vious, I think, is the fact that so many

of the so-called sword and sorceryor pseudo-Medieval role-playinggames are, in a sense, based in Middle-earth, Take, for example, Dungeons &Dragons, the first and most popular ofthe kind of games I am referring to.Gary Gygax disclaims any great debtto Tolkien (Fritz Lieber is, of course,a much stronger influence for him),

and yet Hobbits are running around inhis game. Quite often there is a cross-over from Tolkien fans to gaming andvice versa so, in fact, he owes a hugedebt. Essentially, then, there is a

connection to Tolkien in these games.ERIC RAUSCHER:What ori-ginally drew me into D&D was myinterest in the Mythopoeic Society; infact, the very first role-playing gamesI ever played took place at Mythconyears ago. Since then I dont do muchroleplaying because I got bored withthis mishmash of semi-Medieval Ima ninja, youre a flying turtle. With-out a strict genre to set it in the gamebecame a free-for-all, which turnedme off to it.

CHRIS SEEMAN:I think thatDungeons &Dragons and its successorgames do (at least in practice) consti-tute their own genre in the sensethat they share an implied style of

playwhich, as you rightly point out,is characterized precisely by this ho-mogenizing of discontinuous genres orsettings into what we might call a mul-tiverse. By way of contrast, Tolkiensworld represents the exact opposite ofthe multiverse. As we all know,Tolkiens ideal was what he called thecreation of a secondary worlda unifiedand coherent universe possessing theinner consistency of reality. This is,

of course, part of what makes Tolkiena great writer; but the notion of a sec-ondary world is, I think, also very at-tractive to role-players (and, inparticular, to gamemasters like my-self). More than any other fantasyworld that I know, Middle-earth con-tains (ready-made) all the necessaryelements for a richly textured gamesetting. Tolkien spent his entire lifecreating this imaginary world in itsmost minute detail. For the gamemas-ter who would rather run a game thanspend all his or her time laboring overa world to set it in, Middle-earth of-fers an attractive alternative toreinventing the wheel. One of thereasons why there never was a Mid-dle-earth role-playing game in theseventies is I think because of the pre-

Participants: Chris Seeman, Brian T. Murphy, Eric Rauscher,Glenn Kuring, Andrew Butler

Held at the Tolkien Centenary ConferenceKeble College, Oxford: 22 August, 1992


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dominance of this multiverse para-digm as the taken-for-granted frameof reference for gaming. From theearly eighties onward, however, ashift in this paradigm took placewhich made it possible to imagineTolkiens world as a viable fantasysetting. With the birth of such gamesas Call of Cthulhu, Stormbringer, orPendragon you finally had visible ex-amples of how the literary genre of aparticular authors works could besuccessfully translated into a gamemedium. Its just ironic that whenIron Crown Enterprises acquired thelicense to publish and market a role-playing game based on Tolkiens

writings they ended up orienting ittowards the old multiverse para-digm.

GLENN KURING: The beautyof Middle-earth as a fantasy setting isthat its already set up (with its his-tory, geography, languages, and soon) so that those who have readTolkiens books can pinpoint theirrelation to that world during thecourse of the game and say Yes, Imin Middle-earth. I have players who

know the works very well, and theyfind a lot of fulfillment in exploringMiddle-earth through the game.However, in order to achieve this thegame has got to be run in such a waythat it lends itself to that kind ofresponse. This is not difficult so longas the game remains fairly true to thespirit of Tolkiens works, but it canbecome a major problem if the set-ting is only superficially linked toMiddle-earth.

ERIC RAUSCHER: Its easy tosay: Hey, this is taking place inMiddle-earth; I have a Colt .45 andan Uzi. But how do you make agame that smells and tastes like Mid-dle-earth? That's the real challenge.

ANDREW BUTLER: The prob-

lem is in trying to come up withrules that fit the way the stories gorather than fitting the way otherrole-playing games go; because withgames like Dungeons & Dragons you'vegot set types of adventure that mostplayers are used to. And Im guilty ofthis as wellIm sticking these sortsof adventures into parts of Middle-earth and trying to make them fit,and in some cases they will. But inothers its trying to get the squarepeg into a round hole, and you endup distorting Middle-earth to fit thegame rather than the other wayaround. Certainly in quite a lot ofpublications that have come out,

beause of the way their audiencedoes things, the game designers havemade modifications which don'tnecessarily fit in order to do whatthey want to do in that setting.

GLENN KURING: In order tomake their products financially vi-able, I think that Iron Crown hastried to market Middle-earth RolePlaying for more than one audience.On the one hand, they are targetingD&D players with hopes of getting

them interested in Tolkien; on theother hand, they want to get peoplewho have read The Lord of the Rings(and who may not have any experi-ence with role-playing) to buy theirgames. But at best this effort has onlybeen partly successful with the mod-ules and rules they have published sofar.

CHRIS SEEMAN: I agree withGlenn that for a gaming companythis dilemma of having to make the

world fit the game derives in partfrom these marketing considerations;but I think the gamemaster faces asimilar problem in attempting tocreate adventures out of what is insome respects a closed world. By thisI mean that the basic history of Mid-

dle-earth has already been writtenand, as a consequence, certain limita-tions are imposed upon the players asto what extent the gamemaster canallow their characters to affect thatpre-existing history without alteringit beyond recognition.

AUDIENCE: I think there is aparticular form of the problem in thecase of Middle-earth where, at theworst, you get the hack-and-slaystyle of game backed up by a MontyHaul philosophy. Those two thingsare entirely contrary not only to thespirit, but to the letter of the basicnarrative of Middle-earth. You can-not have a naive embrace of powerand still say This is really Middle-earth. Because if it were youd findyourself laying waste to the Shire andtrying to take over Mordor. I dontbelieve its very easy to set a role-playing game in Middle-earth be-cause Tolkiens mythology is aboutnot excepting such power.

BRIAN T. MURPHY: I thinkId like to distinguish between thestandard hack-and-slay scenariowhere a party of adventurers go in,

clear the dungeon, kill everythingthey see, haul out anything they cancarry, and go up a level; and realrole-playing which, as the wordsuggests, has to do withplaying a roleand developing a character. I dontthink that this distinction is madeoften enough. Tolkiens world isfundamentally character basednottreasure based, not murder basedbut character based. The idea is notto go in, kill everyone, haul every-

thing out. It is to fulfill some grandergoal in terms ofyour character.

ERIC RAUSCHER: The style ofplay is also affected by the gamemechanics themselves. The rulesystem


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you use lends itself more or less to thetype of role-playing you prefer. If youplay the type

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