Middle-earth Role Playing: Difference between revisions
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Licensed from the Tolkien Estate, ''Middle-earth Role Playing'' (or just ''MERP'') was a [[Role Playing Game]] published by Iron Crown Enterprises from 1982 to 1996 using a streamlined version of the ''[[Role Master]]'' game rules.
Set in the world of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', ''[[The Hobbit]]'', and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', ''MERP'' allowed players to run campaigns in any era of Middle-earth's
Because its setting was relatively little-detailed by Tolkien, ''MERP'' was allowed a great deal of creative freedom and developed its own mythos derivative but distinct from Tolkien's, with a close attention to the languages and cultures of Middle-earth. The game had a thriving fan community rallied around the fanzine ''[http://www.othermindsmagazine.com/downloads/other-hands-magazine-archive Other Hands]'', which ceased publication in 2001. ''Other Hands'' was succeeded by an extensive [http://fanmodules.free.fr/ fan module project] and the current webzine, ''[http://www.othermindsmagazine.com/about Other Minds]''.
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* [[All There in the Manual]]: Information on the names on [http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/An_Artist%27s_Interpretation_of_Middle_Earth an early map] was found only in an unpublished gazetteer, which thankfully can be found in several places online.
* [[Animal Motifs]]: Seven of the nine Nazgûl have a helm based on some sort of animal (Akhôrahil and Ren do not). Khamûl's is dragon, Dwar's is a war-dog, Indûr Dawndeath's is an elephant (or more precisely, a Mûmak), Hoarmûrath's is a polar bear, Adûnaphel's is a falcon, and Ûvatha's is a bat. The Witch-king has a helm in the shape of an octopus because the artist mistook [http://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Tales-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/B001LFZ7QA/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1335744373&sr=8-13 the Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin on the cover of] ''[[Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth|Unfinished Talesof Numenor and Middleearth]]'' for the crown of Númenor, which she assumed was a cephalopod (Númenor being a seafaring civilization; in fact, the crown of Númenor was a simple winged helm).
* [[Big Bad]]: Sauron,
* [[Early Installment Weirdness]]: One of the first adventure modules, ''The Court of Ardor'', centered on a cult of Morgoth-worshiping dark elves in the far south of Middle-earth. This was [[Canon Discontinuity|ignored by later products]].
* [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture]]: MERP's take on the Easterlings was very strongly based on Mongol horsemen. (Ignoring the fact that Tolkien explicitly notes they used horses mainly for pulling wagons and chariots and rarely fielded cavalry.)
* [[Half-Human Hybrid]]: In addition to Tolkien's half-elves and half-orcs, MERP introduced the [http://www.kingtape.se/realmsofarda/index.php?title=Umli Umli], a race descended from the union of Men and Dwarves, who live in the Northern Waste.
* [[Hobbits]]: Naturally. They're a bit less soft and complacent than they are in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'',
* [[Lady of War]]: [http://www.kingtape.se/realmsofarda/index.php?title=Adûnaphel Adûnaphel], the only female Ringwraith.
* [[Quirky Miniboss Squad]]: [http://www.kingtape.se/realmsofarda/index.php?title=Nazgûl The nine Ringwraiths], each of whom was given a distinct backstory and personality.
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[[Category:Tabletop Games]]
[[Category:Middle Earth Role Playing]]
[[Category:Tabletop
[[Category:Middle-earth Role Playing]]
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