I mentioned in a previous post that I recently found my cache of Middle Earth Roleplaying (MERP) books.
http://blog-of-holding.ca/2024/02/03/lost-treasure/
I loved Tolkien’s books so much that the attractiveness to play Dungeons and Dragons in Middle Earth was too much to resist. So much so that I created my own game system that tried to combine AD&D and Iron Crown Enterprises RoleMaster system. I even tried to run a game in the new system and although it had a lot of fascinating detail and realism, it just was too math heavy in a world before VTTs.
Although MERP’s game system was simplified and borrowed from RoleMaster, it never gained mainstream appeal and was limited compared to D&D. Some of the additional detail about spells and damage were quite entertaining and captivating, but along the way it just was a bit too different and seemed incomplete in regards to options, powers, and features.
But one genius of the MERP books were the adventure, supplement, and campaign setting books. They provided information about Middle Earth settings but weren’t ready to run adventures like the TSR modules. They really were all campaign/location settings that Dungeon Masters could then take and incorporate into a homebrew campaigns set in Middle Earth. I absolutely loved them and they spurred my imagination. My god, I have settings for Mirkwood, Moria, Cirith Ungol, and Gondor!
The books were a great childhood memory and I wished I would have bought more of them. Then I found Noble Knight Games on Twitter.
Noble Knight games is a huge game store that sells new and vintage/used RPG books. It was the first place I have seen in 40 years that sell MERP books. I was in heaven.
Let’s just say I have placed an order and are starting to plan a return to Middle Earth. I am planning to run the campaign using the D&D 5e ruleset set in Middle-Earth.
Anyone want to visit the Prancing Pony in Bree to start their adventure?
Email me if interested :
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