I am going to have a adventure!

[Cydran OwlWing]

Rule:

I am planning to start a new RPG soon. I was first hopping to get some advice. I am planning to start it at about: 5:00 PM, or 3:00 PM. I would like advice on how it should be like, :smokin: and who wants to play it.

[Mathron]

I'd be interested. You might want to run an RPG set in the past of middle-earth, like during the great war with Morgoth, etc.
It should be good to have a single person running one, though - it seems to many, of late, have too many people going different directions. :)

[Pippin Took434]

I will participate! I looooove rpgs.

[Cydran OwlWing]

I haven't read the silmarillion. I would like to play in this. :lol:

[Mathron]

Sounds good! Do you have any plans on what you want a adventure to be, or specific character types?

[Cydran OwlWing]

No, I figure that out when we find out the time and which place they are in.

[Lief Erikson]

Let's make sure that we have several people interested before we start. Its been my experience that people usually get turned off when they see a game going which is over five pages, even if they are welcome to it. It is nicer to start in the beginning, and I believe that is what most of them would want to do.

[Mathron]

Yeah, good idea. Here's my thought: We should have both the main thread, with only one real plotline going (otherwise, trouble can ensue), and thus, all the people not running the plot stick to only a handful of characters at most. Meanwhile, have a discussion thread, and a thread specifically for posting characters.
How does that sound?

[Lief Erikson]

Our both involving a plot in The Great Quest and Fangorn Forest has worked pretty well, but I agree that we'd certainly have to limit ourselves as to who has the joystick. Personally, I've still not got any amazing plot thought up for a new one, so I'll have to think about that.

The discussion and character thread ideas sound sound, though.

What time period do you think we should do? We had quite a bit of confusion over that in the early stages of Fangorn Forest, and I had to take a leap in the dark which solidified when that took place. It was something I didn't like doing much, so we'd best ascertain the time period early.

Since Cydran hasn't read the Silmarillion, I guess it can't be in that time period. Kind of disappointing, as I would have enjoyed using Vardor at an early time. But there are still plenty of other times and places which might also be rather interesting.

[Lief Erikson]

I've thought about it quite a bit this morning, and I'm afraid that the Silmarillion still is the most attractive option in my mind. Perhaps if we did the Silmarillion, we could give Cydran OwlWing and whoever else hasn't read it a brief overview of what has recently happened to get everything to where it is. And also give a few basic details, like what a Maia is, etc.

[Mathron]

The joint plotlines can work - Fangorn Forest certainly went well - but I never really got to get to some other aspects of the plot in the Great Quest. Still, I think it does work best when things are directed fairly solidly.

As for time period, I'm not sure. (Heh, I too had wanted to do an earlier period so as to reveal some of the history behind Harnauro and Mal. ~grin~)

I am still not adverse to something set in the Silmarillion time period, myself.

One possibility - set before the Hobbit, in Mirkwood or nearby, when the Necromancer is in power. I think that things work best when we go with a villain already set into the LotR time period - I think things would have been a lot different in Middle-earth if they really had all of our Balrogs and rogue Istari and Maia wandering around. :)

Another idea I just thought up is something with Moria.

What does all else think? Who wants to be in on this?

[Lief Erikson]

Yes, those do sound like good second options. We'll have to see what our other players think.

[The Black Lieutenant]

Count me in! I am planning to re-read the Silmarillion this summer, and then The Hobbit, and then LoTR. So naturally I would prefer if we adventure in the time of the Silmarillion, but just prior to The Hobbit would be fine, too. There's more room to get creative then, actually.

[Lief Erikson]

Yes, I think we're all agreed that the times Mathron suggested would all be excellent. Now we just have to decide which one to choose.

If we do Moria, none of our beings I think should have exessive magical power, as otherwise the Balrog would have a little too much difficulty for it to be logical.

The Necromancer idea would leave anything open. Any characters, magical or not would be plausible.

The Silmarillion me and Mathron primarily want to do because we have characters who appear in The Great Quest and whom we want to develop in it. But other than that, the other two options will all be excellent.

I don't have any brilliant plot thought up yet, but if I did, the Necromancer idea would hold a great deal of strength for me. Say . . . the book never said how the Necromancer was overthrown from his hold in Mirkwood, did it? Jeepers . . . that leaves some open space.

[Mathron]

Well, the White Council drives him out, but that is about all the detail given.

[Lief Erikson]

:smokin: ;)

[Darth Tater]

I was too busy when all the other stuff started here to jump on but now I''m not and since it seems there's a new rpg coming I guess I won't have to jump in the middle. If ya want this to work best just give people freedom, don't get too stuck to a specific plotline, just place it in JRRT's world. And basically keep the rules simple, just don't let people overdo the magic thing

[Lief Erikson]

That may be how it was when you did the Hobbiton RPG, but the last two RPGs, the scale of magic was very high and the endings quite spectacular and still coordinated. I think that problems can be caused though by the lack of a general plotline. I read the Hobbiton RPG, even though I didn't join in, and I think the reason it never got finished is at least partly because there were so many plots going in different directions. That's the same reason the Wizards RPG that is going on isn't really getting anywhere, no one has thought up a real storyline for anyone to go by. In Hobbiton, it was very difficult to pull everything together into a good climax, and it didn't have a real storyline like Fangorn Forest and The Great Quest did.

But in the way we do it, the players still have almost limitless freedom, the key exceptions being that they cannot change what happens in the books, and they should not kill off each others' characters casually. Especially if someone has been actively involved in playing that character.

I can see what you mean though, about the magic. I think the reason that even with all the magic, Fangorn Forest and The Great Quest worked out is because both of our characters had some of it. If one plotline had been going on which didn't involve magic, and another simultaneously that did, I can easily imagine the one completely overwhelming the other.

Anyway, those are the opinions I've made from my experience.

(Lets out a deep breath) Well. It'll be great to have you in the RPG, Darth Tater. The Great Quest had very few people involved in it, even though those who were were very dedicated. It'll be fun to again be involved in one which has a lot of people in it.

[Mathron]

Just a word - I, personally, am in favor of trimming back on magic, a bit, as... well, one of the great things of tolkiens world is how mysterious magic actually was. Gandalf, for example, is this powerful wizard - but rarely is seen using magic. When he does call upon his powers - such as against the Balrog - it makes it that much more spectacular.
Of course, since all of my characters have been quite magic heavy, I am quite guilty myself. ~grin~
Still, I think moving things to a slightly lower power base wouldn't hurt, and is somewhat more true to tolkien's world.

[Lief Erikson]

Such as the earlier half of Fangorn Forest, before the balrog introduced himself.

[Elbreth of Carhouth]

Hey guys, glad you're getting onto another game, and I might have time to actually join this one... Just like old times *sigh*
But again I want to warn you, please don't make too many extra characters. It will work better if there's one person controlling it, although I prefer if people work together on the story. If things do end up getting messy, I might limit you to two characters each. Just so you guys know, I love your stories and plots, and the caracters you make up are incredible, but if you're talking of attracting newbies, excesive characterization turns them off too, as does comlicated plots.
Have fun! I might be back to play...

[Roland]

I'll definetly be in on this one. I really like the idea of toning down the power base a bit. Any kind of RPG runs the risk of getting boring if there's heaps of super-characters around.

[Lief Erikson]

Okay, then I think its decided that we will tone down the magic, at least partially. In the other two adventures, I wouldn't call our magical characters "cheap super-heroes," but anyway, that is beside the point.

Good to have you in this RPG too, Roland. (Sighs with pleasure) It'll really be great to have so many more people in this one than we did on the last.

But Elbreth, please don't limit my characters too drastically. If I only had two to work with, I can guarantee that it would destroy whatever plot I come up with. In the last two, I had just the right amount. I'm sorry if it was too much for you to handle, but without them it would have certainly stopped my plot in its tracks.

I'm glad you agree with me that there should be one general plotline, but there can be more than one going on at the same time. The possibility to do both was proved in the last two RPGs that we did.

[Mathron]

Maybe so, but I must admit, in Fangorn Forest you were, mostly, directing the plot, while mine revolved around my guys - whereas in The Great Quest, I certainly felt problems at some point, as my plot not longer was revolving around a single extra character.
I think Elbreth's point is right - that there should be one person really focusing a central plot, and guiding the rpg, while everyone else focuses mainly on their one or two characters. Other people having plots can work, but really only if their plot consists of a single other character, or similar, that doesn't conflict too much with whatever the main plot is.
Just my thoughts, though...

[Lief Erikson]

Yes, I agree with them too.

Well, if we use Moria and do the time when the Balrog takes it, it won't leave much of a plot available to make. Therefore, I think I'll cast my vote in for us playing in the Mirkwood area and play the casting out of the Necromancer.

[Cydran OwlWing]

Well! I say, newbies. :p

Anyway, I have a small idea. I will grow it. I think I will have to think about this. What do you think? :)

Well, I'll post again soon! I just got to think.

[Darth Tater]

I spoke from my experiance at Enchanting Camelot, which is in our little web ring at the bottom of the main page here. It's home to Camelot, an RPG that's been going on, quite successfully, for almost two years! It's wonderfull because the rules aren't strict, they hardly exist, we're just there to have fun. However, everyone there writes quite well (except me of course ;) ), and everyone's story lines are very respected so things go quite smoothly. I think it can get quite dangerious to have more than two characters controlled by one person in one RPG, and i'm saying this from experiance. Limit yourself to one or two characters, you'll find it's much more fun and the story will be much better since you can concentrate more on the individuals.

[The Black Lieutenant]

The casting out of the Necromancer gets my vote. I have no opinion on the number of characters. I personally can only develop two or three at the most, due to time constraints.

[Lief Erikson]

I'll develop however many is necessary to keep the ball rolling.

[Mathron]

One comment - if we go with the necromancer issue, it is pretty unlikely we will confront him directly (owing to the fact that he was pretty much unstoppable until the white council drove him out.) I believe one comment Gandalf made was that all of the dwarves in the world would not be able to take him on. So it will probably mean the rpg will involve going through his dungeons (a rescue?) or something similar.
Also, what time do we wish it to be, if that one? Right before he was cast out, or earlier?

[Lief Erikson]

Probably pretty close to the time he gets kicked out. That way we can end with the triumphal booted foot.

I hope nobody minds, but I'm going to start it now.

[The Black Lieutenant]

Fine with me. As Conan says, "Enough talk!"

[Lief Erikson]

All right, I've got part of a plot thought up, but I think we'll need to start before the Necromancer comes. Then we can probably carry it through all the way to the time of his demise.

[Mathron]

Hmm... if you mean start it before the Necromancer takes up residence in the area... Well, might be hard to carry through to the conclusion, as he arrived around 1100, and didn't leave till 2941.
Also, remember - if you are planning to have the characters do the actual act of forcing him out, it probably won't fit. After all, he *is* Sauron, with all that that means - and while he was driven from Dol Guldar by the White Council, it was also a matter of him choosing to leave, and reestablish himself in Mordor.

[Lief Erikson]

I see . . . All right, I'll have to keep up on my history a bit better next time. In that case I suppose we could ignore that post. Too bad, it was a pretty good plot that was beginning to come to mind. But I was a little unsure as to whether or not I wanted to have it going that way anyway.

[The Black Lieutenant]

What kind of character should I create? Can we choose characters of any race? I was thinking I might play a Dwarf.

[Mathron]

So, are we decided on having one involving the necromancer?
And secondly, are we planning on having one main plot, or many, and if only one, who is running it? (Lief seems to be pretty insisting on getting his plot in. ~grin~)

[Lief Erikson]

I really want one where we have a great deal of freedom. So that we can make the villain die, or leave, or whatever. Moria doesn't give much choice in terms of plot. The plot is already set out, and it ends in an unhappy way.

The Necromancer ideas I had I think will still work, although I'd have to change a couple things. Doing one out of the Silmarillion I think would really be the best, particularly if it granted freedom as well as continuing along the line of the story. If we did, I think we'd all have some rereading to do, Cydran not being the only one. But it would be a very interesting adventure.

[Darth Tater]

So should I close that thread you started? I think they don't have to be based on stories in Sil and LOTR, after all I'm sure there's plenty that happened in ME that we're not aware of yet ;)

[Lief Erikson]

Naturally, and that's where our best stories come from. You know, I think that whatever we do, it'd be best to have it against a villain who isn't actually in The Lord of the Rings, so that we can deal with him\her, instead of having it all set out. In the previous two RPGs, they were very disconnected from the actual happenings in Middle Earth, being an adventure completely alone.

[Mathron]

So, is anything starting? Have we decided on an adventure and who will be running it, or what?

[Darth Tater]

Apparently people are slacking off somewhere else ;)

[Lief Erikson]

Being tired, busy, and a dozen other excuses are available to me at this point.

[Al bast cus]

Hello... I am new here.. and if you would not mind, i would like to join...

simply, my character is a cat/human... walks up right, but has abilities of a cat.. pretty simple I guess...

[Mathron]

Welcome!
Hopefully this game will get up and running soon, so feel free to go with it then!

[Al bast cus]

thanks ^_^

[The Black Lieutenant]

Whew! Thought I was gonna come back and find a game thread with two pages worth of posts. I'm glad everyone else was busy, too.

[Mathron]

Ok, guys, I think I am going to be starting this thing up!
I will be setting it in the Silmarillion times, shortly before the War of Wrath wherein Morgoth is ousted.
It will be starting within Beleriand, which was the main abode of elves and such during the time of the Silmarillion. Morgoth has gained a foothold, and some of the most powerful of the realms of the elves - Doriath and others - have fallen into ruin.
The beginning will take place in Edlyn, a small human village within the woods of Neldoreth, which had once been part of Doriath. The thread for the actual RPGing will be called "A World of Danger", whilst there will be a thread to discuss the RPG - "A World of Danger: Discussion", and one to post characters in - "A World of Danger: Characters".
Does this sound good, for a starting point and place? If there are no objections, I will start this tommorow - I've already got quite a bit of ideas thought up to run it. ~grin~

[Lief Erikson]

I'll add in my character(s) as soon as some new idea introduces itself. It'll be nice to see how many players we end up getting.

[Faramir]

I'll join, as long as it's not the Silmarillion type thingy. Get It started and I'll sign up.