Author Topic: Fell's New Gaming Group  (Read 1238 times)

Fellfrosch

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Fell's New Gaming Group
« on: January 30, 2004, 01:43:23 PM »
Never one to miss a chance to play games, I've spent my time in Logan recruiting old friends and new work friends to form a weekly RPG group. Our first session was last night, in which we sort of planned out what we're doing and settled on LotR as our first game, set in the Third Age before the War of the Ring. We'll be making characters next week, though most people already have a pretty solid concept in mind.

This link shows a lot of the major events during the time period I'd like to use: http://tolkien.designs.pl/arda/chronicle.html?startyear=2700&startage=3&endyear=1&endage=4

Turin II does some cool things (the defeat of the Haradrim and the fortification of Cair Andros), so we could help him with that. Helping Gandalf investigate and defeat the Necromancer could be a lot of fun. The Fell Winter and the Invasion of the White Wolves offers some nice ideas but not really a solid story. If any of you have some ideas of what we could do, I'd appreciate it.
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Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock

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Re: Fell's New Gaming Group
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2004, 02:07:07 PM »
You could have them go through some of those events leading up to the Battle of the Five Armies. Aragorn's father dies, lots of old Hobbits dying, there's a war between the Orcs and Dwarfs lasting six years, Gimli is born, Bilbo is born, the Fell Winter as you said, Bilbo's dad dies, the "Old Gaffer" is born.

There seems to be so many things going on, in the western lands mostly, that you can use. Man, this sure does make me want to play an LotR RPG now.
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Fellfrosch

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Re: Fell's New Gaming Group
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2004, 02:11:05 PM »
If we go back earlier than I was really looking at, we could help Saruman and the men of Gondor reclaim Isengard from the Dunlendings, which sounds pretty cool. We could participate in the war of the Greenfields (and the invention of golf) with the Bullroarer. We could be in Erebor when Smaug comes, but that doesn't sound very fun.
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Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock

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Re: Fell's New Gaming Group
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2004, 02:28:35 PM »
Ok, I get where you're looking at this from. I'm looking at this from the dwarfs point of view. I was thinking more of having your players help them... but then, thats just me and my fascination with dwarfs.  =P
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The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers

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Re: Fell's New Gaming Group
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2004, 02:32:24 PM »
Actually being there when Smaug comes sounds like a lot of fun... to ROLE PLAY... not to actually do.

Fellfrosch

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Re: Fell's New Gaming Group
« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2004, 03:57:13 PM »
In the very early Third Age, Osgiliath was sacked and its palantir lost. Venturing into the city to look for clues of where it might be could make for a cool adventure.

I'm just brainstorming, and taking notes here is easier than taking notes in a notebook.
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Lieutenant Kije

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Re: Fell's New Gaming Group
« Reply #6 on: January 30, 2004, 04:14:33 PM »
One thing I was always interested in was the fall of Eriador.  I'm sure you could think of some cool stuff involving the Witch-king, and Fornost, and Amon Sul and all that.

Fellfrosch

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Re: Fell's New Gaming Group
« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2004, 04:42:45 PM »
In 2958 the Dunlendings invaded Rohan (from their strong base in Isengard) and drove the Rohirrim out of Edoras, killing King Helm and his sons in the process. The survivors holed up in Dunharrow for the winter, and then the King's nephew Frealaf led a counterattack that drove the Dunlendings out of Edoras, Rohan, and Isengard. That could be a pretty cool series of adventures.

The Fall of the North-Kingdom and subsequent fall of Angmar could be really cool. I shall look into it.
« Last Edit: January 30, 2004, 04:49:07 PM by Fellfrosch »
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Fellfrosch

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Re: Fell's New Gaming Group
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2004, 05:49:39 PM »
Timeline: http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.htm?http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/t/thirdage.html

Kije has convinced me that the final battles between Eriador and Angmar would make a really cool period for our game, so we're going to use it. I'm actually going to start a little early, though, in 1944, so we can defend Gondor from the wainrider invasion. This will let us deal with the invasion (and a three-pronged war), plus the death of the king and all his sons--and the ensuing political turmoil that results in the crowning of Earnil II).

Then we can jump ahead (since my group wants to do a generational chronicle) to 1974, to the destruction of Arthedain and subsequent destruction of Angmar, which should give us plenty of fodder for war, politics, dungeon crawls, and epic grandeur.

I'd like to follow that up with a visit to Moria, just in time for the release of the Balrog. The characters can help the Dwarves flee and wander around, and maybe even establish Erebor in 1999. I'd especially like to join the Eotheod for a while so we can get in on the slaying of Scatha. And of course, if the characters (or their ancestors) fought the Witch-King at Angmar, their experience would come in really handy when the Nagul invade Minas Ithil. Depending on how long we go, there's plenty of fodder on down through the War of the Ring and the Fourth Age.

I really like the idea of a generational chronicle. Some of the players will be playing Elves, who will (we hope) live long enough to participate in each segment of the story; others intend to play descendants of their original characters, and others want to just mix and match with new characters every time.

So here's a question for you: what narrative device can I use to explain why the characters all know each other and do what they do? I was originally planning to use them as agents of the White Council, but I don't think the White Council was established this long ago. Maybe the same idea, but in an alternate form?

And if ou have any other ideas for me, let's hear 'em.
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Fellfrosch

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Re: Fell's New Gaming Group
« Reply #9 on: February 02, 2004, 06:08:07 PM »
Here's something I just thought of: Saruman was still good during this time (and arguably untainted to any degree, since he had not yet begun his study of the rings), and lived in the east. It is not known what he did there or when or why he came back, but I could somehow make use of him since I'm already planning to use the wainriders, who also came from the east. Interesting.
"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die." --Mel Brooks

My author website: http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net