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EspañolMIDDLE-EARTH ROLE PLAYING
(Redirected from MERP)
'Middle-earth Role Playing' (MERP) is a now out-of-print role-playing game based on Tolkien's writings and published by Iron Crown Enterprises (I.C.E.).
The setting for MERP is an expanded version of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth. Published campaigns sourcebooks are usually set either before the War of the Ring by around 1400 years (that means, around TA 1600), or just after. As such MERP represented an interpretation of Middle-earth which does not directly involve the players in the continuity of Tolkiens work. Several of the campaign modules describe lands to the east and south of the lands described by Tolkien, and I.C.E. may be seen to have created an original setting, inspired by and including several elements of ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of The Rings'' and ''The Silmarillion''.
The rules system is a streamlined version of that company's generic fantasy game, ''Rolemaster''.
Attributes and skills are rated between 0 and 100. Skills can be rated above or below these limits (under 0 or over 100). An attack roll consists of a percentile roll. The attacker's skill rating and appropriate attribute rating are added to this total, and the defender's dodge rating is subtracted from this roll. This result was looked up on a table against the victim's armor type to determine success or failure. The game featured a separate critical table which was used when the chart called for it.
Spell casters learn lists of ten spells as a unit. Each of the spells were based on a theme (e.g. Healing spells.)
MERP was well received although not recommended for beginners[1]. However, some commentators did have problems with the way that magic was dealt with by the system. In Tolkiens books, magic is a rare, subtle force which generally only very powerful characters use, wheras in MERP magic - from healing to throwing thunderbolts was possible for nearly any Player Character. This lack of sympathy with the source material was seen to upset the games authenticity somewhat.[2]
ICE published a first and a second edition of MERP, along with many adventure and campaign modules before declaring bankruptcy in 1997 after Tolkien Enterprises revoked the license for games based on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
A UK edition was published by [Games Workshop] in 1985 - which featured the first edition rules, with new box and booklet art by [Chris Achilleos], along with 25mm floorplans for the sample adventure.
In Sweden a translated version called "Sagan om Ringen: Rollspelet" was released in 1986 by Target Games, followed by several translated modules, but it never became popular, possibly because the ones who liked the setting already had bought the U.S. version and others preferred the popular Drakar och Demoner.
A Finnish language edition ("Keski-Maa Roolipeli" or KERP) was published in 1990 and the game became one of the most popular fantasy role playing games in Finland.
A subsequent Middle-earth based RPG, the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, was published by Decipher Inc. Besides the original source material, the Decipher game shares no link to ICE's MERP and uses an entirely different rules system.
1. ''Open Box review'' White Dwarf 58 October 1984, pp. 12-13, John Sutherland
2. ''The Road Goes Ever On: Inside Middle Earth Role-Playing'', White Dwarf 66, June 1985 pp.12-13 Graham Staplehurst
★ MERP information site
★ Iron Crown Enterprises
MERP uses 2 ten-sided dice
'Middle-earth Role Playing' (MERP) is a now out-of-print role-playing game based on Tolkien's writings and published by Iron Crown Enterprises (I.C.E.).
| Contents |
| Setting |
| System |
| Critical Reaction |
| History |
| References |
| External links |
Setting
The setting for MERP is an expanded version of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth. Published campaigns sourcebooks are usually set either before the War of the Ring by around 1400 years (that means, around TA 1600), or just after. As such MERP represented an interpretation of Middle-earth which does not directly involve the players in the continuity of Tolkiens work. Several of the campaign modules describe lands to the east and south of the lands described by Tolkien, and I.C.E. may be seen to have created an original setting, inspired by and including several elements of ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of The Rings'' and ''The Silmarillion''.
System
The rules system is a streamlined version of that company's generic fantasy game, ''Rolemaster''.
Attributes and skills are rated between 0 and 100. Skills can be rated above or below these limits (under 0 or over 100). An attack roll consists of a percentile roll. The attacker's skill rating and appropriate attribute rating are added to this total, and the defender's dodge rating is subtracted from this roll. This result was looked up on a table against the victim's armor type to determine success or failure. The game featured a separate critical table which was used when the chart called for it.
Spell casters learn lists of ten spells as a unit. Each of the spells were based on a theme (e.g. Healing spells.)
Critical Reaction
MERP was well received although not recommended for beginners[1]. However, some commentators did have problems with the way that magic was dealt with by the system. In Tolkiens books, magic is a rare, subtle force which generally only very powerful characters use, wheras in MERP magic - from healing to throwing thunderbolts was possible for nearly any Player Character. This lack of sympathy with the source material was seen to upset the games authenticity somewhat.[2]
History
ICE published a first and a second edition of MERP, along with many adventure and campaign modules before declaring bankruptcy in 1997 after Tolkien Enterprises revoked the license for games based on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
A UK edition was published by [Games Workshop] in 1985 - which featured the first edition rules, with new box and booklet art by [Chris Achilleos], along with 25mm floorplans for the sample adventure.
In Sweden a translated version called "Sagan om Ringen: Rollspelet" was released in 1986 by Target Games, followed by several translated modules, but it never became popular, possibly because the ones who liked the setting already had bought the U.S. version and others preferred the popular Drakar och Demoner.
A Finnish language edition ("Keski-Maa Roolipeli" or KERP) was published in 1990 and the game became one of the most popular fantasy role playing games in Finland.
A subsequent Middle-earth based RPG, the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, was published by Decipher Inc. Besides the original source material, the Decipher game shares no link to ICE's MERP and uses an entirely different rules system.
References
1. ''Open Box review'' White Dwarf 58 October 1984, pp. 12-13, John Sutherland
2. ''The Road Goes Ever On: Inside Middle Earth Role-Playing'', White Dwarf 66, June 1985 pp.12-13 Graham Staplehurst
External links
★ MERP information site
★ Iron Crown Enterprises
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