MERPS (Middle Earth Role-Playing System)

[Papa Bear]

Would anyone be interested in a MERPs game? I know The One Ring and AiME are probably better and certainly more popular but I just love that old system.

I'm thinking about an adventure in the 'fourth age' that starts after Sauron is defeated and the One Ring destroyed. Not all the elves have left yet so players can still be an elf. But this will be an adventure 'looking ahead' to the future of Middle Earth (and since I'm not Tolkien, probably not a great look into that future).

One thing that the old RPGs tended to lack was skills in charisma based things, like persuasion. MERPS was one of those systems but it does have a "Presence" attribute so any of those interpersonal skills was pretty much JUST a Presence roll. That works, but I was thinking of adding a new category for Social Skills (Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation, and Performance). Every Profession would have additional 'points' to spend on that category (bard having the most) and adding in 'feats' that we would discuss based basically on Pathfinder feats for professions like Warrior or Scout that doesn't really 'focus' on those social interactions so that they have something to 'spend' their social Skill points on or some such thing. I like working things out with players and granting unique benefits to characters... not toooooo many though, because that can break the game. But I think it would help distinguish one Ranger apart from another Ranger a bit the way they do in Pathfinder/D&D (At least in Crunch, the fluff certainly does!).

I'm not saying I'm DOING this, but I want to toss it out there as something to discuss in case a group of players is as nostalgic as I am about that old I.C.E. system :)

Anyway, I just got a Champions game started and was kicking around some other ideas (mostly because when I tossed out some choices for my new game, Champions got an overwhelming response in the thread)

Edited May 5 by Papa Bear (see edit history)

[leons1701]

Ah Rolemaster Lite. For when needing ten different spells to heal a wound starts seeming almost as silly as it is. I do have some fond memories of MERP.

[hakootoko]

I have to admit feeling limited by the options in MERP, after having played full Rolemaster. I suspect there are still enough Rolemaster players on MW to make for a game.

[Papa Bear]

Role masters was great. Sadly, I no longer have any of those books, only MERPS

[Excior]

I have only played in one MERP game and it was here on the weave but it did not last, I do not remember how to make a character but I would like to play if you start it up.