Middle Earth vs. the RPG paradigm.

[Kiri]

While it's almost truism that a free-form rpg would be able to handle Middle Earth (since it's essentially a form of multi-author writing), more structured roleplaying games don't do so well in the setting. I haven't seen the game from Decipher, so I can't say if anyone has yet succeeded, but I'll try to lay out what I think the roots of the problem might be.

In a nutshell: Middle Earth is in conflict against basic presumptions of roleplaying games in general and generally fundamental assumptions of the "fantasy" genre of roleplaying games.

First the general:

Roleplaying games tend to presume that all "starting" characters" will be fairly weak (excepting some superhero genre games). If not "weak" in comparison to ordinary people, then at least "weak" in comparison to the real movers and shakers of the world. Thus, while a Vampire(TM) Kindred or a Werewolf(TM) Garou might be able to tear a new hole for the Dallas Cowboys front line without working a sweat, that's not impressive to other Kindred or Garou. So the general scale vs. the baddies is still the same. Furthermore, the games presume that all "starting" characters will have some sort of rough parity in ability. Middle Earth does not presume either of these things. While our friends the Hobbits usually start out with nothing but pluck and wit (and mushrooms), they had companions who were pretty kick-hinie in ability. (I do hear that the Decipher game has gotten around this to some extent.)

Second, all major-market roleplaying games (except for "classic" Traveller) have an "experience" system integral to the game. Part of the point of a game is to get crunchier and tougher characters and to do so specifically from running around doing dangerous things. Middle Earth doesn't do this. Instead, like the majority of its mythical sources, the real badass dudes do most of their ability acquisition off-camera and in the back-story and/or they do so through *practice* and *study* of difficult arts, not by means of trotting about the world. It is true that the Hobbits get quite an education and quite a bit of status from their wanderings, but Bilbo didn't become a master of stealth, he used his natural Hobbity duck-and-stay-alive skills to survive. At the end of it, he had a marvelous tale and the beginnings of a body of knowledge. Likewise, the four Hobbit Companions didn't come back as master anythings. Yes, Frick and Frack got to get some skill with blade or bow, but they didn't rival Aragorn or Legolas at the end of the story. Instead, they had tales and knowledge of other peoples. Masterful skill with weapons only comes from years of work, not from happening to survive a nasty battle.

Now the specific to "fantasy" issues:

The majority of fantasy rpgs presume that the "races" (and we all know which ones) are all available to be played together and all somehow manage to "balance" each other on some sort of individual basis. Middle Earth, on the other hand, makes it clear that Elves have their circles, Dwarves theirs, etc. Likewise, the power and knowledge of the Fair greatly exceeds (by centuries) that of mortals. This, in and of itself, should frighten ordinary men. Essentially, the games have stripped the mystery from all that are not human.

Finally, there is the question of "magic". Magic of rpgs is mechanical (Yes, even Mage is fairly mechanical). Effects are defined, success is based to some extent on random factors. Furthermore, in games that have magic, it is usually very much front-and-center and available to players (notable exception: Pendragon). Middle Earth magic is closer to the source materials. We hear about "necromancers" and the title "witch king" for a Nazgul (which I guess would presume the existence of "witches" whatever they would be), and of course "Wizards" (actually I'd say that "Wysards" would be a better rendering), but in each case we don't see people with a bit o' book larnin' hurling spells around.

So what's my solution? I'll just sit here with a goofy look on my face, because I don't have one. But I think I may have at least defined the problem.