I am going to have a adventure!

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...

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.

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.

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...

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.

Well! I say, newbies.

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.

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 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.

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

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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~)

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.

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

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.