Update on various Role Playing Games I've been researching and using lately

Tolkien Moot is an annual convention dedicated to fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and those who enjoy playing games and role playing games in Middle-earth and beyond. I originally created this as MerpCon back in 2005, and changed the name in 2009. I wrote the campaign for the other game masters, and did get some actual time to act as a player at one of the tables. That table was using AD&D 2 (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons second edition), with switching GM's between game sessions. Other tables were using ICE MERP (Iron Crown Enterprises Middle-earth Role Playing), and Eä d20 3.5 (prononced Ay-ah dee twenty three point five) which is D&D 3.5 adapted to Middle-earth.

http://www.tolkienmoot.org

I also spent a lot of the month finishing and play testing with both young and adult players my own Eä RPGS (Role Playing Game System) BR (Basic Rules), and made additional progress on SR (Standard Rules) and AR (Advanced Rules).

http://www.earpg.com

I participated as a player in game sessions with my middle son, Brennan, 13,  who is now running a Pathfinder campaign, which is basically D&D 3.5, fixed up a bit.

Also my youngest son now wishes to run a "dark" campaign, a very dystopic setting called "Midnight". He is now reading the core rules and the many source material expansions. This is also a D&D 3 system.

Finally, the new Tolkien RPG "The One Ring - Adventures at the Edge of the Wild" by Cubicle 7 and Sophisticated Games was released on PDF, and I have spent a LOT of time since it's release on August 4th, game testing with half a dozen players ages 11 through 42 (so far), with more coming this weekend. I have posted in multiple forum at rpg.net, cubicle7, and merp.com, and been in a live interactive chat room answering questions for those considering getting the product, but can't get it until it's full release around the end of August.

A few months ago I picked up the number of books and accessories necessary to run a Warhammer FRP (Fantasy Role Play) campaign, started reading it, but have not yet made the time and found the people, to make characters and get the game under way.

Today, after hearing about it for years from Tolkien gamers, I acquired the Sixth Edition rules of the HERO System. I just noticed however, that although I have the Basic Rulebook, and a number of expansions, I do not have "Volume 1", it appears that was missing at the store and I didn't realize it was missing until now. Here is what I have for HERO Sixth Edition:

• HERO System basic rulebook
• HERO System Volume 2: Combat & Adventuring
• HERO System Equipment Guide
• HERO System Bestiary
• HERO System Fantasy Hero
• HERO System The Ultimate Base

I also the 30th Anniversary Call of Cthulhu special edition rulebook.

I also keep hearing about "Savage Worlds" on many lists and forum, including Tolkien RPGing. It appears to be out of print according to the game store (but not the site), so I'll need to see what I can do to get the core, apparently it is a very "fast" system, and has some fair popularity.

There are a lot of new systems out in the past 10 years, some just revisions of older versions, but a number of new ones. Another one I have been hearing about is "Mouse Guard", and "Burning Wheel". I do not know anything about these yet, but it sounds like there may be parts of them of interest. I am playing catch to the modern RPG paper and dice world, and feeling a bit overwhelmed with how many systems I now do NOT even know casually. Back in the 1980's I played to some degree or another just about every RPG made. There didn't seem to be that many new ones in the 90's, but it seems, possibly due to the Internet, and PDFs, that there has been a recent explosion of new RPGs in the past 10 years, and it's going to take a little while for me to "modernize" myself to the industry, so I can stay on top of what is out there, what the trends are etc. I don't need to master these from a marketing perspective, but I do need to keep my finger on the pulse of the current trends in RPG systems, and what people are playing, as part of the evaluation of the sociological and psychological snapshot of current RPGers, versus "old school" role players such as myself. This is actually a pretty hefty task, but I'm undertaking it like any other research project, with patience and thoroughness. Eventually I will get back on top of it.

I will post more updates when there is more to report.

-Hawke