Are you gaming against Canon and if so how?

[Robin Smallburrow]

I strongly recommend all LM's should read the article "Unati & the Axani" for a good understanding of what things are impossible in Middle-earth, and what things are possible but 'frowned upon' (such as Necromancy) - this article was in an earlier issue of Other Minds, Tolwen might recall.

As far as the discussion on 'Canon' re what Tolkien wrote, I regard it as a bit pointless given that Tolkien changed his views himself as he got older - if you read HOME 10 "Morgoth's Ring" he tried to change a lot of previous ideas about Middle-earth. IMHO do you want to go with how he viewed Middle-earth when The Hobbit was published, or when LOTR was published, or only those things that are common to both works??

I do agree with earlier contributors that Tolkien's own view that these works are 'recorded histories written much later' does give a lot of leeway for LM's to change things around, although I prefer to run things in The Fourth Age anyway so I don't have to deal with such issues!

Robin S.

[DavetheLost]

Tolkien working with the literary conceit that the two novels were material translated from the Red Book of Westmarch brought to Europe by Eriol the Mariner after his sojourn in Middle Earth does cloud the issue.

The Red Book itself was primarily Bilbo's memoirs and "Translations from the Elvish" with additions by Frodo, Sam and Merry.

So we have a subjective, rather than an objective view. Not third person omniscient narrator, even though at times it may seem as if there is.

[dsmvites]

Well Francesco's sollution of focusing on region scantly covered by canon is great! I am doing the same and leaving the future of a dark corner of the world, The Gore of Anduin, entirely in my pcs' hands. My job it's to keep stakes high on a personal level and the area interesting enough so they wont miss rubbing shoulders with the "great" canon characters.

If needed i will keep a "butterfly effect" record on what the chronicle might have changed in the War of the Ring, but nothing changed so far.

[zedturtle]

Well Francesco's sollution of focusing on region scantly covered by canon is great! I am doing the same and leaving the future of a dark corner of the world, The Gore of Anduin, entirely in my pcs' hands. My job it's to keep stakes high on a personal level and the area interesting enough so they wont miss rubbing shoulders with the "great" canon characters.

If needed i will keep a "butterfly effect" record on what the chronicle might have changed in the War of the Ring, but nothing changed so far.

It's a good approach to take... The Fellowship was relatively unhindered in their journey south, only having to fight off orcs on the East bank of the Anduin once. What deeds of renown went unremarked in Frodo's memoirs to make that possible?

[sageryne]

Hi all,

I am currently running a TOR campaign for three players.

The primary changes I have made are to do with southern Eriador. I have made it "slightly" less empty.

In addition to the Dunlendings, I added some brigands to the road from Rohan to Tharbad.

There are humans living in southern Eriador. They are few in number, and very reclusive (for their own safety). They tend to live in small homesteads of 20 - 30 people. They are semi-nomadic, moving around during the summer and returning to winter homesteads every fall. There are a 1000 or so people living in the former Kingdom of Cardolan (no one knows for sure).

The major change I have made is to Tharbad. It is not abandoned (as in canon), rather it is a small community of about 600 people. The idea is that the great bridge over the Greyflood (built by the Numenorians at the height of their power) was too strong to be washed away. It stood when the dikes broke and the rest of the city was flooded. Most of the inhabitants fled, but a determined few, led by the "governor" (a true blooded Numenorian), stayed behind and built a new community on top of the bridge. The bridge now resembles Old London Bridge, with houses built down each side. It is a combination of Bartertown (Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome), the road town from Book of Eli and Woodbury (The Walking Dead)...i.e. it has a post-holocaust vibe. The governor of Tharbad is a combination of Auntie Entity, Carnegie, and the Governor. He decided to stay behind and be a big fish in a small pond, rather than slinking off to Gondor. Because he is a Numenorian, he looks 45 when he is actually nearer to 90. They have large herds of cattle, sheep and pigs which they drive out onto the riverbanks during the day and bring back to the bridge at night.

Tharbad is a trading post and river port. Trade goods are brought from Gondor (Dol Amroth) over the sea and up the river. The finished goods are traded for fur, fish and timber (I also changed canon to say that many of the forests have grown back) which are exported back to Gondor.

The homesteads around Tharbad are more substantial and permanent.

There is also a small permanent trading post at Sarn Ford.

The general idea is to still make it rough but not so empty.

I am in the process of writing up my version of Tharbad if anyone is interested.

TTYL

- Kerry

[Rocmistro]

I think your interpretation of Tharbad is perfect. It always bothered me that 'canon' couldn't do anything with that city. Seemed like a great adventure site.

[Rich H]

I am in the process of writing up my version of Tharbad if anyone is interested.

... I've been waiting to see it for chuffin' ages.

[Corvo]

(...)
I am in the process of writing up my version of Tharbad if anyone is interested.

TTYL

- Kerry

Here is another one interested. I find your idea of Tharbad as a post-apocalyptic-bridge-town very nice.

(PS: you can get some inspiration from Ponte Vecchio in Firenze, too)

[Glorelendil]

As a general theme I like the concept of "what else was Gandalf doing behind the scenes that helped the Fellowship succeed, that never made it into the Red Book?"

[Rich H]

... Mind you, when I first read the title of this thread I did think it was "Are you gaming against Conan and if so how?"