The Canon discarded, the Adventure set free

[Dedicemancometh]

After many moons pondering the best way to run a campaign that feels like The Hobbit, I've finally begun running such a campaign, and it is a smashing success. Everyone has their own favorite parts of Tolkien's ouvre, and for me, that's the first 3/4 of the Hobbit and the Fellowship of the Ring. Later parts, with their bent toward war and realpolitik, aren't my cup of tea. Or at least not my cup of tea to begin a campaign with. I found the canonical constraints of (most of) the published adventures, dispiriting. So, I said, "Hey, I'm not bound by any license agreement! I can do what I want!"

So, I started a year after Bilbo has returned to the Shire (TA 2943). And turned everything upside-down.

The premise is: Bilbo Baggins was never really a hero at all, but a rather sorry little gambler and drunkard who went along with the Dwarves to pay off -- er -- debts. Many of the events of the Hobbit, especially of the latter third of the tale, are revised as merely the "braggings of the Baggins." But one point is key: He did find a magic ring, but in trying to pry some wine bottles out of the Wood Elves barrels (ever the feverish alcoholic), he lost his ring and fell into the water and was washed to Lake Town.

He lied to Gandalf about the ring thereafter, to cover the fact that, as little coward, he ran from Smaug and hid during the Battle of Five armies. Many things take on an entirely different colour, viewed in retrospect.

But the fact remains, the Ring has passed, in a Wine Cask, to Dorwinion. And fairly early in the campaign, the Fellowship comes across this information, though they (as opposed to the players) realize the significance of this bit. And Gandalf has begun to suspect... something.

The paradox is that, in order to engender the same sense of wonder and the same sense that the players characters are, indeed, the center of the universe, the canon needs to die in order to be resurrected. (I realize some players do not want PCs that are the center of the universe. More power to you.)

So, the adventure that lies ahead is into unknown lands, with unknown people, foes, fell creatures. But the same Eye, which has awakened... and searches...

=====================

This tack has completely revitalized the energy of the campaign. Now we're meeting weekly. The payers are all compliments and energy and eagerness. Maybe it's coming from me, because the approach energizes me, but I really think the approach is energizing the whole table.

If enough folks here are interested in this Canon-Discarded/Revived campaign in more detail, I'll post adventure by adventure summaries.

[Ecorce]

Very interesting approach, and courageous (you're right, we can do anything we want, if everybody at the table agree).

Did you think about the whole campaign, or you've juste imagined the beggining and let the players "create" the next adventures ?

[Grands-Pas]

Interesting indeed. I can see why it would energize play.

Please do post the adventure summaries.

[Terisonen]

Really Interesting. That's why I prefer playing in the Fourth Age in Middle Earth: you can do as you wish.

[Otaku-sempai]

Interesting. I'm of two minds on this approach. On one hand, I can see the appeal of creating an alternate history, 'though I'm not sure that it is necessary to significantly alter the personality of one or more of Tolkien's main characters to do so. It is possible, though, that I'm being overly reverential.

On the other hand, I relish the challenge of presenting entertaining adventures that also preserve the canon--at least through the War of the Ring. The rules-as-written should be able to accommodate either style of campaign.

[Dedicemancometh]

...though I'm not sure that it is necessary to significantly alter the personality of one or more of Tolkien's main characters to do so...

You're right, it's not necessary. But rather than tell the players the premise, I let them discover it in-game. And I wanted to let them know from the get-go that nothing is sacred. There a lot of ways to do this, but I chose a pretty spectacularly irreverent one on purpose.

FWIW, the moment they realized that the fat, drunken, nearly insensate Bilbo Baggins babbling about losing his ring was, in fact, the "real" Bilbo Baggins (as far as my campaign is concerned), was when the match lit the gasoline. A really big WTF moment that I wish I had captured on video.

[Dedicemancometh]

Very interesting approach, and courageous (you're right, we can do anything we want, if everybody at the table agree).

Did you think about the whole campaign, or you've juste imagined the beggining and let the players "create" the next adventures ?

I've got the whole thing in mind, roughly. Not in detail. My general inclination is to recapitulate the Hobbit, but not the Hobbit. If you get my meaning.

Here's my method: take a chapter from the book (in some cases two, when they represent two halves of an episode). Understand two things about it: (1) Is it an Adventure or a Fellowship phase? (2) At a meta-level what was Tolkien on about? For example the chapter with the Trolls: (1) It is definitely an Adventure; (2) Tolkien was satirizing thuggery, depicting them as particularly stupid. Initially, since our game is in the U.S., I thought I'd go the Jeff Foxworthy route and instead of a loutish West Country accent, make them "redneck" accents, or, alternately Goodfellas Brooklyn accent, but this is offensive and racist...um "regionist"?... so I'm going to back off such strong stereotyping and just go with generic accent, but clearly stupid, rude, and loutish speech. And they won't be trolls around a campfire: too familiar; they'll be <something else huge> gathered around <something else>.

The only really big no-no is Gandalf deus-ex-machina motif... he comes and goes at strategic moments like the book, but does not "save the day," in the same way that he does in the chapter with the three trolls. That takes a lot of wind out of player engagement.

[Elmoth]

Sounds really cool!

Another approach would be to play it like there is a short video in youtube: Gandalf and the istari discover the ring earlier, and since Sauron is not so powerul yet, they enfgineer a lightning raid by the eagles (carrying Bilbo, the White Council and a few High Elves) and Bilbo casts the Ring into mount doom. Sauron is ended and for a few years the forces of darnkness are in disarray.

However, his orcs are already recovering, and the realms of men are still weak. This presents an opportunity for secondary baddies to become a real nuissance and even engineer themselves a power base in Middle Earth. You do not have a war to end it all, but you have spread conflict, and if some of the Bad Guys coordinate they can certainly raze some of the shaky Light Side realms, like they did with Arnor in times of Old. Gondor is not so strong anymore, and the Riddermark is getting depopulated.

And here the story beguins.

Will the heroes be able to help save their corner of the world, or will it fall to the forces of darkness?

Enough ranting for now

In any case I would be happy to learn about your developments. Please, share

Cheers,
Xavi

[Robin Smallburrow]

This is why my campaign (A kidnapping in Umbar is the start) is set well into The Fourth Age, so myself and players don't feel constrained

Robin S.

[Mytholder]

That sounds marvellous, between Dirtbag Bilbo and the Ring spinning out of everyone's control.

Are you going to kick the War of the Ring off early?