RPGnet's decay (TBP madness)

[Valatar]

I was a teenager in the 90s when those books first came out and was playing them with my gaming group in late high school/early college and never came to woe.  Of course, we were playing among ourselves in that scenario, not LARPing with some creepers in their 30s, which I think is significant.  There were definitely some WoD people back in the day who should've been on some kind of watchlist.

[Grognard GM]

I always had a problem with underaged children trying to play those games. Even at the tabletop.

This set of games were designed for mature audiences. Even the LARP rulebooks, it stated the minimum age allowed to play was 18.

Well in practice, that rule wasn't obeyed. And underage kids were all over them.

Werewolf was my first game as a GM at age 13, for other 13 year olds. I probably ran more sessions in those next few years than any one setting since, because my players loved my game.

We just ignored the perv stuff because it was cringe, and just enjoyed playing BAMFs with edgy 90s attitudes, that kicked ass. Teen boys love lone wolf anti-heroes, put away your pearls.

[Trond]

I always had a problem with underaged children trying to play those games. Even at the tabletop.

This set of games were designed for mature audiences. Even the LARP rulebooks, it stated the minimum age allowed to play was 18.

Well in practice, that rule wasn't obeyed. And underage kids were all over them.

Werewolf was my first game as a GM at age 13, for other 13 year olds. I probably ran more sessions in those next few years than any one setting since, because my players loved my game.

We just ignored the perv stuff because it was cringe, and just enjoyed playing BAMFs with edgy 90s attitudes, that kicked ass. Teen boys love lone wolf anti-heroes, put away your pearls.

Today's random thought: Maybe this is one additional reason why many roleplayers like Tolkien-derived materials; no perv stuff?

[Grognard GM]

I always had a problem with underaged children trying to play those games. Even at the tabletop.

This set of games were designed for mature audiences. Even the LARP rulebooks, it stated the minimum age allowed to play was 18.

Well in practice, that rule wasn't obeyed. And underage kids were all over them.

Werewolf was my first game as a GM at age 13, for other 13 year olds. I probably ran more sessions in those next few years than any one setting since, because my players loved my game.

We just ignored the perv stuff because it was cringe, and just enjoyed playing BAMFs with edgy 90s attitudes, that kicked ass. Teen boys love lone wolf anti-heroes, put away your pearls.

Today's random thought: Maybe this is one additional reason why many roleplayers like Tolkien-derived materials; no perv stuff?

Sam blatantly wanted to slip into Frodo's magic ring.


Tolkien created an incredibly rich and detailed fantasy world. That world and its aesthetics were aped by practically all fantasy artists, writers, movie makers and game creators of the last 70 years. D&D, the first and still most popular rpg game lifts Tolkien elements wholesale.

It's the wellspring.


Personally, I prefer Howard and Moorcock, but Tolkien's worldbuilding is unassailable, and his heroes are impressively archetypical.

[GeekyBugle]

I always had a problem with underaged children trying to play those games. Even at the tabletop.

This set of games were designed for mature audiences. Even the LARP rulebooks, it stated the minimum age allowed to play was 18.

Well in practice, that rule wasn't obeyed. And underage kids were all over them.

Werewolf was my first game as a GM at age 13, for other 13 year olds. I probably ran more sessions in those next few years than any one setting since, because my players loved my game.

We just ignored the perv stuff because it was cringe, and just enjoyed playing BAMFs with edgy 90s attitudes, that kicked ass. Teen boys love lone wolf anti-heroes, put away your pearls.

Today's random thought: Maybe this is one additional reason why many roleplayers like Tolkien-derived materials; no perv stuff?

Sam blatantly wanted to slip into Frodo's magic ring.


Tolkien created an incredibly rich and detailed fantasy world. That world and its aesthetics were aped by practically all fantasy artists, writers, movie makers and game creators of the last 70 years. D&D, the first and still most popular rpg game lifts Tolkien elements wholesale.

It's the wellspring.


Personally, I prefer Howard and Moorcock, but Tolkien's worldbuilding is unassailable, and his heroes are impressively archetypical.

Bullshit.

[Jason Coplen]

I always had a problem with underaged children trying to play those games. Even at the tabletop.

This set of games were designed for mature audiences. Even the LARP rulebooks, it stated the minimum age allowed to play was 18.

Well in practice, that rule wasn't obeyed. And underage kids were all over them.

Werewolf was my first game as a GM at age 13, for other 13 year olds. I probably ran more sessions in those next few years than any one setting since, because my players loved my game.

We just ignored the perv stuff because it was cringe, and just enjoyed playing BAMFs with edgy 90s attitudes, that kicked ass. Teen boys love lone wolf anti-heroes, put away your pearls.

Today's random thought: Maybe this is one additional reason why many roleplayers like Tolkien-derived materials; no perv stuff?

Sam blatantly wanted to slip into Frodo's magic ring.

Bullshit.

My friend, he's joking. Don't blow up at the man for making a joke.

Speaking of jokes, one of the satire sites did an article about Frodo and Sam being gay. It might have been landoverbaptist. I don't fully recall.

[DocJones]

Sam blatantly wanted to slip into Frodo's magic ring.

Bullshit.

My friend, he's joking. Don't blow up at the man for making a joke.

Speaking of jokes, one of the satire sites did an article about Frodo and Sam being gay. It might have been landoverbaptist. I don't fully recall.

Well Sam did carry the ring in Mordor when he thought Frodo was dead. 
But he willingly gave it back.

BTW My fantasy inspirations/preferences were Fritz Lieber and RE Howard.
I could never get into LoTR as a playable setting, although one of our GMs has tried it over the years using MERP, The One Ring and LoTR 5e.
MERP was the most enjoyable, but it felt further away from Tolkein than the others...(and maybe that's why).

[Jason Coplen]

Sam blatantly wanted to slip into Frodo's magic ring.

Bullshit.

My friend, he's joking. Don't blow up at the man for making a joke.

Speaking of jokes, one of the satire sites did an article about Frodo and Sam being gay. It might have been landoverbaptist. I don't fully recall.

Well Sam did carry the ring in Mordor when he thought Frodo was dead. 
But he willingly gave it back.

BTW My fantasy inspirations/preferences were Fritz Lieber and RE Howard.
I could never get into LoTR as a playable setting, although one of our GMs has tried it over the years using MERP, The One Ring and LoTR 5e.
MERP was the most enjoyable, but it felt further away from Tolkein than the others...(and maybe that's why).

Tolkien wrapped his story up wonderfully. There's not a ton you can do that's what adventurers want.

Lieber and Howard are both wonderful! 2 of my faves. There's so much adventuring potential in their worlds.

[jhkim]

Regarding White Wolf's World of Darkness - I was never a fan, and I'd agree that they created a lot of stuff that effectively encouraged nastiness among players - with backbiting politics, grimdark material, and so forth. Still, there was good material, and I've played a number of games and had fun.

As a side note about Tolkien...

Today's random thought: Maybe this is one additional reason why many roleplayers like Tolkien-derived materials; no perv stuff?

Tolkien created an incredibly rich and detailed fantasy world. That world and its aesthetics were aped by practically all fantasy artists, writers, movie makers and game creators of the last 70 years. D&D, the first and still most popular rpg game lifts Tolkien elements wholesale.

Agreed that Tolkien is excellent. I'm running another of my Savage Middle Earth games next month.

Still, Tolkien goes beyond "no perv stuff". Even G-rated stories and actual medieval tales like Icelandic sagas would have married couples, and wives and mothers as characters. In Tolkien, though, women aren't just absent in the battlefield -- they're even absent from home life. None of the nine Fellowship were married at the start - despite their ages ranging from 29 to 88. Of other characters, Bilbo was a lifelong bachelor -- Elrond, Denethor and Theoden were all widowers, and all of the female Ents had gone missing for millennia.

I think this gives rise to things like jokes about Frodo and Sam being romantic partners. (Frodo was a lifelong bachelor like Bilbo, Legolas, and Gimli.)

[Grognard GM]

Bullshit.

[Horace]

Still, Tolkien goes beyond "no perv stuff". Even G-rated stories and actual medieval tales like Icelandic sagas would have married couples, and wives and mothers as characters. In Tolkien, though, women aren't just absent in the battlefield -- they're even absent from home life. None of the nine Fellowship were married at the start - despite their ages ranging from 29 to 88. Of other characters, Bilbo was a lifelong bachelor -- Elrond, Denethor and Theoden were all widowers, and all of the female Ents had gone missing for millennia.

I think this gives rise to things like jokes about Frodo and Sam being romantic partners. (Frodo was a lifelong bachelor like Bilbo, Legolas, and Gimli.)

Well, there is Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, who have a very loving and
happy marriage. But Galadriel and Celeborn -- the other prominent married couple in LOTR -- have about as much chemistry together as two sedimentary rocks.

There's also Beren & Luthien, the fabled doomed lovers, who are frequently referenced.

In general, though, yes, LOTR is notable for its lack of romance.

[SHARK]

Greetings!

OMG! Tolkien didn't include a bunch of romance and fucking in his stories. So what?

It seems to me that Tolkien's stories are focused on larger, deeper things than temporal, mortal romances.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

[GeekyBugle]

I always had a problem with underaged children trying to play those games. Even at the tabletop.

This set of games were designed for mature audiences. Even the LARP rulebooks, it stated the minimum age allowed to play was 18.

Well in practice, that rule wasn't obeyed. And underage kids were all over them.

Werewolf was my first game as a GM at age 13, for other 13 year olds. I probably ran more sessions in those next few years than any one setting since, because my players loved my game.

We just ignored the perv stuff because it was cringe, and just enjoyed playing BAMFs with edgy 90s attitudes, that kicked ass. Teen boys love lone wolf anti-heroes, put away your pearls.

Today's random thought: Maybe this is one additional reason why many roleplayers like Tolkien-derived materials; no perv stuff?

Sam blatantly wanted to slip into Frodo's magic ring.

Bullshit.

My friend, he's joking. Don't blow up at the man for making a joke.

Speaking of jokes, one of the satire sites did an article about Frodo and Sam being gay. It might have been landoverbaptist. I don't fully recall.

Fucking autism man.

Sorry Grognard GM, my bad.

[GeekyBugle]

Sam blatantly wanted to slip into Frodo's magic ring.

Bullshit.

My friend, he's joking. Don't blow up at the man for making a joke.

Speaking of jokes, one of the satire sites did an article about Frodo and Sam being gay. It might have been landoverbaptist. I don't fully recall.

Well Sam did carry the ring in Mordor when he thought Frodo was dead. 
But he willingly gave it back.

BTW My fantasy inspirations/preferences were Fritz Lieber and RE Howard.
I could never get into LoTR as a playable setting, although one of our GMs has tried it over the years using MERP, The One Ring and LoTR 5e.
MERP was the most enjoyable, but it felt further away from Tolkein than the others...(and maybe that's why).

Tolkien wrapped his story up wonderfully. There's not a ton you can do that's what adventurers want.

Lieber and Howard are both wonderful! 2 of my faves. There's so much adventuring potential in their worlds.

Well, you could play before/after LotR or elsewhere in his world.

But I mostly agree with you. Mostly because I find ALL IP base gaming to be just as constraining.

Which is why I play/build worlds inspired by but not the IP.

[Grognard GM]

Fucking autism man.

Sorry Grognard GM, my bad.

Well, you could play before/after LotR or elsewhere in his world.

But I mostly agree with you. Mostly because I find ALL IP base gaming to be just as constraining.

Which is why I play/build worlds inspired by but not the IP.

Whenever playing or GMing in a setting where big heroes did colossal deeds, I either want it set in a different time or region of he world, or it's an alternate universe take where fate isn't set.

So for LOTR some earlier age (not later, the magic and races are fading) where there's maybe a big bad not mentioned in lore. Or you're the most important heroes in a distant part of Middle Earth. Or maybe the ring finds its way to a different Hobbit, and he sets out for Mount Doom with his friends.

Don't make your players fight over scraps of glory in a universe where they're bit players in someone else's story.