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Update for MerpCon V / Tolkienmoot 2009, and add information about upcoming Tolkienmoot 2010, and Tolkien Society smial.
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'''MerpCon''' is an acronym for "Middle-Earth Role Playing Convention", a [[role playing game convention]] dedicated solely to role-playing gaming in [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s [[Middle-earth]]. The event is held annually on the last weekend of July and runs for 3 days from Friday, through to the end of Sunday (and sometimes a little into the following Monday morning). To date MerpCon has been held each year in [[Spokane]], WA, USA.
'''MerpCon''' is an acronym for "Middle-Earth Role Playing Convention", a [[role playing game convention]] dedicated solely to role-playing gaming in [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s [[Middle-earth]]. The event is held annually on the last weekend of July and runs for 3 days from Friday, through to the end of Sunday (and sometimes a little into the following Monday morning). To date MerpCon has been held each year in [[Spokane]], WA, USA.


The event began with MerpCon I in 2005, followed by MerpCon II in 2006, MerpCon III in 2007, MerpCon IV in 2008, and MerpCon V is now being prepared for 2009.
The event began with MerpCon I in 2005, followed by MerpCon II in 2006, MerpCon III in 2007, MerpCon IV in 2008, and MerpCon V was held in 2009.


==Event details==
==Event details==
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The youth campaign was set in [[Forodwaith]]. The [[Eä d20]] 3.5 rules were used.
The youth campaign was set in [[Forodwaith]]. The [[Eä d20]] 3.5 rules were used.
John D. Rateliff, and Michael Martinez both spoke. First each had a separate session, then to wrap up the final day, both spoke together. Mr Rateliff's session was focused primarily on "A Brief History of Tolkien Role-playing Games". The audio and video is available on the MerpCon website. Additionally he went on to write a four part series on his blog, "Sacnoth's Scriptorium", continuing the discussion on this topic.<ref>[http://sacnoths.blogspot.com/2008/11/brief-history-of-tolkien-rpgs.html John D' Rateliff's blog on topic begun at MerpCon IV "A Brief History of Tolkien RPG's"]</ref>
John D. Rateliff, and Michael Martinez both spoke. First each had a separate session, then to wrap up the final day, both spoke together. Mr Rateliff's session was focused primarily on "A Brief History of Tolkien Role-playing Games". The audio and video is available on the MerpCon website. Additionally he went on to write a four part series on his blog, "Sacnoth's Scriptorium", continuing the discussion on this topic.<ref>[http://sacnoths.blogspot.com/2008/11/brief-history-of-tolkien-rpgs.html John D' Rateliff's blog on topic begun at MerpCon IV "A Brief History of Tolkien RPG's"]</ref>

[[MerpCon V]] also named [[Tolkienmoot 2009]] was once again held in Spokane, WA, USA. Game systems included [[Iron Crown Enterprises]] [[MERP]], a [[Dungeons & Dragons]] 3.5 variant known as [[Ea RPG d20]] <ref>[http://www.earpg.com The Ea Role Playing Game System]</ref>, and [[Harnmaster]] adapted for use in Middle-earth. Game Campaign authors included:
* Hawke Robinson (MERP & Ea RPG d20)
* David Johnson (Harnmaster)
Campaign Game Masters included the above authors plus:
* [[Michael Martinez]]
* Skylar Downes
* Russ Patitz
* William Robinson

The campaigns by Hawke Robinson over the past five years are being released incrementally with issues of [[Other Minds Magazine]], or on the Ea RPG website, or the Numenor Project<ref>[http://numenor.earpg.com The Numenor Project Website]</ref> website.

Both on site and online attendance increased over previous years.
Different approaches to the guest speaker segments were used. The first session was in a format called "Raw Hobbit" as an homage to [[William Shatner]]'s [[Raw Nerve]] talk show. The second guest session was an interactive "Tolkien Youth Panel". The third session was overlapped with the 14th episode of [[Middle-earth Talk Radio]]<ref>[http://www.middle-earthradio.com/talk-show The Middle-earth Radio Talk Show Website]</ref> as a live broadcast from the third day of the event with live audience participation both locally and online.

MerpCon V is listed as the last convention with the MerpCon name. The convention is fully transitioning to the title of Tolkienmoot in 2010. This is due to MERP being over 10 years out of print and to use a more descriptive name. The format for Tolkienmoot 2010 will still be Tolkien-centric with Tolkien-based role playing gaming at the core, but with a broader venue to include other forms of Tolkien gaming from wargaming to computer gaming, as well as other literary and creative topics related to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Updates will be posted at the Tolkienmoot website.<ref>[http://www.tolkienmoot.com The Tolkienmoot Convention Website]</ref>. All of the content on the MerpCon website <ref>[http://www.merpcon.com The Middle-earth Role Playing Convention Website]</ref> will be moved over to the Tolkienmoot site.

The founders of MerpCon are also the founders of the Northwest "Inland Empire" [[Tolkien Society]] [[smial]] based in Spokane, WA, USA. <ref>[http://www.tolkienscholars.org The United States Inland Northwest Tolkien Society Smial Website]]</ref>


==Role Playing Game Systems==
==Role Playing Game Systems==

Revision as of 07:44, 11 October 2009

MerpCon is an acronym for "Middle-Earth Role Playing Convention", a role playing game convention dedicated solely to role-playing gaming in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The event is held annually on the last weekend of July and runs for 3 days from Friday, through to the end of Sunday (and sometimes a little into the following Monday morning). To date MerpCon has been held each year in Spokane, WA, USA.

The event began with MerpCon I in 2005, followed by MerpCon II in 2006, MerpCon III in 2007, MerpCon IV in 2008, and MerpCon V was held in 2009.

Event details

The event is focused on paper and dice based Role playing games, with the emphasis being role playing gaming set in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, using any role playing game system adapted or created for play in Middle-earth or any aspect of Tolkien's universe (Middle-earth, Endor, Arda or Eä depending on your perspective of how broadly one wants to make it).

During the event, the MerpCon website also enables some remote participation, by providing the live webcams, streaming audio, and live real time chat rooms (using Internet Relay Chat).

The "MERP" portion of the name is not to be confused with, or thought of as exclusively Iron Crown Enterprises' MERP (Middle-earth Role Playing) game system, although that is one of the game systems used during the event.

Special Guests

A number of MerpCon Guest Speakers have been at each event, including noted Tolkien scholars, doctors, professors, and published authors. More detailed information is provided on the "Guest Speakers Biographies"[1] page.

Guest speakers to date include:

Campaign Settings Overview

MerpCon I's campaign was set in the final 2 weeks before the Fall of Númenor as detailed in the Akallabêth in The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien. Professor Chris Seeman provides a review of that campaign here: [1] "Report on MerpCon 2005".

MerpCon II's campaign was set in Umbar shortly after the Fall of Númenor, and before the establishment of the Kingdoms In Exile: Gondor and Arnor. Those kingdoms were formed approximately one year after "The Fall". Published author and Tolkien Scholar Michael Martinez provides some feedback on this campaign in his blog under the title "The IMPire Lives and I've Got A Wall of Fire" [2].

MerpCon III was set earlier in the Second Age than the previous two conventions, on the shores of Northwestern Middle-earth. This was a time period when the Númenóreans first made contact with the "lesser" men, who were under the terror of the shadow of Sauron and his minions. The Númenóreans came as benefactors, teachers, and defenders. In later centuries they returned more as conquerors demanding tribute. Joe Mandala provides a review[3] of MerpCon III in August 2007 issue of the The Guild Companion

MerpCon IV provided several different adventures from different campaign authors and Game/Dungeon Masters. This was the first year a youth table was provided (players ranging from 8 to 17 years of age). Whereas previous MerpCon events were mostly centered around the Númenóreans and the descendants, MerpCon IV's theme was heavily focused on J.R.R. Tolkien's Dwarves both for adventuring and for the guest speaker topics. One campaign was provided by published author, John D. Rateliff, set in the Long Lake area. The Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 and Eä d20 3.5 rules were used. Another campaign was provided by Chris Wade, his infamous Tol Fuin campaign. The Rolemaster Fantasy Role Playing rules were used. The youth campaign was set in Forodwaith. The Eä d20 3.5 rules were used. John D. Rateliff, and Michael Martinez both spoke. First each had a separate session, then to wrap up the final day, both spoke together. Mr Rateliff's session was focused primarily on "A Brief History of Tolkien Role-playing Games". The audio and video is available on the MerpCon website. Additionally he went on to write a four part series on his blog, "Sacnoth's Scriptorium", continuing the discussion on this topic.[4]

MerpCon V also named Tolkienmoot 2009 was once again held in Spokane, WA, USA. Game systems included Iron Crown Enterprises MERP, a Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 variant known as Ea RPG d20 [5], and Harnmaster adapted for use in Middle-earth. Game Campaign authors included:

  • Hawke Robinson (MERP & Ea RPG d20)
  • David Johnson (Harnmaster)

Campaign Game Masters included the above authors plus:

The campaigns by Hawke Robinson over the past five years are being released incrementally with issues of Other Minds Magazine, or on the Ea RPG website, or the Numenor Project[6] website.

Both on site and online attendance increased over previous years. Different approaches to the guest speaker segments were used. The first session was in a format called "Raw Hobbit" as an homage to William Shatner's Raw Nerve talk show. The second guest session was an interactive "Tolkien Youth Panel". The third session was overlapped with the 14th episode of Middle-earth Talk Radio[7] as a live broadcast from the third day of the event with live audience participation both locally and online.

MerpCon V is listed as the last convention with the MerpCon name. The convention is fully transitioning to the title of Tolkienmoot in 2010. This is due to MERP being over 10 years out of print and to use a more descriptive name. The format for Tolkienmoot 2010 will still be Tolkien-centric with Tolkien-based role playing gaming at the core, but with a broader venue to include other forms of Tolkien gaming from wargaming to computer gaming, as well as other literary and creative topics related to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Updates will be posted at the Tolkienmoot website.[8]. All of the content on the MerpCon website [9] will be moved over to the Tolkienmoot site.

The founders of MerpCon are also the founders of the Northwest "Inland Empire" Tolkien Society smial based in Spokane, WA, USA. [10]

Role Playing Game Systems

MerpCon has always been intended to support multiple game systems, but not until MerpCon III has this actually been able to happen. Previous events did not have enough additional Game Masters fluent in systems other than the legacy ICE MERP, and more than half of the participants were already used to the system that has been out of print since 1999 when Tolkien Enterprises forced Iron Crown Enterprises into bankruptcy.

Decipher Inc owned the rights to produce products based on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings until the middle of Summer 2007 when the company decided not to renew. Currently no one has the exclusive RPG publishing right for J. R. R. Tolkien in the USA. Though there are several role playing gaming systems that have been under development and/or release for several years now, including:

There are many projects that have adapted existing game systems to better fit into Middle-earth ranging from the early years of Dungeons & Dragons, GURPS, and Runequest, to other systems that many claim are already meant indirectly for Middle-earth gaming, such as Harnmaster. Luke Crane's Burning Wheel system is especially well suited to role playing in Middle Earth; the elves presented within are perhaps the most faithful interpretation of Tolkien's yet. The system even includes rules for playing non-humanoid creatures that were nonetheless given an (often malign) intellect within the professor's universe such as Wolves and Great Spiders.

MerpCon now supports many game systems due to multiple game masters and a greater variety of participants' gaming background interests. A lot of the renewed interest may be due to the earlier releases of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, causing a revival of interest in role playing in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth.

Game systems now supported include:

So far Merpcon is the only regular convention dedicated primarily or exclusively to gaming in J.R.R. Tolkien's world. There are a few other gaming conventions past, present, and planned in the near future that sometimes host a role playing gaming session with a campaign set in Middle-earth in their events. These conventions include:

References

  1. ^ MerpCon Guest Speakers Biographies Page
  2. ^ Michael Martinez Blog on MerpCon II, "The IMPire Lives and I've Got A Wall of Fire"
  3. ^ Joe Mandala provides a review of MerpCon III
  4. ^ John D' Rateliff's blog on topic begun at MerpCon IV "A Brief History of Tolkien RPG's"
  5. ^ The Ea Role Playing Game System
  6. ^ The Numenor Project Website
  7. ^ The Middle-earth Radio Talk Show Website
  8. ^ The Tolkienmoot Convention Website
  9. ^ The Middle-earth Role Playing Convention Website
  10. ^ The United States Inland Northwest Tolkien Society Smial Website]


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