Merpcon

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MerpCon is an acronym for "Middle-Earth Role Playing Convention", a role playing game convention dedicated solely to role playing in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The event is held each year during 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, and MerpCon III in 2007.

MerpCon IV is now in preparation.

Contents

[edit] 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 broad one wants to make it).

During the event, the MerpCon website makes it possible for people to participate to some degree (though only those who physically show up get to participate fully in the role playing game sessions, although there are plans to extend those capabilities in the future) from around the world by viewing 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 certainly one of the many game systems used to play during the event.

[edit] Special Guests

A number of MerpCon Guest Speakers have been at each event, including doctors, professors, and published authors. Guest speakers include:

  • Professor Chris Seeman, from Iowa, USA, professor of theology. (2005 & 2007)
  • Michael Martinez, computer scientist, published author and Tolkien essayist. (2006 & 2007)
  • Doctor Thomas Morwinksy, from Munich, Germany, doctor of entomology for the German Government's military. (2007)
  • Hawke Robinson, from Washington, USA, retired computer scientist published by the Sans Institute. (2005, 2006, and 2007)
  • Joe Mandala, from Kansas, USA. (2007)
  • Cason Snow, from Illinois, USA, librarian. (2007)
  • John D. Rateliff, from Seattle, WA, USA. Author of The History of the Hobbit (scheduled as special guest speaker for MerpCon IV (2008).

[edit] Campaign Settings

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 had a review on that campaign [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 declared about a year after "The Fall". Published author and Tolkien Scholar Michael Martinez had some feedback on this in his blog under the title "The IMPire Lives and I've Got A Wall of Fire"[2].

MerpCon III is set earlier in the Second Age than the previous two conventions, on the shores of Northwestern Middle-earth. This is 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.

MerpCon IV will be providing multiple scenarios in several different Ages of Arda and various geographic locations.

[edit] 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:

  • Ambarquenta
  • Hitherlands
  • Eä d20
  • Eä RPGS

There are many projects that have adapted existing game systems to better fit into Middle-eath ranging from the early years of Dungeons & Dragons, GURPS, and Runequest, to many other systems that many claim are already meant indirectly for Middle-earth gaming, such as Harnmaster.

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 the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings Movies, causing a revival of interest in role playing in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth.

The game systems now supported include:

[edit] Related Events

There are a few other gaming conventions that sometimes host a role playing gaming session with a campaign set in Middle-earth in their event. These conventions include but are not limited to:

  • DundraCon

[edit] References


[edit] External links