Topic: Merp: elves seeing the sea

[Ruffie]

Question:
I've been playing Merp and RMSS for about 14 years now. My very first group consisted out of experienced players who know both the game-system and the lore of Middle-Earth very well. They had a rule that whenever an elf would see the sea in Middle earth they had to make a roll to: "Hear the call of the undying lands"

Now the old group fell apart and I've started my own groups a few times. Now we do have a stable group and there is a high probability that we are going to see the sea in this adventure.

Is there any merp-ruling which supports the claim that elves have a chance of "Hearing the call of the undying lands" in game terms this would mean that a character knows that his time in Middle-Earth has come to an end and he would (in time) need to leave.

Or was it all just a homebrew rule?

[Fingolfin80]

Question:
I've been playing Merp and RMSS for about 14 years now. My very first group consisted out of experienced players who know both the game-system and the lore of Middle-Earth very well. They had a rule that whenever an elf would see the sea in Middle earth they had to make a roll to: "Hear the call of the undying lands"

Now the old group fell apart and I've started my own groups a few times. Now we do have a stable group and there is a high probability that we are going to see the sea in this adventure.

Is there any merp-ruling which supports the claim that elves have a chance of "Hearing the call of the undying lands" in game terms this would mean that a character knows that his time in Middle-Earth has come to an end and he would (in time) need to leave.

Or was it all just a homebrew rule?

As far as I know it's homebrew, but It's been a long time since my last MERP session. How did you decide how much play time he has left if he fails the roll?

[Ruffie]

We always let the player decide for himself. Lore-wise we simply said: "**** has heard the call of the undying lands. His time in Middle-Earth comes to a close."

The player would incorperate this into his character. He would make preparations, say goodbye to his kin, throw a party. Only once did a player leave and he was done with his character and wanted to play another one.

It could be 100 or 200 years, it all depends on the wish of the player.

[Aspire2Hope]

If the sea-longing was that strong that you only had to hear the music of Ulwe in the cry of gulls and the sound of the waves like Legolas then all the Teleri would have quit the shores of Middle Earth long before the end of the second age. Hence, I think you can leave it up to the player. Likewise, you need players who are sympathetic to elvish culture otherwise it can turn into a bit of a power gaming mode. So I tend to remind players that when companions are too old then this is a sign for the elvish characters to also retire for a season.

[Fingolfin80]

If the sea-longing was that strong that you only had to hear the music of Ulwe in the cry of gulls and the sound of the waves like Legolas then all the Teleri would have quit the shores of Middle Earth long before the end of the second age. Hence, I think you can leave it up to the player. Likewise, you need players who are sympathetic to elvish culture otherwise it can turn into a bit of a power gaming mode. So I tend to remind players that when companions are too old then this is a sign for the elvish characters to also retire for a season.

This make sense and I agree that thematic things like these are better served by roleplay than rules. But if Ruffie wants a mechanic for this, i. e. a specific roll, he could make the player roll every X levels, with a bonus for lower levels that fades away gradually for more experienced characters. This can be done independantly of the place in which the PC is, mitigating the effect that you describe that would have make all Teleri leave long before, and none of the Noldor in Rivendell or Lothlorien.

[Aspire2Hope]

If the sea-longing was that strong that you only had to hear the music of Ulwe in the cry of gulls and the sound of the waves like Legolas then all the Teleri would have quit the shores of Middle Earth long before the end of the second age. Hence, I think you can leave it up to the player. Likewise, you need players who are sympathetic to elvish culture otherwise it can turn into a bit of a power gaming mode. So I tend to remind players that when companions are too old then this is a sign for the elvish characters to also retire for a season.

This make sense and I agree that thematic things like these are better served by roleplay than rules. But if Ruffie wants a mechanic for this, i. e. a specific roll, he could make the player roll every X levels, with a bonus for lower levels that fades away gradually for more experienced characters. This can be done independantly of the place in which the PC is, mitigating the effect that you describe that would have make all Teleri leave long before, and none of the Noldor in Rivendell or Lothlorien.

I like your thinking Fingolfin - perhaps having lvl 5, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23 would be a good fit as it would fit with the chances of tiring of Middle Earth. Also as the Noldo feel a greater longing having returned from Valinor they would have a negative modifier to the roll.

[Ruffie]

I like to thank you all for the ideas presented here. I would like to put some measure of mechanic into play. Therefor after seeing the sea I would give the player a role every couple of levels to determine how strong the pull of the undying lands is.