courtesy of who else, Narv
Time to try something new! This is an invitation to sign up for a plaza-wide RPG, utilizing canon characters, canon-adjacent characters, and characters of your own- or any mixture of the three! Although we hope it’s going to be a fairly large RPG we aren’t aiming for long, complex posts every time, or for people worry about being perfectly canon with their character(s). We’re looking to play a bit around some untold history, explore some characters that don't get a lot of stage time on the plaza, and have some fun! We also hope everyone will get the chance to RP a Tolkien character during this.
In the hope of making things fair (and snappy), dependent on sign ups, we will experiment with using a rotating cast.
How will it work?
We’ll ask you to sign up for up to FOUR CANON CHARACTERS, and to rank them in your order of preference. For example:
1. Gandalf
2. Galadriel
3. Aragorn
4. Butterbur
Please don’t be put off if someone else has also picked your favourite characters! Please state which your own preferences are. We will use as fair a method as we can to ensure everyone gets to play a chosen character.
The GM will then assign roles for each prompt. Each prompt will cover a certain segment of the story, and have a deadline by which you will need to post.
We expect that most players will keep the same roles for several prompts consecutively, to give you a chance for continuity and explore the character, but if a player is unavailable due to planned absence or just doesn’t hit the prompt deadline, the role will be offered to someone else who’s picked that character. If you miss a prompt and your character is handed off to the next person, you will be offered the opportunity to jump back in for the next prompt. This means it doesn’t have to be a big commitment if you don’t want it to be.
As the plot moves along, the thread may move from forum to forum to follow its geographic location! I’ve just started the sign up in Fangorn at random.
WHAT WILL THE PLOT BE?
That rather depends on you. Rather than announcing the plot ahead of time, we are going to ask you to choose any canon characters who are alive in Middle Earth between the time of the Hobbit and the beginning of the LotR.
You may also choose canon-adjacent characters, for example Gloin's wife, a son of Beorn, etc. These canon adjacent characters should be listed in your signup post, but not as part of your four canon choices.
Based on the characters everyone has chosen, we will finalize the plot! There is no need to list your your personal characters- the plot will not be based on them and of course your own characters can't be assigned to anyone else!
Once the plot is decided, we'll share an outline so that everyone has an idea of where we're headed, and about how long it's going to take/how many prompts there will be.
SPECTATORS, PASSERS BY, PEOPLE WHO CLICKED INTO THIS THREAD BY ACCIDENT
Even if you don't want to RP, you can participate by helping us decide what the plot will be! What four canon characters would you like most to see in an RP, even if you aren't playing? Anyone may list four choices, just please indicate in your post if you don't intend to play. And as the RP goes along, if you change your mind, there may be chances to jump in... or we might just save the info for our own, thoroughly wholesome and not at all nefarious purposes.
POTENTIAL SUGGESTED CHARACTERS but don’t just stick to these
Gandalf, Saruman, Aragorn, Gollum, Sauron, Galadriel, Denethor, Elrond, Thranduil, Legolas... and anyone else you can think of who would be alive in Middle Earth between the Hobbit and LotR!
This is a new idea being run by Sil and Moriel. Please post here to sign up or with any questions for us! We don't promise answers as we don't have them all yet but we'll do our best.
Rough form for sign ups but by all means freestyle
• Do you wish to RP? Yes/no
• Your four favoured canon characters IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE
• Anyone else you might wish to bring into the RP, and a bit about them
• Any other cool ideas you have
• Commentary on Narv’s art piece
Thanks all!
(election results should not affect the RPG)