[Tolkien] Playing in the Second Age

[Peter Knutsen]

Setting the campaign in faraway placed like Rhûn or Harad removes a lot of the LOTR feel, I think. And even more so if setting the campaign on another continent because even if that isn't actually made up, but is grounded in facts established by Tolkien on some half-destroyed napkin scrounged up by his son, it'll feel fictitious to the players. Much of the point of the campaign being Middle-earth will be lost, then.

[Johnny1A.2]

Originally Posted by Edges

It was flat before the fall of Numenor and round after. No?

Depends on which version. JRRT wrote a lot of background for his world, and there's a 'round-earth' version of the Silmarillion (which is newer but less complete, and in which the Earth was always rounds and circled the Sun as in reality) and the older 'flat earth' version in which the world went from flat to round at the Downfall of Numenor.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Johnny1A.2

Depends on which version. JRRT wrote a lot of background for his world, and there's a 'round-earth' version of the Silmarillion (which is newer but less complete, and in which the Earth was always rounds and circled the Sun as in reality) and the older 'flat earth' version in which the world went from flat to round at the Downfall of Numenor.

JRRT so ahead of his time to include reality quakes and comic book retcons.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Johnny1A.2

Depends on which version. JRRT wrote a lot of background for his world, and there's a 'round-earth' version of the Silmarillion (which is newer but less complete, and in which the Earth was always rounds and circled the Sun as in reality) and the older 'flat earth' version in which the world went from flat to round at the Downfall of Numenor.

The Norse world was disk shaped and a good portion of his work was influenced by that. As it grew it became Tolkien's own work and the Norse part while still recognizable faded away.

Poul Anderson once wrote a historical fantasy about Vikings and referring how barbaric it was compared to Tolkien said essentially,"Of course; Tolkien was a civilized person writing his own world. I am writing about Vikings in a world not yet civilized."