Tuesday, October 19, 2021

On Dwarves, Elves and Men

A Consideration of the Antecedents of Milieu for Tolkien and Your Fantasy Game.
The source of inspiration for the so-called "Tolkienesque milieu" in fantasy role-playing games is obvious (at least to me). When reading both the World's First Role-Playing Game booklets and the Fantasy Supplement which preceded those three little brown booklets I can picture Middle-earth. The early printings of those games contain clear reference to ents, balrogs, and even hobbits - all clearly influenced by The Good Professor's popular fiction. Less obvious perhaps is the inclusion of the so-called demi-humans - elves and dwarves - in later printings and editions when-in the Tolkien specific names of specific creatures have been changed to avoid copyright infringement.. 
The "elf" and the "dwarf" are common staples of many stories found in folklore, fairy tales and various other sources and their use predates the life and work of J.R.R. Tolkien- who no doubt read about such creatures and developing his own version of same, includes them in his seminal works of fantastic fiction. Traditional characterization of elves (elfs) and dwarves (dwarfs) include Santa's helpers and the fairy-tale villain,  Rumplestiltskin. Elves and dwarves appear in Norse and other mythologies and in many works of fiction published prior to the works of Professor Tolkien. The exact nature, and stature of such creatures varies considerably depending upon the source and there is anything but a "standardized" depiction of them - at least prior to The Good Professor.
Through the creation of his world setting, Middle-earth, Prof. Tolkien has effectively set THE standard of interpretation regarding "elves" and "dwarves" and their relationship to men - an interpretation that has been followed in various works of several authors and film-makers each focusing on the popular epic fantasy genre, and by designers of fantasy role-playing games, all drawing inspiration from Middle-earth. Early evidence of such influence can be found in the fact that despite his arguing to the contrary, the author of the original Advanced Game tips his hand when he subdivides the elves in the game's default milieu into "high", "grey", and "woods", terms often applied by Tolkien and others to the Noldor, Sindar and Sylvan elves found in Middle-earth.
Borrowing inspiration from a variety of sources is a strength of The World's Most Popular Role-Playing Game and this is not a criticism of the practice. By combining influences from a variety of sources, the designers of the game have enabled the same basic system to be used to explore a myriad of themes, settings and stories through game play. Versatility is a chief element in the game's lasting appeal. Each player brings their own imagination, however colored by personal exposure and experience with their own unique set of inspirations, to the gaming table. Each draws upon that resource when they envision the setting, actors and actions that make up the game session. 
Whether your elves and dwarves closely resemble those of Professor Tolkien, or not, is part of the fun we discover when playing with various other people. It is part of the collective richness of the group activity to share, and be influenced by the vision of others. Whether one prefers a tightly defined milieu where individual character differences are slight and many constants exist among members of a group, or a much looser approach to what makes an elf and elf, how we each choose to play our own unique character is our decision alone. Does your character run strongly to type, or is your player character the exception?
Milieu is one of the more important decisions one must make about the game. Closely tied to setting, defining milieu is often the prerogative of the game's designer or of the referee or "player running the game" if it is set in a world of their choosing. Milieu not only defines who the actors are likely to be, it can establish expectations of behavior and relationships. Or not. How "predictable" do you want your game world? Do you have an "ideal" in mind? Perhaps that vision closely resembles Tolkien's Middle-earth or another work of fiction. Imitation has worked for many a world-builder.
Giving thought to the make-up of the game's milieu - its cast of characters - can only enhance to depth of the game experience and deepen your enjoyment. Knowing what each character is all about - what binds them together with others and what sets them apart - can be very helpful in deciding how they will react to the various situations they find themselves in during play. Whether you control a host of non-player characters as referee, or a single character as a player, the more you know about the fictional character, the better you are able to role-play a consistent and believable protagonist.

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