WHAT IS MERP?
"MERP" stands for Middle-earth Role Playing. This is the name of the fantasy role playing game series published by Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE), a small gaming company that was based in Charlottesville, Virginia. In 1982, Tolkien Enterprises bestowed upon ICE an exclusive, worldwide license to produce adventure games based on The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. ICE held this license for seventeen years and published more than a hundred products. On September 21st, 1999, Tolkien Enterprises forcibly revoked the license, and a year later (10/25/00) ICE declared bankruptcy and was dissolved.

What follows is a complete bibliography of the MERP series and other product lines related to it. Beyond information for information's sake, this bibliography is intended to serve as an index of support material for GMs seeking to use these products for their own Middle-earth campaigns. Here is a list of some of the features that I hope to eventually include with each product entry:

Contact Addresses for the authors, in case you want to ask them a question, share your experiences in running adventures they have written, or just express your appreciation for their work. FAQs provided by authors will also be included.

Content Summaries, especially useful as a quick reference for GMs who need to know what the adventures in a given module are about.

Published Reviews have been collected to give you a sense of how a product was received when it was first published.

Errata/Addenda lists to help rectify mistakes, resolve confusing details and provide additional information on topics covered in the module.

NOTE: The Feedback Forum feature is NOT yet active.

This is not the only MERP bibliography on the Internet. Another excellent resource (especially for finding out the current average auction value of a MERP product on E-Bay) is Mike Chapman's MERP Product Catalogue.

Click here for a listing of companies outside the US who have issued translations of the MERP series in other languages.

AN OVERVIEW OF MERP AND RELATED PRODUCTS

In 1993, after having released more than seventy products, ICE undertook a reorganization and revision of the MERP series. This is usually referred to as "2nd edition MERP." The arrangement of this bibliography reflects that distinction. Here, then, are the product categories represented by each phase of the series. To view all of the publications in a given category, just click on the title of that category.

1st EDITION MERP

Rules and Game Aids

Campaign Modules "The Middle-earth Campaign Modules give a sweeping overview of large regions and come complete with campaign notes and color maps."

Adventure Modules "The Middle-earth Adventure Modules provide a setting in one locality and a variety of specific ready-to-run adventures based on that area."

Ready-to-Run Adventure Modules "The Middle-earth Ready-to-Run series is designed for Gamemasters who want adventures that can be set up in a few minutes and played in a few hours. These adventures require little or no preparation."

Fortresses of Middle-earth "The Fortresses of Middle-earth series is intended to provide Gamemasters with extremely detailed overviews of individual towers, castles, citadels, and other fortifications of particular note. Each module in the line documents the history, design, layout, and garrison associated with the given site. A list of suggested adventure themes follows the text. Painstakingly elaborate maps, floorplans, and perspectives highlight each product."

Cities of Middle-earth "The Cities of Middle-earth series presents Gamemasters with detailed overviews of the most famous and significant cities in J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Endor. Each package documents the history, design, layout, garrison, and inhabitants of the city. Painstakingly elaborate maps, floorplans, and perspectives highlight each product."

2nd EDITION MERP

Rules

Sourcebooks

Peoples of Middle-earth "The Peoples of Middle-earth series documents specific races or groups found in Tolkien's Middle-earth. Each volume is a comprehensive compendium describing all the notable characters from one of Endor's varied races. Alphabetical listings cover the appearance, motivations, characteristics, and background of each figure, in addition to summaries and charts describing each character in a fantasy gaming context."

Realms of Middle-earth "The Realms of Middle-earth series documents specific geographical regions or political entities in Tolkien's Middle-earth. Each volume is a comprehensive compendium describing notable events, sites, and characters from a host of Endor's most storied locales, in addition to summaries and charts describing the region's inhabitants, sites and challenges in a fantasy gaming context."

Lands of Middle-earth

Citadels of Middle-earth "The Citadels of Middle-earth series presents Gamemasters with extremely detailed overviews of the most famous and significant cities, strongholds, and havens in J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Endor. Each package documents the history, design, layout, garrison, and inhabitants of the citadel. Painstakingly elaborate maps, floorplans, and perspectives highlight each product."

Adventures of Middle-earth "The Adventures of Middle-earth series is designed for Gamemasters who wish to run linked scenarios or extended campaigns set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Each module in the line presents an exciting epic, complete with specific coverage of each adventure site and the people and things encountered throughout the saga."

Atlases of Middle-earth "The Atlases of Middle-earth series is intended to serve as the glue for all the background and adventure material presented in the more focused campaign, fortress, city, and adventure modules published by ICE. Each atlas module includes a gazetteer organized to give Gamemasters and players a simple, layered, and accessible view of a major chunk of the continent of Endor. Critical basics such as area, elevation, climate, population, form of government, and mineral resources are covered—much like a proper gazetteer. A large, color map of the region is gridded to permit easy location of specific sites. Campaign maps, printed at a reduced scale so as to fit on a typical surface used for role playing, are also included. The gaps in these previously printed maps have been filled, giving complete coverage of the region. If desired, one may connect the campaign maps as shown by the diagrams printed on their reverse sides."

RELATED PRODUCT LINES BY ICE

Tolkien Quest Solo Game Books "Based on the works of the greatest fantasy writer of all time, Tolkien Quest gamebooks invite the reader into the world of brave and cruel Men, Hobbits and Elves, Orcs and Trolls, and Wizards both good and evil. The continent of Middle-earth, rich in adventure and conflict, provides the perfect background for solo adventures. Welcome to the fantasy and thrill of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth!" [NOTE: "These were quickly withdrawn due to a misunderstanding of copyright (Nancy Martsch, List of Tolkienalia 1992)." Subsequent volumes were re-titled Middle-earth Quest.]

Middle-earth Quest Game Books "Based on the works of the greatest fantasy writer of all time, Middle-earth Quest gamebooks invite the reader into the world of brave and cruel Men, Hobbits and Elves, Orcs and Trolls, and Wizards both good and evil. The continent of Middle-earth, rich in adventure and conflict, provides the perfect background for solo adventures. Welcome to the fantasy and thrill of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth!"

Lord of the Rings Adventure Game Lord of the Rings Adventure Game (LOR) is a highly simplified version of MERP for introducing first-timers to fantasy role playing. The rules are designed to be played with a mini-campaign of 6 sequential adventure scenarios. The first of these is included with the boxed rules; the next 3 exist as separate modules; the final 2 were never published.

Middle-earth Collectible Card Game ICE's Middle-earth Collectible Card Game (MECCG) was modeled upon Wizards of the Coast's Magic: the Gathering. Many of the cards and artwork in this game refer to characters, sites and artifacts from the MERP series.

The Iron Wind Although it is a Rolemaster supplement, the geography of Mur Fostisyr in which this campaign is set was actually incorporated into Pete Fenlon's continent map of Middle-earth. Hence, The Iron Wind may in some sense be considered a part of the MERP canon.

RELATED PRODUCT LINES BY COMPANIES OTHER THAN ICE

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings Middle-Earth Metal Miniatures "Suitable for use with MIDDLE-EARTH ROLE PLAYING (MERP) and the Middle-earth Adventure and Campaign Modules designed and produced by Iron Crown Enterprises, Inc."

Mithril Miniatures "Mithril was founded in 1987 and has been dedicated since then to the creation of miniature figures, inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth as portrayed in his famous works "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings"."