Our game system is a 'home grown' system that we have developed and used for 20 years. It is the creation of our original 2 GMs, with the considerable help of all of devoted, long-term players. Originally D & D, it started when some tried to do something not in the rules and said, "why can't I do this?" From then on, our aim was to create a system that rewarded the players for quick-thinking, intuitive and realistic decision-making, and good role-playing. I believe we have done this, but this system, like our world, is not "set in stone", it continues to grow.

• We do not use alignment, but we believe that a character's moral fiber is the sum of his actions and experiences.
• We do not randomly roll for initiative; initiative is taken. He who hesitates is lost.
• Our first goal is flow and continuity, and a quick paced game.
• Role-playing is important to us. Where a finely made sword came from, and how we earned it means just as much as it's plusses.
• All races are not created equal. A newly created human character (who has been alive 15 to 25 years) will not have equal skills to a newly created Elven character (who has been alive 100 to 500 years). The challenge comes with the different situations they face. Elven and Dwarven characters, though envied for their power skills, are minorities in a world that seems to have turned against them. Humans disbelieve them as myths, or mistrust their secretive ways, or envy their powerful artifacts. Powerful monsters, and the world's great Evils hunt them as ancient antagonists, or as trophies. Humans are common, diverse, and breed as rabbits (compared to the Elder Races), and interested in their own affairs.

Experience levels: Characters choose their race (within scenario guidelines) and class, and attain 'Levels', like in D & D. Our system uses unlimited, progressively increasing Experience Point requirements for attaining levels. That is, XP requirements for each new level are 50% to 100% higher than previous levels. Initial levels are gained quicker, sometimes merely by surviving, and watching more experienced characters in your group.

D & D's XP levels progressively increase, until they plateau in the 10th level (approximately) range. Since characters continue to grow more powerful, and larger monsters give higher XPs, it actually becomes easier for characters to attain levels afterward.

So you can grasp character growth, the highest level Non-Player Characters (NPCs) in the world are approaching 30th level. There are a handful, in the entire world, over 25th Level. NPCs over 20th level are rare, and almost all immortal; Elves, and Maiar, Demons (fallen Maiar) and Undead (like the Nazgul). A rare few Dunedain and Moredain (men of Numenorean stock) have reached 20th. None are player characters.

The highest level attained by a player character (as of this writing) is 14th. That would be Troy, the Northern Paladin {played by Carl Brooks]. He is the product of 10 real years of playing time. His story will appear on this website at a future time. There are others close behind.

For descriptive purposes I will not refer to characters real XP levels in these writings, but will refer to them as follows:

Young = 1st to 3rd level.

Experienced = 4th to 6th level.

Veteran = 7th to 9th level.

Heroic = 10th to 12th level.

Epic = 13th to 15th level.

Legendary = 16th level and up.

This section to be added later. Suffice to say for now, this is JRR's world, and we mean to do justice to the diversity of his creation.