#RPGaDAY2023 Day 8: “Favourite CHARACTER”

Goriel Swiftfoot, obviously.

Guess I’d better explain that: Goriel Swiftfoot is my most memorable and favourite character because he slew the Balrog of Moria with a shortsword. He leapt 60 feet into the air and decapitated the fell beast with one stroke. Yeah…

We were probably not playing Rolemaster properly at that point but it has never mattered to me because it was the single most fun I have had at the table as a player in 40 or more years of gaming.

We were playing in a 24-hour charity roleplaying session and the expedition was into Moria. This was the classic Iron Crown Middle-earth Moria supplement and it was a glorious romp through those dark halls. The session had everything I love: deep exploration, brutal combat, and a delicious set-piece at the end.

By any objective measure we screwed up the final combat. There is no way that Goriel (being a Hobbit) could leap 60 feet into the air but… well, the GM ruled that my E-critical which described decapitating the beast was enough to have that be the outcome. I loved that moment and have never forgotten it.

Perhaps there’s something to learn in that story. Maybe, just maybe, I’ve been taking these games too seriously ever since. I might have more fun if I loosened up and stopped worrying about “doing it right”. Let Goriel be my guide?

Game on!