Playing Middle Earth characters in Frog.

[ShadowTechnology]

For the past five years or so, Frogcomposband is the only variant I play on a regular basis. What I like best is the almost endless variety of character classes and races, and the ability to play monsters. I also like the chaotic combination of mythical beings and artifacts from many mythologies, legends, and fantasy worlds. I sometimes enjoy turning on all four pantheons and generating random characters, and use all available items to try to win the game.
But I'm also a big Tolkien fan, and that' s what drove me to try Moria and Angband in the first place, 25 years ago. It's easy enough to start a hero or villain from Middle Earth (Dunedain ranger, hobbit burgler, high elf warrior, etc), but by the end of the game their kit is a weird mosaic of items from all over, with only a hint of Middle Earth.
So I've started a series of new characters (see the "Arda" series in the ladder) to emulate creatures native to Middle Earth and Valinor. I've turned off the Greek, Egyptian, and Hindu Pantheons (leaving only Norse) and am actively rejecting ego items and artifacts linked by name to non-Tolkien legendaria, or items that are inconsistent with Middle Earth (mostly Japanese weapons and armor). Rejected items are ignored or sold for gold. I'm also planning to visit dungeons with a Tolkien connection and avoid those with an obvious connections to another legendarium (Labyrinth, Camelot, R'lyeh).
So have a look and tell me what you think. More in the series to come, and eventually I will circle back and play these beyond CL30.

[Gwarl]

Composband has a dungeon called 'painted castle' which contains all the anime and videogame monsters and uniques that you can avoid if you don't want to meet them. It doesn't have a pantheon system though, or Egyptian or Hindu gods in the first place.

[budswell]

If you haven't already you might be interested in checking out ToME2.
http://angband.oook.cz/variants.php?variant=tome
It is completely middle earth, including picking valar to worship etc.

No official updates in ages, but AnonymousHero (who I think is a user here too) built a couple of versions after 2.3.5. Used to have its own forums, but think they're gone now.

[ShadowTechnology]

Thanks budswell. I've always wanted to try ToME but never got around to it. BTW, when I tried to connect to the website just now I got a warning that it was infected with a virus and bailed out.

[Pete Mack]

ToME2 is not either "pure Middle Earth."
Sil is very much Middle Earth. And more difficult.