Rolemaster?

[Andrew D. Gable]

So, I've been chatting with a guy at work who's fairly into this system. I've also been checking out some of the rulebooks. Looks and sounds fairly interesting, like something I wouldn't mind giving a shot. However, it looks horribly complicated. Is it, or are those mostly optional rules I don't have to use?

On another note, which version is best or are they all fairly similar?

 

[Khairn]

The actual mechanics of each RM edition are very similar and simple. There is some variation, but generally it works as follows. A bonus for an applicable stat(s), along with a characters expertise with a skill, weapon or magic, is added to a D100 roll, minus any negative modifier for circumstances, defenses etc. The result is cross indexed on a chart and that's it. There are times when a 2nd D100 roll is required to determine the results of a critical hit, a fumble or some other circumstance.

Many gamers are put off by the "optional" complexity, the adding of numbers that may go over 100, and the necessity to reference a chart. But after years of playing and GMing it, I found a combat round to take no longer than in D&D, assuming that both the GM and players are familiar with the rules and their character.

Character creation and advancing class levels is a lengthy process, but I've found the finished results to be very rewarding and worth the effort. Combat can be quite deadly if the player doesn't learn to parry, and most GM's have some kind of house rule that helps the player to avoid dying on an unlucky strike from an enemy.

As for the various editions ...
- HARP is often referred to as Rolemaster-Lite
- Rolemaster Classic is a re-printed and edited version of RM 2nd edition which offers fewer options than the Rolmaster Standard System or Fantasy Roleplay (RMSS - RMFRP) which have oodles and oodles of options, traits and classes.

I love playing and GM'ing RM, but readily admit that its not for those looking for a simple, stream-lined and basic game.

I hope that helps.

 

[Inez Hull]

It looks horribly complicated but is actualy quite a simple system in play (character creation however takes a bit of getting around, but is due to the fact that everything is skill based and allows a huge amount of detail). The basic system is roll d100 add to skill and compare to a chart. A lot of the levels of complexity are optional, particularly in the older version Rolemaster 2 (now resold under the name Rolemaster Classic - which also comes in a lite version called Rolemaster Express). There is also a version called Rolemaster Standard System (or Rolemaster Fantasy Role Playing - 99% same rules just repackaged) which is essentially a specific group of optional rules from Rolemaster 2 made core. As a new entrant I'd recommend RM2 / Classic.

Strengths:

Highly detailed characters
Any character can potentially learn any skill (at a price)
Gritty Combats (with evocative critical descriptions)

Weaknesses:

The level of detail is not for some (in the RMFRP rules there were well over 200 skills)
Combat is deadly if you approach it with a kick in the door mentality (although it can still be played that way)
Does not do epic fantasy like D&D - is better suited to low/medium magic

Check out the Iron Crown boards if you want to know more

 

[Somebloke]

I've played with mixed results.

The first time I played was with a DM who hadn't run the system in a while and wanted to attach all the whistles and bells to run it. A single attack took 2 hours (!) to resolve.

The second time was with a DM who clearly knew what to do, with a lite rule version. The game was extremely interesting- he was using the Midnight campaign setting as a basis, and the knowledge that we would most likely be killed by a single orc forced us to use hit and run tactics and think outside the box (especially for my character, a mage with no real offensive spells). Ultimately, a single poorly thought out decision resulted in a TPK. Fun, and definately more cerebral than d20.

 

[TheNovaLord]

have recently started running this to 6 players, only 1 of whom had played it before.....been going for 6 sessions, next one is tommorrow

everyone seems ok with the system after the first 2 or 3 sessions.

It can do grim/gritty...the group are basicaly a thieves guild...to epic , LOTR type stuff as the levels go on forever

the companion books, which everyone has been buying up like crazy on ebay, tend to add new options, not new rules

it means that you can end up with 7 or 8 ways to run 'initiative', which is good because you can settle for complex or simple

So far we have found combat pretty fast.....like most rpg's if the characters know what there action is gonna be and dont um and arr. It can be fairly lethal and combats tend not to last too long because of the wounds you end up taking/giving

I find GMing it fairly easy as they are less 'effects' to keep track off, though as there are so many ways to earn XP that can be a slight pain.

Party are now 4th, and levelling every 8-9 hours.....im sure im being too generous xp wise,

The best thing thus far has been everyones lack of familiarity so every danger seems new to the players having played for the most part, 3.5 for about the last 6 years

I havent been doing temp/potential stats as ive never liked them in the 24 years or so of playing RM

good luck.
keep us informed.

DULL GAMER ANECDOTE. WARNING. Last session the burglar rolled 100 three times in a row for a stalk/hide maneuver ending up being 460 or so in total. As it gave everyone else +30 to all rolls for 4 rounds they utterly butchered the folks they were ambushing.
On the other hand they meet a solitary mage later and with a wand of sleep VII 3/day he nearly finished off the party.
It can be difficult to judge how...erm...difficult an encounter may be.

 

[Khairn]

DULL GAMER ANECDOTE. WARNING. Last session the burglar rolled 100 three times in a row for a stalk/hide maneuver ending up being 460 or so in total. As it gave everyone else +30 to all rolls for 4 rounds they utterly butchered the folks they were ambushing.
On the other hand they meet a solitary mage later and with a wand of sleep VII 3/day he nearly finished off the party.
It can be difficult to judge how...erm...difficult an encounter may be.

Excellent point.

Because of the potentially devastating effects of even a single attack, running an encounter "as written" without modifying on the fly to adjust for the impact of dice rolls can end in a TPK.

I once ran a RM game in Harn. The party was sneaking towards a harbor where they were planning on crippling a pirate ship to prevent it leaving on the early tide. The players failed a Stalk attempt so on the fly I created an old woman with a frying pan and an old toothless dog who heard the party's attempt to sneak across their yard. The old lady charged the theif and swung her frying pan. Open ended die rolls twice, and a high crit roll resulted in the rogue being knocked out. The fighter fumbled his attack and on the next round the old lady repeated her performance and knocked the fighter down. A sleep spell eventually put her down, and the party left a bag of gold at her side to show their respect for her deadly culinary skill.

 

[Bishop Odo]

Rolemaster is a great system. If you have a group that thinks the DM should do it all, it can be a lot for the DM to do and the combat system can be slow. With a good group, that’s into the game more than talking about the weather and goofing around, combat can be relatively fast with a division of labor , looking up the damage tables, and organization.

 

[jdrakeh]

Rolemaster is a great system. If you have a group that thinks the DM should do it all, it can be a lot for the DM to do and the combat system can be slow. With a good group, that’s into the game more than talking about the weather and goofing around, combat can be relatively fast with a division of labor , looking up the damage tables, and organization.

Emphasis mine. I much prefer Rolemaster to D&D for several reasons that I won't go into here, but the organization of the Standard Rules in RMSS sucks. The case numbering is part of it, but the rules themselves are all over the place.

If you decide to go with RMSS, I highly recommend purchasing a PDF copy of the Standard Rules, as you can print out the appendices (many of which contain actual core rules or portions thereof) for easy reference. Otherwise you'll be stuck flipping from the front half of the book to the back half every few paragraphs.

Arms Law and Spell Law are much better organized.

 

[TheNovaLord]

think one of the problems of getting into it now would be which edition?

i grew up playing what i think is second edition (1980's versions) that work with companion 1 to 6, so thats what we have been buying up on ebay.

even with a group new to it there is little flicking through books during play. they mostly made 5th level on tuesday, and for the first time a PC suffered a bad crit ( 66 on an A Krush!). Having to sell loads of their booty to pay for herbs and healing!

 

[The Green Adam]

The game for people who love Charts!

My friends and I tend to refer to this game, especially the first edition, as ChartMaster or RuleMaster.

Snarkiness aside, it's a game that is not as much complicated as cumbersome. It tends not to run fast and smooth if many characters (PCs and NPCs together) are doing many different things. With each weapon having its own chart and much of the combat requiring numerous modifiers and/or cross referencing, it feels quite clunky and not my style at all.

At the same time, it is a very detailed system and it does have quite a bit of background material is you have the need for such. I would recommend Middle Earth Role Playing (MERP), a sort of 'RoleMaster-lite', as an alternative. Magic is a bit down played in that game (in order to reflect Tolkien a bit better) but its a much easier system to run and play.

AD
Barking Alien