Rolemaster

[Votan]

Is anybody still playing it? Is there any feedback on what are good starter adventures for this system?

I remember when Iron Crown Enterprises released their middle earth stuff and really enjoyed it. Sadly, this appears to be out of print (although the ICE website has other classic items for sale).

Our local group is debating experimenting with this as an alternative to pathfinder or 4E and it's been a long, long while . . .

[and even then it was mostly MERP]

Any ideas here?

 

[jdrakeh]

I bought all of the RMSS core books last year for Christmas and played a brief game, though was forced to sell most of my RPGs shortly thereafter (including Rolemaster). During that brief game, however, I found it an enjoyable alternative to D&D 4e that offered me more choices with a similar amount of crunch.

 

[Thanee]

You really have to have a thing for tables to enjoy it.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Votan]

You really have to have a thing for tables to enjoy it.

Bye
Thanee

True. But I'm losing patience with 3.5 edition because of the number of books. I lost my 3.5 library a couple of years ago during a move and the current environment makes replacing > 20 books frustrating. You'd think that this wouldn't be a problem but it can start to matter when there is a books "arms race".

It is true that limiting books can help but nobody is every happy with any actual proposed subset.

I've strongly considered Pathfinder. But Rolemaster had some very well designed supplements (that their middle earth stuff is out of print is almost criminal) and the system is available inexpensively. The company appears committed to supporting it.

So I am not sure but I wanted to get a feeling for what others thought about Rolemaster, now that the hobby has advanced many years, and what cool thigns might have been released for it that I missed (as I solely used the Middle Earth Material).

 

[Ron]

Rolemaster is a fine game if you don't mind the overall slowness in resolving the action. Iron Crown [www.ironcrown.com] currently publishes two editions of the game: RMFRP and RMC. The former is a repackage of RMSS and I don't recommend it to anyone as the bookeeping is too intense and the character skill list grow completely out of control. The later is a repackage of RM2, with superior layout and organization and a re-write of the rules for clearness -- the rules were virtually unchanged from the second edition. Furthermore, RMC line also includes a book called Rolemaster Express (RMX), a cheap introduction to the system that might be sufficient for many players.

Regarding adventures, I've never played one from Iron Crown, but a couple of friends that actually tried said they weren't too impressive. That said, it was never difficult to adapt AD&D adventures to Rolemaster.

 

[jdrakeh]

Rolemaster is a fine game if you don't mind the overall slowness in resolving the action. Iron Crown [www.ironcrown.com] currently publishes two editions of the game: RMFRP and RMC.

The original RMSS books are also still available from ICE.

 

[Topramesk]

If you want to give it a try, Rolemaster Express (Rolemaster Classic "lite" version) includes a small pre-made adventure: Rolemaster Express PDF [6500P] - $3.75 : ICE Online Store

Not very impressing imho, but better than nothing

 

[Andor]

It's been a while since I played any Rolemaster. Yeah, charts are an issue, although they can make for very entertaining crits.

It can be fun (as almost any system can) with the right GM. I seem to recall that my character was an excellent mage, unless he tried to cast a spell from his actual class list, then he died. (3 times if I recall correctly.) Of course that may have had more to do with my dice luck than with the system, except that it's worth noting that you can roll a critical fumble and kill yourself with routine spellcasting.

 

[Somebloke]

Well it can go two ways.

If your DM does not have an instinctive knowledge of what tables to consult or (more importantly) when to stop with the complexity, it is an awful, grinding game that is frequently bogged down in life-or-death situations that require upwards of an hour (it really happened!) to resolve.

If your DM knows his stuff and (in my opinion) keeps to the more simple tables it is a good game, albeit one where you simply cannot plan ahead (one good/bad roll will utterly ruin you/give you a moment of awesome). If you want to capture the grit and chaos of real-life engagements then rolemaster is for you. And yes, I've played in a game where this happened.

 

[Filcher]

I've been on a MERP bender lately (mostly due to nostalgia for Angus McBride). The old Rolemaster rules can go fast enough with a competent GM. But man ... invisible turtles still suck.

Edit: Though has anyone read the XP rules recently? Ludicrous.