Yup an old thread……… but so tasty
Facts: There is a huge different between LOME I&II in terms of character with similar profession and level, not explainable with the mechanics of the games
Comments:
• Yes I agree that a King /leader not necessarily will have developed his martial skill to the highest level, but the same (indeed perhaps to a greater extent) is true for Elves ( they are so...... philosophic)
• Elves lives for thousand of years, but most of the Super OB Elves in LOMEI spent a huge part of their lives in Valinor, where real fight & battle experience was not existant. I can imagine (and I have done, to develop my background for weapon style in M.E) they spent time in sword play or similar exercise but I can assure that light sparring and heavy sparring change a lot of things related to your progression in combat sport (and I can imagine to a greater extent in a fight where you risk your life)
• Hurin was the greatest human warrior in Tolkien works and he have only an OB of 275. One can argue that there was a difference in skill between man and elves, but remember that Turin became the warlord of Nargothrond (commanding other elves) and Hurin slew 70 trolls of Gothmog bodyguard. I think their military skill exceed that of many elves, surpassed only by the most exalted princes of Caliquendi
• With a 275 BO both Turin and Hurin are lower than Elves of secondary importance and with a difference of (in some case) more than 200 points to elves of same level. With this difference, in terms of Rolemaster mechanics they are quite useless, if I figure some scenes of Silmarilon in which they fight side by side with elves (Turin & Beleg, Tuor in the fall of Gondolin etc..)
• Earendil (half elves) at 100 LVL got an OB of 440 with longbow.
My conclusion is that the OB of LOME II in case of high level man (>40) are not calculated and reflect an assumption that I don’t find in the Silmarilion up to this extent ( elves>>>>> man in any field; also with weapons).
In comparison OB of LOMEI are quite in agreement with RM mechanics and fit an “optimized fighter” (2rank per level, profession bonus) level for level in many case.