Official ICE Forums
Systems & Settings => Rolemaster => RMC/RM2 => Topic started by: Eirvit on February 16, 2018, 06:31:09 PM
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The Encounter Chart is something I never quite understood when I was 12. And I continue to have trouble with it today. Just to make sure I’m not misunderstood, I’ll explain what I believe I “understand” versus what is giving me trouble.
What I understand. The players make an open-ended roll. The GM makes and open-ended roll. The difference (after various modifiers, if applicable) is applied to the Encounter Chart. If the value is negative, there is no encounter.
What I don’t understand. Under each population type in the Encounter Chart are two columns (in “Dense,” for example, ranging from s/- to t/t). How does one interpret these? Is the column on the left supposed to signify the PC party, that on the right the “encounter”? Or vice versa? But, either way, how is one supposed to interpret a result of “h/h” (hostile group/hostile group) or “t/t” (trap, ambush, or surprise attack...)?
I would appreciate any clarification. I am impressed with the range of encounter qualities that are possible (and even that, on average, encounters are unlikely). I just don’t know how to read the results.
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If I remember right, the code before the slash is for animal populations while the code after the slash is for civilized populations (i.e. humans, elfs, dwarfs, orcs, &c…). So in your first example the first "h" would be a hostile animal & the second "h" would be hostile population. It would be up to the GM to decide if the encouter is with animals or civilized populations - depending on the circumstances. Or you could find a creative way to combine both. Perhaps in this example, your PCs could encounter Orcs riding Wargs (hostile animals & population).
Hope this helps.
Nightblade ->--
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A simpler version, but designed for Shadow Wold.
http://www.rolemasterblog.com/download/shadow-world-master-encounter-table/?wpdmdl=1624
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If I remember right, the code before the slash is for animal populations while the code after the slash is for civilized populations (i.e. humans, elfs, dwarfs, orcs, &c…). So in your first example the first "h" would be a hostile animal & the second "h" would be hostile population. It would be up to the GM to decide if the encouter is with animals or civilized populations - depending on the circumstances. Or you could find a creative way to combine both. Perhaps in this example, your PCs could encounter Orcs riding Wargs (hostile animals & population).
Hope this helps.
Nightblade ->--
Sometimes it just takes someone explaining it to you, doesn’t it! Thanks, Nightblade. I looked at the table again, and there it is, just like you said. I must have read this table over and over again, and somehow this explanation repeatedly washed off of me.
I almost was confused AGAIN by trying to understand the direction that, if a letter is in both categories, to roll “again”: low means animal, high means social being. I thought someone was supposed to roll again ON THE TABLE until I thankfully intuited that it meant just what it said out of context of the table.
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A simpler version, but designed for Shadow Wold.
http://www.rolemasterblog.com/download/shadow-world-master-encounter-table/?wpdmdl=1624
Thanks, B Hanson. Interesting.
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Glad I could help, Eirvit.
Nightblade ->--