Topic: Guild Companion December 2010 (#142)

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

Greetings from the Guild Companion:

The December 2010 issue (#142) is now available at www.guildcompanion.com

In this month's issue, a new Undead being for all editions of Rolemaster, a variant simplified skill system for RMSS/FRP, and our monthly progress report.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Athelstaine]

Interesting take on the reduced skills article. While i myself never really had an issue with the number of skills. I do admit there are some i have combined or outright got rid of. My players do at times comment on the redundancy of some of the skills. Our group used to play 2nd edtition as i am the only one who runs a RMFRP version.

[Ecthelion]

I had the impression that some people here in the forums use RM2 mainly because they did not like the vast number of skills RMSS/RMFRP offers. Such people might use the guidelines presented in the article to get around this perceived problem.

[Grinnen Baeritt]

I quite like the alternative approach to everyman and occupational skills.. though I've never really had a problem with them. One thing I do like about that particular aspect of dealing with them, is that they are an immediate benift.. much the same as the Profession Bonuses in RMSS being "lumped", instead of a gradual increase when the skills are actually purchased. Also gets around the "non-applicability" when an everyman relevent skill is recieved as part of a Training package.

[Athelstaine]

Agreed, i am going to approach my players with the idea of the EV and OCC skills presented and see how they take to it.

[Moriarty]

The simplified skill system is logical, consistent, and easy. Pretty much what I would have done.

One can only wonder if the RMSS systems fate would have been different, if a similar approach to simplifying the skill system had been taken before its publication.

One thing that would make this article even more useful is a complete list of the actual costs of each of the skills on the reduced skill list per profession, instead of only the category costs.

[Ecthelion]

One thing that would make this article even more useful is a complete list of the actual costs of each of the skills on the reduced skill list per profession, instead of only the category costs.

In RMSS/RMFRP the category costs equal the costs of the skills in a category. Therefore this is IMO not missing. Or did I misunderstand your request?

[Moriarty]

The costs are not missing, no, but there is some work left to the reader/end user in the form of figuring out which skill goes into which (obsolete) skill category to figure out the skill cost. For example, if I want to know the skill cost for swimming, I first have to either know or look up which skill category swimming belongs to. I'm sure this is not a problem for experienced RMSS players/GMs, since they have all the categories memorized..

My suggestion, or request if you will, is a table that shows all the skill costs straight up like the one in the back of RM2 Companion II.

[Ecthelion]

Ah, thanks, now I understand. In a few days I am planning to upload the PDF of the articel to my homepage. I may then add such a section.