Topic: Which optional rules do you use?

[Ginger McMurray]

Like the subject line says...

We use:

• Smoothed stats
• Faster initiative (d100 + Quickness, count down)
• Buy skills at level-up without pre-purchasing them. I like pre-purchasing, but ERA doesn't support it.
• Averaged stat bonuses for skills
• Base power points, ESF modifiers
• Shield Bash
• Similar weapons
• Lots, but not all, professions from the various companions
• Expanded martial arts (if someone plays a martial artist)
• Expanded companion I background options and the ability to pick a specific option by spending more
• Magical languages (which I'll introduce via a book at some point, not right off the bat)
• Additional base spell lists can be chosen from another class's base.

I'd like to use but won't because ERA doesn't support it:

• Half levels
• Purchasing next level's stats now
• hobbies

Things I'm thinking about using:

• Set development points to 50
• Give 25% extra DP to use for secondary skills
• Bump stats to their potentials at first level
• Don't let stats drop when rolling for stat gains

[Thot]

Setting development points to 50 makes too much sense not to do it, IMHO.

In general, I try to simplify where I can tolerate it. Reduce the number of skills whenever possible, make combat less complex, that kind of things.

[Ginger McMurray]

Setting development points to 50 makes too much sense not to do it, IMHO.

Do you also provide a pool for secondary skills or is 50 enough IYO?

In general, I try to simplify where I can tolerate it. Reduce the number of skills whenever possible, make combat less complex, that kind of things.

I'll definitely be lowering the number of skills. i.e. you don't need Sense Ambush, Detect Traps, Locate Secret Doors, Poison Perception, Surveillance, and General Perception. Just get general perception and I'll modify difficulties where appropriate.

[Thot]

Setting development points to 50 makes too much sense not to do it, IMHO.

Do you also provide a pool for secondary skills or is 50 enough IYO?

No. I have reduced the number of skills enough as to not requiring any additional points. I mean, sure, players will always complaint that they don't have enough points...

[...]
I'll definitely be lowering the number of skills. i.e. you don't need Sense Ambush, Detect Traps, Locate Secret Doors, Poison Perception, Surveillance, and General Perception. Just get general perception and I'll modify difficulties where appropriate.

I wholeheartedly agree. The amount of skills in out-of-the-box RoleMaster is perhaps an interesting exercise in detail, but for actual play, they tend to rather get in the way than add fun.

[Majyk]

Nice work detailing this as it is important to know how your RM game works.

In the history of the game for any table, no two games are run the same way, which is both kewl and sucky when one starts with the system at 15 and decodes this without the internet around so long ago!
 

The one I wish I’d used is the bump in Secondary Skills DP.
Flavour up your PC, Gamers!

[Voriig Kye]

I'd like to use but won't because ERA doesn't support it:

• Half levels
• Purchasing next level's stats now
• hobbies

• Half levels: this can be done by editing the character in the Character Sheet Module once they reach enough XP, manually increase the ranks, and then make sure when the next level up comes to finish once the remaining DP are those that would be required for the ranks chosen a mid-level. It's a little trickier if they choose one rank in a skill, and on the full level-up they choose to buy a second rank in the same skill, because ERA will charge the cost of the first rank. So you need to be careful, but it can be done.
• Purchasing next level's stats now: if you mean extra stat gain rolls, they are a feature that can be accessed by clicking on the "stat gain" button during level up.
• hobbies: this would be done by manually editing the number of ranks using the Character Sheet Module. Let me know in case it's not clear how to do it.

[Ginger McMurray]

Thanks!

Half levels seem like more annoyance than they're worth. The same with hobbies.

I should have said "skills" instead of "stats." In RM2 you allocate skill points when you gain a level. When you gain the next level you learn them. It represents determining what you're practicing. I just realized that would be incredibly easy to do. You just level the character early but don't load that one until they actually level up.

[Majyk]

While a kewl concept so gaming can continue during a session for level ups, pre-levelling doesn’t allow one to grab a skill at something wanted during adventuring of that level’s progress.

One will always be a level behind in getting that crucial skill one wants during recent play.

We used it at first but opted out due to this, soon after.

[Peter R]

I don't have a one size fits all approach. Many of the mountain of optional rules are there to help model a particular world. I have a long running campaign with very little magic in the world and the options chosen were picked or created to shape that world.
I have made spell lists harder to learn, particularly above 10th for example.

More specifically I use the condensed combat system from the Combat Companion, No professions, No levels and pruned down the skills. I use semi fixed concussion hits, and where there is no appropriate skill you can use your entire stat as a skill bonus.

[Spectre771]

TLDR:  This is your gaming world and you know your players and their gaming styles, expectations, amount of detail they like in their games.  You start with your rules and tweak them as you go so everyone has a blast and it's fair to everyone.  Every group is different, as long as everyone knows the rules and they are the same for everyone, you're good to go.




Agreed, 50 Dev Points per level is a LOT of points, especially if you aren't allowing many secondary skills.  We allow all of the skills in RM, just because they are there does not mean the player has to purchase them.  To this day, no one has EVER taken MidWifery.  One player has taken Animal Husbandry though.  If you're not allowing a lot of secondary skills, there's no need for the 25% DP for secondary skills, there simply aren't many to choose from anyway.

We've had players with as few as 24 DP per level and never had a problem with skill purchases.  The player just focused on more important skills and didn't buy very many "colorful skills."  In 30+ years of playing, DP vs. # of available skills has never been an issue.  The players simply did not buy the skills they didn't want.  As a GM, if a player buys an 'odd skill' like Architecture, I try to find a way to work that into a game so the player doesn't feel like he's wasted DP.  Ironically, the Architecture skill has come in handy several times and has helped the party break into places, break out of places, and locate secret areas.  The player was very creative and rolled really well. LOL

The easiest method for skills that we use is the Master Skills Table in RMC-II.  It is the bible of the game.  The most essential book for PC creation.  That skill list is more than enough for players, especially if they are starting out.  There are optional skills in later Companions that are really nice.  Holding Breath, Omen Lore, Weapon Casting, etc.  They are offered, but no one has to buy them.

We have an interesting game world.  We allow all of the non-magical professions from all of the Companions, however only Elemental Companion and Alchemy Companion allowed for spell users.  Long story short:  It is the Renaissance Period of our gaming world  Alchemy is the new 'science' as is Elementalism.  Magic, as it is known, has all been explained away by what passes for science.  Magic potion to heal burns?  Just Aloe.  Player frozen in place?  Slime from a very small, very brightly colored tree frog.  Player being under mind control??? Hypnosis!  Science has explained away magic and religious miracles.  (So they think)  People are enlightened now! 

Sense Ambush Assassin is an essential skill and is very different from General Perception.  It also works as the direct counter skill for Stalk/Hide.  Stalk/Hide we split up into two skill values.  The Stalking part is (SD/AG) and the Hiding part is (SD).  Sitting still while not being noticed and moving while not being noticed are two very different mechanics.  General Perception is (IN/IN/RE) and Sense Ambush is (IN/RE), the stats could yield different bonuses for players.

We don't require the "training in a skill" before leveling up.  It never made sense to us.  If a PC is fighting with a sword and using it, he will eventually improve.  He doesn't need to go to a weapon master to level up.  A spell caster should be studying his tome of spells and learning the next level spells.  As he practices casting spells, he becomes more in tune with the magicka and the nuances, and is able to cast more easily, we don't make the mage go back to the academy to learn from a master.

For maxing out levels, we do allow the lowering of stats on a stat gain roll because it happens so rarely and leveling up from level 1-5 is fairly quick.  We do automatically reach the potential value at level 5 regardless of the temporary stat and we do away with stat gain rolls at that point.

[Thot]

One other optional/house rule I use: Luck points. Every PC has 1 luck point that he or she can spend to re-roll any dice roll just made. Luck points do not regenerate, but cost 1,000 Experience Points to buy (which can be done at any time, provided there are enough free XP available).

[Spectre771]

One other optional/house rule I use: Luck points. Every PC has 1 luck point that he or she can spend to re-roll any dice roll just made. Luck points do not regenerate, but cost 1,000 Experience Points to buy (which can be done at any time, provided there are enough free XP available).

We do the same, we call them Fate Points.  They are only given at PC creation and cannot be regenerated.  Players mostly use them when they receive a killing blow.  RM characters take so lone to create and not having a mage with the ability to cast lifesaving spells and the severity of some crits, it's sort of like an extra life.  They roll a D4.  1,2,3 = 1 Fate Point, 4 = 2 Fate Points. 

They can be used for pretty much anything in the game.  If the player chooses it to re-roll a crit, the PC can still receive a death crit on the re-roll, so they have to choose their words carefully.  ex.:  I want the crit to be a missed attack, or I want the crit to happen to the bad guy, not me.  As the GM, I work up a story where the baddie is hit by his partner, or an action by another NPC causes him to fall onto his own blade, or the arrow misses the PC and ricochets back at the shooter, etc.

[Ginger McMurray]

We did something similar: you get one fate point per level. It can be used for a reroll on anything. We almost always saved them for when the PC got a deadly crit, though sometimes one would be used to reroll an E crit on a dangerous foe.