Welcome

To the one hundred-and-fifty-fourth Briefing and fifth scheduled Briefing of 2024.

Gen Con 2024

I mentioned last time that all the tables at Dragonmeet 2024 had sold out within a week. The exhibit hall map for Gen Con 2024 has been released and that is on a whole different level of scale. Dragonmeet maps show specific tables, Gen Con show booths and sets of booths. ICE is on the map key and our booth number is #2904. It is an impressively long list of exhibitors.

As with Dragonmeet, contact Colin if you are intending on running Rolemaster or HARP (or Spacemaster or any other ICE games for that matter). We would really like to publicise your games.

Rolemaster

I will be undertaking my review pass of RMU Treasure Law with the intention of reaching a final print master. The intention isn’t to drive Nick crazy as I spiral inwards towards the perfect master but I am sure between software failing to save changes or uploading correctly, there will be at least one set of changes that Nick makes but don’t take as expected. Hence the process is one of requesting changes, changes being made, changes being checked, and so on until I cannot find any residual issues.

Software – ERA

As mentioned last time, we have switched to the zip format for ERA. The latest base version of the software has been uploaded and a new dataset for RMFRP Construct Companion has also been released.

Software – AutoHARP3

David Klecker is happy again with the new version of AutoHARP, known as AutoHARP3. The base package AutoHARP3 Fantasy is now available on DriveThru, and the Martial Law and College of Magic datasets will go live across the week as DriveThru prefers that publishers release one new product per day if possible. AutoHARP3 is being released as new products as it is substantially changed from earlier versions.

I have sent out emails via DriveThru already providing discount codes so that anyone who purchased AutoHARP Fantasy, AutoHARP Martial Law or AutoHARP College of Magics can use the code to upgrade for Free to the equivalent AutoHARP3 file. You can use these codes even before the product goes live.

If you did not set your DriveThru email preferences to receive email from ICE, please ask Colin very nicely for the codes.

HARP

I have completed my review pass of HARP Steampunk, written by the incomparable Phil Masters. (Yes, the Phil Masters who has written umpteen GURPS sourcebooks and supplements, as well as books and articles for other systems). This has been written as a supplement that can be used with either the HARP Fantasy or the HARP SF rulebook. The expectation is that most GMs would use HARP Steampunk for a steampunk setting, but there is nothing to stop GMs moving their fantasy world to the Age of Steam or incorporating more technologically backward worlds in a science-fiction universe.

HARP Steampunk uses the standard HARP character creation process but introduces a distinct set of professions for the Age of Steam and adjusts the skill set, moving some skills into different categories for a tighter fit to the milieu. Characters may be equipped with historical gear or with more over-the-top marvellous steam items and electrical marvels. Characters can call for a hansom cab in the style of Sherlock Holmes or perhaps cruise the seas in a submarine akin to Nemo’s Nautilus. Phil has created a set of subtle mystical powers in keeping with the steampunk setting, which is reinforced with a selection of spiritual adversaries. It is an excellent manuscript.
I have two areas that I wish to double-check, namely if there are any additional skills that could be added to the training packages, and whether some stat-based maneuvers might be better positioned as skill maneuvers. However, I can happily let Colin start commissioning artwork for it.

We will have much more to say about HARP Steampunk once we approach its release.

Until next time
Please stay safe and keep gaming.
Best wishes,
Nicholas

The spell specifically states "inorganic."  It could be like Terminator.  Something about living material protects it during teleportation, non-living material doesn't make it through  i.e.: Nude Arnold.  This particular evil spell doesn't affect living material.  If this spell user was in my group, I would have him learn another spell list that would disrupt organic/living material.

Organic and living are two completely different things.
The fact that people tend to mix them tends to prove my point: this is a poorly worded spell if, by "inorganic", the authors meant "non-living".

The spell specifically states "inorganic."  It could be like Terminator.  Something about living material protects it during teleportation, non-living material doesn't make it through  i.e.: Nude Arnold.  This particular evil spell doesn't affect living material.  If this spell user was in my group, I would have him learn another spell list that would disrupt organic/living material.

I agree with the reply, but it's still odd. The list is matter disruption, and I can't see why the spell should be limited to inorganic matter just because no one wants it to be used on *living* matter. It is an evil Essence list, I have trouble finding a reason why stone and metal would be OK but wood would not. It would be OK if there was a "organic matter disruption" spell somewhere else, but there isn't.

I am squarely under the impression that the authors wanted to avoid the use of such spells on living matter (because it would essentially be a 'RR or die' kind of spell, and we all know that such spells are only found in the Black Channels list :-p). But excluding wood (what about petrified wood ?), cotton and all kinds of cloth, alcohol and basically all kinds of carbon compounds (coal, sugar, oil...), just because the spell is poorly worded seems being overly pedantic to me - having the spell work on water (inorganic) but not on oil, on air (mostly inorganic) but not on methane, ammonia, carbon dioxide and others, or on ruby but not on diamond, makes absolutely no sense to me.

I would house rule it into "inanimate" matter. Or "unliving" if you want to be even less restrictive (the difference being "inanimate" doesn't work on a stone golem or an undead, but "unliving" does).

Still, it's a F spell, not a U spell. Matter gets a RR. Wood, if affected, might have a lower level than iron

This sounds like a good idea to redo a spell to be "Unliving" disruption!

I agree with the reply, but it's still odd. The list is matter disruption, and I can't see why the spell should be limited to inorganic matter just because no one wants it to be used on *living* matter. It is an evil Essence list, I have trouble finding a reason why stone and metal would be OK but wood would not. It would be OK if there was a "organic matter disruption" spell somewhere else, but there isn't.

I am squarely under the impression that the authors wanted to avoid the use of such spells on living matter (because it would essentially be a 'RR or die' kind of spell, and we all know that such spells are only found in the Black Channels list :-p). But excluding wood (what about petrified wood ?), cotton and all kinds of cloth, alcohol and basically all kinds of carbon compounds (coal, sugar, oil...), just because the spell is poorly worded seems being overly pedantic to me - having the spell work on water (inorganic) but not on oil, on air (mostly inorganic) but not on methane, ammonia, carbon dioxide and others, or on ruby but not on diamond, makes absolutely no sense to me.

I would house rule it into "inanimate" matter. Or "unliving" if you want to be even less restrictive (the difference being "inanimate" doesn't work on a stone golem or an undead, but "unliving" does).

Still, it's a F spell, not a U spell. Matter gets a RR. Wood, if affected, might have a lower level than iron