Topic: Classic Rolemaster casting without prep

[squint23]

I know that you need to prep spells (not instant) before you can cast. I also know that I saw a chart someplace online that showed the minuses for over casting (higher than the character level) AND minuses for casting without prep. I've looked through Character Law #1300 and my Spell Law #1200 and no where can I find any penalties for casting without prep. It's been years since I've last played but I thought you could (as an example) "snap fire" a Class III spell, as long as you made an ESF roll.

NOTE: I DO have the information for overcasting but I am unable to find the penalties for casting without prep.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

I don't know about RMC but, AFAIK, RM2's RAW don't allow casting spells without preparation so, if one goes against the RAW, when it comes to spells, ESF rules apply. Then, as stated in the ESF chapter, one round less of preparation is a +25 ESF modification whilst two rounds less is a +50 ESF modification.
That being said, the rarely used RoCo. VI offers the optional rule, in order to cast spell faster, to base spells' classes on the level a caster knows the list (rather than his own level) and to increase said level for a given casting by the number of additional PPs spent.
E.g. Level 8 character knowing spell list at level 10:
--> RAW: spells of level 2 or less are class I (8 - 6),
--> RoCo. VI option: spells of level 4 or less are class I (10 - 6),
--> RoCo. VI option 2: if 8 PPs are spent on a level 6 spell (6 PPs + 2 to speed it up), it becomes a class I spell (class I spell's level of 4 + 2 PPs expended to speed it up = 6, the level of the spell).

[Hurin]

For Spell Law (1200), see section 12, 'Additional Optional Rules', subsection 12.2, 'Extraordinary Spell Failure', p. 22. There are notes there for the point Olf made about a +25 modifier to the ESF roll if casting a spell with one less round of prep than required, and +50 for two less rounds. So that's the rules you use for casting without full prep. Note that there are also further penalties to the ESF roll depending on how much higher the spell is above casters (there's a chart for that too on the same page).

Technically, it is an optional rule.

[squint23]

Thanks for the help guys. REALLY appreciate it!