Topic: About RM game line...

[dutch206]

We reduce bookkeeping by not using exhaustion points at all.

The only time I use exhaustion points is to figure out how many rounds someone can move at the "Fast Sprint" movement rate.

[Kristen Mork]

I will, thanks. I would have submitted mine, but it ended up weighing 15 pages and would rather fit in a rulebook :p

Fifteen pages is not a problem for TGC.

[bpowell]

I also use Exhaustion Point s a guideline to see how long someone can perform an action (running, swimming, etc).  I track them and let the player know with hints.."Bob is hardly winded."  "Bob is feeling the strain."  "Bob is puffing like an old style locomotive", etc

This move the game along and prevents my players from feeling like accountants.

[Marc R]

15 pages isn't so crazy, Ecthelion's house rule doc is pretty big too.

[Fenrhyl Wulfson]

15 pages isn't so crazy, Ecthelion's house rule doc is pretty big too.

Actually, I was asked some times ago to write a draft for a rpg. The project went down, Iceland economy style, so I am now the owner of an uncomplete 70 pages rulebook draft written in French that is slowing turning into a houserule book.
The point being that I must translate it for publication in the GC.

[ironmaul]

Why not approach Nicholas and pitch it as a saleable product? Least there'll be some form of remuneration in all the hard work.

[Fenrhyl Wulfson]

Why not approach Nicholas and pitch it as a saleable product? Least there'll be some form of remuneration in all the hard work.

Harp, RMC and RMFRP seem far enough for GCP (actually, most of us would agree that’s too much already), don’t you believe? I’ll just adapt it to RM and decide what to do with it when it’s done (understand: when my PhD will be a success, in 3 years or so).

[ironmaul]

Agreed, having 3 alternate systems to market is a headache I would not want...but what's done is done.

[JimiSue]

To move this topic along, and coming back to the original request on what would be good to change... Reminded by the thread about character generation, I would like to see a reduction in the skill list. Note that here I'm speaking with the older version of the game (the one with all the companions) so it may have been addressed in newer versions - if so I apologise But the skill list is absolutely massive and very intimidating to a new player. I look at some other games (e.g. Pathfinder, which took an already slim skill list and slimmed it even further) and then back at Rolemaster , where the (not very long) skill listings take up dozens of pages, and wonder if there could be a better way.

Recently I created an Excel spreadsheet to assist in character management, on which I had to list down all the skills, and it came to over 500 lines - and I didn't include all of the sub skills either, although that does include individual weapons. I reckon you could chop half of the skills and see no detriment in realism, probably more.

[Fenrhyl Wulfson]

Agreed. There are many redundant skills in RMSS/FRP too.

Exemple : you have a skill for picking locks, a skull for setting and removing traps, a skill for mechanition… But all of these are mechanisms. So, just put a skill representing the dexterity, and use over skills to limit its application.

Picking locks? dexterity capped by lock lore (+mod from lock lore roll).
Removing traps? dexterity capped by trap lore.
Trap building? roll for design, roll for crafting with skill modified by mod from design roll
Picking pockets? dexterity capped by stealth.

Just ideas.

[giulio.trimarco]

I think that "skill as cap" are perceived by players as wasted points.

I could do much more... aside from that stupid cap...

Skill reduction is the way, expecially in RMSS/RMFRP.

[intothatdarkness]

So don't use Secondary Skills. Problem solved...

I never used ALL the skills introduced in the various Companions, and the proliferation of skills in RMSS was one reason I never switched to it. Rather, I went through and selected the skills that were needed for the cultures in my world and avoided the rest. In all seriousness, even the basic Secondary Skills were considered optional, and those introduced in the Companions doubly so. RM is, at the end of it, only as hard as WE make it, IMO.

[pastaav]

Exemple : you have a skill for picking locks, a skull for setting and removing traps, a skill for mechanition… But all of these are mechanisms. So, just put a skill representing the dexterity, and use over skills to limit its application.

Picking locks? dexterity capped by lock lore (+mod from lock lore roll).
Removing traps? dexterity capped by trap lore.
Trap building? roll for design, roll for crafting with skill modified by mod from design roll
Picking pockets? dexterity capped by stealth.

I think caps are boring. On the other hand I think streamlining the skills is the way go.

In my game I have replaced all these skills with a single skill named Gimmicry/Fine mechanics. The lore skills still exist and they give understanding about what to do. A character with only the lore skills might understand that the chest is trapped, but lack the steady hands needed to defeat the mechanism. On the other hand he could talk a character with Gimmicry/Fine mechanics through the task of disabling the trap. If a character have both skills I either resolve it as separate rolls if it is trap must not be set of or as a plus to the Gimmicry/Fine Mechanics if the character safely can tinker with mechanism until he manage to make it work.

[Witchking20k]

I had posted elsewhere that I use a system where there are only 25ish core skills.  Secondary skills only reduce the penalty for performing actions but have no skill bonus and are capped at  5 ranks (+25).  The secondary skill cannot provide a bonus only reduce the difficulty. So, a player can have a skill bonus of +63 in Gimmickry then +5 in Pick Lock, +10 in Machinery, and +15 to disarm trap. This character trying to disarm a trap (Hard -10) would reduce the difficulty to +0 then roll gimmickry +63.  To pick the lock (Hard -10) he would reduce the penalty to -5 and roll +63. 

Each rank in a secondary skill costs the combined cost of the skill (2/5 = 7).

[Michael Petrea]

Regarding RMFRP skills, I just completed a skill reduction for my game.  There are still plenty of skills but I tried to eliminate redundancy.  I consolidated skills and skill categories.  My next step is to update my excel character sheet to reflect those changes.

One day, I may post my list as house rules.  The limiting factor to that is explaining why some decisions were made. 

[VladD]

Just slap on a new forum topic to your cleaned up skill list and start explaining away!