Topic: RMC and old suppliments

[Ranger]

  I have a question and I apoplogize if this has been discussed already. I had RM2 years ago unfortunately I lost most of the game in a move. Seeing that RM2 and RMC were available I look around and found several suppliments I still have. The question is, is RMC actually RM2 redressed and will suppliments like the Spell users companion, arms companion and the other suppliments be usable without revision?  A second question is do the powers that be intend to reprint the old companions or are some of the details already included in the currently released products?
  I am likely going to purchase RMC but would like to know the above answers, if possible.  Thanks

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

The question is, is RMC actually RM2 redressed and will suppliments like the Spell users companion, arms companion and the other suppliments be usable without revision? 

For the most part, yes. There have been a few changes in RMC, the two largest being the replacement of the tactical system from Arms Law, and the reworking of the spell types (utility, informational, elemental, etc.) from Spell Law.

However, you should be extremely careful when using any material from any of the old RM2 supplements. The vast majority of the material was never checked for play balance and is often very different from the balance of the core books. RoCoI is likely the only one of the supplements that I would consider using a majority of material from (and not of that either).

A second question is do the powers that be intend to reprint the old companions or are some of the details already included in the currently released products?

The Guild Companion is working on getting Rolemaster Companion I (RoCoI) ready to be re-released as a PDF.

ICE has no current plans or intentions on republishing any of the RoCo or other supplements for RM2. Due to ownership issues, ICE currently cannot touch any of the material in many of the old RM2 supplements.

[Ranger]

  Thanks for the fast answers. 

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

Marc Rosen and Cormac Doyle have been adding conversion notes to the original text of Rolemaster Companion I, so that when we release it as a shiny new pdf, it will be very usable with Rolemaster Classic.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Ranger]

 
  Any idea when it might be released?

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

  Any idea when it might be released?

Not yet. Cormac and Marc have to declare a final copy, I've got to check for any residual errors, Rick aka Ironmaul has to finish the new art, and then Andrew aka ictus has the layout pass.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Setorn]

However, you should be extremely careful when using any material from any of the old RM2 supplements. The vast majority of the material was never checked for play balance and is often very different from the balance of the core books.

What I am about to say might very well be considered heresy or even blasphemy.  While I believe that much of RM2 supplements are unbalancing, I also believe that balance is over rated.  Rolemaster attempts to create a sense of realism, and the real world is not balanced. 

Gross imbalance can create a game that is not fun for all to play, but minor built in imbalances can add a flavor of authenticity to the game world.  Example from another system: Ars Magica (before 5th ed.), each of the houses were not balanced.  One house had the nifty power to change into an animal and another had his rights as a mage curtailed and nothing else.  Yet, many more people played the later house over the former.  Why?  For a challenge, the later house due to its political nature was more interesting to play, and easier to comprehend.  Imbalance was not an issue.
 
Look over the RM Companions and choose carefully, but consider that balance is not always the supreme goal.  Playability, simplicity, realism, authenticity, entertainment, and player/GM style all have seats at the table as well, and topics too numerous to mention too.  What the Companions of the past offered were options, menus of types and styles of play.  Yamahoper and I often disagree in style but we play the same game that is one of Rolemaster’s strengths, more so than other games systems.  (Stepping down from soap box)….. 

[Ranger]

  Years ago when I played and ran RM2, basically we would take a look at the Companions and accepts some things and ignore most others. ie the advanced stat table was popular, and some of the spell lists were allowed as the characters got to be prettty high level, we took characters from 4th level to the mid to high 20's over the course of a year or so. The companions offered some good ideas but were certainly a pick and choose proposition.

[Maldroth]

Hello first post to the boards, I rediscovered Rolemaster with the Classic version and I'm really excited to pick up an old favorite redone.

Glad to see some of the Companion material is being redone. I think the earliest stuff was the most used among our old group. The Nightblade, Paladin, Warrior Mage, and Druid come to mind as "must have" professions for our group that were added. I do hope at least the professions are brought into RMC.

I'm going to try and get my new group to try Rolemaster, the new version is much easier to read and understand so easier for me to try and run. Look forward to see at least the Paladin make its way in as it would be a possible profession my group would take.

So were there alot of changes made to professions in Classic? I have my RM2 stuff packed away so can't check. What would it take to move some of those earlier professions and their spell lists to RMC? I'm thinking really the first two Companions contain the few new professions that would be appealing to my group.

[Ranger]

    
  I've been checking more old boxes and I found some suppliments that I had forgotten all about.
Oriental Companion, RM companion IV and V, Arms Companion, Spell Companion, Elemental Companion, all for RM2.  Heck I even have the hard to find Essence companion for RMSS. I also have a bunch of the old Shadow world suppliments from I guess the first edition of that game.  I guess I'll have to get RMC so I can use all that crunchy madness again.

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

Hello first post to the boards, I rediscovered Rolemaster with the Classic version and I'm really excited to pick up an old favorite redone.

Welcome to the forums.

Glad to see some of the Companion material is being redone. I think the earliest stuff was the most used among our old group. The Nightblade, Paladin, Warrior Mage, and Druid come to mind as "must have" professions for our group that were added. I do hope at least the professions are brought into RMC.

Please note that The Guild Companion is the one rereleasing Rolemaster Companion I, not ICE.

I'm going to try and get my new group to try Rolemaster, the new version is much easier to read and understand so easier for me to try and run. Look forward to see at least the Paladin make its way in as it would be a possible profession my group would take.

You might want to take a look at Rolemaster Express (RMX) then. It is a complete Rolemaster game, with a few options implemented to streamline and speed play all packed into 88 pages (including a 5 page adventure and a page detailing the differences between RMX and RMC). Unfortunately, RM has a bit of a reputation for being a bit overcomplicated, so Rolemaster Express might be the better way to introduce them.

So were there alot of changes made to professions in Classic? I have my RM2 stuff packed away so can't check. What would it take to move some of those earlier professions and their spell lists to RMC? I'm thinking really the first two Companions contain the few new professions that would be appealing to my group.

To the professions? No changes were made to the professions. The two largest changes are to the combat tactical system and to the spell types (Force, Utility, etc..).

[Maldroth]

Welcome to the forums.

Thanks looks like a nice community of folks I've been poking around for a bit but finally decided to post.

Please note that The Guild Companion is the one rereleasing Rolemaster Companion I, not ICE.

Yeah I noticed that. Looks like the same care is being taken I don't mind in the least I'm more interested in the material. I see also they produce adventures in their magazine.

You might want to take a look at Rolemaster Express (RMX) then. It is a complete Rolemaster game, with a few options implemented to streamline and speed play all packed into 88 pages (including a 5 page adventure and a page detailing the differences between RMX and RMC). Unfortunately, RM has a bit of a reputation for being a bit overcomplicated, so Rolemaster Express might be the better way to introduce them.

I thought about that but my players are really into making their "own" character and if I present them with less options of profession it will be harder to keep their interest beyond one session. Hardest part of understanding RM for me was the older books seemed harder to read. RMC flows much better so I think I can manage. Character creation is the only part that will seem to drag if I try it all at once, so going to split it out I think.

To the professions? No changes were made to the professions. The two largest changes are to the combat tactical system and to the spell types (Force, Utility, etc..).

So really then the biggest changes would likely be to look at the spell lists. I'm only looking at the professions I listed since they are likelys to be used by the group. Many of them got their start on 3.5 and I want to show them the fun of Rolemaster and the crit tables. Creatures and Tables coming out will also be a big help to populate some foes for them.

[shnar]

The companions that saw the most use in our games was RMCI, RMCII and RMCIV. From the first, the background options and the smooth stat bonuses were by far the most used section. We never used Arcane magic, and I really detest semi-spell-user for professions that are perfectly legit non spell users (i.e. nightblade, why is a thief casting magic?).

RMCII was a must have because of the comprehensive skill list. That though was probably where most players felt that RM was too complicated, but our group loved all the skills that we could develop in.

RMCIV was used for A) the point-based background options and B) the smooth spell list advancement (which made it into RMC, nice), and C) the one-roll-spell option.

The other companions were always fun to read, but we almost never used them. *Occassionally* we'd find a useful profession, but we were non-spell-user intensive and most of the companions provided spell-user professions which never fit into our campaign. I liked the bounty-hunter (non-spell-user ranger) and I think we created an assassin once, but the rest we never used. I did like the create-your-own-profession rules from the ArmsCompanion, but by the time I got that suppliment, our gaming days were fizziling out.

So, I'd *love* to see extra suppliments for RMC, if anything to pad out my collection. They were always fun to buy and just read, even if they were never used. As Ranger said, all the Companions were optional, and we simply took what made sense for our campaign. BUT having the option *available* helped us come up with good ideas for later campaigns.

-shnar