Author Topic: Where can a noob learn how to play Rolemaster!?  (Read 2726 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline RiTz21

  • Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 1
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Where can a noob learn how to play Rolemaster!?
« on: November 21, 2015, 10:42:48 PM »
Folks,

I will be joining a new group of players who are playing Rolemaster (4th edition) - I'm a complete noob to Rolemaster (Much of my experience is with Pathfinder/D&D3.5)

Is there a video that can teach me about the rules of Rolemaster and how the system works?

I don't have the books at this time, and the DM asked me to create a character with the RMOffice tool, in the middle earth setting...

Help!!
RiTz21

Offline markc

  • Elder Loremaster
  • ****
  • Posts: 10,697
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Where can a noob learn how to play Rolemaster!?
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2015, 12:28:14 AM »
The version of RM are RM1, RM2, RMSS, RMFRP, RMC and RMU (which is in beta testing at the moment). Finding out what version from those is IMHO the first step.


MDC
Bacon Law: A book so good all PC's need to be recreated.
Rule #0: A GM has the right to change any rule in a book to fit their game.
Role Play not Roll Play.
Use a System to tell the story do not let the system play you.

Offline markc

  • Elder Loremaster
  • ****
  • Posts: 10,697
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Where can a noob learn how to play Rolemaster!?
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2015, 12:43:45 AM »
I think the RMOffice Tool is either RMFRP or RMSS as both are very close to one another.


MDC
Bacon Law: A book so good all PC's need to be recreated.
Rule #0: A GM has the right to change any rule in a book to fit their game.
Role Play not Roll Play.
Use a System to tell the story do not let the system play you.

Offline jdale

  • RMU Dev Team
  • ****
  • Posts: 7,118
  • OIC Points +25/-25
Re: Where can a noob learn how to play Rolemaster!?
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2015, 12:23:42 PM »
RMFRP and RMSS are so similar it's not worrying about the differences.

I don't know of a tutorial. It's difficult to point you at a rule summary without the rules. But that said, I think stylistically there are a few big differences between RM and Pathfinder that may be worth pointing out.

1) Everyone can learn everything. Instead of getting fixed benefits at each level with only a few choices, you get a certain number of Development Points to purchase all your skills. That includes things that Pathfinder might treat as skills, like Lore, but also things that Pathfinder would treat as class features (e.g. your skill at fighting, your hit points, even things that might be feats). The skills that are closely related to your profession (=class) are cheap, and the ones far from your class are expensive.

2) You can start developing new skills later on, but you never change profession.

3) Skills are organized into Categories. In most cases you can develop both the skill and the category. Getting the category gives you a smaller benefit to every skill in the category, getting the skill gives you a bigger benefit to that specific skill. If the skill is important, get both. Note that if you have 0 ranks in a skill, that will incur a penalty even if you are great in the category, so sometimes just putting one rank in several skills is a good idea.

4) Spells are powered by Power Points. There are no memorization slots, no X spells of a given level per day. The power point cost of a spell is the spell's level, so e.g. a 1st level spell costs 1, and a 10th level spell costs 10. Spells go all the way up to 50th level.

5) The level of spells you can cast is the number of ranks you have in the spell list -- you buy the list just like a skill. If you purchased 4 ranks in the spell list, you can cast spells up to 4th level on that list. However, your character level also matters. You might have 4 ranks, but if you are only 2nd level, casting the 3rd and 4th level spells is hard - we call it "overcasting". They are more prone to failure and it's a very good idea to take extra time casting them.

6) In combat, you roll your attack and add your weapon skill (your offensive bonus or OB) and subtract the defender's defensive bonus (DB) to figure out the result. It may miss, it may do a certain amount of damage, or it may do damage and a critical. A hit without a critical is really just a weak or glancing blow, any solid hit will deal some kind of critical, and a better hit will do a more severe critical. But any time a critical is involved, you could die. Could be due to having your head crushed in, but you might be dealt a wound that bleeds profusely, be stunned and unable to fight back, have limbs broken, etc. Combat is much more dangerous than Pathfinder. One thing you can do to protect yourself is to use part of your OB as defense; this is called Parrying. E.g. if you have a +100 OB, you could decide to use only +60 in your attack and the other +40 in defense -- but you can only do this against the person you are attacking.

When making a character, start with your race, profession, and stats. Before you start buying skills, look at the Training Packages - these are nice packages of skill, discounted, which usually say something about what your character has been doing with his life. That gives you a head start on skills and also helps reinforce a character history. After that, spend the rest of your development points on skills. Combatants should be sure to purchase as many ranks in their chosen weapon skill (and its corresponding category) as possible, and likewise for Body Development (that's your hit points). If you wear armor, you'll also need the maneuvering in armor skill (otherwise you will have penalties based on the hindrances of your armor). Perception is a good idea too. Spellcasters will need Power Point Development and their spell lists, and Directed Spells if they expect to be throwing around elemental bolts (mostly applies to the Magician profession).

System and Line Editor for Rolemaster

Offline Cory Magel

  • Loremaster
  • ****
  • Posts: 5,629
  • OIC Points +5/-5
  • Fun > Balance > Realism
Re: Where can a noob learn how to play Rolemaster!?
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2015, 01:35:29 PM »
I will be joining a new group of players who are playing Rolemaster (4th edition) - I'm a complete noob to Rolemaster (Much of my experience is with Pathfinder/D&D3.5)
I'm guessing that's RMFRP, but as others have said, it's really interchangeable with RMSS.

Quote
I don't have the books at this time, and the DM asked me to create a character with the RMOffice tool, in the middle earth setting...
jdale gives a good amount of info, but in my opinion your GM (or someone from the group) needs to sit down with you to do this.  Expecting someone who does not know a system and does not own any of the books is flat out unrealistic, regardless of the system.
- Cory Magel

Game design priority: Fun > Balance > Realism (greater than > less than).
(Channeling Companion, RMQ 1 & 2, and various Guild Companion articles author).

"The only thing I know about adults is that they are obsolete children." - Dr Seuss

Offline HawksNut

  • Adept
  • **
  • Posts: 340
  • OIC Points +0/-0
  • Go Hawks!!
Re: Where can a noob learn how to play Rolemaster!?
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2015, 09:19:12 AM »
One more thing. Once you have the standard rule book, to understand the mechanics of the game you only need to read the pages from 73 to 105. This will give you the mechanics. Character creation is earlier in the book.

Offline Tamans

  • Neophyte
  • *
  • Posts: 24
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Where can a noob learn how to play Rolemaster!?
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2015, 04:25:49 PM »
These tools I found are very useful to learn how to build your character:

http://www.timgrant.net/rm/rolemaster.htm

http://roleplayingdb.internethill.com/rmSkillsDB.aspx