Topic: The Revised Ranger

[big_country_wi]

I must say, this is a great revision.  I gen'd up a ranger trying to base him loosely on the rangers from Middle-earth.... and it was nigh impossible.  You either have a character that was too generalized in all of his skills, including combat, magic, and mundane, but he didnt really specialize in anything.  but with the revision in EA7, thats awesome.  Ranger has always been one of the classes/professions i have loved in fantasy roleplaying games.

on another note, the culture system you released in that is outstanding.  great issue all in all.  thank you.

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

Glad that you liked the Ranger (Revised). In discussions during the main of the RMC projects, it was pointed out by several people that Rangers got the short end of the stick, even more so than the other semis.

In doing something else recently, I realized just how bad that was. Especially with other professions having better costs than he did in certain skills.

So, I whipped him up -- I didn't go hog wild to make him an uber Ranger, but I did adjust some of his more important skills.

As for the Cultures - I am glad that you liked them. RM Cyradon will contain specific Cultures, not these generic examples.

[big_country_wi]

thats awesome.  im going to be picking up HARP sometime shortly, mainly for the bloodlines aspect.  thats the one thing that really sticks out for me from that game.  and i know ill get my moneys worth as my group likes to go from system to system when we play, as well as pass the gm ball along.  it does seem like the cultures aspect though is a headsup to the merging of the two RM systems, as i know FRP has the adol skill ranks given in categories and specific skills.  now, if i read the cultures right, when you buy a culture, that comes out of your adol DP's right?  and any DP's left over after that purchase you can use how you want?

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

Yup. If using RMX and the Express Additions, a character would have 40 DP per level. So... Acquiring a Culture would cost half of one level (20 DP) and the rest of the DP could be spent as you like.

Also, the ranks gained from the Culture do NOT count against what you may purchase (i.e. if you get 2 ranks in a weapon, you can still buy 2 more ranks in that weapon....).

[dutch206]

dutch206 revises earlier decision

I guess I will be buying this issue of express additions after all. 

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

glad to hear that... 

[Antalon]

He's not the only one reviewng decisions to buy...

There seems alot of work goes into these additions.  Its a very helpful method to support the game.

John

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

There seems alot of work goes into these additions.  Its a very helpful method to support the game.

There is a lot of work that goes into them. 

[Dax]

Hmm,
the EAs were supposed to upgrade RMX to RMC.

Now it seems that the Ranger changed ... is this true ?

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

The EAs were to upgrade RMX towards RMC, AND to introduce new material. One such new item being a revised version of the Ranger -- to make him a slightly more competitive choice as a professions. The Ranger (Revised) is an option.

 

[big_country_wi]

glad i could get some people to decide to purchase some EA's

[big_country_wi]

also, the new culture system then makes it easier to create survivable 1st level characters then.

[thrud]

This crossover has me somewhat worried. It's great to have a channel for new material but the EA's main agenda started out in one way and now it seams it's changing.
At first it was addons to RMX making it more like RMC.
Now there are new stuff not seen in RMC?

When you change the professions, will you make a complete makeover with a complete skill list for RMC or just for RMX?
When you add skills will you supply a compete list of costs ro RMC or just RMX?

How are we to keep track of things?
Is this the start of a new wave of skill bloat?
Why not make a skill companion with a complete lis of skills and be done with it?

Adding races, cultures, professions and magics are all fine but introducing more skills a couple at a time is more annoying than anything else.
Seen it before and I don't want a repeat of history.

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

From your questions, it sounds like you haven't read many of the issues of EA. (numbering is to keep my thoughts straight and has no other meaning)

1) The EAs have included NEW material in almost every issue. Most of that new material has been in the form of new options, not optional core elements. Express Additions is to RMX/C what Rolemaster Quarterly and HARPer's Bazaar has been to the other systems, EA just had an additional purpose in its first couple of issues.

2) I have introduced a total of 3 skill over 7 issues. 1 of those skills was a general skill which could replace a number of specific skills that already existed (reverse bloat?  ), and the 2 skills in this issue, IMO, can cover almost any sort of social situation, which is something that I felt the current skill list is sorely missing.

3) In all three cases, the costs for these 3 skills have been given for all professions.

4) In the make-over of the Ranger, the skill costs for ALL skills were given, as it was done to be usable for both RMX and RMC.

5) At this point in time, I don't see (or foresee) the need to add any more skills, at least not in the EAs (possible exception -- if I add some capabilities redone, like psifire or the Chi Abilities from Oriental Companion redone -- that might require skills for those specific additions). We now have skills that can cover most every normal situation.

I hope that covers your concerns.

[thrud]

You are correct, I haven't really looked into the EA's that much.
The way you explain it now makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Sounds good, keep up the good work.

[Dax]

The EAs were to upgrade RMX towards RMC, AND to introduce new material.

Yes, of course : "Stupid Me"

The Adventure Rewards may be seen as another example and we do know that they will be in the upcoming Gift Companion.

Surely all new skills and professions might end up in one or the other companion.

Time to pick up another EA ...

[Antalon]

Rasyr:

I agree with Thrud's points: skill bloat is dangerous.  However, I also agree that the existing skill list did have those glaring ommissions.  I'm very glad that no further skills are contemplated (perhaps only as pure options via Companions etc).  I also like the new additional - but again optional - material for RMC.  As long as the overall 'core' rules are not further complicated.  I have enough trouble trying to convince DnD players that Rolemaster is i) contemporary and ii) not complex, that further skills etc may make this difficult.

As an aside, re duping and diplomacy (and I know they are optional so can be ignored), we've always managed those social interactions through roleplaying.  I appreciate that a skill is useful where a player may not have the knack for such things but I'm not sure those types of people enjoy 'talky' type characters anyway.  Although, the column for interaction and influence in the Alternative Static Maneuver Table has proved useful in the past on occasion.  I'm not sure I really have a point here: only an observation - I'd be interested in how other GMs / Players have handled social interactions in the past (prior to these new skills)?

John

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

I am in agreement in regards to skill bloat. I am all against it. However, I also have no problem adding in skills that I think are needed. And for them to be needed, that means that there needs to no other skill that can cover it.



Heike (my boss) also thinks that social situations should be role-played. And I know others who want to roll for every situation. Myself, I am in the middle ground. I think that for social situations, the player should be required to give some input about how they are going about accomplishing the task, and then rolling to determine the result of the effort.

[Cormac Doyle]

I prefer for social interactions to be acted out, HOWEVER, if the character does not posess the skills, he's gonna make a fool of himself.

(e.g., the final determinator is actually the skills, not the "acting" of the players ... because it is the characters that are in the situation, not the players).

[Pit Ote]

I prefer the skills. First the skill and then if the player acts out, fine.

I'm not against the skill bloat at all, I liked to see new skills in each companion and I prefer to get a long list and choose (I think it was one of the strong points of RoCoII). I also prefer that the skills and their costs are "well-crafted", so to speak (something like a RoCoII/SOHK mix).