Official ICE Forums
Systems & Settings => Rolemaster => RMC/RM2 => Topic started by: Sancronis on March 15, 2020, 06:08:10 AM
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So, I'm currently looking at creating a new archery-focused character. Has anyone been able to create a successful archer and, if yes, did you go for a normal non-spell user or were you successful with a semi (a warrior mage is tempting as I'd have access to haste and other spells to increase rate of fire)? Are there any particular spell lists you found useful if you were a semi?
By successful, I mean able to compete with melee characters in terms of usefulness at a higher level.
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We've had plenty of Archer-themed PCs over the years and they were all able to compete with melee PCs even at level 1. It has mostly to do with how the player uses the skills at hand and how he plays the PC. Heck, we had a level 1 mage with no spells because the two lists he learned didn't have level 1 spells. He made it through to level 2+ and all throughout, he was incredibly useful to the melee PCs and even "stole the show" a couple of sessions.
I only have RM2 books, I don't have (and haven't played) RM1 so I don't know what you have access to, but I can offer tips that work great for our players.
Have the best stat values in the best stat.
Which stat option are you using for bow? Arms Companion offers "Bows = St/Ag" where default is "St/Ag/Ag"
Choose a race with bonuses to the correct stats you need: Common Man, Mixed Man, Northman.
Consider Adrenal Speed and have good stat values in PR and SD.
Buy 2 ranks per level no matter what the cost. Some players only buy 1 rank in their primary "stay-alive" skills.
Consider Stalk/Hide as a skill
Consider Camouflage as a skill
Definitely get Stunned Maneuvering
Arms Companion has a specialist profession: Archer
Without Arms Companion, choose a profession with a low cost in Secondary Weapon Category or with low cost Martial Arts and +3 Level bonus in combat skills. I prefer Martial Arts.
Buy a minimum of 1 rank per level in secondary weapon category.
Choose a profession with +2 or +3 in Concentration (if using Adrenal Skills)
Fletching, Trick Shot, and Sniping are good skills to consider too, but I'm sure they were not available in RM1.
It doesn't matter what stats, skills, and build you have if you don't play to your PCs strengths and compensate for your weaknesses, your PC won't last.
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Apologies for the double post, but it was too late to modify the previous.
Also take rolls on the Skill at Arms and the Skill at Magic background options tables. Skill at Magic because it offers some great skills that are really helpful to non-spell users and because the roll could result in +15, +20, +25 to PR and IN stats.
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If you're looking for Profession recommendations, I had good luck with Rogue for an archer-type character. They have a nice balance of skill costs and can develop two weapons (ranged and melee) fairly quickly. We tended to play with just the basic rules and elements of Companions 1-3, so which skills you take depends quite a bit on how many options are in play.
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Rogue is good.
Buy open ment spells for shield and blur that you can use while firing bow.
Also try to get quick concentration.
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I agree, the rogue is a good base profession to start from.
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There was an Archer Profession in the Combat Companion if I recall
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So, I'm currently looking at creating a new archery-focused character. Has anyone been able to create a successful archer and, if yes, did you go for a normal non-spell user or were you successful with a semi (a warrior mage is tempting as I'd have access to haste and other spells to increase rate of fire)? Are there any particular spell lists you found useful if you were a semi?
I have both a non-spell user archer class and semi-spell user archer class, the Mystic Archer... as well as variants of the same, the Snake (Mystic) Archers.
By successful, I mean able to compete with melee characters in terms of usefulness at a higher level.
Just as IRL, people expert in archery were always waaaaaaaaayyyy better than melee characters, and are considered "unfair" by melee characters... It was even truer when I started using the AC, due to the Trick shot skill.
Anyway, so...
1) The Archer: ST/CO
--> Weapons +3, ath +1, con +1, gen +1, med +1, out +1, perc +2,
--> Missile 1/3, ad. balance 1/3, surveillance 1/3, fletching 1/2, trick shot 1/2, body dev. 2/6, anim hand 2/8, frenzy 4/12, hostile env 2/8, symbol lore 10,
--> gets one option pt less but gains +2/lvl to OB when one rd is spent aiming at target, and all bow ranges are +25%,
2) The Snake Archer variant:
"In some snake cults, there are those who admire serpents for their beauty, some for their wisdom, and some for their abilities as predators. Within this last group are a subset that see a serpent's abilities as weapons to be used and exploited rather than worshipped or emulated. These are the serpent archers, combining the deadly powers of snakes with their own natural aptitude with bows. The serpent archers respect their scaly brethren and practice a strange way of melding their skills with the abilities of the ophidians."
As Archer with :
--> Animal handling 1/2, stone craft 4, hypnosis 1/4, increase wnds 4, use/rem poison 1/3, second aid 5, animal healing 1/3, ambush 5, ad. balance 2/6
--> gets one option pt less but serpent skills.
Serpent skills:- A snake archer breeds snakes to use them as projectiles. Typically, he keeps them in a small cage or bag,
- At each round, a snake archer may extract a small snake from its container (similar to taking an arrow from a quiver), rigidify it through a special hypnosis (Hypnosis roll at +20) and use it as an arrow for his bow. Used that way, the snake inflicts damage similar to a normal arrow and, if it's venomous, poisons its target if a critical is inflicted as if it had bit him. After it was fired that way, the snake is stunned for 1 round (it falls normally at its victim's feet). After it recovered, it attacks its target as it would have normally; otherwise, it flees to go back to its archer. If it's not fired, a snake recovers from the hypnosis after one round.
- The snake archer breeds its snakes with a special mix, increasing the effect of their poison. An Animal Handling roll is made each month and its result is crossed with the variability table to get the poison level for the month,
- His expertise with snakes gives the snake archer a bonus of +25 in Use/remove poison when he manipulates a snake.
3) The Mystic Archer:
--> Essence, em/ag, skills as warrior-mage except prime weapon (that must be projectile) at 1/4, stalk/hide 1/5, ds 10, fletching 1/3
--> arms +3, bdev +1, general +1, perc +1, athl +1, dead +1, sub +2
--> spell lists: Arrow of Might, Perception’s Master, Assassin Mastery, Essence Wing, Rapid Ways, Essence Wing.
4) The Mystic Snake Archer variant:
--> options of the snake archer,
--> base list change. Merely replace Rapid Ways with Serpent Law, with the following particularity: a Mystic Snake Archer may cast in the same round, though with a -20 penalty, any Summon snake spell and fire one or several arrows (if he combines it with a Trick shot). In the case of a multiple summon, the spell remains active until all snakes are summoned. At last, if the poison level remains the same, its victim gets a penalty to his RR of -10 on an 'A' critical, -15 on a 'B', -25 on a 'C', -30 on a 'D', -40 on an 'E' and -50 above.
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If you're going the semi route, you could also consider the Wyrd Bow list published in the Guild Companion. It is for RMSS I think, but could be easily used in RM2:
http://www.guildcompanion.com/scrolls/2000/jun/wyrdbow.html
I adapted this list for RMU here, but again, it's easily convertible to RM2:
https://www.rolemasterblog.com/download/spell-list-ranger-base-wyrd-bow/
The idea of making an Arcane Archer for Rolemaster intrigues me. You could already make a pretty good Mentalism semi archer just with the open Mentalism lists alone. If you went the Essence route, I think you would need to add some spells to buff attacks (I could do it in RMU by adding the Wyrd Bow spell list to the Warrior Mage's spells).
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I am always surprised by builds that never have a high QU stat...especially useful for. Ranged/SpellUser combatants!
It allows you to get Init first(every round!) and keep your distance or allow you to close in, get point blank range boni, and shoot first in later phases(RMSS/RMFRP) before others get to blink!
As said above, ST(2) & AG(1) are your main stats, so any Profession with that as a base is key, non spell slinger-wise.
Otherwise, look at Haste/Deflections(Aiming spell!) lists and key your Profession to those that can obtain those lists.
No bad builds with RM, just bad tactics! ;)
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if semi, I would go beastmaster.
Combat both ob/db, shield and haste... and.. beasts to let you stay in archer "stance" :)
Or warrior mage. When foes closing in.. longdoor away and shoot again!