Topic: Starting a 'kinda new' GM and group into Rolemaster

[Edeldhur]

Hi everyone,

My Rolemaster books have been resting in my shelves for years, but now I would like to dust them off and give them a second chance.

Me and my regular group of players tried the system many years ago, had a few good laughs and dramatic deaths with the critical tables, and eventually put it away because we did not actually have time to play everything we wanted...

The idea at the time (like so many others have done before) was to play in Middle Earth, just because there is a VAST amount of amazing supplements and sourcebooks out there by ICE for MERP. In spite of the Rolemaster system (this is what I have - http://www.waynesbooks.com/images/graphics/rolemaster2ndrboxset.jpg) never having become our 'main' one, I always wanted to go back to it.

Also, I still have all that MERP information which builds on so much of an already amazing creation by Tolkien (in my opinion) - it has been designed for Rolemaster, and being constantly pressed for time with an active job and family life (or maybe just lazy), I would just like to use it as is

Since none of us is an expert on Rolemaster, I would like to find some premade character and simply get the ball rolling - over the years we have started on many new systems like that and it has worked great, to learn the basics and go from there. However, I am having a really hard time finding any premades for Rolemaster… I remember some modules, like Ghosts of the Southern Anduin had characters ready to play? But these were for MERP, and not Rolemaster, correct?

Is anyone aware of a repository I could turn to, to try and find ready to play Rolemaster characters?

Thank you in advance!

[juza]

Merp could be a good way to get the basis of Rolemaster rules and you already know that in the adventure books there are premade character.

The books I saw following your link should be the base rules for Rolemaster 2nd edition (I'm quite sure about it, but not totally. I'm not an expert of all the Rolemaster editions). For Rolemaster 2nd edition there is a supplement called Heroes and Rogues in which you can find lot of premade characters each at levels 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 but they weren't designed for Middle earth setting.
For the Middle earth setting there are the books Lords of Middle Earth vol I; II; III in which you can find the description of quite all the characters of the Hobbit and Lord of the rings books and many of them with a full list of stats (both for RM and Merp) and skill bonuses, but they are quite all high level characters and only a few below level 8.

That's is all I can remember about premade characters. Hope it helps you.

[Edeldhur]

Hey Juza!

Thanks for the reply - you raised a lot of good points:

- Starting with the MERP system itself might actually be a very good one. Instead of hitting it off right away with Rolemaster, starting with something 'lighter' and then, if the players want it, add more complexity. The only 'issue' I see here is I know some of my players will try to make 'mixed' characters - the rogue who can cast some spells, or Fighter who can heal himself, or the wizard who is a decent swordsman - is that possible with MERP? Is customization a thing with MERP?

- I have looked at Heroes and Rogues and saw some of the characters there. They have some variety which is quite good. But those are designed to be NPCs yes? Are they 'complete' characters? The fact they are not Middle-Earth characters specifically is fine - adventurers in ME do not need to follow a set pattern, and to start with 'generic' characters are just fine.

- I'll take a look at the Lords of Middle Earth books, and see if there are any premade characters we can use as base. I did not want to start at higher levels, to keep things simple at the start and learn as we go - leveling characters is a good way to do that.

Thank you for the advice!

[juza]

Merp characters are build with a development point system and a warrior has 0 dev. points in spell lists and a mage has 0 dev. points in weapons skill, but there are rules for transferring developments points from a category to another, and in an appendix there are also rule to expand Merp with some characters from Rolemaster. Of course is also quite easy to customize a character by changing his realm of power and base lists, but be sure to keep the game balance.

Yes characters in Heroes and Rouges are NPCs, as those in Lords of Middle Earth, but if a player choice to play a NPC it becomes a PC..
Characters in Heroes and Rouges are complete and very detailed in game statics and also in personal history and they are all common man race.

Leveling down characters of Lords of Middle earth is very complicated in my opinion, especially if you are not expert in RM.

[Hurin]

I think the idea of starting with MERP is a good one if you are just easing back into playing. MERP is simpler than RM and will be a good gateway into the system.

If you can't find pregenerated characters, or just want to make your own, you can check this Guild Companion article for quick and dirty character generation:

http://www.guildcompanion.com/scrolls/2009/may/merpquickanddirty.html

Note too that the MERP/RM Middle Earth adventure module 'Trolls of the Misty Mountains' has 18 pregenerated MERP characters built for Middle Earth. They're on p. 3 of the module. Other modules might have more: look I think for ones that, like Trolls, have the 'ready-to-run' tag in their title banner.

[Edeldhur]

Thank you for all the feedback guys - I am more and more convinced I should start with MERP, even if the characters are not as customizable as Rolemaster. The options given by Rolemaster might be a good idea when someone wants to build a Gandalf? (is that hard in MERP?)

I will take a look at MERP 2nd edition and the premade characters - was thinking maybe hitting them with a level 1 adventure vs a level 3 group? To give them a fighting chance? Or do you guys think that would be too easy a challenge (or too hard to master the characters)? Since we are indeed easing back into play, but only for MERP/Rolemaster - we continued roleplaying over the years, just not with these systems

Hurin, I think that link from the guildcompanion will be the next step, after we have been through one adventure with premade characters. What do you think?

[Hurin]

Hurin, I think that link from the guildcompanion will be the next step, after we have been through one adventure with premade characters. What do you think?

Yes, that sounds good -- you'll be giving them a brief taste of what the game is like, then letting them customize their characters. Seems like a good plan.

[Edeldhur]

Exactly! Now for some time to go over the rules for MERP 2nd edition + the premade characters.

And finding a suitable introductory adventure. Anyone has any cool suggestions (bonus points if it conveys a Middle Earth feel )? There is one in the Core Rulebook, right?

[Hurin]

That module, Trolls of the Misty Mountains, has several introductory adventures. I'm not sure how good they are, but they are specifically designed for starting characters.

[gandalf970]

One thing I have found that has totally revitalized my group back into Rolemaster was downtime activities.  Having all of these incredible skills and not really having time to use them.  Get them into a safe place where they learn to appreciate the NPC's and make them mean something.

I don't make the level of encounter too crazy, unless they want to do it.  I have the local Ranger tell them that Troll on the Dead Hill is evil and has killed ten warriors to let them know. 

MERP is great and easily brought over into Rolemaster.

[Ginger McMurray]

I'm about to do a simillar thing. How did it go?

[RandalThor]

And finding a suitable introductory adventure. Anyone has any cool suggestions (bonus points if it conveys a Middle Earth feel )? There is one in the Core Rulebook, right?

Yes, and they can be strung together to make one big adventure. I really like the map of the ruins in there, I have used it for other games, and think if the characters want to, they can make it a base of operations.

Most of the MERP modules had pre-made characters in them and many of the modules were for low level, so they could be used for your beginning characters.

As for wanting to have more Rolemaster stuff in there: I think that if you set it in the 4th age, after the One Ring is destroyed, you could use your GM powers to say that magic and stuff has changed so some of the RM classes that don't fit Middle-Earth, do now.