Topic: My Favorite Things about RMU

[gandalf970]

I prefer to concentrate on the positive and what my group appreciates about the RMU game. 
1.  Big and Small weapon tables
2.  Hit location in the crit charts
3.  101 success number
4.  66
5.  All the races
6.  Talents and flaws included
7.  Simplified development points

Finally a big thank you.

[katastrophe]

I am glad they simplified some of the rules to a more modern game mechanic.
I am also glad they slimmed down the skills list to under 100
I also like static DPs (though it lends itself to people making really one sided stat monsters but that was an issue anyway)

[jdale]

>(though it lends itself to people making really one sided stat monsters but that was an issue anyway)

That was true in RMSS, too, which didn't have static DP. I made my character with an Empathy of 20 for multiple reasons but the DP boost definitely encouraged it.

[katastrophe]

Which I recognized in my statement by saying it was an issue anyway.

The easiest way to fix it generally is that every stat matter, whether by skills or abilities, which is only slightly the case in either iteration of RM.

[Ynglaur]

I'll add my favorite thing: RMU solves generic problems generically.  It avoids the trap of having lots of ways to resolve things in niche ways, and instead thinks through appropriate modifiers for existing systems.  Conflict resolution is now just:

1. Absolute maneuvers
2. Percentage maneuvers (which use the same mechanics as #1)
3. Conflicting maneuvers
4. Attacks
5. Criticals
6. Spell casting

Little things like Attacks using the 176+ modified result to have an exceptional outcome--just like absolute and percentage maneuvers--is great.  Conflicting maneuvers are just a nuance to #1 and #2.  And so forth and so on.

I think the example in "Core Law" that has a goblin trying to hang onto a person and grapple them really shows off the flexibility of this system.  That's a pretty complex scenario for most game systems to handle, but RMU handles it in a simple and intuitive way.

[nash]

Can I add that "Memory" actually appears on the skill tables.  It was pretty much useless in older editions.

[Majyk]

Officially using 101+ for everything as being successful.
(Everyone else used this and middle-fingered 111+ or never knew that was a thing for Static Maneuvers)
Nerfing AD, though admittedly not liking Running/Shield skills which amps up the DB power creep like universal AD used to.

[Ecthelion]

5.  All the races

Agree to the other points, but not races. IMO these are not well balanced. Whether it's elves or dwarves or some other races too, when creating a PC I'm getting only so few points for background options and starting skills because all those bonuses on stats or talents I don't need for my character cost so much. In general I'm better off playing one of the human races. Just like RMSS TPs included a discount on the DPs a discount on the points spent for the race's points should have been added. Or when this was done already then the discount wasn't enough. YMMV

[Hurin]

I'm a little surprised by your experiences Ecthelion. I've personally found the races quite balanced -- more so than any previous edition, because there is a system for calculating every bonus and option.

Humans are very good, but getting stat bonuses is also quite useful, as are things like night vision, so I've personally found the balance very good.

to be clear: I'm not trying to One True Way you, or say you're wrong, or anything of that sort. Just saying that my experience is that this is the most balanced set of races, and more importantly system for balancing races, we've ever had.

[Ecthelion]

Yes, I know that there is a point-based system behind the races, which can be a good thing. But I think there is a flaw in that system. E.g. look at the dwarves that come out of this system. You want to play one of these? Me not. I have mentioned this before but had hoped this race system gets better with the final version. But I am disappointed. It's one of the few complaints I'm having with Core Law.

[Hurin]

I will agree with you on Dwarves. I too feel that their stat array is not especially beneficial. I've actually made my own version of Dwarves based on the stats they have in Kulthea/Shadow World. I'll post the stat line below (I call them 'Kulthean Dwarves').

Other than Dwarves, though, I think most other races are good.

Kulthean Dwarves
Stats
Ag -1   
Co 5   
Em -3   
In 0   
Me 0   
Pr -3   
Qu -1   
Re 0   
Sd 2   
St 2      

RRs
Chan 0
Ess  35   
Ment 30   
Physical 10   
Endurance 20   

Base Hits 30   
Recovery Mult. x0.5


Dwarf (Kulthean variant), costs
-4 for +1 stats
-18 for Magical Resistance (+15 Ess and +15 Ment)
-6 for +10 Physical Resistance
-10 for Vigorous (+20 Endurance)
-10 for Darkvision
-10 for Nightvision
-10 for Fast Healer
-3 for Tough (+5 hits)
+2 for Decreased Stride (-4 stride). This was rounded to +1 (Jdale confirmed) in RMU Dwarf.
+40 for Inept V (Swimming). The RMU Dwarf originally had only +10 because it is just a penalty to Endurance rolls while swimming (i.e. it was the ‘Feeble’ rather than ‘Inept’ flaw, with Restricted Talents, p. 69), but I restored it to Inept, which is just a straightforward penalty to Swimming maneuvers. Then, I realized that in RMSS, Dwarves actually had a -50 penalty rather than a -25, so I made that the penalty (Inept X), which gave them 20 more points, and increased their RRs even more, to +35 Ess and +30 Ment, at a cost of 21 points.
-21 for Magical Resistance (boosting Ess to +35 and Ment to +30)

[Ecthelion]

I will agree with you on Dwarves. I too feel that their stat array is not especially beneficial. I've actually made my own version of Dwarves based on the stats they have in Kulthea/Shadow World. I'll post the stat line below (I call them 'Kulthean Dwarves').

Other than Dwarves, though, I think most other races are good.

I think the dwarves are just race where it becomes the most obvious that the race system is flawed. I don't consider elves so much better than dwarves.

[gandalf970]

You start a post about what you "like" about RMU and it devolves into what people dislike.  I wish we could just applaud the positive.  We are to quick to go negative.  Thank you katastrophe, majk, nash and ynglaur for staying positive.

[Hurin]

I think the dwarves are just race where it becomes the most obvious that the race system is flawed. I don't consider elves so much better than dwarves.

I think the system itself is fine; it is just the specific choices made for the Dwarf that I have a problem with. But the fact that I was able to redo the Dwarf to my liking using the new racial creation rules shows to me that the system works fine. You couldn't do that in, say, D&D, at least not in any systematic fashion, since there are no rules for balancing races.

I actually find Elves to be arguably the strongest race in RMU. Bonuses in AG and QU make them very attractive for many different professions. They also have high EM and the highest bonus of any race in PR, making them excellent Essence casters and the best Mentalists.

[nash]

So dwarves as published are:
-3 stats (-1/+6/-6/-3/-1/+2)     [-12 points]
+6 tiers magic resistance (ess & ment at 3 tier each)  [18 points]
+10 physical [tier 2: 6]
0.5 recovery [Fast healer: 10]
+20 endurance [Tough tier 4: 12]
+5 base hits [3]
Darkvision I [10]
Nightvision [10]
Inept V  [-20]
Stride [-1, 3ft]

That adds to 36 [=-12+18+12+3+20-20+6+10-1]

+6 bonus DP, gets me to 42.

What is the 8 I'm missing?

* nash notes he finds the dwarf race... disappointing too.

[pastaav]

The only dwarf character I have seen in RMU so far was a dwarf Warrior Monk. Cool character concept but it feels a bit unusual and hints maybe that the race could need to be revised. The great thing is that you can do that like Hurin did if you are so inclined. If we should further discuss alternate dwarf designs, we should probably do it in a dedicated thread.

[pastaav]

Favorite things about RMU
    • System to determine costs for professions is an impressive achievement that captures the cost structure of the core professions and shows what was wrong with many of the companion professions from earlier editions. The long beta has made people take this improvement for granted, but I think it is awesome. The unbalanced companion professions can now be redone in a more balanced fashion. Nothing stops you from importing any material from previous editions (except the effort to fix all those overpowered spell lists)
    • I like how the RMU stat curve that gets rid of the flat area in the middle gives more variation between characters.
    • The new tactical options of block and dodge in the passive, partial och full versions give lots of more interesting tactical choices.
    • The AP cost mechanics for actions draws on many of the strengths of optional and core initiative systems from previous editions but acts much quicker in combat.
    • It is hard to come up with a good way to generate stats. The min-max potential of earlier editions becomes more and more irritating with the years. The new method in RMU is interesting and fun to use. Having the random stats might not be universally loved, but D&D has random stats as core rules, so it seems like a good bet, and RMU has among the better ones I have seen.
    • Martial arts and adrenal skills have always been a weak spot balance-wise in RM. The characters either become untouchable melee gods or glass characters that are bound to die horribly. School of Hard Knocks tried to add cinematic rules about the importance of the fight affecting the chance to activate the adrenal skills. Another attempt was made in Martial Arts Companion, who worked hard at making adrenal defense a larger DP sink to balance things. The RMU way to handle adrenal skills feels fresh and the best attempt so far at having rules in the base book that seems likely to hold in the long run.
    • The greater selection of races is welcome and gives the GM plenty of ideas on how to make use race creation system. Combined with the easy-to-use rules for creating characters, I think it is fair to say that RMU is the first edition when you can adapt the game to any setting. Some races have design choices that do not fit my game, but now I can fix those.
    • The complexity for casting spells in previous editions has never been award-winning, and RMU keeps enough to make it interesting but makes it much easier to understand.
    • The concept of power levels to change the starting baselines of stats and such is very good.
    • The new rules about Fatigue are the first version of such written rules that I can imagine using at the gaming table. Earlier editions had too much bookkeeping for it to work in practice, but for RMU, it seems possible to activate or deactivate the rules depending on the gaming circumstances.
    • 101 as the target number and 66 giving the unique event makes the statistics evaluations so much more easy and intuitive.
    • Flat DP not based on stats finally allows me to let new players handle their stats without worrying they will cripple their characters.
    • Giving extra DP to humans to make them the dominant race is a cool idea, and I think it works well in practice.
    • I think it is great with the shorter skill list. The skills might not be the exact list of skills I would I preferred, but the complaints are minor, and I think the choices made are a good compromise between different desires. The spread of skills that benefit from certain stats feels much more rounded than earlier editions that seemed to try to balance the impact of development stats to DP and what skills benefited from the stat.
    • The new grapple rules feel intuitive and usable.