Official ICE Forums
Systems & Settings => Rolemaster => RMSS/FRP => Topic started by: OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol on October 10, 2022, 03:09:01 PM
-
Spells in RM2 don't seem to require a verbal component (chanting, praying, etc.), as I don't see in the ESF table anything related to it. There are ESF modifications due to overcasting, lack of preparation rounds, lack of free hands, armour type and equipment worn, but nothing about the verbal component. The only note I found about it is in the SUC was a suggestion to add effects to spells to which a GM decides to require a verbal component, but these Magical Minutiae (that covered all kinds of components, not just the vocal ones) are more rules to customise spells according to a GM's world than rules for the overall system.
Do RMFRP or RMSS have rules about verbal components?
-
There are modifiers for no voice or shouting, so a verbal aspect is strongly implied.
-
There are modifiers for no voice or shouting, so a verbal aspect is strongly implied.
Do you have a book and the pages where they are mentioned, please?
-
For RMSS, RMSR page 106 on Table 4.6 Spell Casting Modifications Table. For RMFRP, the same table appears on page 46.
-
Wait. RMSR? Not the SL? Ah, damn... :(
-
RMSS/FRP definitely requires speaking (or taking a penalty). In RM2, the ESF rules are really the only place where all the requirements are laid out in one place, and there is no mention of speech (or other vocalization). Now, properly speaking, a "spell" is the verbal (that is, composed of words or pseudo-words, and thus includes inscribed spells) and writing would be an odd choice in a tactical casting system, so one might claim that an oral component is involved. However, the use of "spell" in the game is clearly just a term of art for an action or set of actions that produces a magical effect (what is properly called a magical ritual, of which a spell may be the whole or merely a component or even absent). It seems most likely that it was merely assumed that Rolemaster "spells" were to be spoken and that the gaming community would share that assumption. I think that given such a strong assumption that they didn't even feel a need to state it, that it would be natural enough to not relax that (unstated) requirement with ESF rules (or the ESF rules were written just looking at the stated requirements and just never even thought about silent casting, since the need to speak was not mentioned).
The first Rolemaster Companion introduced "Magical Languages" to boost your spell-casting, which seems to accept the assumption that spells require language and also using Latin or Hebrew is better than English (or rather, the fantasy world equivalent of that notion).
So, I am reasonably confident that you were supposed to be uttering something while doing magic in RM2, but I am glad things were made clearer in RMSS. Finally, in RMU, the description of the modifiers to the spell-casting roll (and the obviousness of one's spell-casting) make it clear that both vocalizations and gestures are optional, but that it is easier to do magic with them than without them.
-
So, I am reasonably confident that you were supposed to be uttering something while doing magic in RM2…
Well, I guess, similarly to how one is supposed to have one's hands free, or take the appropriate time to cast the spells. My issue, and the reason for my post, is that one may get away without the aforementioned requirements by making an ESF roll, but there's nothing about the vocal part, meaning either one absolutely cannot cast a spell without being able to speak, or verbal components aren't essential. I'm all for it being a requirement, but it means I should be able to have a rule for when one tries without. So I was interested in how RMSS and RMFRP manage it (and wanted to check that, indeed, RM2 doesn't have rules about the matter).
…oh well, I guess I'll make it a +10 ESF and be done with it.
Also, as a matter of fact, the ESF part states the requirements for casting a spell, hence why one must roll an ESF when not able to fill them, and being able to freely speak is not part of them…
-
Rolemaster Express (RMC) explicitly requires essence and channeling spells to be spoken, but not mentalism. Not certain offhand whether that is generally true for RMC as well.
-
Does not the Essence Companion talks about verbal components?
-
The RMSS Essence Companion adds various casting styles, some of which rely more or less on the spoken word. Nomenist casters require language (-75 to cast without), Somaticist casters are much less dependent on it (-5), the various catalyst casters don't need it at all (-0). Those are all optional though. For that matter there are rules about magical languages in RoCo1.