Topic: Three most frequently played professions - and why?

[Cormac Doyle]

you CANNOT add magic use to a fighter ... hense my perference for a rogue (just compare the cost of spells and PP Dev between a rohue and a fighter)

As far as I have ever know with RM, anyone can learn to cast spells and get PP, it is just really, really expensive for some.

Agreeing a lot with Randal Thor here.

OK - but with a cost of 20+ per rank in spells, and a similarly heinous cost for PPDev, a fighter will be investing somewhere between 33% and 50% MORE than a rogue for the same magical capabilities. Technically, the CAN learn these skills, but it is irrational to do so. (Their other magical costs are also increased). However their weapon costs are NOT significantly lower, and most of their non-core costs (subterfuge, outdoor, athletic, influence) are higher than a rogue.

[DangerMan]

..and we've derailed.. 

[RandalThor]

..and we've derailed.. 

Screeeech! Wail! CRASH!!

OK - but with a cost of 20+ per rank in spells, and a similarly heinous cost for PPDev, a fighter will be investing somewhere between 33% and 50% MORE than a rogue for the same magical capabilities. Technically, the CAN learn these skills, but it is irrational to do so. (Their other magical costs are also increased). However their weapon costs are NOT significantly lower, and most of their non-core costs (subterfuge, outdoor, athletic, influence) are higher than a rogue.

I didn't say it was the optimal choice for cost, though there are a few things that fighters get (everyman skills and such) that rogues don't, but yeah, if you are going completely by costs, the rogue is the way to go*. For me it is also an aesthetic choice: when I hear "rogue" I hear someone who is a fighter/thief, and while I like the sneakiness that is a thief, I don't like the idea that my character is a, well, thief. When I hear fighter, I hear a guy who is trained in the way of combat and can (I assume) defend himself well in such circumstance, with a variety of weapons - though he will likely be much better at a couple of specific weapons. So, it is a flavor thing, for me. I don't play these games for the crunch/math, I play them for flavor and feel and make my choices accordingly, even if that means it isn't the best choice mathematically.


*Plus, if you are sneaky (and I can be at times) and go with the urban man form RMFRP, you get 2 ranks in a spell list, as well as 2 ranks in a power awareness skill. While you don't get anything in PP development, you can get a TP that gives that to you, or just suck up the cost - all you need are 2-3 ranks and you are good to go to cast your 1st & 2nd level spells. (Which if you look at the open mentalism list of Anticipations, you get: 1) Anticipate Missile, & 2) Anticipate Blow, both of which are instantaneous casting spells that give you a +50 DB (missile/melee respectively). Also, Cloaking (also open mentalism) gives you 1) Blur (-10 to all attacks against you), & 2) Cloaking (-25 to -75! to stalking/hiding maneuvers - I used that one to sneak up on some orcs in their own caves). Just a few examples of some low-level spells that can really make your fighter stand out and not just be a simple sword slinger, while still retaining all that is to be a fighter.

Back OT: Those that I gave are what I have usually played/steered to in the past. As I am now, I have been wanting to play the following (in order of desire, and all HIGH level, 50+):

1. Armsmaster - I have an idea of a high level Armsmaster posing as a lower level fighter in order to infiltrate and them take over the Ahrenreth backed city-state of Ardania (central east Emer) and truly make it a good nation/force.

2. Magician/Wizard - I have a literary character that I have been working on using this template that I really need to get back to working on...........so many ideas, so little time brains.

3. Warrior Monk/Monk - I have just always liked Kung-Fu (the TV show) and martial arts in general.

[Lord Garth]

A Wizard is indeed a blast to play. I had a Magus-Wizard in a campaign a few years back and we had to call it quits and start a new campaign once I reached level 14 as it turned out way more powerful than what the other players were using (all were semi spell users).

Not a big fan of the Magician myself though, although it's a great proffesion for some players. It's a little tooooo one dimensional for my taste.

[RandalThor]

A Wizard is indeed a blast to play. I had a Magus-Wizard in a campaign a few years back and we had to call it quits and start a new campaign once I reached level 14 as it turned out way more powerful than what the other players were using (all were semi spell users).

I can see how he is the ultimate anit-spell caster, but not how he could outshine other classes in their area of expertise.(Which is really the only way to consider some one "too" powerful: they excel everywhere and not just in their specific area. IMO.)

Not a big fan of the Magician myself though, although it's a great proffesion for some players. It's a little tooooo one dimensional for my taste.

I am not a big fan of the Magician as it is presented in the book, either. I prefer to put out a big group of spell lists - taking from the Essence Companion, as well - and having them pick their base lists from that. I don't believe that every culture has their base mage-type be such an elemental specialist as the class comes across as in core RM. In fact, some times I like to just say that the arcane professions (Arcanist, Wizard, etc...) are actually essence users, because they seem to be more "base" Magician to me. (More about "magic" and not elemental-ism.)

[Mider]

#1 Sage - it's nice to get the bonus to ME and RE from the base lists, also lots of skills at very low costs.
#2 Armsmaster or Paladin
#3 Sailor - Our GM is from the Navy and thinks he should have been alive during the days of sailing.

[Fidoric]

1. Fighter
2. Paladin / Armsmaster
3. Magician

[rdanhenry]

A Wizard is indeed a blast to play. I had a Magus-Wizard in a campaign a few years back and we had to call it quits and start a new campaign once I reached level 14 as it turned out way more powerful than what the other players were using (all were semi spell users).

That may not have been a matter of the particular profession so much as the general character types. Several players with considerably more practical experience than I can claim have opined that Arms dominates early, then in the middle levels Pure/Hybrid casters are tops (around where your group called it quits), but at the high levels, diminishing returns allows the SSUs to rise to the top.

[Cory Magel]

Well, the top ones are Semi's then the Rogue.  We play our campaigns long term, maybe one year to as long as several years, so your chosen profession needs longevity... which Fighters do not have in RM as it stands.  Even with some tweaking of abilities group members won't play a Fighter (I can't remember anyone doing so in all our campaigns).

1) Magent, Paladin and Dabbler probably come in on top.  A mix of fighting ability and either spell stealth (Magent), combat spells (Paladin) or a even more versatile Dabbler (we've seen them run the range in our games - combat based, stealth based, spell attacks based).
2) Rogue or Thief are probably next.  The rogue for a player who wants non-spell based versatility, the Thief for someone who wants to concentrate solely on stealth.
3) Magician is probably third. For raw firepower and spell utility.