Topic: What do you like most about Rolemaster!

[gandalf970]

Just posting a poll to get some ideas!

[intothatdarkness]

All of the above. Weaker on character development and some of the bloat that took place with secondary skills, but otherwise solid. You need an "All of the Above" option.

[TAK]

All of the above. Weaker on character development and some of the bloat that took place with secondary skills, but otherwise solid. You need an "All of the Above" option.

What he said!

[intothatdarkness]

Some of those areas may be weaker or stronger than other games, but given what it was originally intended to be (a system of "plug-in" rules for other game systems/settings), and it's worth remembering that in many ways RM always remained true to that core idea, RM does one of the best jobs out there bringing all that stuff together. A full overhaul, with a unifying theme or idea, has strong potential to make RM even better.

[gandalf970]

I reset the poll and added all the above.

[yammahoper]

I voted skills because they need no improvement.  Varied cost and reduced progression is perfect and balanced nicely.

The attack tables need to go while keeping the principles of higher target numbers delivering increased criticals,  ALL damage should be delivered via crits, including hits.

Most agree the armor system needs a rewrite.  I see a new rule set with scores of AT's, all with stats to mod target numbers vesus slash/puncture/crush/elemental, numbers easily recorded on character sheets for quick reference and completely eliminating table reference in play.

Neh...doesn't matter really, at least for me purchasing the new rule set when released.  If it takes more than one book to still play the game (a bad IMO), I wont purchase more than Character Law if the new rule set is disapointing.  I'm hoping for a revision more on the line of 2e Dnd to 3e Dnd, but I am willing to wait and see.

[ninja]

I voted for Skills since I had to choose one, but I would like to add that the best thing about RM is its adaptability. The way you can streamline it to fit any world or genre is quite extraordinary.

[yammahoper]

I voted for Skills since I had to choose one, but I would like to add that the best thing about RM is its adaptability. The way you can streamline it to fit any world or genre is quite extraordinary.

Heck yes.  Or...+1 in forum speak.

[ninja]

 

[markc]

Boy that was a tough choice, and I had to think about it for a time.
MDC

[intothatdarkness]

I voted for Skills since I had to choose one, but I would like to add that the best thing about RM is its adaptability. The way you can streamline it to fit any world or genre is quite extraordinary.

THAT has always been my favorite point about RM. Flexibility or adaptability.

[TAK]

As said, I went with "all of the above" cos I really can't imagine RM without all of those parts.

[Cory Magel]

The best part of RM, to me, is the depth of the system.

Player characters are unique.

They are not cookie cutter as many systems end up being.  I've played three Dabblers that looked NOTHING alike.  One was combat oriented, one was stealth oriented, and one was spell oriented.  Even RM users were hard pressed to figure out all three were Dabblers if they saw them played.

Most of what makes those professions unique are the skill and spell system.  Although the skill cost differentiation breaks down at higher levels the spell selection plays an enormous part in uniqueness.  There are two things about RM that if they did not exist I would never have played it.  Base spell lists (profession specific ones) are one of those things.

Critical hit charts.

D&D's original damage system bored you to death after a while.  Casting a Fireball (especially on something flammable) simply causing 6d6 (or whatever) damage was a real snoozer.  We created our own critical hit chart before ever seeing RM (it was just 20 results at first, but we expanded it over the years).  This is the second aspect of RM that if it did not exist we would never have started playing it.

The actual attack tables could be modified and, depending on how well it was done, I'd be ok with that.  But critical hits need to stay.  No critical hit charts would be like having pizza without cheese on it.  Why even bother?

[Arioch]

The critical (and fumble) tables, over everything else. It's mainly what drew me to rolemaster from ad&d. There are other things, like the huge amount of options, overcasting, each SU profession having its own spell list,... but Crits remain the main thing.

[ironmaul]

It was the critical tables that sold me on Rolemaster. And the ability to make any type of character you dam well wanted and use whatever dam well weapon you wanted.

I hate RM's spell system!

[kevinmccollum]

I wanted to answer but you didn't give an option for RM2 vs. RMFRP. I like all of the above in RM2 (excluding the companions) but didn't like RMSS/RMFRP character development and skill system

[Ynglaur]

From SpaceMaster, but this is what sold me all those years ago:
Shrapnel/Automatic E critical, 100: "Foe bursts into a bloody pulp.  Use a spatula".

[intothatdarkness]

I wanted to answer but you didn't give an option for RM2 vs. RMFRP. I like all of the above in RM2 (excluding the companions) but didn't like RMSS/RMFRP character development and skill system

+100 for this one.

[gandalf970]

I love so much about this game!  I can remember finding it for the first time in the late 80's when I was stationed in Huntsville Alabama at Redstone Arsenal (now closed I believe).  I devoured this information over a 7 day R&R and when my friends grouped up for a weekend of gaming they were blown away.

We came from AD&D and they just weren't ready for the body parts getting hacked off, the critical failures and the High Men!!  Our first session last 20+ hours (thank you white crosses, no no, I mean yes, no I really mean no).  So many characters went down and survived and laughed.  The pure joy we had was only replaced when the game started again 8 hours later with more masterful rolls on the maneuver charts and splats from the critical charts.

I wax poetically but the game has stayed with me and the spirit of never knowing what could happen is what keeps me always playing this wonderful game we fight over called ROLEMASTER!!!!

[mistrornge]

I really like Yamma's idea to remove the attack tables and have all damage determined by a single critical roll. It would take some time to merge the a-e critical charts though.
The armor system really needs work. 20 ATs is not enough. There should be better rules about what armor is what AT. Banded mail? Scale mail?
I like the spell system though I think creation of expendable magic items like potions and scrolls should be by using skills (alchemy and read/write runes).