Topic: What I Would Like to See in the Unified RM

[jdale]

Another nice thing would be a more unified attack tables for weapons.  Say, use the same table for all sword like weapons, just give bonuses and penalties for differing weapons.  Say, a long sword has a +0 modifier where a Broad sword would have a +20 due to being a larger blade, and a short sword would have a -20 for being a smaller blade.  Just a thought that popped into this mind of mine.

The core RMFRP book has tables exactly like this. E.g. there is a table for one-handed edged, with modifiers for different weapons. It's a good approach for a pared-down basics book, if you are going to retain the tables.

I'm not totally sold on the idea of weapon tables, but I've talked about that enough elsewhere.

[providence13]

We use Spell Mastery, Magical Languages (as a Power Manipulation Maneuver) and Ritual Magic.
SM and M-Lang are List specific for us.
Ritual Magic is a skill cross fed by many other skills; but is still Power Manipulation.

Then there's Spell Research! Like SM but permanent.
Our RM magic system is very scale-able.. You can do so many things beyond the norm, if you want to take the risk.

[Arioch]

I'd like to see:

- Clear rules on handling hazards (like drowning, traps, hunger/thirst,...). Imho HARP did a great job here, putting all these things together in a single chapter. I hope to see something similar in RMU.

- Clear rules on handling improvised weapons and/or "unconventional" attacks. For clear, I mean the rules being all in one place, with a big header making them easy to find

- Rules on swarms (or herds)

- Rules on grenade-like attacks

- Less or no mundane animals in the Creatures book. Look, I don't care how many HPs a sheep or an anteater has, just give me a generic "small/medium/large non-dangerous animal" and let's focus on critters that can actually threaten the PCs.

[Thom @ ICE]

- Less or no mundane animals in the Creatures book. Look, I don't care how many HPs a sheep or an anteater has, just give me a generic "small/medium/large non-dangerous animal" and let's focus on critters that can actually threaten the PCs.

Darn....  now I'm going to have to come up with something else to replace those 7 pages on sloth and the 6 pages on hummingbirds and finches...

BTW - I agree 100% with you on this.  If it's mundane, it had best be a true threat.

[Fnord]

- Less or no mundane animals in the Creatures book. Look, I don't care how many HPs a sheep or an anteater has, just give me a generic "small/medium/large non-dangerous animal" and let's focus on critters that can actually threaten the PCs.

Yes!

And no fishes with donkey heads, please.

[pastaav]

Yeah no worries. Another thing that strikes me is everyone is calling it RMU. I'm not sure this is a good idea, although it's something that I don't think can be helped. I say this because people will get confused again with all the abbreviations already out there...perhaps? Anyway it looks like the Unification War is near it's end! 

Why not call it RM4?

[Usdrothek]

Expanded armour rules, to allow 'armour by the piece rules' but with each weapon getting its own attack table.

As has been said, the combat system with crits is the heart (or soul) of RM and that could use expansion without affecting the feel of the game.

[markc]

Yeah no worries. Another thing that strikes me is everyone is calling it RMU. I'm not sure this is a good idea, although it's something that I don't think can be helped. I say this because people will get confused again with all the abbreviations already out there...perhaps? Anyway it looks like the Unification War is near it's end! 

Why not call it RM4?

 RM4E (RM Four Everyone)
MDC

[ironmaul]

Yeah no worries. Another thing that strikes me is everyone is calling it RMU. I'm not sure this is a good idea, although it's something that I don't think can be helped. I say this because people will get confused again with all the abbreviations already out there...perhaps? Anyway it looks like the Unification War is near it's end! 

Why not call it RM4?

 RM4E (RM Four Everyone)
MDC

RM4HSNAA(RM Four Heavens Sake not Another Abbreviation!)    Nah, I'll just call it Rolemaster when it comes out, leave the abbreviations for the older versions.

[ironmaul]

- Less or no mundane animals in the Creatures book. Look, I don't care how many HPs a sheep or an anteater has, just give me a generic "small/medium/large non-dangerous animal" and let's focus on critters that can actually threaten the PCs.

Darn....  now I'm going to have to come up with something else to replace those 7 pages on sloth and the 6 pages on hummingbirds and finches...

BTW - I agree 100% with you on this.  If it's mundane, it had best be a true threat.

Come to Australia and see all our mundane creatures and crawlies. Yep, even a kangaroo will spill out your bowels if your not careful, and everyone thinks there so cute. Even though mundane, our snakes, spiders and scorpions are lethal, and not forgetting our crocodiles and bull sharks.
Which brings me to say that a section on poisons and venomous creatures would be a asset in RM(although I'm sure you'll have it in there anyway). Small venomous creatures makes for an interesting addition when PC's make camp or search caves and caverns etc.

I'm just thankful we don't have bears here...now they scare the bageebee's out of me!

[Nortti]

- Less or no mundane animals in the Creatures book. Look, I don't care how many HPs a sheep or an anteater has, just give me a generic "small/medium/large non-dangerous animal" and let's focus on critters that can actually threaten the PCs.

Darn....  now I'm going to have to come up with something else to replace those 7 pages on sloth and the 6 pages on hummingbirds and finches...

BTW - I agree 100% with you on this.  If it's mundane, it had best be a true threat.

Come to Australia and see all our mundane creatures and crawlies. Yep, even a kangaroo will spill out your bowels if your not careful, and everyone thinks there so cute. Even though mundane, our snakes, spiders and scorpions are lethal, and not forgetting our crocodiles and bull sharks.
Which brings me to say that a section on poisons and venomous creatures would be a asset in RM(although I'm sure you'll have it in there anyway). Small venomous creatures makes for an interesting addition when PC's make camp or search caves and caverns etc.

I'm just thankful we don't have bears here...now they scare the bageebee's out of me!

Maybe you had bears there long time ago but the kangaroos pummeled to death those last bears that had escaped the poisonous critters

But yeah, wide variety of small poisonous creatures and a well thought-out system for poisonings would be an asset in the new ed.

And, as far as I know Australia has more poisonous creatures on this planet than any other place.   

[rdanhenry]

Small poisonous creatures have been a part of C&T and C&M in the past. As for other normal animals, there are all sorts of situations in which they can come up. Remember, something normally non-aggressive can become a persistent threat under the influence of an appropriate spell. It's not like they cover a huge amount of page space, either. C&T: 96 page, 15 for all animals. 1.5 pages are for domesticated riding and draft animals, which will be used by most groups fairly routinely. Two pages are devoted to carnivorous mammals, while 2.5 more are devoted to "other potentially dangerous animals". That's not counting in such creatures as sharks and crocodiles, venomous snakes and spiders, and other assorted hazardous fauna. Of those that are "innocuous", many might come up in play if any of the PCs or significant NPCs have pets or familiars.

And if I have the stats for a beaver, it makes creating stats for a fire-spitting beaver all the quicker.

[ironmaul]

If I'm right, the 5 new books to be are RM core, Arms Law, Character Law, Creatures and Treasures and Spell Law. Perhaps a sixth "Campaign Law" including the uses of venom and poisons, extreme heat & cold environments in ones campaign world. Much like Gamemasters law.

[rdanhenry]

If I'm right, the 5 new books to be are RM core, Arms Law, Character Law, Creatures and Treasures and Spell Law. Perhaps a sixth "Campaign Law" including the uses of venom and poisons, extreme heat & cold environments in ones campaign world. Much like Gamemasters law.

The Creatures book and Treasures book are separate, as in RMSS.

The vanguard of the new Rolemaster edition will be five books - Arms Law, Spell Law, Character Law, Creatures, and Treasures.

Note the use of the Oxford comma, preventing any ambiguity.

[Usdrothek]

I would like to see clear, concise and thorough examples given that detail the more 'complicated' aspects of the rules. Armour penalty calculations and spell casting are good ones.

In previous versions, the examples were often not thorough enough and left gaps in understanding. This may help all the constant requests for 'how does this rule work?'.

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

If I'm right, the 5 new books to be are RM core, Arms Law, Character Law, Creatures and Treasures and Spell Law. Perhaps a sixth "Campaign Law" including the uses of venom and poisons, extreme heat & cold environments in ones campaign world. Much like Gamemasters law.

5 books:
Arms Law
Character Law
Spell Law
Creatures
Treasures

It is likely that we will modify the name of both "Creatures" and "Treasures" to prevent ambiguity. They may be elevated to "Law" status.

Campaign Law is an intended future product but we may separate out the world-building (RM2 era Campaign Law) and the GM guidance end (the first half of RMSS GM Law variety of material).

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Fnord]

One of my favorite things about MERP was that the adolescence (0 level) skill ranks where given by the culture of the character. (Table CGT-5, if my memory works fine)

This is something that have been implemented in some way or another in the different incarnations of RM, but if I'm not mistaken, only as an optional rule.
IIRC there was an issue of RMC Express Addition that had culture rules, they were handled a bit like training packages.

One of the things that gave so much flavor to Runequest character creation, was the whole profession/culture connection with the starting skills of the character.

I would love to see a well developed culture system in the core RMU rules and to have the adolescence skill ranks tied to the culture. This will give the perfect extra pinch of salt to character creation. (If any GM doesn't want the culture system, he can just do the adolescence level exactly like the first level anyway.)


As the core rules will not be tied to any gameworld in particular, the cultures should be generic, e.g.: prehistoric, nomad, barbarian, civilized, sylvan, hill...

[Fnord]

Also, guidelines for the creation of balanced cultures will be a nice addition.

[jolt]

It is likely that we will modify the name of both "Creatures" and "Treasures" to prevent ambiguity. They may be elevated to "Law" status.

Bah!  Enough of these soft "Law" ways!  I say Chaos! Character Chaos!  Spell Chaos! Creature Chaos! Treasure Chaos!  Then we'd have a real rpg!  One that would beat up all those wimpy Law books and take their lunch money!

 

[GrumpyOldFart]

Order and Chaos are essentially the same. Each constantly breeds the other.

Ask anyone who has studied Chaos Theory.