Author Topic: Rolemaster Steampunk  (Read 1994 times)

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Offline Modric

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Rolemaster Steampunk
« on: May 01, 2012, 11:33:42 AM »
I'm starting to get into the steampunk genre. I was wondering if anyone has tried adapting Rolemaster to a steampunk setting. 

Offline Zut

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Re: Rolemaster Steampunk
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2012, 12:25:49 PM »
I think the closest you will find is cyberpunk. Maybe Shades of darkness can do.
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Offline yammahoper

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Re: Rolemaster Steampunk
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2012, 01:21:33 PM »
There are no supplements I can think of.  Best to buy a good steampunk setting you like and convert.

Conversion is normally far easier thanmost imagine if you do not over think it.  The spell Permanent is level 30 and can be achieved via ritual magic, or lowered in level if you wish.  So trains with hot water tanks and a permenant BOIL LIQUID spell will work perfectly.  Hot air baloons are managable with lots of spells.  Do you want fire arms?  Go with Fire Arrns Law or Ten Million Ways to Die.  FireArmsLaw is best with normal RM armor types, TMWTD is best with RM armor, modern armor and Space Master armor, but the gun tables are more condensed (light pistol, heavy pistol, etc instead of a the progression muzzle velocity FAL offers).

The twice I have ran steam punk setting, I went with the wild west and Rome with trains, hot air ballons, magic schools, etc.  It was the ancient world of mythic greece were the gawds had been locked behind the door of time with the titans but the rest of the world remained a magical place with fauna, flora and the ability of gawds to channel to followers here. 

I made mostr of the technical skills needed crafts and kept the old world master/apprentice/guilds approach to the learning of the skills.  It also explains why scientific advancement is so limited as guilds closely guard their secrets and prevent others from acquiring or advancing them, sometimes accidently, sometimes as an excercise of their secretiveness, sometimes as overt actions.

I admit I didn't really groove to the setting, and my few attempts were quickly aborted for more traditional fantasy/sci-fi blending.
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Offline markc

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Re: Rolemaster Steampunk
« Reply #3 on: May 01, 2012, 02:36:32 PM »
 A good book might be the RMFRP Construct Companion but even then it is just about creating things and not a setting. So like Yammahopper said above I would find a SP setting you like and convert it to RM or RM to it.
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Offline ironmaul

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Re: Rolemaster Steampunk
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2012, 03:46:25 PM »
Or alternatively write a steam punk setting up and submit it to Nicholas.

Offline providence13

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Re: Rolemaster Steampunk
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2012, 04:03:26 PM »
As stated, Construct Companion does have some info about integrating magic and lowtech into the game. If you want RM rules with no magic, it should be even easier.
I'd love to see the book when you finish. :)

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« Last Edit: May 01, 2012, 04:11:52 PM by providence13 »
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Offline Defendi

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Re: Rolemaster Steampunk
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2012, 05:06:07 PM »
10 million ways to die and Run out the Guns and Weapons' Law firearms have gunpowder weapons.  There's some conversion stuff in SM, but I'd go with these if you can.
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Offline Modric

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Re: Rolemaster Steampunk
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2012, 11:29:46 AM »
Thanks everyone. I may tinker with this idea (or it may fade away into oblivion like so many old soldiers!)

Offline Arioch

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Re: Rolemaster Steampunk
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2012, 05:09:49 PM »
I'm starting to get into the steampunk genre. I was wondering if anyone has tried adapting Rolemaster to a steampunk setting.

I played a quite long steam-fantasy campaign a few years ago.
Made large use of the Construct Companion and used Weapon Law to a lesser extent (in my setting, only Dwarves had access to black powder, other races used mainly things like repeating crossbow, rudimentary flamethrowers or steam-powered weapons).
You could also take a look at Pulp Adventures for more ideas
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