LFG Rolemaster (Standard System)

[Whatever@#]

Hello,

It is May 2020.

I am looking for a Rolemaster (Standard System) group.

I know FG has a ruleset that supports RMC (Rolemaster Classic). But I heard there were some people who made support for RMSS games, that could work with FG's RMC ruleset.

If you are looking for a new player for RMSS in the EST (U.S.) zone please send me a message.

I have no real experience with FG, so a group that is new player friendly would be very helpful. I played in RMSS group for years, but it has been a while, so I might be rusty on those rules.

Also if you are one of those people who know of the addon to use RMSS rules, it would be nice to hear about that.

And FG, I would really like to be able to buy a RMSS ruleset and also a Shadowrun Ruleset.

[duhtroll]

I'd try this game out if it happens. Haven't played RM for about 20 years but always enjoyed it.

[Whatever@#]

@duhtroll

If we get a GM for such a game, I'm sure they will invite you.

Though FG doesn't have the RMSS ruleset and the odds against finding such a game are slim :)

[JohnD]

Hi guys. I too like the RMSS iteration of the rules. I think the closest thing might the RMFRP extension which takes RMC and adjusts it to the FRP version. I think I have the naming right but possibly not.

Compounding the issue is that RMC is currently being updated by Dakadin to be CoreRPG based, which increases in a significant way the QoL functionality of the ruleset, or will once it goes fully live (can be used now in beta state).

RMC isn't quite the same as RMSS but it's close, and FG does a great job of handling the crunch. Hope you find a game.

[Whatever@#]

@JohnD,

I am not even close to an expert on the differences between each of the RM systems, and it has been years since I played. However, I think you are correct. I remember a person in our group buying the FRP core set and reading it. And I only noticed small changes. It has been years, but I'm thinking it was something like development costs for certain skills and trying to make character creation easier were the main differences. In the end, they seemed so similar our group didn't see a reason to change over. RM is so flexible and we used house rules that we all voted on. So we probably took what we liked from any new FRP source book and added it to our RMSS games.

I only played RMC once. When our GM was trying to get us to try RMSS instead of AD&D another guy in the group tried to get us to try RMC. We tried RMC for a bit, then RMSS for a bit. All except the RMC guy, seemed to favor RMSS from our limited test run. That probably had more to do with the GM preferring RMSS over RMC. To me it seemed the main difference was RMC has the potential for very high skills and RMSS has rules to make it very cost prohibitive to develop your skills beyond something like 150ish. It seems like RMC had more classes/professions when both launched, but later with all the added books for RMSS you ended up with more options in RMSS. To me, I guess the big argument for RMC would be your OB could be so high, you could focus down someone faster (in trash fights) using your humongous OB to crush lower or less skilled foes. Whereas in RMSS fighting a bunch of trash mobs or poor rolls with no criticals could really turn into a long drawn out fight, because of the skill cap.

Although our group was still playing when HARP came out, it just never captured our attention. It seemed that the differences weren't big enough to justify buying a ton of new rule books. To us it seemed to just focus on simpler character generation and simplifying the game.

Does FG sell a FRP ruleset? As you state FRP and RMSS are so close, it could probably work ;)

[JohnD]

You'll want to look at the link below for the available community made extensions and modules;

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?17227-List-of-Extensions-and-Modules

[Whatever@#]

@johnD,

Thanks, maybe some GM on here runs a FRP game that will feel like it's RMSS.

[JohnD]

@johnD,

Thanks, maybe some GM on here runs a FRP game that will feel like it's RMSS.

Take a few E criticals and any iteration will feel familiar (and painful)!

[Whatever@#]

Take a few E criticals and any iteration will feel familiar (and painful)!

Lol, yeah. I Still remember when our GM introduced RM to us. 2 things really stuck out. Especially since we were coming from AD&D.

1. OMG the number of spells and having like 20 spells points and thus 20 spells I could cast at level 1. Then we could overcast (We actually had a caster overcast and kill himself, the enemy and most of the group once). Thus your group caster being powerful enough to respect even at level 1.

2. The criticals. Man the first time your character nails a critical that instantly takes out an opponent in a memorable fashion really sticks with you. It's not just a natural 20 and the GM tries to give it a dramatic flare. It's an open ended roll. The entire group stops. You make the roll and the huge critical ends your foe in some fantastic fashion.

Also the first time a critical like that takes you out, keeps things real. I remember playing a warrior getting into a tough fight. I think 2 minotaur's when we were too low level. We should of ran, but we decided to try to fight. My warrior, was trying to use the mentalism list, so I could cast blur or some other spell for some extra DB. I took off my helmet and did it. Open end Critical and 1 shot the minotaur. The group was ecstatic. Then the other one came. The rest of the group was rallying, we looked like we were going to win in a fight way out of our league. Alas it was not to be. I took off my helmet to cast the spell again. Then I landed a normal attack. Not having the time to put my helmet back on before the minotaur attacked. This time he criticaled me. Of course it was the legendary head shot, if your not wearing a helmet die instantly crit. From glory to devastation in a matter of one second :o

[RHManiac]

Lol, yeah. I Still remember when our GM introduced RM to us. 2 things really stuck out. Especially since we were coming from AD&D.

1. OMG the number of spells and having like 20 spells points and thus 20 spells I could cast at level 1. Then we could overcast (We actually had a caster overcast and kill himself, the enemy and most of the group once). Thus your group caster being powerful enough to respect even at level 1.

2. The criticals. Man the first time your character nails a critical that instantly takes out an opponent in a memorable fashion really sticks with you. It's not just a natural 20 and the GM tries to give it a dramatic flare. It's an open ended roll. The entire group stops. You make the roll and the huge critical ends your foe in some fantastic fashion.

Also the first time a critical like that takes you out, keeps things real. I remember playing a warrior getting into a tough fight. I think 2 minotaur's when we were too low level. We should of ran, but we decided to try to fight. My warrior, was trying to use the mentalism list, so I could cast blur or some other spell for some extra DB. I took off my helmet and did it. Open end Critical and 1 shot the minotaur. The group was ecstatic. Then the other one came. The rest of the group was rallying, we looked like we were going to win in a fight way out of our league. Alas it was not to be. I took off my helmet to cast the spell again. Then I landed a normal attack. Not having the time to put my helmet back on before the minotaur attacked. This time he criticaled me. Of course it was the legendary head shot, if your not wearing a helmet die instantly crit. From glory to devastation in a matter of one second :o

These are some of the best sorts of gaming stories... :)

[Whatever@#]

These are some of the best sorts of gaming stories... :)

That's just one of the many reasons we love to play table top games ;)

[TreeBeard1967]

And why other people just don't get us ;). Role on

[JohnD]

This is all nice - the normal kind of stories that Rolemaster generates for it's players.

[duhtroll]

This is a much longer story but simultaneously one of my best and worst gaming stories involved a RM crit - it was at Gen Con with the second-worst GM I have ever had the misfortune of playing with (and I've been playing for over 40 years). This GM would not let players roll their own dice and then when rolling my dice for me, tried to tell me that they were reversed, tens/ones.

After being corrected by the table, he rolled a 384 on his own BBEG from my simple firebolt spell and then proceeded to roll two fatal results on the crits.

Those dice were immediately retired as GOAT karma payback. They got their own seat on a golden pillow on the ride home.

[Whatever@#]

And why other people just don't get us ;). Role on

They would get it if they had a kind GM introduce them.

[Whatever@#]

@JohnD,

Yeah our group had tons of stories from RP sessions. Some from D&D, Shadowrun.

RM seemed to give us the most stories, but that is probably because of the criticals, but also from how our GM's had to think on their feet and save the campaigns. Most GM's have to work around some idea a player has that can instantly destroy months of work. But having criticals that can instantly end a fight. Death happening so fast, especially with Elf soul departure and such). Or undead literally sapping your stats permanently (until you find a high level cleric to cure it). Seems to allow RM and the GM's who run it to be great at adjusting stories and thinking on their feet. Which can make for some great gaming stories :)

[Whatever@#]

@duhtroll

Lol. There are some classics. Glad you shared one of your great stories.

[nlilja]

I'd also be interested about joining for a longer term campaign for SS/FRP if you get game going and got a room for a player (can also do rotating GM shifts). Although, I'm in Finland timezone EET - Eastern European Time.

Half-Orc Chaotic would be preferable as seemed very silly thing even compared to Half-Orc Seer/Houri!

Hit me PM here or in Discord: Origo#1158

[Whatever@#]

@nlilja

Sadly, there hasn't been enough people to form a group. We found potentially 3 players, but no GM.

Nice to see a rotating GM. We had a RM group for years that had 2 rotating GM's. They were best friends who grew up together. So They worked well with each other. One ran a higher power level campaign. The other ran a very low power game. In hind sight we were a very lucky group. As the rotating GM's kept them from burning out. It probably also allowed them to feed off of each others ideas. I think it's a great idea for a group to have rotating GM's. As that group lasted so long, they saw my kids grow up...:)

[nlilja]

Awesome thing! We had mostly everyone as a GM in rotation with same characters over the years continuous adventure as a whole so in a sense long term campaign that had no ending :) But let me know if there are interest to form a group, I'd be very interested.

[JohnD]

@nlilja

Sadly, there hasn't been enough people to form a group. We found potentially 3 players, but no GM.

Nice to see a rotating GM. We had a RM group for years that had 2 rotating GM's. They were best friends who grew up together. So They worked well with each other. One ran a higher power level campaign. The other ran a very low power game. In hind sight we were a very lucky group. As the rotating GM's kept them from burning out. It probably also allowed them to feed off of each others ideas. I think it's a great idea for a group to have rotating GM's. As that group lasted so long, they saw my kids grow up...:)

I may start a game, but the earliest would be late September. Summer is not a good gaming period for me, and this particular stretch of months promises to be even more chaotic than normal due to IRL impediments.

But... late September is a possibility at this time.

[Whatever@#]

@JohnD,

Sounds Awesome, I was beginning to think this wouldn't happen. So late September gives us a chance. If I remember correctly, you were the one who told me FG has the FRP ruleset? If so maybe we can do that, as it seems closer to SS.

I also see you run AD&D/3.5, 5e games. So you are one of those GM's that may be able to put together a RM game in a D&D setting/feel? As I said I love RM, but I do think D&D has the best made campaign worlds I have experienced. The two together could be awesome. However, since you have been GMing for so long, maybe you have your own campaign setting? If you enjoy playing sometimes, maybe you and Nlilja could set up a rotation? That's where a D&D campaign/shared campaign would come in handy. As the GM's might have the same game world to work from? That would be up to you guys. As I know some enjoy both being a GM and playing. While others only prefer being a GM.

[Whatever@#]

@Nlilja,

There hasn't been a ton of interest. As you can see in the post JohnD said he might be able to start a game in late September. It may be the only FRP game we can get going on here. If he is willing to do a FRP game.

On everyone being a GM and rotating. That has to be incredible. If I remember in RM 50 was the highest level character spells I saw in the book? Though I know there were rules to make new spells. If you guys had level 50 characters that would be crazy sauce. I think level 18-20 was the highest we ever had in a group. Average group ended around level 12. Then the other GM was itching to start a group of new characters ;)

Does anyone know if FG has a character generator program for RM? Because if I remember correctly, the hardest part of RM was creating a new character, at least an hour. Lol.