Playtest of my Mass Combat Rules - Report

   The sons and I broke out my new mass combat rules and playtested all weekend. We started with Orcs vs Elves (using the number for a max-sized group of each from the Monster Manual, tweaked so that we got even units) . A real slugfest and a ton of fun. The elven sword and bow bonus makes a difference on the field, and do the number of spell casters. We re-ran it several times to eliminate the 'I have no idea what I am doing' issue of new players and to test our assumptions and what we learned.

  I am very pleased. The changes I am writing in today are:

- Rules for cavalry mounts also fighting

- Missile Fire and Flanking

- Clarifying spell duration

- Modifying the damage inflicted by units on lone heroes

And that's it other than some spelling/grammar errors!

  This week and weekend we will test it with a replay of the Battle for Whitehill Castle from the campaign - the knights of the King of Seaward, the Starry Banner, and the Company of the Dark Moon on one side, the brigands and renegades of Lord Whitehill on the other

Rolemaster Unified Playtest Report: Skills Check

  Recently I ran the party through a short adventure to check the use of skills in RMU. The party:
  [All 4th level one-shots]
  JR - Rogue
  AJ - Thief
  ST - Paladin
  NH - Ranger

  The scenario was very cookie-cutter because - playtest. Villagers were asking for help because locals were vanishing near the stone circle atop a mound deep in the woods. I set it up to require a lot of tracking, searching, stalking, hiding, opening locks, reading old documents in foreign languages, Lore checks, etc. There was enough combat (mainly created undead and a low-level evil Channeler) to keep it interesting.
  We also used the newer version of initiative from the ICE Forums (thanks to the forum members for all their help!).

  Feedback-
  JR - "Using skills was smooth, intuitive, and didn't break the flow of narrative. The newer initiative system was much better. With the open structure I can also see collaborating with the GM to make "new" skills, too, without wrecking balance."
  AJ - "I didn't spend any time at all 'looking at the sheet for the solution': I wanted to sneak up on a guy; I rolled; we moved on. Easy."
  ST - "I agree with AJ - this didn't turn into 'something on your character sheet solves the problem'. With maneuver rolls and such it was very easy to just say 'I do x' and resolve it quickly."
  NH - "Rolemaster was always my favorite version of 'RPG with skills' and RMU is solid in how it presents them."
  Me - With a quick GM screen I threw together in 20 minutes it was easy as pie to resolve combat plus maneuver plus skill usages at once. The flow was smooth and the pace was fast. Loved it.

Rolemaster Unified Beta Playtest: Profession - the Astrologer

  Back in the day when I was playing Rolemaster twice a month, I played an Astrologer. To me, the Astrologer is a good example of everything good about Rolemaster. Let me explain.
  The Astrologer is a hybrid spellcaster mixing Channeling (what Clerics use) and Mentalism (sorta' like psionics). So it is, in a way a multi-class cleric/psionicist for magic-user/cleric. Another hybrid Channelling/Mentalism class is the Healer.
  The Astrologer has some great 'base spells' (or 'primary class spells') that allow them to communicate over vast distances, use some precognition, do a lot of cool tricks with lights, etc. This makes them an interesting mix of diviner and minor illusionist. They can also throw in a broad range of minor healing spells, invisibility, etc.
  But very few attack spells. They also couldn't wear a lot of armor and they could, potentially, be OK in combat with a single weapon. Maybe.

  But everyone in the party wanted the Astrologer along. In addition to being a decent backup healer he was also really good at things like 'no, there is a troll that way' and 'that stair leads back to the surface' and 'don't touch that, it is cursed'. And the Far Voice spells were great for talking between people hundreds of miles away, Really Big Deal in any pseudo-medieval setting!

  The Rolemaster Unified playtest is a ton of fun and we re enjoying it immensely. But since it is a playtest they are sticking to the core professions. So - I made my own RMU version of the Astrologer:

  This is a bare bones version, but complete enough to play in the playtest!

  Anyone have their own favorite profession they;d like to see return?

Rolemaster Unified Playtest: First Session

  Today was a brief (3 hour) playtest of the new Rolemaster Unified. The focus was on a quick, simple combat encounter with travel, etc.

Players and Characters:
All are 4th level, made as Legendary.
My Wife: Melinda Rosybranch, halfling (sylvan) Rogue
        Focused on stealth and ambush with locks and traps
        25 year veteran of RPGs, never played any Rolemaster before.
Oldest Son: Timorbatar 'Timor' Khalyn'Ku, human (nomad) fighter
        Horse archer focus with spear and dagger
        All the boys played 6 sessions of FMFRP with me 3 years ago. All are very familiar with all versions of D&D, HERO system, and many more.
Second Son: Shin, human (highlands) Cleric
        Broad mix of spells with good medicine and herbalism skills
Third Son: Ingmar, human (urban) Magent
        Built as a crossbow sniper and con man
Fourth Son: Fen Chang, human (highlands) Magician
        An eclectic scholar and good combat spell caster

Rolemaster Beta Playtest - Resources: GM Screen

  As I prepare for the playtest I put together a GM Screen designed to fit the Savage Worlds GM screen. I also have a 'handout' of other charts,too.

Rolemaster Unified Playtest. Character Creation is starting

As we prepare for out Rolemaster Unified personal public playtest the kids have so far created [we are starting at 4th level]:
 Names may change before sit down.

Oldest son: 'Tomorbatar KhadynKu', a nomad from the Grass Sea. Fighter. Uses Spear/Lance, Composite Short Bow, and Dagger. Focusing on Riding and Mounted Combat as his main skills.
Background - born and raised in the vast plains called the Sea of Grass that the equivalent of all of Asia, Tomorbatar [or just Tomor] is from a family of leaders amongst his people. As many young men from his people do, he left the yurts as a teen to travel with friends to the Cities and earned gold and scars guarding caravans. During a raid by the Grey Orcs he was separated and forced to ride West, eventually riding on out of curiosity. He has reached the Patchwork Lands and hopes to find more than gold - perhaps a land for his people to trade with. Or plunder.
  While he seems rather a straightforward hack and slash fighter, he is more subtle than he appears. He learned to outwit other tribes, the wily Goblins of the ravines, and the merchants trying to fleece young men from the plains. He plays a very convincing 'dim witted, uneducated barbarian' while seeing and hearing everything around him.

Third Son: 'Guarin', a thief from Ravensport. Thief. Uses daggers. Focusing on the core thief abilities and social skills. Guarin is from a family of thieves. His grandfather was a pickpocket, his grandmother an expert at sweating and clipping coins. His mother, who was run out of a decent, if poor, family for associating with his father was a con woman of the first water who specialized in rolling drunks while his dad was a second storey man. His uncle was one of the best box men in the business and his older brother branched out into smuggling. In the meantime all his paternal cousins were in protection, gambling, loansharking, and blackmail.
  Guarin started at the age of 6 helping his cousin as a beggar (he played her poor, blind son) and graduated to beggar/lookout by 8. He went on to work short and long cons, work as distraction on snatch jobs, and a touch of smuggling.
  But he wanted more than to be just another member of the family living in the same quarter of Ravensport doing the same things. So on a smuggling run he hooked up with another group of smugglers, then a greay market merchant, then just kept traveling. He is hoping to find something he can use his skills with that can fill him with pride and that other people, decent people, will admire.
  While he is very genuinely a nice, charming young man his instincts and training are always there. People that meet him tend to share this experience - he is funny, charming, and a great companion. He pours wine for all as he tells stories ranging from hilarious to gripping. He recommends the very best food and shares bites of his dish with all so they can also enjoy it. He dances a jig, teaches new drinking songs, and gives excellent advice. Then he begs off, bids everyone well, and leaves - the bill, for everyone else to pay. In the morning he is off to another town.

More to come