Scourge of the Slavelords Campaign
Rolemaster Classic Clarifications & Customisations
The campaign will be using the Rolemaster Classic system with the following customisations.
RMC Character Law
Optional Rules
The following optional rules will be used from Character Law
- OPTION 1: POWER POINTS BASED ON STAT BONUS
- OPTION 8: BACKGROUND OPTIONS (with modifications - see below)
- OPTION 9: HOBBIES
- OPTION 11.2: FLAT DEVELOPMENT POINTS
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(NEW) OPTION 12.3: WEAPON SKILLS FOR SIMILAR WEAPONS 3 (-10)
- Weapon can be used at -10 skill of a similar weapon.
- OPTION 13: RIDING SKILLS FOR SIMILAR ANIMALS
- OPTION 17: ADDING NEW SKILLS
- OPTION 18: SECONDARY SKILLS
6.0 Background
I am modifying/customising most of the talents and background options particularly those from Talent Law. My modifications have a number of objectives.
- To generally reduce the raw game mechanics effects of talents. For this campaign at least I want to avoid talents being used as a way of 'powering up a character'. I'm more interested in the 'flavour' the talent brings to the game than the game mechanic effects.
- Remove balance inconsistencies between talents. (e.g. Accelerated Mending vs. Regeneration (lesser))
- To adapt Talent Law talents to the Rolemaster Classic system.
- To apply common sense to the game mechanic effects based on the talent description. (e.g. Sleight of Hand talent only apples a bonus to dexterous hand maneuvers e.g. juggling, pick pockets, hand concealment of small items, it would not apply a bonus to Stalking or Hiding)
Some rough guidelines I am applying to my modifications.
- The default bonus for popular / useful skills is +10. e.g. weapon category, Stalk & Hide, Perception.
- Narrow the application of the talent and the bonus increases to +15 and typically retains a +5 for the general case. e.g. +5 to Stalk & Hide but +15 if in an urban environment. e.g. +5 to Stalk + 15 to Hide. e.g. +5 to bow skill +15 if targeting a flying creature.
- Gross generalisation drops the bonus to +5 e.g. +5 to all weapon skills.
- For historically less popular skills the bonus could be as high as +50 e.g. singing, cooking, fletching, caving.
I will be interested in some sort of explanation for the talent so simply stating the BO gives you +10 to warhammer is fine regarding the bonus but not very interesting from a background perspective. Perhaps the warhammer is traditionally your families weapon of choice going back generations?
Some rules for spending background options
- Not more than 1 character in the party can have exactly the same talent, special ability, special status, special item, etc.
- Background options may be used to purchase talents from Talent Law. Note most of these talents will be modified.
- Use of background options is not restricted to what is specified in the rules. Players can invent their own background options (subject to GM approval)
New Background options
- Purchase 2 fate points
- Raise a temp stat to 90.
Fate Points
- Characters can have zero or more fate points. They can be spent during play to alter / force a particular outcome.
- Characters start with 1 fate point.
- All use of fate is subject to GM approval.
- Additional fate points are obtained by expending background options during initial character development or allocated at the GM's discretion.
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Some examples of how fate points can be used
- Avoid serious injury (e.g. a severe crit result). GM decides result instead.
- Avoid serious mishap (e.g. very poor or fumbled roll). GM decides result instead.
- Ensure effective attack. (e.g. automatic max result for the attack type and any resulting crit can be modified up or down by up to 20)
- Ensure effective maneuver. (e.g. automatic success. As long as a success was realistically possible in the first place.)
7.0 Skills
OPTION 9: HOBBIES
- Cannot be used to develop magical or martial skills.
- Body Development is not considered a martial skill.
7.2 SKILL RANK DEVELOPMENT
- All characters get 40 DP per development phase. (OPTION 11.2: FLAT DEVELOPMENT POINTS)
- At least 10 (of the 40) DP must be spent on Secondary Skills each development phase.
- At least 20 (of the 40) DP must be spent on Secondary Skills during Adolescent Development.
7.9 SECONDARY SKILL DESCRIPTIONS
- Acrobatics includes Diving and Tumbling. i.e. they are a single combined skill using the skill cost and stat mods for Acrobatics.
- Animal Healing and Healing (see below) are similar skills. i.e. skill in one can be used as the other at greater difficulty.
- Frenzy is NA
- First Aid replaced by more generic skill Healing. (includes second aid, stitching, setting breaks, minor surgery, etc).
- Foraging replaced by more generic skill Wilderness Survival (includes finding/building shelter, trapping, etc. One skill covers all but extreme/exotic environments. (e.g. includes mountains, forest, plains, swamp, marsh. The following need to be developed separately/specifically, jungle, arctic, desert.
- Herbalism is a new Secondary Skill with a stat mods of Em/Re and a skill cost of 2/6. It is basically a single skills that combines the RMSS skills Herb Lore, Using Prepared Herbs, and Prepare Herbs
- Jousting is NA. Use weapon skill in Lance.
- Meditation: The description of this skill clashes with the description of elves in RMC Creatures & Treasures. A successful meditation skill check will allow an elf to meditate and that 2 hrs of such meditation will bestow the equivalent rest to the elf as a full nights sleep does to a mortal. Meditation skill can only be developed by Elves, Monks and Warrior Monks.
- Navigation includes Stargazing. i.e. they are a single combined skill using the skill cost and stat mods for Navigation.
- Sailing includes modes of propulsion other than sail. e.g. rowing, punting and any sea/river skill not covered by Navigation and Rope Use.
- Skiing. General sliding maneuvers covered by Acrobatics
8.0 EQUIPMENT AND COMMERCE
08-19 ENCHANTED HERBS
- Arkasu can be applied to burn injuries.
RMC Spell Law
Optional Rules
The following optional rules will be used from Spell Law
- OPTION 2.2: NON RANDOM SPELL ACQUISITION BY INDIVIDUAL SPELLS
- OPTION 2.3: LIMITS ON SPELL LIST AVAILABILITY
RMC Combat Companion
2.0 PROFESSIONS
2.7 VENTURER BASE LISTS
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Control
- 3) Question - The target will answer the question to a degree both in truth and completeness based on the degree to which the resistance roll is failed.
Miscellaneous
- If an attack result exceeds the maximum result for the attack chart any resulting crit is resolved with a +10 modification.