According to this announcement over at the 'Iron Crown Enterprises' website, Rolemaster Classic -- essentially the second edition version of the game -- will soon be available in print again.  (You can order pdfs of the original 1989 2nd edition version from their website.)  While the rules of 'Classic Rolemaster' will be the same as 2nd edition, it seems that ICE will be cleaning up and reorganising them for easier use.

I really liked Rolemaster back in the day.  I owned (most of) the 1e version, as well as the 2e version (the version that lasted from 1984 to around 1995).  However, I loathe the current version of Rolemaster -- known variously as RMFRP or RMSS (the 'SS' refers to 'Standard System'), the version ICE released around 1995.  I tried running a RMSS campaign in 1999, and gave up after a few sessions.  However, I have very fond memories of some RM2e games from the 1980s and early 1990s.  

I welcome this news, and I'll probably get the new books, as my originals disappeared over a decade ago.  Who knows, I may start up the game again.

What I would really like to see, though, is a 'generic' version of MERP (ICE's 'Middle-earth roleplaying' system) released.  Although that system was not a great fit for Middle-earth (especially its magic system), I thought that it was a very nice 'lighter' version of Rolemaster.  It kept most of what I liked about Rolemaster 2e, but with a lot less clutter and complexity.

Still, it's cool that Rolemaster Classic will be available soon.  

(More information available here.)

:wizard:

I did like Spell Law back in the day to supplement MERP, so good to see this.

Quote from: AkrasiaWhat I would really like to see, though, is a 'generic' version of MERP (ICE's 'Middle-earth roleplaying' system) released.

HARP does the generic MERP thing for me nicely & is a lot cheaper than tracking down MERP these days. :cool: HARP Lite is almost the whole core book for free, good to give to potential players. :pundit:

I too like 2nd edition Rolemaster.  I could see myself buying a cleaned up version.  It and MERP are on the very short list of non-D&D games with which I would run vanilla fantasy.

yeah, i had known for quite some time about this comming out. I had been asked to help out with some aspects of the new version, but in the end I just didn't ahve the time to do it.

It's good to see it happen, there are certainly plenty of RM fans out there that would like a more clean version.

This is fantastic news.  We ran an RM2 campaign last year that was lots of fun, though a couple folks in our group never fully "got" the numbers and just rolled the dice when they were told.  I've only recently gotten ahold of some RMSS material, and found it a little too far up the complexity ladder for my liking.

I really like ICE's approach to RPG design as evidenced in HARP, RM and MERP.  However, they seem to be stuck on releasing system/rule material, with very little in the way of support (adventures, settings...I am aware of Gryphon World, but have they done much with it?).  Even something like the old Characters book for RM2, that contained example character builds from each class at several different power levels.

Support materials would go a long way toward giving an "in" to system newcomers.  I know that in my case it took a long time before I felt able to run the game properly, and a lot of this was due to a lack of solid examples (what constitutes a good character build?  How challenging are these beasties I'm putting into the adventure? etc.).  A well-done series of low-level guides would be fantastic for the game; a lot of the Shadow World stuff, frex, looked to be aimed at high-level play.

I do understand ICE is looking into profitable ways to produce adventures and supplements.  A good sign.

I just hope that, with the release of another set of rules, they don't end up fracturing or confusing their fanbase.

Quote from: Casey777... HARP does the generic MERP thing for me nicely & is a lot cheaper than tracking down MERP these days. :cool: HARP Lite is almost the whole core book for free, good to give to potential players. :pundit:

I've read HARP (or rather, HARP Lite), and think it is a good game, although I have yet to try it in practice.

However, I still prefer MERP.  MERP is somewhat 'lighter' than HARP (fixed skill points per level instead of variable development points based on stats; 6 core stats instead of 8; etc.).  

MERP also keeps some of the things that I liked about Rolemaster 2e that HARP ditched (namely, the fact that armour makes one easier to hit, but harder to really hurt [i.e. critical], and the 'spell list' system from Spell Law).

I also like the fact that MERP is essentially interchangeable with RM2, which is not the case with HARP.  I have a lot of cool Shadow World stuff for RM2 that I can use with MERP with very little conversion work.  And of course my old ICE Middle-earth stuff has stats for both MERP and RM2.

I'm sorely tempted to put together a 'generic' version of MERP someday, and make it available for free (assuming that there were no legal barriers to this).  Or at least I'd make a generic version of the MERP character creation and skill system; I don't mind using Spell Law and a 'simplified' Arms Law for magic and combat.

Quote from: KenHR....  A well-done series of low-level guides would be fantastic for the game; a lot of the Shadow World stuff, frex, looked to be aimed at high-level play....

Terry Amthor, the creator of Shadow World, continues to produce new material for the setting.  He uses Rolemaster 2e for his stuff (some of which is then converted into RMSS, etc.).  So there is a source of campaign material for Rolemaster 2e/Classic.  E.g. Amthor recently released a new version of Cloudlords of Tanara, available for purchase at ICE (pdf only, unfortunately).

But you're right that most of the Shadow World stuff seems aimed at high-level play.  I sometimes wonder if Amthor ever runs games in the 1-10 level range.

A decent series low level set of adventures set in Shadow World can be found in the campaign book Norek (1990).  If you can track down a copy on e-bay, it's worth having.

Of course a lot of the old Middle-earth stuff was aimed at lower level games (1-10 being the default range for MERP).  A fair amount of that material could be adopted to other settings.  Indeed, much of it was a poor fit in Middle-earth (especially the ones set in 'southern' Middle-earth; they were cool, well-done campaign settings, but not really 'Tolkien-ish' in nature).

Quote from: KenHR... I just hope that, with the release of another set of rules, they don't end up fracturing or confusing their fanbase.

Well, a lot of RM fans never liked RMSS, and stuck with RM2.  The fanbase is already fractured.  I think this move simply acknowledges this fact -- and is an attempt make a bit of money while doing so.

As for HARP, well ICE needed a simpler 'intro game'.  But what puzzles me about HARP is that it is compatible with neither RM2 or RMSS.  They should have followed the model of MERP -- if not simply creating a generic version of MERP -- and ensured that their 'intro game' was compatible with their more 'advanced' game(s).

Quote from: AkrasiaTerry Amthor, the creator of Shadow World, continues to produce new material for the setting.  He uses Rolemaster 2e for his stuff (some of which is then converted into RMSS, etc.).  So there is a source of campaign material for Rolemaster 2e/Classic.  E.g. Amthor recently released a new version of Cloudlords of Tanara, available for purchase at ICE (pdf only, unfortunately).

Hmm, I had heard something about this a while back, but I must not have been paying attention (I usually go straight to the boards on the ICE site).  Thanks for the heads-up, and the info on Norek!

Quote from: AkrasiaOf course a lot of the old Middle-earth stuff was aimed at lower level games (1-10 being the default range for MERP).  A fair amount of that material could be adopted to other settings.  Indeed, much of it was a poor fit in Middle-earth (especially the ones set in 'southern' Middle-earth; they were cool, well-done campaign settings, but not really 'Tolkien-ish' in nature).

I hear so many good things about the MERP campaign stuff, but most of it commands high prices.  MERP was actually my first exposure to ICE; a friend had the 1st edition box and loaned it to me so I could figure it out for him.  Never played or ran a game of it, though.

Quote from: AkrasiaWell, a lot of RM fans never liked RMSS, and stuck with RM2.  The fanbase is already fractured.  I think this move simply acknowledges this fact -- and is an attempt make a bit of money while doing so.

As for HARP, well ICE needed a simpler 'intro game'.  But what puzzles me about HARP is that it is compatible with neither RM2 or RMSS.  They should have followed the model of MERP -- if not simply creating a generic version of MERP -- and ensured that their 'intro game' was compatible with their more 'advanced' game(s).

Generic MERP would be great to see.  I like a lot of what I read in the HARP Lite download, but there's so much more I like about RM2.

I can't wait to see RMC...many folks on the ICE boards are hinting at some changes, but they can't say anything about them.  Durned NDAs...

Curse of Kabis is a RMSS campaign book that can be used easily with RMII. It has, i believe, 7 adventures that take characters from beginning levels to outrageous levels. Having said that, you'll need to insert some side trek adventures between them or the PCs will be woefully underpowered in the later adventures covered in the book. It also details some areas of the Shadow World that can be used outside of the campaign.

I had a two year campaign using this book and it rocked.

Quote from: One Horse Town... I had a two year campaign using this book and it rocked.

Really?  It is widely criticised by Shadow World fans.  According Shadow World creator, Terry Amthor:
Kabis was published after I'd left ICE, and ... was involved. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't exist.    

Quote from: AkrasiaReally?  It is widely criticised by Shadow World fans.  According Shadow World creator, Terry Amthor:
Kabis was published after I'd left ICE, and ... was involved. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't exist.    

I don't give a monkeys what he said. The campaign i ran using that was one of the best i have been invloved in.

Quote from: One Horse TownI don't give a monkeys what he said. The campaign i ran using that was one of the best i have been invloved in.

Okay ... sorry.  :imsorry:

What I meant to say is that that module is criticised for being incompatible/inconsistent with core features of Shadow World.

Perhaps it was great, I don't know.  I just know that as a Shadow World module many people found it objectionable.

Nonetheless, I'm glad you had a good time with it.

Akrasia - don't have MERP anymore so couldn't compare it. Offhand maybe an an article for the HARP 'zine (or supplement) or for ICE to release a RM Classic lite like they've done with HARP. The changes don't sound *too* radical to me but then I'm used to hashing out differences between editions of Traveller with canonistas. :eek:

I'm an RM2 veteran who never made the switch to RMSS - but more because of intertia and the fact that I wasn't really playing regularly than any sense that they'd broken the game with the new version.  If anything I'd thought that vanilla RMSS was a good deal less complicated than RM2 once you'd turned a couple of the options on - and RM2 without at least some of the options was incredibly narro win what it tried to cover.

I've never really checked out any of ICE setting or adventure material, but I've lawys had the sense that they're chronically style-impaired.  Soem great rules, some really interesting ideas, a very innovative approach to rules heavy gaming.  But they never really tried to give you a feel for the material, and when they did it was pretty awful.  The background in cyberspace was just awful, and spacemaster titled its thief profession "criminologist"...

Quote from: lacemakerThe background in cyberspace was just awful, and spacemaster titled its thief profession "criminologist"...

Hey, who can dislike a setting where Madonna was still alive in 2090