Customer Reviews

Rolemaster: The Basics (Stock #5501) [BOX SET]

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Even being the "Basics," this set is packed! It contains: Rolemaster: The Basics, a 128-page volume that contains a distilled version of the RMSS rule set. [Caution: Some out-of-print sellers are only selling this book -- you want the full box set!] Also included are: Part VI: The Appendices (72 pages) & Tables and Record Sheets (72 pages). Bringing back memories of the very first Rolemaster set of the early 80s are the familiar booklets: Of Channeling (32 pages); Of Essence (32 pages); Of Mentalism (32 pages).

Heh. Only ICE would consider 368 pages of material to be a "Basic Set," but that's what you are looking for in Rolemaster: Detail and accuracy.

You can skip this part if you like. I preface this with a little history. In 1995 the Rolemaster Standard System (RMSS) was released. The core rulebook contained all the mechanics. You then filled in the details with Spell Law and Arms Law. You couldn't play without these two books, unless of course you did not want magic or martial combat in your game.

History continued, skip if desired. in 1999 the Rolemaster Fantasy Roleplaying System (RMFRP) was released. The core rulebook contained everything you needed to play, in condensed format. It was expanded upon by Spell Law (split into three books, of Essence, of Channeling, and of Mentalism) and Arms law. It was not necessary to own these books, everything could be done from the core rulebook, but they greatly expanded the game. The core rulebook is a "striped down" version of the game.

History lesson done. This book I expected would contained clarified and clearly explained wording to task resolution and character generation. Basically, this boxed set tried to do what the RMFRP core rulebook did. It is just a reprinting from Arms Law, Spell Law, and the core rulebook. The wording is verbatim from these books. The author does not explain anything in basic language. This is bad, because one of my main gripes with rolemaster is the huge learning curve it takes to understand the game, even (especially?) character generation. I think in rolemaster this problem could have been solved if the authors used more examples and clearly explained how things worked, but i'm getting off topic. It has less spells, less attack tables, less races, and less professions, just like the RMFRP core rulebook.

You might as well buy the RMFRP core rulebook instead of this. The reason for this is unless you buy this new, you are probably only going to get a rulebook called Rolemaster: The Basics. This does not contain everything you need to play, unlike the RMFRP core rulebook. The boxed set came with 5 booklets that contained the spells, charts, and skills. You cannot play without these. Make sure you ask your vendor if it is the complete boxed set before you buy from them.