Customer Reviews

Rolemaster Standard System 3-In-1

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The Rolemaster series of roleplaying products is quite simply - in my opinion - the best roleplaying system around. RMSS heralds the first major re-edit since 1980, and it rebalanced the professions, skill system and magic - with only cosmetic alterations to the combat system. This title (RMSS 3-in-1) includes the entire system - Spell Law (magic); Arms Law (combat) and the Standard Rules (Character Creation & Skill System). Unfortunately, although the individual titles are still available, this slip-case title is no longer in publication - if you can find it anywhere - snap it up!

Highly appreciated among rpg hardcore players, Iron CrownEnterprises Rolemaster Game System is ideal for applying rich andcomplete rules to ANY world you could imagine! However is best suitedfor Medieval(Swords & Sorcerers)worlds and is the logic next step for MERP players ( ... ) Now this particular package includes: -Spell Law ( ... ) -Arms Law ( ... ) and -Rolemaster Standard Rules ( ... ). This is also a perfect buy for all the people that missed the (out-of-stock) Rolemaster Boxed Set ( ... ) dated 1991. So this is a new edition dated 1996.

This is not a set for newbies. It is a complex but higly playable role game system full of companions, add-ons, excellent and huge magic rules and adventure books.

I've also played Dungeons&Dragons, AD&D, MERP, Cthulhu,Star Wars,and several other rpgs and this is the BEST so far! Just buy it!

I must have had a lot of spare time as a kid, because we played Rolemaster all the time. And that's a fair accomplishment with the complexity of the game.

I recently uncovered my old copy of the RMSS in the back of a storage unit and have spent the last few nights poring over it. It's still an attractive product: every page of every book is perforated and hole-punched making it simple to organize the rules in your own fashion, inserting "house rules" wherever desired. ICE went to a lot of work to show that they weren't dead yet, and the overall production value is significantly better than earlier editions.

The game itself is one of the most in-depth treatments of fantasy role-playing I've ever seen, to the degree that I've never been able to take the 3rd Edition Dungeons and Dragons rules seriously. "What, I can't believe they left out the combined effect of exhaustion, injury, and previous failures on spell-casting!" You can put together any setting, and have incredibly flexible rules for character development. You want your fighter to learn a magic spell? No problem, it'll just take 20 times as much effort as it would for him to improve his weapon skills, and he'll never be as good as a true wizard. But hey, at least he'll know how to make a little light without a torch.

On the other hand, the complexity of the game rules can be overwhelming. The authors covered everything they could think of, in every possible combination, and assembled it into a huge collection of rules and tables. You can ignore as many rules as you like (that's the golden rule of any RPG, by the way), but even figuring out what rules to ignore is a daunting task.

I can't recommend RMSS as a first exposure to role-playing unless you happen to find yourself a good GM who can walk you through play without crushing your brain with all the rules. Go ahead, just play and roll the dice whenever he tells you and take his word on whatever happens.

Even though this particular edition is out of print, Rolemaster is still alive, and can be found both in paperback and PDF forms.