Author Topic: Are there any games like rolemaster?  (Read 2449 times)

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Offline Chapomaster

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Are there any games like rolemaster?
« on: September 30, 2017, 02:32:57 AM »
Have you seen a game that gives you the same feel/entertainment as rolemaster does?

Offline Alwyn

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2017, 10:11:16 AM »
Have you thought about ICE's own High Adventure Role Playing (HARP) which I highly recommend, or you could try Steve Jackson Games Generic Universal Role Playing System (GURPS).
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Offline jdale

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2017, 02:29:10 PM »
I like GURPS and it was my main system for quite a while. It's particularly good for cross-genre games. But it's very unlike RM. No levels or professions/classes, only four stats, d6, individual spells with prerequisite trees rather than lists... 
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Offline Chapomaster

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2017, 02:43:30 PM »
I have been thinking in running the dungeon fantasy box set when i get it, and for HARP i thought it was broken because a long post of a play test i read (it was very old) but in reality i dont know anything about it

Offline Peter R

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2017, 03:24:44 PM »
I would suggest you give HARP a go.

If you really wanted a non-RM system then one of the most fun systems I have ever played was Hero System.
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Offline Grinnen Baeritt

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2017, 04:55:14 PM »
If you like a dose of realism.. try HARN.

It's got a good solid easy to learn system, with combat that includes hit location, bleeding wounds, shock, fatigue etc .. and a well-detailed world.

Offline intothatdarkness

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2017, 05:59:12 PM »
Harn is quite solid. I'm also waiting to see what the new Top Secret looks like, as I was a huge fan of the old one (not, I should mention, Top Secret/SI). The James Bond RPG was a fun, over-the-top system that was also very flexible in terms of play and could provide quite a bit of fun depending on the nature of your group. The same goes for the old Gangbusters system.

(in case you can't tell I do a lot of non-fantasy RPG stuff...some of the best systems are actually in that genre IMO)
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Offline Alwyn

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2017, 10:45:26 AM »
The original Top Secret!  I haven't played that old game in a very long time (1986 was our last).  Our group loved that game and had many happy hours playing it.  The James Bond RPG was great for one-on-one RPGing, loved that one too.  We also had fun with the original Boot Hill.   
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Offline intothatdarkness

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2017, 02:32:57 PM »
Boot Hill was another of my early games. Gangbusters could be hard to get into, but once you did it had a great advancement system and really put some thought into opposed play (two different player groups coordinated by a single GM...one for cops and one for robbers if you were curious).
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Offline Bruce

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #9 on: October 14, 2017, 05:17:41 PM »
I highly recommend HARP, Rolemaster's younger sibling. It is a pretty good system with similar mechanics to RM but much easier for the players to take in. Players can make multi racial characters that are not limited to just half elves, basically characters can be a mix of any race. The Scaleable spell system is one thing I like better than RM's spell list system.

I am curious, where is this one page review that speaks horribly of HARP? I have read a few good reviews and one that was kind of neutral but never anything that mentions HARP is broken.

Bruce
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Offline Chapomaster

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2017, 03:02:02 PM »
I highly recommend HARP, Rolemaster's younger sibling. It is a pretty good system with similar mechanics to RM but much easier for the players to take in. Players can make multi racial characters that are not limited to just half elves, basically characters can be a mix of any race. The Scaleable spell system is one thing I like better than RM's spell list system.

I am curious, where is this one page review that speaks horribly of HARP? I have read a few good reviews and one that was kind of neutral but never anything that mentions HARP is broken.

Bruce

This two
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?282021-HARP-Why-it-doesn-t-work-for-us&highlight=HARP+issues
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?455933-How-can-Rolemaster-HARP-become-more-popular&p=10445613#post10445613

Offline Bruce

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2017, 04:34:54 PM »
I highly recommend HARP, Rolemaster's younger sibling. It is a pretty good system with similar mechanics to RM but much easier for the players to take in. Players can make multi racial characters that are not limited to just half elves, basically characters can be a mix of any race. The Scaleable spell system is one thing I like better than RM's spell list system.

I am curious, where is this one page review that speaks horribly of HARP? I have read a few good reviews and one that was kind of neutral but never anything that mentions HARP is broken.

Bruce

This two
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?282021-HARP-Why-it-doesn-t-work-for-us&highlight=HARP+issues
https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?455933-How-can-Rolemaster-HARP-become-more-popular&p=10445613#post10445613
I looked through them. They both seem like rants by people who never wanted to really give HARP a chance in the first place. It is like they played just to find all the flaws. I have seen people do that with just about any game system. The group I have run has had almost none of those problems, those we did were easily fixed by a house rule.
I really like the comments about a monk and comparing them to a fighter. One thing to note is the monk can't do any of their special attacks or adrenal db stuff wearing armor... I think they missed the point in that.
There is more but this is way off topic....lol

The important thing to note is that HARP is not broken and is in fact a pretty good system for what it is meant for. With some tweaks you can make it much better. But then again most GM's I know tweak just about any system they run on a regular basis.
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Offline Bruce

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2017, 05:55:42 PM »
Also note that those threads are over 13 years old. Many of their issues were addressed in the updated version post 2011. Either way HARP is a great system and is easy to tweak.
When you game, game like you mean it! Game Hard!

Offline Alwyn

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Re: Are there any games like rolemaster?
« Reply #13 on: October 18, 2017, 09:04:01 AM »
I really prefer HARP over any of the other fantasy type RPGs we play.  It is a very flexible system.  I have not found it to be broken at all.  The scaleable magic system, skills, and talents, along with the various racial hybrids make this my system of choice.  With HARP it is possible to create just about any type of character concept you can imagine.   :)

Plus, I really like the flexibility of the various combat systems that were conceived for HARP, i.e. Arms Law, Hack & Slash, and the different combat systems in the old HARPers Bizaars, which shows just how flexible the system can be.
Alwyn Erendil
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Don't worry, be HARPy!