Author Topic: Kicking off...where to start  (Read 1951 times)

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Offline khunkwai

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Kicking off...where to start
« on: October 28, 2016, 06:16:55 AM »
Hi All

So, I previously played RM with LoTR and also MERP but I am looking to kick of a new game set in Shadow World and using the RMU Beta 2 Rules....

So...where to start, I'd love some recommendations on the ideal books I would need and the best region / setting books to pick up to support the game, I have some of the older books but nothing released since 1992 :)

Appreciate ideas, suggestions and pointers to related threads. 

Tks!

Offline egdcltd

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Re: Kicking off...where to start
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2016, 07:51:08 AM »
I'd say one of the Master Atlases is probably the first purchase. After that, where you are going to be playing is fairly relevant. If you have any of the old stuff for the areas, they may be useful. The two real choices are currently Jaiman or Emer.

Jaiman: Currently there is The Land of Xa-ar and Northern Saralis. Adventures from Guild Adventurer 2 and 3 are set in the same region. Tales from the Green Gryphon is set in Rhakhaan, but frankly could be placed anywhere you want. The Cloudlords of Tanara is set in the south east of Jaiman. There is also stuff in progress for that continent, but it may take a while. Quelbourne, an old supplement still available in PDF, is near Xa-ar as well.

Emer: Emer Atlas III and Eidolon, which is in a different region to the Emer III (it's in Emer II), are what's currently ready. You may also be able to pick up old copes of Emer I and II which are being revised. An adventure in Guild Adventurer 1 is set in the region of the currently unavailable Emer II and one in GA4 is set in Emer III. The free download Dagger of Jade, available from the Vault here, is also set in Emer III. Emer I may be the next new Shadow World supplement to be released, going by what Terry has posted.
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Offline Voriig Kye

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Re: Kicking off...where to start
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2016, 08:03:24 AM »
If you are planning on playing in Shadow World, the Master Atlas is a must.

Then, if you want to get a feeling of the world, I recommend the Player's Guide. Another non-rules content is The Loremaster Legacy, but that's a little more time consuming since it's a novel.

For the first set of adventures, the low level approach would be using Tales from the Green Gryphon Inn.

There are lots more after that, but there is no need to make sense of all of it at once. Keep this list at hand for your future consideration.  ;D

Offline khunkwai

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Re: Kicking off...where to start
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2016, 11:16:25 AM »
Thanks Guys I have 2nd Ed Atlas so would that be fine, or would one of the newer ones be better, I did notice that 4th Edition adds character creation which probably wouldn't be relevant seeing as we will use RMU for the core rules?

I think I am hedging towards Jaiman to start with.

Yes Player's Guide looks to be perfect for getting the players up to speed, as no doubt intended :)


Offline egdcltd

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Re: Kicking off...where to start
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2016, 11:20:35 AM »
Also the Player Guide is practically system neutral, which is a help.

I don't know about SWMA2 - it's the only Atlas I don't own! SWMA4 is horrible to print out. If you can get hold of old copies of Jaiman, Norek and Haalkitaine (all of which are having new versions done, but I doubt they'll be out for a significant while), that will help. There's also The Grand Campaign available as a free download in the Vault here (also Watchtowers of U-Lyshak), which has some stuff on Jaiman. One of the new projects that seems likely to be one of the first finished is Wulriis, which covers a new part of Jaiman, so there is, or will be, quite a lot of stuff around, old, new and upcoming.
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Offline khunkwai

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Re: Kicking off...where to start
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2016, 10:57:22 PM »
Thank you!

Offline Terry K. Amthor

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Re: Kicking off...where to start
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2016, 04:48:53 AM »
Just my 2ยข: SWMA3 has a lot more material than SWMA2 (and does not have those annoying graphics running down the page edges that are in SWMA4!)
Terry K. Amthor
Shadow World Author, Rolemaster & SpaceMaster Co-Designer, ICE co-founder.
Eidolon Studio Art Director


"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
-- Clarke's First Law.

Offline khunkwai

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Re: Kicking off...where to start
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2016, 12:23:09 PM »
Thank you Terry I'll add that to my list of books to get :)

Offline starflt

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Re: Kicking off...where to start
« Reply #8 on: October 30, 2016, 02:09:45 AM »
I don't see it available on RPGnow, but if you're going to run a campaign in Jaiman, I think you really need the Rhakhaan/Haalkitaine source book if you want to stick close to canon (plus it's quite good!).  Rhakhaan is the largest and most powerful country on the continent, so you really can't avoid going there or be not affected by its policies once you expand your campaign beyond a localized area.

Offline khunkwai

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Re: Kicking off...where to start
« Reply #9 on: October 31, 2016, 09:03:13 AM »
Thank you I'll check that out!

Offline khunkwai

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Re: Kicking off...where to start
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2016, 09:08:06 AM »
Hmm Haalkitaine and the Imperial Court of Rhakhaan seems to be the book in question, but not on DriveThru and out of print for a year or 20.... ebay nothing either

Offline egdcltd

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Re: Kicking off...where to start
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2016, 10:06:16 AM »
Yes, the PDF was taken down when the revision was started, so second hand is the only way of getting it now. And it looks really expensive - $99-$5,000 on Amazon. Perhaps I should shrink wrap my copy...
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Offline starflt

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Re: Kicking off...where to start
« Reply #12 on: October 31, 2016, 11:38:23 PM »
Terry has responded in the updates topic that mods to that book are not planned to be extensive, so it wouldn't take a lot of work to put out a new version.  With luck, that means he might be able to squeeze in revisions sometime soon.  Hopefully, you can hold out that long....