Author Topic: Introduction & question  (Read 1774 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Asterionaisien

  • Neophyte
  • *
  • Posts: 11
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Introduction & question
« on: January 01, 2017, 06:05:44 PM »
Hello everyone, im a fellow gamer who DM'ed RM2 and Merp a lot back in the '90. I have recently discovered the existence of the Harp system and i have to admit it caught my attention for his various good ideas! To me, it feels as a modernized and streamlined Merp, but at a first glance it gives the freedom to do whatever you want.
Thus said, I just bought RMC on Fantasy Grounds, and I would like to know if there is some Harp mod for FG, or the best way to use RMC ruleset to run a  Harp Campaign.
I got same nickname on FG forums, so there is also the possibility to comment there and give the game more exposure (and maybe other players are interested in the answer too).
On a sidenote, someone Is interested into a online Harp test campaign? I'm in no way a rolemaster&sons expert nor a mothertongue EN  speaker, but I guess I can manage good enough to GM it.

I do not know if i can post a link pointing to another forum here, so if I'm violating some rule please remove it and forgive me this time:
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?65-Rolemaster-Classic

Offline Alwyn

  • Senior Adept
  • **
  • Posts: 570
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Introduction & question
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2017, 10:27:26 AM »
Welcome to the forums Asterionaisien.  HARP is a simpler system than Role Master and is sort of an heir to MERP.  It is my go to fantasy RPG these days.  I do not know if there is a current Fantasy Grounds for HARP, but there is AutoHARP available for purchase at the RPGNow/DriveThruRPG website.
Alwyn Erendil
Warden of the High Forest
"NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT - At least not in Yu Gi Oh"

Don't worry, be HARPy!

Offline Asterionaisien

  • Neophyte
  • *
  • Posts: 11
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Introduction & question
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2017, 10:44:10 AM »
No, at the moment there isn't any extension for the harp system, but that isn't a problem, I noticed i could adapt the stuff for combat and change the DP.
About the harp system, yeah i like it because is the just go between simplicicty and crunchiness.
Now...If I could find a party...no one seems to be interested to try it, at least here in Italy.
Thank you for your welcome!

Offline Alwyn

  • Senior Adept
  • **
  • Posts: 570
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Introduction & question
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2017, 11:05:14 AM »
I had a hard time when I first tried to get our group to play HARP instead of D&D (d20).  The players who liked playing fighter types were harder to convince, but the players who liked to play spell caster types loved HARP right away.  Good luck, hope you get players.  HARP is a better game in my opinion.
Alwyn Erendil
Warden of the High Forest
"NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT - At least not in Yu Gi Oh"

Don't worry, be HARPy!

Offline GMLovlie

  • Senior Adept
  • **
  • Posts: 524
  • OIC Points +0/-0
  • For the future I only hope...
    • Jegergryte's cubic box of stuff
Re: Introduction & question
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2017, 04:22:36 AM »
Welcome to the forum!

I just managed to get my Star Wars group to test HARP SF (been trying to play HARP SF for years!)and I'm being slightly pushy about trying HARP Fantasy too. This is a group I've played with for about a year and a half, one long FFG Star Wars RPG campaign (40 odd sessions.) They're used to d20 stuff, Vampire, easy peasy narrative squeesy games :P Which is all fun and games. Literally. Heroic stuff, where you just by being an adventurer, will be considered super-human.

HARP, in my opinion, is different. It's about becoming the hero, but you don't start out as one - and you won't be close to anything like a hero (in power level at least) before lvl 10 anyway - although demeanour and actions may be considerably heroic. I'm not sure I'd say HARP is better than 5e or other games, but it's different, it caters to a different style of storytelling, a different journey. One that I prefer for both Fantasy and SF, but it is more complicated, it is more bookkeeping, it requires more involvement.

You can always get people involved, it just takes a bit of coaxing, run a few other games, lure them in with fun and games, then gently nudge them into testing HARP... then let them feel like big damn heroes with some easy encounters... then slap them down with a 2 headed hydra ... in a pool... on a starship ... almost killing half the group - silently thanking the powers that be that you managed to talk one of the players into being a considerably competent medic...  :o The fear in the players' eyes when they heard "dead in 12 rounds" ... they were used to nice, safe, Star Wars, where dying is only a risk if it's plot-related and more or less planned - accidental death never happened, was never even close. I think they liked the meeting with potential death - granted I had to fudge a bit the dying rules are a bit harsh, but I felt my interpretation was within the rules, if not clearly so.

"What about the future...? We can only hope, we cannot however account for the minutiae of the quanta, as all accidents in an infinite space are inevitable."

Homebrew folder
Ongoing campaign
Inspirational images for my games
My box of stuff

Offline Asterionaisien

  • Neophyte
  • *
  • Posts: 11
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Introduction & question
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2017, 05:50:21 AM »
Those  are really good advices, thank you!
I really wonder why it's so difficult to try new games,  maybe people do not want to exit from their "comfort zone"?
I guess my best bet coud be completely new players so they can grow up with the system..nowadays people have really a short attention span, and god forbid doing math with two digits involved... ::)
About style, I too prefer a more "realistic" one, because it complement well how I GM games.. usually after 3-4 sessions of play, when I ask "are you sure? ", the players start to look at me with big round puppy eyes...  ;D
Jokes aside, thank you for your welcome and the useful advice!

Offline GMLovlie

  • Senior Adept
  • **
  • Posts: 524
  • OIC Points +0/-0
  • For the future I only hope...
    • Jegergryte's cubic box of stuff
Re: Introduction & question
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2017, 07:57:32 AM »
People like what they're used to. Change is scary. It represent unknowns: which means you can "fail" at the new game - a notion that is of course ridiculous. The fact that it is a maths heavy game isn't going to endear many players, for reasons I know, but simply put I find hard to understand. It's only maths. And, except for the GM, it's only addition and subtraction. I get that some are slower than others, some are proud/arrogant about how good they are at doing calculations without a calculator... but this whole principles of competitiveness goes against the whole spirit of RPGs - as I understand it. But yeah, that's not the fault of the game though. That's just humans and our society.

It also gives a feeling of mastery, now just three sessions into this new campaign, the "slow" one in my group is doing more and more himself. He's still convinced he sucks and is continuously looking to the "maths wizard" - who is in competition with the third player about being the fastest and the best - but it is obvious he doesn't need to. It is silly, but at least I have one player who loves maths, one who wants to be good at it, and to myself its just maths, and sometimes it takes longer than other times (it is just about taking the time you need, there's no rush.) It has become a communal thing though, we make all calculations together - which of course caused a lot of confusion in the beginning as people do maths differently, people have developed different techniques and ways of solving long problems. We're finding our way though - and I'm making accessories to speed up the process.

Currently I'm working on combat action cards (for HARP SF), that you fill out for relevant combat actions and weapons you carry. So you won't have to go through everything again and again. You just have it in front of you, adjust due to critical and/or movement only.

I'm planning on making an unofficial GM screen too (for HARP SF), with the most important combat actions on the side for the players as well as the GM side, along with the manoeuvre table, difficulties and perhaps some stolen art that I like ;)


I keep rolling to a minimum, but still call for rolls - that are essentially meaningless - to create tension. I also make heavy use of the percentage result column, and I make a lot of skill checks opposed. This way players don't feel that quickly like failures, and also it means checks are more dynamic and become more narrative. This also helps us learn quick calculations without a ever present pass/fail risk and fear.
"What about the future...? We can only hope, we cannot however account for the minutiae of the quanta, as all accidents in an infinite space are inevitable."

Homebrew folder
Ongoing campaign
Inspirational images for my games
My box of stuff

Offline Asterionaisien

  • Neophyte
  • *
  • Posts: 11
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Introduction & question
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2017, 02:35:32 PM »
P



I keep rolling to a minimum, but still call for rolls - that are essentially meaningless - to create tension. I also make heavy use of the percentage result column, and I make a lot of skill checks opposed. This way players don't feel that quickly like failures, and also it means checks are more dynamic and become more narrative. This also helps us learn quick calculations without a ever present pass/fail risk and fear.

Those are good GM'ing tips, especially for a kind of game i dont play often, thank you!

Offline Alwyn

  • Senior Adept
  • **
  • Posts: 570
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Introduction & question
« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2017, 03:29:53 PM »
Don't forget about Fate Points.  They allow for really heroic actions every once in a while for your characters and can also save their bacon if things (i.e. possible death) get to close for comfort.
Alwyn Erendil
Warden of the High Forest
"NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT - At least not in Yu Gi Oh"

Don't worry, be HARPy!

Offline GMLovlie

  • Senior Adept
  • **
  • Posts: 524
  • OIC Points +0/-0
  • For the future I only hope...
    • Jegergryte's cubic box of stuff
Re: Introduction & question
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2017, 07:21:03 AM »
Fate points are really cool. I just notice that no player has really ever used DPs to buy FPs...

Anyone here dishing out FPs to players during play? For super heroic actions not assisted by FPs, but where you probably usually would (or should) ?
"What about the future...? We can only hope, we cannot however account for the minutiae of the quanta, as all accidents in an infinite space are inevitable."

Homebrew folder
Ongoing campaign
Inspirational images for my games
My box of stuff

Offline Alwyn

  • Senior Adept
  • **
  • Posts: 570
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Introduction & question
« Reply #10 on: January 12, 2017, 03:49:11 PM »
I do indeed hand out Fate Points for heroic actions, good in game puns or jokes, and especially for good role playing.  I don't hand them out like candy, but I am not overly stingy with them either.  I think awarding them under certain circumstances improves role playing and therefore the playing of the game itself.   :)
Alwyn Erendil
Warden of the High Forest
"NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT - At least not in Yu Gi Oh"

Don't worry, be HARPy!

Offline Asterionaisien

  • Neophyte
  • *
  • Posts: 11
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: Introduction & question
« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2017, 01:54:01 AM »
Yeah I really dislike the idea of giving fate points with DP's.
I  think they are best used if you like something more akin to D&D 5 (with inspiration rules) or Savage worlds' bennies; they are used to do heroic actions.
Ofc Rolemaster&Nephews are grittier systems than the ones before so maybe giving too much fate points is something out of the game'style, but giving some point to let them save their skin or succeed against all odds is usually a more meaningful reward than another +1 spell adder, at least in their memories :)