Author Topic: Monster & Creature DB  (Read 1371 times)

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Offline thorgarth

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Monster & Creature DB
« on: August 09, 2017, 05:47:35 PM »
Greetings.

After several years of absence from Rolemaster I´ve decided to pick the RMSS Manual today to create a combat example to show how it really works in Rolemaster, especially it´s lethality.

And once again there was something that screamed at me, and which I reminded was something that always bothered me, and that is how the DB for creatures and monsters doesn´t seem to follow the same formula as for the PC´s, but especially most creatures seem to have an unexplainably high DB when compared to PC´s, even with very high quickness bonus (and not using armor).

Take for example Orcs, lesser. It´s base DB is 0, since they are Speed MS slow, equivalent to a PC with no Quickness bonus I reckon. YET they have 30DB plus any that derives from a shield being employed.

I really can´t understand how creatures/monsters DB values are reached, which are many times superior do their Speed MS and there are no other parameters given that may influence  their DB.

What am I missing here guys?

Offline rdanhenry

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Re: Monster & Creature DB
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2017, 10:56:54 PM »
The stats for creatures prior to RMU were completely arbitrary, so far as I can tell. Somebody decided that Orcs shouldn't be overly soft targets, so stuck some DB on them. RMSS C&M is worse than RM2 C&T, because most things were not updated to adjust to the rules changes. What changes were made were as arbitrary as the original numbers, and since stat blocks were given twice (individually and in the creature-type stat table), inconsistencies were introduced as the two blocks didn't always agree.
Rolemaster: When you absolutely, positively need to have a chance of tripping over an imaginary dead turtle.

Online Hurin

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Re: Monster & Creature DB
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2017, 11:42:20 PM »
The stats for creatures prior to RMU were completely arbitrary, so far as I can tell. Somebody decided that Orcs shouldn't be overly soft targets, so stuck some DB on them. RMSS C&M is worse than RM2 C&T, because most things were not updated to adjust to the rules changes. What changes were made were as arbitrary as the original numbers, and since stat blocks were given twice (individually and in the creature-type stat table), inconsistencies were introduced as the two blocks didn't always agree.

That's another thing that RMU seems to be correcting, and I say, good job on that!
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Offline thorgarth

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Re: Monster & Creature DB
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2017, 04:04:38 AM »
That´s what I always thought. That seems completely arbitrary and not based on the actual DB mechanics as they are presented in the core book. It´s especially bad because the values in most cases are way too inflated, far above what would made any sense. It makes even less sense when you think they have speed stats that were supposed to give them their base DB but the the end result is completely altered.

And THAT, for me, is actually the only major issue with RMSS. Just a shame, but it seems I will have to adjust the DB based only on the Speed MS given for each creature to which I will add the shield value.

Thanks for the feedback.