Topic: RMFRP core books for gaming.

[danskmacabre]

After a several years hiatus from RM. I'm having a look again.
I used to run RM 2nd ed and thereafter RMSS, which was fun.

Gave it a break for other systems for several years but might be running it again as I'm moving back to Australia soon and some people I used to run RM for want to get into it again.

I have the RMFRP core rules book, which looks a little like MERP in that it's a completely self contained rules book.
I've not run RMFRP before, but looking at it, it looks a lot like RMSS but looks like it's split into more books.

I assume if I want to use all the spells above 10th level and the full blown combat I'll need the following:

Arms Law
The 3 spell law books (Of Mentalism, Of Channelling, Of Essence)   

Is there anything else that is considered "Essential" to run RMFRP?
And if so, why?

[markc]

  IMHO, it depends on the game world you are running in or designing. If you are going to do some short adventures in one area then IMHO you have all you need. But if you are designing a world from the ground up and want some good alt rules then I would pick up Chan Comp which has specialty Priests (a big change IMHO and a good one), then The Martial Arts Comp (if you can find it at a good price) or the Combat Companion to design Combat Styles for your pure arms professions. Combat Styles offer a huge improvement to the game for higher levels and gives pure arms professions something to look for at higher levels/ranks like the spell casters do. Those two are the biggest changes and the best, to the system IMHO that can really rock your game but they are not necessary to play.


O' I almost forgot you should pick up the monster book unless you are running an all human vs. human game.
MDC 

[jdale]

Character Law has the other classes and races that are not in RMFRP. School of Hard Knocks has the extended skill descriptions (that were in the RMSS core book).

If you still have any of the RMSS books, they are interchangeable. You don't need to upgrade everything to the RMFRP version.

[danskmacabre]

Is the Character companion book any good?
I probably won't bother with the school of hard knocks for a while. It sounds interesting tho.
It seems to have extra races and classes..

Oh yeah I'll have to get creatures and treasures as well.  I don;t have any of my RMSS books anymore (or 2nd ed) I sold them ages ago.
I can see most of the books I want to get are pretty cheap to get online anyway.

[jdale]

Character Law has:

Races: common orcs, greater orcs, grey elves, half-elves, half-orcs, high elves, hillmen, mariners, nomads, urbanmen, woodmen.

Professions: warrior monk, layman, illusionist, animist, lay healer, healer, mystic, sorcerer, paladin, monk, magent.

Training packages: assassin, berserker, cloistered academic, con man, crafter, crusading academic, cut purse, detective, diplomat, explorer, guardian, highwayman, martial artist, mercenary, philosopher, sailor, shaman priest, spy, wanderer, weapon master, zealot.

It also adds some skills, including the martial arts skill categories and power manipulation skill category. Nothing critical here. Pretty sure these are all also in SOHK.

It adds talents and flaws. We don't use them, some styles of game may benefit from them.

Basically, I would say Character Law adds a lot of options for players making their characters. None of it is critical. If you have the sort of player who wants a ton of options, they will enjoy it. If you think the basics are sufficient, there's nothing necessary here.

[markc]

  I prefer the RMSS books if you can find them. And they are generally cheaper as well as you have to buy less of them.
MDC

[danskmacabre]

Yes I've used the RMSS for many years.. I had pretty much all of them, but have since sold them all.
I'd like to try out RMFRP, I quite like the modularity of it.  I can just get a couple of books at a time. I'll probably just mess with the core rules and grab creature and treasures.
Then buy as and when.

[danskmacabre]

Well I managed to get the following:

Of Essense, Of channeling and Of Mentalism from a shop in Scotland.
I got Arms law on ebay from someone in Califormia
and Character law from ebay from someone in Mexico.

I might grab "School of hard knocks" one day.
I'll get creatures and monsters and treasure companion someday as well.

[VladD]

For a better understanding of the rules you'd need the RMFRP "Core rules" book as well. Character Law is an extension of that book, and contains all tables you'll need, but the rundown of the basic rules are missing.
The Core book is much like a basic RM book, containing plenty Essence and Channeling lists to 10th lvl, shorthand attack tables and equipment lists.

[danskmacabre]

Yeah I have that already. It was the first one I got some time back. I mentioned that in my first post in this thread.

[VladD]

Ughe,

Yeah I see it now...

Have fun playing!

[danskmacabre]

Well I managed to score School of hard knocks, Creatures and monsters and treasure companion at a bargain price of £5 each on ebay (locally in the UK as well) and they arrived today in perfect condition. 
So I'm good to go now.

[markc]

Great. As you said you are already to go.
MDC

[DangerMan]

Channeling companion is very cool! I'd say it's a must.

Also, talents from Character law are great fun for the players, all though things easily get out of control. We dont mind that, though

[danskmacabre]

Channeling companion is very cool! I'd say it's a must.

I might get that one day, but I have a large stack of RM books to peruse for a bit!
It looks like is got new skills, spells, classes, religions and stuff relating to channeling, which is cool but the core stuff will be good enough for now.


 

Also, talents from Character law are great fun for the players, all though things easily get out of control. We dont mind that, though

Yes, it mentions at the start of the talent section that the list is way unbalanced.  I've seen most of them from my old  RM2 days wayback in the various companion books.

[VladD]

IMHO the most unbalancing factor in the talents and flaws is the fact you can choose which ones you want. Min maxing in that area can lead to incredibly unbalancing combinations, so I'd say: make people roll randomly! Get some good ones get some irrelevant ones... its almost like real life! Also disallow greater talents (and flaws) they are really super hero stuff.

In the download section for house rules you can find my house rules with random lists that offer a single roll for determining which talent or flaw per background option.
I found some good house rules in other peoples' house rules, so I can warmly recommend reading them all.

[Cory Magel]

It doesn't help the less experienced gamers much... but our group doesn't pay so much attention to the Talent/Flaw costs so much as how they will actually impact the game.  You need to justify your Talents and Flaws in a reasonable manner with our GM(s) for the most part.

I've said it before elsewhere, but the implementation of them by the GM can make a big difference.  For example: If you pick one of the various "Enemy NPC" flaws in our games you are setting yourself up for a world of hurt often times.  These NPC's aren't just a "Show up once somewhere during the campaign and fight it out" prospect.  They plague you for the entire campaign (which have the potential to last for years with us).

So... I say, use Talents and Flaws.  But make sure you, essentially, negotiate them and make the player justify them... then make sure the flaws actually have a measurable impact.

[danskmacabre]

I'm looking for the RMFRP Combat screen, cant find it anywhere.
I'd even buy a digital copy if it was available, which I don't think it is..

Has anyone made custom combat screens?
I can make my own easily enough from the various tables in the books, but if anyone has already made one, I'd appreciate it.

[Cory Magel]

PM me an email address and I will dig up the various ones I've created.  You can modify them from there.  They are in Word format FYI (older version 98 or 03 or something like that).

[danskmacabre]

Thanks will do..