ziqiqu

An attorney somewhere. Visit Šukāmu Press to learn about Babylon On Which Fame and Jubilation Are Bestowed, my pen and paper roleplaying game set during the reign of Ḫammu-rapi of Babylon. The Core Rulebook is available for purchase in print and PDF, along with several supplements.

[ziqiqu]

All setting books for TTRPGs should be graduate-level history seminars. Especially the fantasy ones.

[thydungeongal]

Hey you love talking about Rolemaster right? It's old right? What parts of it, the original version if it matters, straight up dont work? It's an older RPG, they ALWAYS have a handful (or even more) of small things that just dont actually work how they're supposed to, or even at all. So what little dud rules Rolemaster got?

I think Rolemaster, for all its complexity, is actually a remarkably well-designed game, but having said that that doesn't mean it doesn't have its quirks. Bearing in mind that my frame of reference is mostly Rolemaster 2e and that most of these have been fixed in RMU:

There are a few places where the game's math factors in the same variable twice. I've spoken previously about how the attack tables make it so that characters are easier to hit while in heavy armor in addition to the fact that armor already penalizes your Dodge Bonus, meaning that the heaviness of armor is accounted for twice. In addition to this the Swimming skill states that maneuvering in armor penalties should be tripled for armor while swimming WHILE ALSO determining the difficulty column used on swimming maneuvers based on armor. I know swimming in armor is difficult, but this is the goofy tables game we're talking about c'mon

Elves and halflings are bad at hiding by the book. Because elves and halflings get a penalty to their Self-Discipline attribute which is the attribute that Hiding is keyed to, these famously stealthy folks are actually really bad at hiding. (Why do elves have a penalty to Self-Discipline? Rolemaster Companion I has a whole section dedicated to it.)

Due to a number of factors spell-casters start out really weak and will be so for a very long time until they suddenly start to meteorically rise in power. First of all, Rolemaster uses a system of Power Points. If you're a spell-casting class you can count on getting at least 1 (because you can set your casting stat at a minimum of 90 in character creation and 1 PP is what a stat of 90 nets you) per level. You will at most have 4 per level if you get really lucky with your rolls at character creation and during advancement. That already isn't great, cause it means you'll be relegated to a support role at low levels. The compounding factor is that XP for kills is the best source of XP by the book and the game assumes individual XP rewards. You can gain XP for casting spells AND even gain kill XP if your spell is instrumental in taking down an enemy, but the default spell XP is 1 point per PP spent. You need 10,000 XP to advance from level 1 to level 2. It's nonsense

That's just to name a few. That last issue I feel is the biggest because it penalizes playing a spell-caster to an extreme degree, but it's easily fixed by using the supplemental XP tables in Character Law as well as the PP Development skill from Companion II (and said skill has been part of the core game since Standard System and was also present in Rolemaster Classic [a revised reprint of RM2e]).

There aren't any completely nonfunctional rules in RM, and even the aforementioned rules could be said to be perfectly fine and good and my feelings about them simply a matter of perception, but like... seeing that newer versions of RM have sought to fix those yeah I'm going to call them acknowledged issues.

[thydungeongal]

Also yes I love talking about Rolemaster I could talk about Rolemaster all day please talk to me about Rolemaster

[misterbatguano]

What is your favorite version? From between, let's say, RMC, RMSS, RMU, and let's add in MERP and Against the Darkmaster, because they arguably count? Or whatever, I'm not the boss of you.

I have access to most of these, and they're so damn good, but overall I have to say RMSS gets my biggest thumbs-up due to art. The fact that it's not available in POD on DTRPG violates multiple federal statutes and indictments should be forthcoming.

[thydungeongal]

Oof, that is a really tough one, but ultimately it would have to be RMC. I do love RMSS and do think the art is amazing, and there are many places where I prefer RMSS's implementation of specific rules (how to calculate concussion hits and power points, learning spell lists, etc.) but it's that extra layer of math added by having separate skills and skill categories that ultimately makes me prefer RMC. Also, there's the nostalgia factor: I started with 2e so RMC feels like home to me.

I am also looking forward to getting the rest of RMU and running it, but it doesn't get me quite as excited: purely on the basis of the rules it would probably be my favorite version, but it does lack that X factor that both RMC and RMSS have.

Also Against the Darkmaster is fantastic and I do want to run it as well. I'd also like to give a shout-out to Lightmaster (which I keep mentioning almost every chance I get), because it's by far the best way at the moment to experience some of that RMC madness that I love for free. It's a free d20-based clone of Rolemaster 2e and while it does streamline some rules in ways that I feel are detrimental to the overall experience it is still an amazing game.

(And I agree with regards to not having POD of RMSS, in general I.C.E.'s policy with regards to POD somewhat annoys me but what can you do.)

[ziqiqu]

Hey, thank you for the Rolemaster content, like, I'm here for it.

A few weeks ago, I tried to explain the process of determining moving maneuver results in RMFRP to some of the zoomers in my 5e group. Half of them now think that I'm full of shit about the old days, and the other half look at me like they're trying to decide if grandpa is okay or if he needs to move to the old folks home.

Anyway, what’s your favorite RM class? I’m a big fan of the RMSS-RMFRP version of the astrologer, and I feel like I’ve essentially tried to homebrew classes with similar flavor for other systems several times over the years.

[thydungeongal]

Big fan of the astrologer here too! I can't quite remember how the RMSS/RMFRP version differs from the one I'm most familiar with (2e/RMC) but I just have a soft spot for it. Psychic laser priest with powers that are mostly divination but also there's lasers and time travel? Hell yeah, sign me up. I have no idea what the astrologer's flavor is supposed to be, because RM2 is very sparse when it comes to flavor text, but it's so weird I can't help but love it.

[ziqiqu]

RMSS/RMFRP dropped the Time’s Bridge base spell list from RM2 for the Starlore spell list, which allows the creation of astrological charts. I have no idea how these charts and terms compare to the creation of astrological charts in the real world, but the Mentalism Companions for both RMSS and RMFRP include about ten pages of exhaustive detail on the process of drawing up astrological charts with sun signs, planets, progressions, synastry, and other things that at least present like authentic pseudoscience concepts and processes. (There’s also another ten pages in both books on the Tarot.)

I think what first turned me on to the weirdness of RM’s astrologer was that Saruman’s RM class in the MERP sourcebooks was given as astrologer. I always loved the idea of the Way of the Voice spell list, and using it with the influence skills to recruit a bunch of followers.

It’s weird how a person can imprint on something like a minor RPG class, and be low-grade obsessed with the concept of it for decades.

[thydungeongal]

Boo, but the Time's Bridge spell list is the best! But yeah, if I recall correctly the Mentalism Companions had huge essays about how the original Astrologer was kind of a mess and didn't actually do any astrology so the RMSS/RMFRP Astrologer was meant to address that. I still prefer the weirdo space priest.

And Saruman being an Astrologer is so weird. I've only read the core rules of MERP and I thought they just dropped the realm of Mentalism from Middle-earth entirely? I guess they back-ported it in through the supplements. But yeah, using Way of the Voice to rule over minions sounds cool as hell.

[ziqiqu]

True MERP — that is, the rule system — did not have Mentalism, but because every stat block (at least in 2nd Ed. MERP) also had RMSS stats, ICE used many of the mentalism professions there. For instance, Galadriel is either a Seer or a Mystic depending on the book, and Denethor is a Seer as well.

[thydungeongal]

Hey you love talking about Rolemaster right? It's old right? What parts of it, the original version if it matters, straight up dont work? It's an older RPG, they ALWAYS have a handful (or even more) of small things that just dont actually work how they're supposed to, or even at all. So what little dud rules Rolemaster got?

I think Rolemaster, for all its complexity, is actually a remarkably well-designed game, but having said that that doesn't mean it doesn't have its quirks. Bearing in mind that my frame of reference is mostly Rolemaster 2e and that most of these have been fixed in RMU:

There are a few places where the game's math factors in the same variable twice. I've spoken previously about how the attack tables make it so that characters are easier to hit while in heavy armor in addition to the fact that armor already penalizes your Dodge Bonus, meaning that the heaviness of armor is accounted for twice. In addition to this the Swimming skill states that maneuvering in armor penalties should be tripled for armor while swimming WHILE ALSO determining the difficulty column used on swimming maneuvers based on armor. I know swimming in armor is difficult, but this is the goofy tables game we're talking about c'mon

Elves and halflings are bad at hiding by the book. Because elves and halflings get a penalty to their Self-Discipline attribute which is the attribute that Hiding is keyed to, these famously stealthy folks are actually really bad at hiding. (Why do elves have a penalty to Self-Discipline? Rolemaster Companion I has a whole section dedicated to it.)

Due to a number of factors spell-casters start out really weak and will be so for a very long time until they suddenly start to meteorically rise in power. First of all, Rolemaster uses a system of Power Points. If you're a spell-casting class you can count on getting at least 1 (because you can set your casting stat at a minimum of 90 in character creation and 1 PP is what a stat of 90 nets you) per level. You will at most have 4 per level if you get really lucky with your rolls at character creation and during advancement. That already isn't great, cause it means you'll be relegated to a support role at low levels. The compounding factor is that XP for kills is the best source of XP by the book and the game assumes individual XP rewards. You can gain XP for casting spells AND even gain kill XP if your spell is instrumental in taking down an enemy, but the default spell XP is 1 point per PP spent. You need 10,000 XP to advance from level 1 to level 2. It's nonsense

That's just to name a few. That last issue I feel is the biggest because it penalizes playing a spell-caster to an extreme degree, but it's easily fixed by using the supplemental XP tables in Character Law as well as the PP Development skill from Companion II (and said skill has been part of the core game since Standard System and was also present in Rolemaster Classic [a revised reprint of RM2e]).

There aren't any completely nonfunctional rules in RM, and even the aforementioned rules could be said to be perfectly fine and good and my feelings about them simply a matter of perception, but like... seeing that newer versions of RM have sought to fix those yeah I'm going to call them acknowledged issues.

[thydungeongal]

Also yes I love talking about Rolemaster I could talk about Rolemaster all day please talk to me about Rolemaster

[misterbatguano]

What is your favorite version? From between, let's say, RMC, RMSS, RMU, and let's add in MERP and Against the Darkmaster, because they arguably count? Or whatever, I'm not the boss of you.

I have access to most of these, and they're so damn good, but overall I have to say RMSS gets my biggest thumbs-up due to art. The fact that it's not available in POD on DTRPG violates multiple federal statutes and indictments should be forthcoming.

[thydungeongal]

Oof, that is a really tough one, but ultimately it would have to be RMC. I do love RMSS and do think the art is amazing, and there are many places where I prefer RMSS's implementation of specific rules (how to calculate concussion hits and power points, learning spell lists, etc.) but it's that extra layer of math added by having separate skills and skill categories that ultimately makes me prefer RMC. Also, there's the nostalgia factor: I started with 2e so RMC feels like home to me.

I am also looking forward to getting the rest of RMU and running it, but it doesn't get me quite as excited: purely on the basis of the rules it would probably be my favorite version, but it does lack that X factor that both RMC and RMSS have.

Also Against the Darkmaster is fantastic and I do want to run it as well. I'd also like to give a shout-out to Lightmaster (which I keep mentioning almost every chance I get), because it's by far the best way at the moment to experience some of that RMC madness that I love for free. It's a free d20-based clone of Rolemaster 2e and while it does streamline some rules in ways that I feel are detrimental to the overall experience it is still an amazing game.

(And I agree with regards to not having POD of RMSS, in general I.C.E.'s policy with regards to POD somewhat annoys me but what can you do.)

[ziqiqu]

Hey, thank you for the Rolemaster content, like, I'm here for it.

A few weeks ago, I tried to explain the process of determining moving maneuver results in RMFRP to some of the zoomers in my 5e group. Half of them now think that I'm full of shit about the old days, and the other half look at me like they're trying to decide if grandpa is okay or if he needs to move to the old folks home.

Anyway, what’s your favorite RM class? I’m a big fan of the RMSS-RMFRP version of the astrologer, and I feel like I’ve essentially tried to homebrew classes with similar flavor for other systems several times over the years.

[thydungeongal]

Big fan of the astrologer here too! I can't quite remember how the RMSS/RMFRP version differs from the one I'm most familiar with (2e/RMC) but I just have a soft spot for it. Psychic laser priest with powers that are mostly divination but also there's lasers and time travel? Hell yeah, sign me up. I have no idea what the astrologer's flavor is supposed to be, because RM2 is very sparse when it comes to flavor text, but it's so weird I can't help but love it.

[ziqiqu]

RMSS/RMFRP dropped the Time’s Bridge base spell list from RM2 for the Starlore spell list, which allows the creation of astrological charts. I have no idea how these charts and terms compare to the creation of astrological charts in the real world, but the Mentalism Companions for both RMSS and RMFRP include about ten pages of exhaustive detail on the process of drawing up astrological charts with sun signs, planets, progressions, synastry, and other things that at least present like authentic pseudoscience concepts and processes. (There’s also another ten pages in both books on the Tarot.)

I think what first turned me on to the weirdness of RM’s astrologer was that Saruman’s RM class in the MERP sourcebooks was given as astrologer. I always loved the idea of the Way of the Voice spell list, and using it with the influence skills to recruit a bunch of followers.

It’s weird how a person can imprint on something like a minor RPG class, and be low-grade obsessed with the concept of it for decades.

[thydungeongal]

Hey you love talking about Rolemaster right? It's old right? What parts of it, the original version if it matters, straight up dont work? It's an older RPG, they ALWAYS have a handful (or even more) of small things that just dont actually work how they're supposed to, or even at all. So what little dud rules Rolemaster got?

I think Rolemaster, for all its complexity, is actually a remarkably well-designed game, but having said that that doesn't mean it doesn't have its quirks. Bearing in mind that my frame of reference is mostly Rolemaster 2e and that most of these have been fixed in RMU:

There are a few places where the game's math factors in the same variable twice. I've spoken previously about how the attack tables make it so that characters are easier to hit while in heavy armor in addition to the fact that armor already penalizes your Dodge Bonus, meaning that the heaviness of armor is accounted for twice. In addition to this the Swimming skill states that maneuvering in armor penalties should be tripled for armor while swimming WHILE ALSO determining the difficulty column used on swimming maneuvers based on armor. I know swimming in armor is difficult, but this is the goofy tables game we're talking about c'mon

Elves and halflings are bad at hiding by the book. Because elves and halflings get a penalty to their Self-Discipline attribute which is the attribute that Hiding is keyed to, these famously stealthy folks are actually really bad at hiding. (Why do elves have a penalty to Self-Discipline? Rolemaster Companion I has a whole section dedicated to it.)

Due to a number of factors spell-casters start out really weak and will be so for a very long time until they suddenly start to meteorically rise in power. First of all, Rolemaster uses a system of Power Points. If you're a spell-casting class you can count on getting at least 1 (because you can set your casting stat at a minimum of 90 in character creation and 1 PP is what a stat of 90 nets you) per level. You will at most have 4 per level if you get really lucky with your rolls at character creation and during advancement. That already isn't great, cause it means you'll be relegated to a support role at low levels. The compounding factor is that XP for kills is the best source of XP by the book and the game assumes individual XP rewards. You can gain XP for casting spells AND even gain kill XP if your spell is instrumental in taking down an enemy, but the default spell XP is 1 point per PP spent. You need 10,000 XP to advance from level 1 to level 2. It's nonsense

That's just to name a few. That last issue I feel is the biggest because it penalizes playing a spell-caster to an extreme degree, but it's easily fixed by using the supplemental XP tables in Character Law as well as the PP Development skill from Companion II (and said skill has been part of the core game since Standard System and was also present in Rolemaster Classic [a revised reprint of RM2e]).

There aren't any completely nonfunctional rules in RM, and even the aforementioned rules could be said to be perfectly fine and good and my feelings about them simply a matter of perception, but like... seeing that newer versions of RM have sought to fix those yeah I'm going to call them acknowledged issues.

[thydungeongal]

Also yes I love talking about Rolemaster I could talk about Rolemaster all day please talk to me about Rolemaster

[misterbatguano]

What is your favorite version? From between, let's say, RMC, RMSS, RMU, and let's add in MERP and Against the Darkmaster, because they arguably count? Or whatever, I'm not the boss of you.

I have access to most of these, and they're so damn good, but overall I have to say RMSS gets my biggest thumbs-up due to art. The fact that it's not available in POD on DTRPG violates multiple federal statutes and indictments should be forthcoming.

[thydungeongal]

Oof, that is a really tough one, but ultimately it would have to be RMC. I do love RMSS and do think the art is amazing, and there are many places where I prefer RMSS's implementation of specific rules (how to calculate concussion hits and power points, learning spell lists, etc.) but it's that extra layer of math added by having separate skills and skill categories that ultimately makes me prefer RMC. Also, there's the nostalgia factor: I started with 2e so RMC feels like home to me.

I am also looking forward to getting the rest of RMU and running it, but it doesn't get me quite as excited: purely on the basis of the rules it would probably be my favorite version, but it does lack that X factor that both RMC and RMSS have.

Also Against the Darkmaster is fantastic and I do want to run it as well. I'd also like to give a shout-out to Lightmaster (which I keep mentioning almost every chance I get), because it's by far the best way at the moment to experience some of that RMC madness that I love for free. It's a free d20-based clone of Rolemaster 2e and while it does streamline some rules in ways that I feel are detrimental to the overall experience it is still an amazing game.

(And I agree with regards to not having POD of RMSS, in general I.C.E.'s policy with regards to POD somewhat annoys me but what can you do.)

[ziqiqu]

Hey, thank you for the Rolemaster content, like, I'm here for it.

A few weeks ago, I tried to explain the process of determining moving maneuver results in RMFRP to some of the zoomers in my 5e group. Half of them now think that I'm full of shit about the old days, and the other half look at me like they're trying to decide if grandpa is okay or if he needs to move to the old folks home.

Anyway, what’s your favorite RM class? I’m a big fan of the RMSS-RMFRP version of the astrologer, and I feel like I’ve essentially tried to homebrew classes with similar flavor for other systems several times over the years.

[where-is-tom-scott-today]

I am here at the Tower of Babel

[gauntletqueen]

Ik ben hier by de Toren van Babel

[katie-the-angel-witch]

Zoey you can't use Dutch for this Joke it looks like fucked up English, you need to use something else, observe:

Jsem zde u Věži Babylonské

[robotgirldisc]

Jeg er her ved Babeltårnet

[lesbiankiliel]

ここバベルの塔にいます

[myrskytuuli]

olen täällä, baabelin tornilla.

[simuran]

И вот я здесь, рядом с Вавилонской башней

[nyansense-the-nyanbinary]

Yo soy aquí, cerca de la Tower de Babel

[kactusnz]

Je suis ici au Tour de Babylone

[ziqiqu]

annīkiam ina pān dimat [AN.ZA.GÀR] Bābilim [KÁ.DINGIR.RA.KI] anāku

[ziqiqu]

With all the emphasis on weeding out pornbots/fake accounts right now, I wanted to put this post here:

I still use this account everyday to check on the folks I follow. I “like” stuff occasionally (though that’s probably hidden because of my privacy settings? I’m old now, I don’t even care to learn how it works at this point…)

Anyway, I don’t post anymore, and I deleted all the old posts because I ran for office and I don’t want to have to worry about whatever dumbass reblog I made in 2010 coming back to haunt me.

So if you’re wondering, there’s your answer.

- ummiānu ša akî la mudê ištaqmamu