From: huber@zodiac.rutgers.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: GAME SYSTEMS
Date: 14 Apr 92 14:19:07 GMT
Organization: Rutgers University Computing Services

Peiper, writes in responce to a posting for game system reviews:
[his review of rolemaster has been deleted]
> 
> 1) For most spell casters they get a level Bonus to Base Spell Casting. What
> Does this apply to, I have been applying it to ESF rolls for There Base lists
> only in place of The +1 per level for Pure and Hyvrid users in the book. Any 
> other Suggestions??
 
     According to spell law, the bonus to the base spell casting should be 
added to the die roll for any BAR spell.  For example if a mage (+1 base 
spell casting) was to cast a sleep V of spirit mastery, he would need to 
make a BAR roll (actually his spell roll), if the mage was tenth level he
would add 10 to the roll.  With the exception of a few skills (ie spell
mastery in a list to bring down the ESF if the list in not one normally
able to be learned [see spell law section of expanded spell picks] or a 
few arcane spells, nothing changes an ESF roll.  For all the additions to 
the BAR see the back of spell law or the GM screen.

> 
> 2) The Spells on the Doom's Law spell list in RMC II say nothing about Saving
> Throws, and they aren't elemental. Yet they can deliver E crits at will at the
> Higher levels, This seems Mighty Powerful.... Am I missing something in the
> rules for this, or are they just this nasty of a class??(the Warlock)

     The distinction is talked about in spell law.  There are three types of
spells in rolemaster 1) elemental attack spells (EAR), 2) base attack spells
(BAR) and 3) non-attack spells.  Since the spells on Doom's law willgive
damage, I would classif them as attack spells and as such they would have a
resistance roll.  The general proceedure for resolving these spells would be
as follows:
                       a) player makes a _non_ open-ended 1D100 roll
                          if result is 01-02 spell fails, roll on fumble table.
                          if result is 95-100 extraordinarly strong spell - 
                           see BAR table in back of spell law
                       b) applie mods to die roll from above:
                           BAR level bonus
                           distance modifier
                           situational modifier
                             all the above are discussed in the section on BAR
                             spells
                       c) take the modified roll and cross reference it with 
                          the appropiate column on the BAR table, the result is
                          the modificaton to the RR that the target must make.
                          a positive modification makes the spell easier to
                          resist shile a negative one makes the spell harder
                          to resist.  Remember that the defender also has mods
                          to the resistance roll (ie spells, items, race, ect.)
 
> 
> 3) One of my players has been harking on me about the level bonuses. He seems
> to be under the impression that since he has done 3 ranks of development at
> first level that he should get the level bonus each time.... And that since
> the spell casters have had three level's worth of spell casting development
> that they should cast as if they were third level, even though they have the
> XP, and level # of a first level character... What is the rules on this, and
> What do I tell them so they won't bitch so much??

     Level bonus's are just that - a bonus you get per character level, not
skill rank's developed.  So a fighter that a first level that has four ranks
of weapon skill would have a level bonus of 3 (1x3) and not 12 (4x3).  This
is described somewhere in character law, in the section on character 
generation, but since I do not have by copy in front of be I can not certain
of the page.  Note: the only skill that this does not apply to is body dev.
where the level bonus is applied to each rank developed (something akin to
the old AD&D con bonus to hit die. - again I believe this is discussed in 
character law)
     As far a spell casters go, I believe in spell law (or character law) that
it is stated that a caster can cast spell up to his level safely.  The
character can always overcast a spell by making the appropiate ESF roll (its
a 20 mod for a one level overcast - remember to triple the mod before adding
the failure roll if the ESF is missed.)
     As for your players bitching, explane the rules to them. They should
quite down when they see that this is how the system is designed to work.

If you have any more question, please Email me (HUBER@ZODIAC.Rutgers.EDU) or
post them.  Let try to get more communication about Rolemaster on the net!