Rolemaster

The Rolemaster Standard System (RMSS) is ICE's complete fantasy role playing system, combining four basic parts: the Rolemaster Standard Rules (this product), Arms Law, Spell Law, and Gamemaster Law. The RMSS is suitable for experienced gamers who want guidelines and material to inject into their own existing game systems and world systems, as well as for those who are looking for a realistic yet playable fantasy role playing system. It contains complete rules for handling most of the situations that arise in FRP games. A variety of tables and charts add a great deal of flavor and detail to a game without significantly decreasing playability.

The RMSS is provided in a convenient 3-hole punch format with a system of access tabs for easy reference. So as future optional guidelines and rules are released, a GM can easily update his world's rules system with the material he deems appropriate.

The Rolemaster Standard System's four basic components are:

• The Rolemaster Standard Rules (RMSR) provides all the guidelines and rules needed to play Rolemaster. Its primary parts are concerned with character definition, character design, performing actions, and outlining the Gamemaster's tasks.
• Arms Law (AL) provides the melee and missile combat tables and charts for the RMSS, while the Rolemaster Standard Rules (this product) fully describes their use within the system.
• Spell Law (SL) provides the spell lists and spell combat tables and charts for the RMSS, while the Rolemaster Standard Rules (this product) fully describes their use within the system.
• Gamemaster Law (GML) provides the detailed guidelines and material that a Gamemaster needs to run a role playing game in general and specifically using the RMSS.

These four products allow a Gamemaster to expand an existing system by gradually inserting components. Such a process can increase the variations and options available to the Gamemaster and the players without forcing an abrupt transition to a new game system. A more detailed description of each component system is presented in Section 1.3.1.

The rest of this section is meant to be an introduction for someone who is unfamiliar with the concept of fantasy role playing. More experienced readers may want to skip this material, but the novice should read them carefully.

Note: For readability purposes, Rolemaster uses standard masculine pronouns when referring to persons of uncertain gender. In such cases, these pronouns are intended to convey the meanings: he/she, her/his, etc.