rolemaster - arms law (1st edition)

7/24/2019 Rolemaster - Arms Law (1st Edition)

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Rolemaster

First Edition

Product:Arms Law (1st Edition)

Stock #: AL 1100

Producer:Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE)

Designers:Coleman Charlton, Pete Fenlon,

Kurt Fischer and Bruce helle!"

Release date:1#$0

Category:%olemaster !stem

Format:et in a plastic &a' which contains

theArms Lawrules (addlestapled sotco*er

&oo+let AI A, -. pa'es), Charts or /0

weapons (/0 hea*! indi*idual sheets o &lue

're! paper AI A, print on one side onl!),

aneu*er Chart and Critical ti+e a&les

(Fi*e hea*! indi*idual sheets on !ellow

paper AI A, dou&le sided)"

Comments: his irst edition o ICE2sArms Lawcame in i*e dierent prints (three o them

conusin'l! &ein' reerred to as 3editions3) &etween 1#$0$-, as the irst the %olemaster

!stems" he irst printin' (reerred to as the 3First Edition3) had -4 pa'es o te5t and

contained a &lue and white co*er, with a dia'onall! cut oran'e hal sheet co*erin'" It 'rew out

ori'inall! rom &ein' a set o house rules created &! Coleman Charlton and Pete Fenlon when

the! were pla!in' Ad*anced 6un'eons 7 6ra'ons (A676) at colla'e, &ut e*entuall!

de*eloped into a uni8ue and much more ad*anced 'ame s!stem" he linea'e &ac+ to A676

are clearl! tracea&le thou'h" 9owe*er, the inluence rom %une:uest (6762s 'reatest

competitor) is also seen in the use o a percentile dice s!stem, i"e" the use o two 610 dice to

'enerate results &etween 01100" ;ne o the inno*ations o Arms Law, and which later&ecame canon in %olemaster (%) and E%P, is the use o 3openeded rolls3, i"e" that results

hi'her than #< 'i*es the opportonit! to ma+e a series o repreated rolls wich pushes the result

a&o*e 100" he con*erse is also true, that particularl! &ad results 'enerates a second roll to

create ne'ati*e results" =hen resol*in' action, such as com&at or maneu*ers, a &onus is

added to the roll which represents the s+ill o the Pla!er Character (PC)" Each weapon (/0 in

total) has its own resolution chart and the openended roll is inde5ed a'ainst the armor t!pe

worn" he result is reerenced on the chart which descri&es the dama'e done to the *ictim (or

the success o the maneu*er)" Certain hi'h results 'enerates critical hits, which re8uires a

second roll a'ainst a critical stri+e ta&le which presents 8uite *i*id and *iolent (and

sometimes amusin') eects which is descri&ed &! the >amemaster (>)"


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he real 'enius o the com&at s!stem is that each weapon chart is di*ided into -0 columns,

one or each armor t!pe ran'in' rom &are s+in to a ull plate armor suit, classed into our

cate'or! &ases, i"e" ot Leather, %i'id Leather, Chain ail and Plate" he desi'n and realistic

'ame lo'ics o these ta&les ma+es it easier to hit a hea*! armored opponent while ma+in' it

more diicult to dama'e him" (ee sample =eapons Chart or Broadsword and Critical

tri+es a&le &elow? clic+ or la'er resolution") his seemin'l! simple desi'n &etra!s the act

that the 'ame s!stem is 8uite comprehensi*e and re8uires a lot o time to handle in 'ame pla!?

simple s+irmishes can ta+e hours to resol*e i there are man! characters in*ol*ed when Arms

Laware handled &! an ine5perienced >" hus, theArms Lawis deinitel! not or &e'inners"


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rolemaster - arms law (1st edition)

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