D & D / AD & D
The granddaddy of them all, TSR has been on top of the RPG heap now for over
20 years, though I can't say any more that it's from quality of product.
After Wizards of the Coast (see the article on this evil group on the card
games page) bought them, the usual TSR money grubbing went into overdrive.
Instead of needing two jobs to buy the monthly turnout of products, WotC
set the tempo so that only trust fund babies could keep up. Not that the
stuff is quality, but quantity ensures that someone, somewhere will probably
find something remotely like what they would like to buy.
I started with D&D in the early 80's and didn't get weaned off of it until
about '95. I had tried other systems, but was most comfortable with the
one I had grown up with. Even then, I was constantly tweaking the system,
trying to find some semblance of a realistic world. Secondary skills
helped, as did switching to a points system for spells, but the combat was
still just too bad a system. If you have weapon specialization, you should
not also have your chances to hit drop. The change from third to fourth
level for a fighter is dramatic; between the weapons slot she is given and
the +2 to hit bonus for the higher level, she now needs four less on her d20
to hit the same target she hit yesterday. I still don't mind the systems,
but AD&D just requires too much time and D&D has too many required tweaks to
make it fun anymore.
If you're into this game, there are some good resource websites out there, not the least of which are the Sage's Guild and this links site.
I have just gotten entered into a campaign for 2nd Edition AD&D...If you'd like to see what I consider a good character background, check out Elgis.
Star Frontiers, Gamma World, Indiana Jones, Marvel Superheroes,
James Bond, etc.
What do I need to say? Do you see much of these on the shelves any more?
Star Fleet Battles
OK, so this is a strategy game. So what? I love it. Even if you just take
a stock ship as is and see what you can blow up, it kicks much ass. It takes
very little time to learn, but masterful manipulation of fine points to
become a champ. Turns can be slow, but if you put a time limit on the rounds
it feels more like command decisions under pressure. Anyone wants a piece
of me, bring on the cruiser class; my D-6 Bird of Prey will be waiting for
you with overloaded disruptors.
Champions
I dunno. I tried this on a couple of occasions, but just couldn't get into
it. Sure, you can limit a character by the number of points allowed for
development, but the limitation means nothing without limiting the number of
focii. Green Lantern could be a cheap, cheap character because everything
is focused through the ring; meanwhile, Rage would cost almost twice as much
because his strength and speed are inherent abilities. You can't tell me
Rage would stand a chance...
Anyway, the story ideas kinda dry up after a while on this. I mean, even
if you disallow some of the powers and play it as a fantasy campaign, it
just becomes ridiculous with how players manipulate the point system.
Warhammer
Gimme a break. If your character survives being created, he/she is gonna
die from a brain annurism the first time it sneezes. I'd like a fantasy
system that allows me to live long enough to hear what the scenario is about.
Star Trek
You know, I loved the show and even a couple of the movies. But I just
never got into it enough to care what it means when a Ferengi wears a
yellow sash. The game is an enormous chassis pulled by a small engine.
Vampire: The Masquerade (also Werewolf, Wraith, and Mage)
A good job is done making these systems compatible, and the free-reign style
of character development is nice. But something about the structure of it
is just a little too loose and open-ended to suit me. This all came about
at the time of the height of the "Gothic" look, and is extremely
GenX-oriented. Trust me, this was derived from the vampire series Anne Rice
wrote. And the movie Blade was what the makers of this game were trying to
envision with the chic predesigned characters included in the books and
modules. I don't know that I'd recommend the game, except maybe to
experienced gamers looking to get out of a rut, but the resource books are
an entertaining read and may eventually get you hooked into the game.
Rolemaster
Of all the RPG's I have ever experienced, this has to be the most balanced,
detailed, cumbersome one. It takes a good day or two to design a good
character, and even then there will be things you wish you could do with it.
Magic is relatively subdued, and combat is deadly...ANY character or
monster can be killed IN ONE HIT. Battle is not taken lightly. I do like
that your stat scores are modified every time you change level; it's what
would happen if you neglected study for physical training or vice versa.
The system is complicated and will overburden most GM's, which is why ICE
recommends distributing responsibility amongst the players. Development of
new races is made easy, and for spell selection you can't beat this system.
Although it takes quite some time to set up, a Rolemaster campaign is
probably one of the most rich FRP games you will ever experience.
I found a really good link for some excellent Rolemaster links
Middle Earth Role Playing
AKA 'Rolemaster Lite' - This has become my favorite role playing system.
Character development is as quick and easy as basic D&D, magic is point-
based with a good number of spells (and you can augment them with the
Rolemaster books), and combat is the same as Rolemaster - one hit can end
a fight. It also means a lot that the system comes with a fully developed
background. The master (man, the Prof. was great!) undoubtedly created one
of the most, if not THE most, detailed fantasy worlds ever. It wasn't just
naming provinces and creating generalities about all of the people; it was
an in-depth labor of love, and the Tolkien scholars at ICE have done their
research well.
Not only did this system rekindle my love for the greatest
fantasy epic of all, but it encouraged me to read the Silmarillion, a beast
I could never conquer before. The reference materials are part research
and part continuation, filling in the gaps Tolkien left. When I read the
Valar and Maiar sourcebook, I discovered I was reading the meat of the
Silmarillion; when I finished the gaming material, I went back and read the
original book. Nothing is better than getting the story and then filling
in the details; the full flavor of the text leaped out at me, and what had
previously put me to sleep had me riveted. I can't explain how great that
book is, but it's better than the Lord of the Rings series.
Back to the
game... Skills are simple and somewhat generalized, but you can mix and
match as much Rolemaster in as you want and it will work perfectly. There
are about 15 character classes (when the optional classes are used), so
character diversity is not a problem. Rules are fairly simple and
straightforward, and the system is smooth to run. Some of the best fun
during a session is when someone fails an attempt to do something so
miserably that a "fumble" results; the fumble is a separate roll and has a
chart for different weapons, actions, and situations. You could fall, hit
your head, and enter a coma by stubbing your toe and tripping. Weapon-wise,
you could do anything from dropping your weapon to flaying yourself to death.
And my personal favorite, a fumbled spell, can be something as harmless as
raising your hair on end to something as horrible as melting your brain.
You've gotta love a system like that! I highly recommend this for beginning
and experienced gamers.
Visit ICE!