Back in 2010 when I was still working for ICE, I had actually developed what I called a product line outline. Essentially, this was meant to be a guide for what products we would be releasing to for the Rolemaster line.

With the recent release of RMU (12 years after they started on it....), and how abysmal that release currently looks to be, I thought it might be a good idea to post this here.

REVISED ROLEMASTER PRODUCT LINE

One of the goals of the revision is to make Rolemaster more accessible and easier to acquire for new players. In order to do this, we will need to keep product sizes and price points down as much as possible. The following proposed product line consists of many small, relatively easy to produce products to allow for quicker release rate and to allow us to meet the above goals of small size and low price points.

Each supplemental product will also presume that the customer only has the core book, and will be written to supplement the core rules.

Note 1: the page counts given for each product are estimates only.

Note 2: It is strongly recommended that all licensees be told to cease producing NEW products for older versions of Rolemaster – this includes for Shadow World. They may continue to sell what is already available for sale, but all new products should be done using the new version of RM. Certain licensees may be allowed to do occasional products for older versions, but this should be the exception, not the rule, and such products should be approved by ICE beforehand.

It should be strongly pointed out that failure to bring Shadow World up to the newly revised rules would be a major mistake as it would anger the customer base AND would also set up Shadow World as competing against the official version of Rolemaster.

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CORE PRODUCTS
These are the products that we consider to constitute the core line of Rolemaster products.

ROLEMASTER – 128 PAGES
This would be the final version of the revision. Technically, this is the only book required to play Rolemaster.

Additionally, we could also release, based on a suggestion from John Seal from back in December, a PDF-only Beta version of the revision (sans artwork). As we discovered with HARP, there is always the chance for last minute adjustments or changes. Playtesters, no matter how good they are, will occasionally miss something. Releasing a Beta version allows for us to catch those last minute corrections before we send the product to the printer.

GRIMOIRE – 96 PAGES
This product would reproduce all of the spell lists from the core book, expanding them out to 50th level. In addition, we would add more Open and Closed spell lists for each of the three realms, to bring the total of each up to 10 lists. This would give us a grand total of 78 spell lists in the Grimoire.

CREATURES & TREASURES – 96 PAGES
This product has 2 main sections. In the first it will offer a wide, but generic selection of monsters, expanding upon what is given in the core book. The second portion of the book will offer more treasures for the GM to choose from, and perhaps some more detailed treasure generation tables.

GAMEMASTER’S GUIDE – 96 PAGES
This product would include a lot of material from RMFRP’s GM Law and RM2’s Campaign Law, but updated and rewritten specifically for the revised Rolemaster. This product would actually be more table-heavy than the core RM, but it is written specifically for a targeted audience.

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AS AVAILABLE

This category of products is split into 2 smaller categories; Quasi-Core and Non-Core. Both sub-categories will have their products produced and released on an “as completed” basis. The Quasi-Core product list has greater precedence over the non-core product list.

QUASI-CORE
Quasi-Core products are those that are optional, not required for play, but that we believe players will want and/or demand. While we do not designate them as core, various players may consider them to be so, simply because the content has counterparts in earlier versions of RM or they like the material that much.

The products listed in this section should not be considered to be all-inclusive. There may be others, not mentioned, that our customers will consider

RM STARTER PRODUCT – PAGE COUNT UNKNOWN
This is essentially a product designed to teach both Rolemaster AND how to roleplay to individuals who have never gamed before. This could actually be a small series of products that take the same characters through several adventures and allow them to level up in the process. Each product would contain pre-generated characters of the proper level and instructions on how to level up the character (if using the pregens in the later modules is not desired).

ARMS LAW – 96 PAGES
This product would include 1 separate attack table for each of the weapons from the core book. It will also have a 5 column critical table for each of the different weapon groups, as well as generic critical tables (such as those found in the RMC Arms Law), giving us about 20+ critical tables (which players tend to love LOTS more than they do the attack tables.).

RM SETTING – PAGE COUNT UNKNOWN
This will be the core setting for Rolemaster. RM Cyradon is “A” setting for Rolemaster, but it should not be “THE” setting since it is the setting for HARP.

RM CYRADON – PAGE COUNT UNKNOWN
This is the Cyradon setting for Rolemaster. While this one isn’t strictly a Quasi-Core product, the fact that we have promised the fan-base that this product will be released (and have done so for over 2 years now), and the fact that this product is what caused the revision to get original approval from John Seal in the first place, it is bumped up into the Quasi-Core category. This is a product that we cannot NOT do.

RM SKILL COMPANION – PAGE COUNT UNKNOWN
We need a better name for this. This product would basically take the skill system from the core book and provide an RMSS?FRP style replacement along with easy conversion rules. All other products would use the core skill system.  This would allow us the best chance to capture the fans of both previous editions while still attracting new players to the system.

RM GM SCREEN – 4 PANEL & 20 PAGE BOOKLET
The booklet will essentially contain the combat/critical tables and other reference tables while the GM Screen will contain all of the tables needed for actual play.

THE ART OF MAGIC – 36 PAGES
This product will contain new professions for the Realm of Essence, such as the Illusionist and the Runemage, and perhaps one or two others. This product will contain the skill costs, and all of the spell lists for the professions, each list given to 50th level.

NATURE CALLS – 36 PAGES
This product gives us the Ranger, the Pathfinder, the Druid, and other outdoors-related professions, including any spell lists needed for the professions.

BY THOUGHT ALONE – 36 PAGES
This product expands the realm of Mentalism. Adding such professions as the Seer and perhaps one or two other Mentalism professions, including all spell lists that are needed.

FAITH & FATE – 36 PAGES
This product is devoted to Clerics and Priests, and how to create Religious Orders for a campaign setting.

BY SWORD & SHIELD – 36 PAGES
In this product we give a system for creating Combat Styles, to expand upon the basic styles from the core rules. Additionally, we also give more options for Fighters, and combat specialists like Archers.

IN THE SHADOWS – 36 PAGES
In this product, we explore the Rogue and other stealthy professions like the Nightblade, the Dabbler, and the Magent.

EMPTY HAND, TEMPERED FIST – 36 PAGES
This product gives rules for creating Martial Arts styles, weapon katas, and the Martial Arts professions such as the Warrior Monk and Monk.

MYSTIC MASTERS – 36 PAGES
This product introduces Hybrids and the Archmage to the revised Rolemaster.

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NON-CORE
These products are completely optional, and more likely to be of interest for the hard core fans and for GMs over regular players. There are also a large number of potential products that haven’t been mentioned that could be included. Things like genre specific books, etc.

ADVENTURE MODULES – PAGE COUNTS UNKNOWN
This isn’t a single product, but variety of different products, each one being a ready to run module. Each will include the maps required, and pre-generated characters to use in playing the module.

BESTIARY: DRAGONS – 36 PAGES
This product expands the basic information given in Creatures & Treasures for dragons, giving information on specific types of dragons and their tactics.

BESTIARY: UNDEAD – 36 PAGES
This product expands the undead, giving new and unique monsters for use in a campaign.

BESTIARY: DEMONS – 36 PAGES
This product expands upon the generic Demon information from Creatures & Treasures.

BESTIARY DEVILS – 36 PAGES
This product adds the arch-nemesis of the Demons, the Devils. Another powerful force of evil, and the rivalry between the two sets up exciting new possibilities for play.

RACES & CULTURES – 48 PAGES
This product includes new Races and the introduction of Cultures to Rolemaster. Cultures will completely replace the Background Skills if they are used. This product will include rules for GMs to make their own new Races and Cultures as well.

MYSTICAL ORDERS – 36 PAGES
This product will give rules for creating unique spell using professions and magical organizations. It will provide players/GMs with the Mage and Mentat professions.

GIFTS GALORE – 36 PAGES
Many of the other products will likely contain new Gifts that are specific towards the professions given in those products. This product will compile them, and offer new options and new Gifts that haven’t been published yet.