... now with 35% more arrogance!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Class and Level Systems

In keeping with yesterday's table comparing ability score names across multiple early system, I thought I'd do the same for other terms common to class and level systems. I dropped RuneQuest and Traveller from this chart, since neither has classes or levels. I've added Rolemaster, since I at least remember RM used the terms "class", "level" and "experience points". However, I don't remember for sure whether it had the terms "hit dice" and "hit points", and my knowledge of Tunnels & Trolls terminology is kind of hazy, too.

I used to run TFT, so I was able to be more definitive with that column. TFT had experience points, but these are traded to increase ability scores, so TFT is a class system, but levels are only implied. Similarly, TFT tracks damage against total hit points, but total hit points = ST.

D&DT&TTFTRolemaster
Class (3)Class (3)Class (2)Profession (20?)
FighterWarriorHeroFighter
Magic-UserWizardWizardMagician
LevelLeveln/aLevel
Experience
Points
Experience
Points
Experience
Points
Experience
Points
Hit Dicen/an/aBody Development
Points
Hit Points(CON)(ST)Hits

Again, shaded cells in the same row indicate the terminology is identical. I'm pretty sure T&T used the terms "class" and "experience points" and had concepts that matched the others, but I'd like confirmation, as well as confirmation for Rolemaster, if anyone has that information. Basically, I'm looking for:
  • Did that system use the concept?
  • What was the concept's name?
I've restricted individual class names to the primary combat and magic classes, since the others jump around quite a bit. I don't remember how many classes Rolemaster had in the main book, or what the names were; I think my friend who ran Rolemaster actually only bought individual supplements (Arms Law, Claw Law, Spell Law) anyways.

6 comments:

  1. I worked for I.C.E for a couple of years. I never played Rolemaster, except in using Arms Laws etc.. as D&D add ons, but I do have the books.

    Class is Profession in Rolemaster

    Professions are:

    Non Spell Users:
    Fighter
    Layman
    Rogue
    Thief
    Warrior Monk

    Spell Users
    Animist (Channeling)
    Cleric (Channeling)
    Illusionist (Essence)
    Magician (Essence)
    Lay Healer (Mentalism)
    Mentalist (Mentalism)

    Hybrid Spell Users
    Healer (Chan, Ment)
    Mystic (Ess, Ment)
    Sorcerer (Chan, Ess)

    Semi Spell Users
    Paladin (Channeling)
    Ranger (Channeling)
    Dabbler (Essence)
    Monk (Essence)
    Bard (Mentalism)
    Magent (Mentalism)

    Hit Points are Hits or Concussion Hits

    There are also Exhaustion Points

    Level is Level

    XP is EP

    Rather than Hit Dice, there are Body Development Skill points spent. A character's hits are equal to his Body Development Skill Bonus

    Hope that helps!

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Niccodaemus: It does help, thanks! I barely remembered anything about the guts of RM, although I did remember that there were three types of magic.

    Are all those classes in the first book identified as "Rolemaster"? Or were some added in the companions? For D&D and T&T, I stuck to the original publications, which is why I list D&D as having three classes instead of four (or more.)

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is all from Rolemaster Standard Rules

    First Edition, Second Printing, 1995

    In addition, I have separate books for:

    Arms Law
    Gamemaster Law
    Channeling Companion
    Arcane Companion
    Essence Companion
    Rolemaster Player Guide

    I guess I'm missing Spell Law from my arssenal

    The Standard Rules is the largest tome, coming in at 351 pages, but you can't really play a spell caster without Spell Law or one of the spell companion books. Nor can you fight without Arms Law.

    ReplyDelete
  4. T&T used Type instead of Class, and Adventure Points (AP) was the common nomenclature, but Experience points are mentioned in 5th ed. Also it had Kindred instead of Race.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Lee: Is "type" instead of "class" true across all editions? I don't have T&T, so I checked on the Flying Buffalo site; they have a character sheet that uses "class", which is why I went with that.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The first edition of Rolemaster (specifically the Character Law book) from 1982 has a slightly different set of classes compared to what Nicco' shared from a later edition.

    Fighter
    Thief
    Rogue
    Warrior Monk

    Magician
    Illusionist
    Alchemist

    Cleric
    Animist
    Healer

    Mentalist
    Lay Healer
    Seer

    Sorcerer
    Mystic
    Astrologer

    Monk
    Ranger
    Bard

    You can see a picture of the back cover here, which includes all the classes: http://rpggeek.com/image/560437/character-law-1st-edition

    ReplyDelete