18 – Professions

Part 18 – Professions

This article examines the differences in Professions between Rolemaster Standard Rules and Rolemaster Fantasy Role Playing and RMFRP Character Law in detail. Several of the professions are also reprinted in the Spell Law books, overall, there are very few changes to the professions, a character designed from either set of books would be fine under both sets of rules.

The School of Hard Knocks – The Skill Companion also adds four new professions that were never published in any RMSS product. These are Barbarian, Outrider, Sage, and Swashbuckler.

The material in section A-4 in RMSS is covered in section A-2 of RMFRP and section 2.0 of Character Law. The example profession page used in this section changes from Illusionist in RMSS to Magician in RMFRP. The RMFRP version adds the following opening paragraph:

“Each character must have a profession. A character’s profession reflects the fact that early training and apprenticeship have molded his thought patterns; affecting his ability to develop certain skills and capabilities. A profession does not prohibit the development of skills, it merely makes some skills harder an others easier to develop.”

This paragraph is actually in RMSS as well, from Section 4.0 on page 26.

The three tables in section A-4 in RMSS are all included in the appendix in RMFRP Character Law.

RMFRP Character Law also includes information on Evil Spell Users, which was in Spell Law in RMSS and a section on Hybrid Spell users that I couldn’t find a match for in RMSS, although I’m sure the information exists, just in little pieces scatter through the books.

The entries for the professions in RMFRP don’t include costs for Training Packages that are in Character Law, but Character Law has a Master Table that includes all the costs. Likewise for skills, not all of the Categories that were in RMSS were included in the RMFRP Hardcover, but these were added back in Character Law.

For many of the professions in RMFRP Channeling is no longer listed as restricted skill if the character’s chosen realm is not Channeling. This is likely because Channeling is not included as a skill in RMFRP, it gets added in Character Law. Channeling is listed as a restricted skill for all non-Channeling professions in Character Law, and in professions from RMFRP that are reprinted in the various Spell Law books. It should probably be restricted for the non-Channeling professions from RMFRP as well.

The abbreviations used below are as follows:

CL = RMFRP Character Law

E = RMFRP Spell Law – of Essence

C = RMFRP Spell Law – of Channelling

M = RMFRP Spell Law – of Mentalism

Fighter RMSS A-4.1, RMFRP A-2.1

New artwork, Tackling replaces Wrestling as an Everyman skill, and Channeling is no longer listed as restricted skill if the character’s chosen realm is not Channeling.

Thief RMSS A-4.2, RMFRP A-2.2

New artwork, Subdual is not listed as an available Everyman skill in RMFRP, and Channeling is no longer listed as restricted skill if the character’s chosen realm is not Channeling.

Rogue RMSS A-4.3, RMFRP A-2.3

Tackling replaces Wrestling as a choice for an Everyman skill in RMFRP, and Channeling is no longer listed as restricted skill if the character’s chosen realm is not Channeling

Warrior Monk RMSS A-4.4, CL 2.1

New artwork, no other changes

Layman RMSS A-4.5, CL 2.2

No changes

Magician RMSS A-4.6, RMFRP A-2.4 E 12.2

Magic Ritual and Spell Mastery are not listed as Everyman Skills in RMFRP, and Channeling is no longer listed as restricted skill in RMFRP, but is listed as restricted in Spell Law, of Essence.

Illusionist RMSS A-4.7, CL 2.3 E 12.1

No changes, didn’t even fix the typo in the first paragraph (adventages?).

Cleric RMSS A-4.8, RMFRP A.2.5 C 12.2

Channeling is not listed as an Everyman skill in RMFRP, but is included in Spell Law- of Channeling.

Animist RMSS A-4.9, CL 2.4 C 12.1

No changes

Mentalist RMSS A-4.10, RMFRP A-2.6 M 12.2

New artwork (actually what used to be the picture from Warrior Monk in RMSS), Channeling is no longer listed as a restricted skill in RMFRP, but is listed in Spell Law – of Mentalism.

Lay Healer RMSS A-4.11, CL 2.5 M 12.1

No changes

Healer RMSS A-4.12, CL 2.6 M 12.5 C 12.5

No changes

Mystic RMSS A-4.13, CL 2.7 M 12.6 E 12.5

New artwork, no other changes

Sorcerer RMSS A-4.14, CL 2.8 C 12.6 E 12.6

No changes

Ranger RMSS A-4.15, RMFRP A-2.7 C 12.4

RMFRP adds a Special Note: “A Ranger gets a special +10 bonus to stalking and hiding (a GM may wish to restrict this to stalking and hiding when ‘outdoors’).”

Paladin RMSS A-4.16, CL 2.9 C 12.3

No changes

Monk RMSS A-4.17, CL 2.10 E 12.4

No changes

Dabbler RMSS A-4.18, RMFRP A-2.8 E 12.3

New artwork, Channeling is not listed as a restricted skill in RMFRP, however it is listed as restricted in Spell Law – of Essence

Bard RMSS A-4.19, RMFRP A-2.9 M 12.3

Channeling is not listed as a restricted skill in RMFRP, however it is listed as restricted in Spell Law – of Mentalism.

Magent RMSS A-4.20, CL 2.11 M 12.4

No changes