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Martial Arts Companion

Author: Steve Danielson
Category: game
Company/Publisher: Iron Crown Enterprises, inc.
Line: Rolemaster the Standard System/Rolemaster Fantasy Roleplaying
Cost: 18.00
Page count: 126
ISBN: 1-55806-313-7
SKU: 5602
Capsule Review by Elton Robb on 09/23/99.
Genre tags: Fantasy Modern_day Espionage Asian/Far_East Live-action
For a long time, one of the Weaknesses of Rolemaster the Standard System (now Rolemaster Fantasy Roleplaying) was the way Martial Arts was simulated in the System.

Rolemaster had the same sort of flaw that D&D has with its unarmed combat techniques: the Martial Arts rules are confusing and very vague. How can you simulate your favorite Martial Art in Rolemaster using these rules?

The Martial Arts Companion changed all that. Published in 1997, the MAC, as it is called among the fans, brings the native Martial Arts rules up to speed with Palladium's Ninjas and Superspies™ and Atlas Games' Feng Shui®. The Martial Arts rules are now expanded and revised, offering a more realistic representation of the world of Martial Arts in the world of Rolemaster.

The Companion accepts that the world of Martial Arts: European, Far Eastern, etc. is a complex World. Various Martial Art forms or "styles" as the MAC calls them, all have respective skills added to them to simulate the art.

Chi Powers are also simulated and the European Martial Arts are explored: that is, fencing and Savate. The MAC is perfect for a Rennaisance Europe setting, as well as the ideas within can be incorporated into an Oriental Setting. There is even rules to come up with your own Martial Art forms.

The new training packages are a great additive to any campaign, Fantasy or modern. There is sixteen of them, including: the ninja, martial arts champion, martial artist (revised), martial arts challenger, temple monk, wandering monk, and weapon master (revised). There is even new weapon tables to incorporate into your games.

In short, if you ever use Rolemaster the Standard System as your RPG system of choice, and you are frustrated at how ambigious the Martial Arts rules are in the RoleMaster Standard Rules, then the Martial Arts Companion is a good investment.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

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