[RPG]: Arms Law & Claw Law (1st and 2nd ed), reviewed by Lev Lafayette (2/2)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12830.phtml

Lev Lafayette's Summary:

Detailed attempt at simulationist combat, especially in terms of weapon type versus armour type and damage. Troublesome presentation, and some serious rules glitches. Below average in contemporary terms, but a classic with some unsurpassed core concepts.

Go to the full review for more information.

[Scorpio Rising]

Lev, I really enjoy these reviews.

One suggestion: In future, I'd love to see you comment on how subsequent editions and products addressed challenges you identify in the core products. For instance, how did subsequent editions of Arms Law/Rolemaster address the lack of cohesion you identify in the first edition?

I know that, strictly speaking, such commentary is outwith the scope of a review of a first edition product. But for my purposes, as someone who is largely interested in these reviews for historical purposes, it would be interesting to see some commentary on how design decisions (good and bad) made in these early products affected the publishing history of the roleplaying industry.

Keep up the good work!

Cheers,

SR.

[FASERIP]

This is an excellent review, Lev. I never played RM, just a game of MERP once long ago (we were defeated and presumably eaten by wolves.)

I think you did a great job emphasizing what you learned from playing the game (unbalanced ATs and the Quickness stat vs. stat bonus issue.) This makes for a far more informative review.

Great work. Thanks.

[SteelCaress]

This takes me back. Way back. I kept seeing the ads in Dragon Magazine in the 80's, and picked up copies of Arms Law/Claw Law, then Character/Campaign Law, and finally, Spell Law.

Arms Law/Claw Law was the highlight of the game, IMHO, though it did pretty much allow one hit kills a lot in my campaigns. There was no time for an NPC to say "Hey, I'm a good guy" before severing an artery in his thigh and having him expire. Healers were raised to exalted status in the campaign world.

Later, it seems almost silly, and for awhile I was using the different streamlined weapon tables in Middle Earth Roleplaying (another mostly-compatible with Rolemaster game), and using the critical tables from RM.