Imho, a quasi-realistic approach to pricing does make GMing easier, so its a good decision first of all.
In contrast, in games like D&D the coherence of the game world pretty fast goes downhill when players start to destabilize/ buy complete Kingdoms with all the gold they looted from dungeons.

On the other hand the realistic prices and incomes (say buying a sword or a horse only affordable [and useful] for higher social classes in medieval times) often don't affect the players. Either they're playing at a "street level", like a peasant, so all the special items don't enter play anyway or they're some special lot (aristocrats, knights etc.) in which case almost all mundane items (provisions for example) don't really matter anymore and it's obsolete whether an Item cost 1 or 2 CP. That's a problem in all highly unequal game world societies.
I see those systems as a tool for the GM to emulate the world, not directly for the players to go shopping.
Availability is a much more important attribute of an RPG item than cost in my opinion.



I think called shots would be a very good idea. They work well in Savage Worlds which itself is a pretty rules-lite classic RPG.
But I think the existing 4 locations (Head, Toros, Arms, Legs) in Novus are detailled enough. Most of my players wouldn't want to make all these calculations, even if it's one time (and everytime they change gear!)

I always compare such elements with other elements of the same system as everything should be on a comparable level of complextiy. So, I see a system with 26 labeled locations to take hits (of which I would say most people also know these locations without a system and could make rules with common sense) but on the other hand I can't find any helpful advice on how to deal with foraging (of which I know nothing about). Then I'm a bit frustrated to see where all the ressources seem to go into when other elements lack details.
That's just how I see it and in the end a matter of taste, of course. Just Like Rolemaster is that RPG with "all those random tables" one can of course make a game revolving around hit locations.

@stun:
yes, that helped very much and that's the way I understood it at first. I already guessed the quote on P. 104 (see above) would likely be an error in the rules.

@rounding down for wounds:
Rounding down at the "mid" point was the only other possibility that I could think of. I don't know how it is called in english, a word by word translation of rounding this way would be "true rounding". Is that rounding off? I dunno.. but I know what you mean.


p.S.
Just some minor questions left in other aspects (such as magic) and I'm ready to go, I think :-)
My group and me are not familiar with Rolemaster but a lot of other skill based systems (RQ, GURPS, Harnmaster..). Announced to my gaming group today, I would GM a one shot for them in a few weeks and they're eager to try it out.

A simple fight should be enough to get the gist of the combat, imho.
the handlin of defensive actions makes sense now. Incorporating a defensive move into the combat seems to be a good idea, though.

Not Complicated. You can only do 1 Combat Move per attack. You cannot combine Combat Moves.

Ok, so now I'm totally confused on the notation, respectively difference of, for example "AP: 3" and AP: +3". But to not derail the thread, I'll wait for the combat example

those ones could be a good combination, imho:

- Talyn (Range Combat)

- Myddan (because of the Arc spell, which I find described a bit convoluted)

- Viklin (because of the basic throwing and kicking unarmed attacks - also an easy example for a self-buff spell )

- Patches (standard sword& shield, I  suggest actually giving him a shield in the equipment list, didn't find one)

An underground chamber with defined borders is a good idea. Differing lighting conditions and partial covers (pillars, sarcophagus) maybe a wet/slippery surface on the ground in one area would be a varied setup.


I understand the mechanism of the Moves in general, I guess, besides some very specific questions (nothing that could be adressed by an example). But what I find exceptionally hard to grasp is the general flow of combat. For example, Defense Moves like block are resolved first, so before the actual attack that they try to prevent. I don't know if thats intentionally and an example would give clarification.

Also there seem to be myriad of combat move combinations (which is a good thing) but this can get complicaed. Fight Defensively +  All Out Attack seems weird at first glance but should be a completely legal action (but I can see many fellows who would argue against it, so a good combat example).

Also as I understand as a GM I have to track around 9 dynamic numbers (Hits, 3 Wounds, 3 Stuns, Bleed, Ini) which change on a constant basis while remembering the previous announced actions over the entire course of the round, all that times the number of NPC.
At the moment I don't know how to handle all this (maybe there is a quick notation, a combat tracking chart or something).

I know putting together such a complex system with so few ressources is a huge feat. So it's not meant to devaluate the hard work when I list the errors I noticed so far (minus the ones above), it's just a professional habit of mine to make notes when reviewing documents. I hope it helps.

(a combat example would be awesome, btw.)


[pg-26] under Perception >  ..if they are looking for something the wrong - something , the wrong (with comma, imho)
[pg-28] under Trickery >  ..used in picking the pockets individuals - the pockets of individuals
[pg-46] under Attack Bonus > ..even filled out what equipment that he is carrying - not sure, would remove "that"
[pg-47] under Character Points > ..including any additional CP the extra that can - would remove "the"
[pg-57] under NPB > ..would be used for any Combat Skill skill in which - would remove "skill"
[pg-60] under Combat Moves > CP: This is the Character Point cost - the Combat Move Format lists this as "Cost:" not "CP:"
[pg-61] under Melee > ..Advanced Moves may only be use with combat skills - be used
[pg-66] under Combat Styles > Character may know one of the 7 Moves or 3 Abilities from the Style  - A Character..
[pg-96] under Cantrips > ..In the worst such cases - In the worst of such cases
[pg-96] under Pushing Skills > He does this my taking 2 points of Fatigue - by taking
[pg-97] under Minor Advantage > ..reduces the total TN by 3 points.This would.. - points._This (blank space)
[pg-98] under Balance > If the surface in between 2 and 6 inches - is (in) between
[pg-98] under Perform > This applies to most Specialties the Perform skill - most Specialties of the Perform skill
[pg-100] under Disarm Traps > ..treating it as a related skill roll.The difficulty - roll._The (blank space)
[pg-104] under Healing Damage > These healing times are details below - ..are detailed below.
[pg-104] under Vitality > This means lying down and not doing anything except perhaps sleeping - why perhaps? What would be less than sleeping?

Hi,

I was looking for a new skill based fantasy system of moderate complexity for my gaming group and someone on theRPGsite (iirc) recommended Novus. There a lot of  details in it that might fit well for my homebrew setting and I like the modern "touches".

However, it's hard for me to grasp the system just from reading a PDF and without being able to GM it, yet (I usually get only one shot before my players gravitate to something "better").

So I hope it's ok to bug you all with some stupid beginner questions.