Rolemaster’s Spell Law came next, initially designed as an intricate replacement magic system for your RPG of choice. I like the chutzpah of that. The execution…ehhh. This is the 1989 2.5 edition.

I like many of the ideas in Spell Law. I like that they collected similar sorts of magic into three main groupings (Essence, Channeling and Mentalism), then further organizing them into discrete disciplines (I believe this is the first time this happened, aside of the D&D illusionist, anticipating AD&D 2E’s schools and spheres). I like a lot of the thinking behind the sorting and how the groupings work as utilities for different character types (so Moving Ways is a set of spells Rangers might use, whereas the Light Molding spells are geared towards Illusionists).

On the other hand, there are over 2000 spells. That means very few have anything approaching robust descriptions and a lot of their applications remain nebulous. I kind of love this, actually? Just creating this massive web of arcane lore, so no player character can really ever grasp all of it, and leaving much of it with fuzzy edges to be established in play is super appealing. On the other hand, a massive, fuzzy edged system seems like a nightmare to use in play.

I also think it is a little weird that for as big as the system is, there isn’t any particular difference between the three primary schools aside of theme. I’m not looking for three completely different magic systems like Invisible Sun, but it does seem odd that the mechanical underpinnings of the schools are all the same (and this goes for most other games that later used the schools idea).

Another Angus McBride cover. A touch less awesome than the previous one, but still dramatic with a nice use of light. I am kind of iffy on the overall design of that elven mage though. Not just the hair…but I am getting ahead of myself. More on him tomorrow. Interiors by James Holloway. He does a good mage. As usual for a Rolemaster book, though, not enough art inside.