UPDATE 3-7-24. Due to the server change at ICE (to a .uk) these links don’t work anymore. You can find most of these files HERE.
Now that the Rolemaster Forums are back up and running, I thought I would index the various Shadow World files I’ve posted there and some notes on updates and editing I have in my queue. This is partly for me, to help keep track of things, and partly as a quick guide to these file that are buried in lengthy forum thread.
Please note that some of these files may be here on the Rolemasterblog, but to access these links to the RM Forums will require a Forum account–otherwise you cannot see or access.
Here we go:
- SW Healing Chart. This was a quick reference chart for cinematic healing, but taking into account cultural access to healing skills. I use it between adventures to quickly establish healing times & costs without a lot of more complicated calculations. It was included in my Master Atlas, but probably needs to fleshed out.
- RM/RMU Class Comparison. Another chart from my Master Atlas, this was a quick guide to mapping RMU professions to classic RM professions with notes specific to SW.
- SW Research Chart. Small chart to generate research results.
- Invoke Chart. I’ve blogged and written about invocation quite a bit. This chart allows PCs to call/pray for their gods intervention. This is a common mechanism in my SW campaign and brings the gods into gameplay in a less abstract way.
- SW Lore Table. Incomplete, but the start of summarizing skill levels/competence level and knowledge of various skills and lores.
- SW Metal Chart. Summary of SW metals and alloys with a unifying “breakage” number that use for material RRs and enchantments/imbedding.
- Master Herb Chart. Collated list of all herbs, plants, and poisons found in all RM books. May need some updates to include Terry’s more recent books.
- SW Crystal Summary. Crystals play a key role in SW, but Terry never really fleshed out a full system for the. This chart assumes that all “Essence Crystals” are basically the same–even if know as Zirix Crystals, or Essaence Crystals or Jewel Slime etc. It needs some work, but I use crystals as PP storage devices that can be drawn upon or recharged with channeling skill.
- Cantrips. Really this is part of BASiL, but in the thread.
- God Invocation Summary. This chart is used with the Invocation chart. Summarizes modifiers to SW’s gods responses and specific things they may do.
- SW Encounter Chart. This is a comprehensive chart for random encounters by region. Includes weather and Essence effects. Inspired by the encounter tables in the AD&D DM’s guide. Needs a little updating but I think a very useful tool!
- Void Knight Base List. Spell list for a organization I use in my SW campaign and features in “Priest-King of Shade”. It needs some touch up.
- Soulless. This is my effort to consolidate the concept of the Unlife, traditional fantasy Undead, corruption and possession. In my SW campaign, the Unlife possesses or inhabits creatures to various degrees.
- Hierax Guard. Organization dedicated to fighting Demon’s. Uses the Void Knight base list.
- Xiosians. My interpretation of the Xio Warriors mentioned in a few places and a way to integrate them into the larger SW story.
- History of the Earthwardens. I went through every single SW book and collated all the references to the Earthwardens. This is my conclusions.
- Notes on Tech & Languages. Quick excerpt from my Master Atlas.
- Elves. Again, this is my fleshing out of Elves: how they came to be and their place in the larger story. Plus a Shadow World explanation of the various types of Elves beyond the Tolkien archetypes.
- Alchemy Notes. I use alchemy skill a lot in my game. This is my simplified but flexible rules on alchemy. I plan on expanding on it at some point.
- SW Trade Goods. Treasure is more than gems, jewelry and gold!
- SW Civilization Summary. Chart from my Master Atlas with overview of the various ancient civilizations.
- Cult of Hraask. I wanted a “spider/insect” spell list grounded in SW.
- SW Cultural Skills. This is part of SWARM rules (Shadow World Alternate Role Master) and my “build a character in 10 minutes. Includes specific SW cultures rather than the broader types in RMU.
- SW Professions. List of vocations and skill packages for quick character generation.
- SW Background Table. Random background table, SW specific.
- SW Material Strength. Unifying method for breakage, VS RR’s and imbedding, enchanting and weapon runes.
- Weapon Modifier Chart. Combat modifiers and stats for specific weapons rather than general modifiers used in RM.
- SW Racial Chart. Conversion of bonuses to RMU. Probably will need a re-edit after RMU publication.
- Orhanian Base Spells Lists. God specific lists for Clerics and Followers. Kuor. Valris. Cay. Shaal. REann. Eissa. Phaon. Teris. Oriana. Jaysek. Kieron. Iorak. Iloura.
- Charon Base Lists. Orgiana. Inis. Kesh. Andaras. Ztaar. Scalu. Moralis. Klysus. Nynaku.
- Religious Organizations. Orhan. Kuor. Valris. Teris. Cay. Shaal. Phaon. Reann. Kieron. Iorak.
- Religious Organizations. Charon. Inis. Ztaar.
- History of SW in narrative form. My Master Atlas version.
- SW Languages. My notes, needs some work.
- SW Special Armor. Cool armors.
- SW Archaeology. Notes on ancient SW civilizations.
- SW Antiquities. Price chart for ancient stuff!
- Jaiman Tradegoods. More trade items specific to Jaiman cities and cultures.
- Iron Wind Base Lists. Lyak. Yarthraak. Gaath. Athimurl. Dansart. Thargondaak.
- SW Notes on Currency. Summary of various coins and currencies.
- Shrapnel & Swarm Crit Chart. I use for explosions or insect swarms.
- SW Trade Goods: Drugs & Alcohol. Small file that needs more work!
- BASIL: Essence Lists.
- BASIL: Channeling Lists.
- BASIL: Mentalism Lists. Still working on these.
- Legends of Shadow World. Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5. Alternate all Priest PCs.
- Priest-King of Shade. Small module that takes place in SW Agyra.
- The Book of Pales. Summary and overview of the Pales.
- SW Religions and Channeling Handbook.
Woot! Thank you, thank you. I’ve got most of them, but having them a consolidated list certainly makes sure that I’ve not missed a few gems.
and more coming in the next few months!
That is one massive list of awesomeness!
My personal favorite is the Orhanian Base Spell Lists.
Fantastic! this will come to so much use for my coming sw campaign with RMU!
Thom:
Please feel free to offer any feedback on any of the files. I’m always tinkering with them and updating them for my own campaign but open to suggestions.
Are these links still valid? I click on them and a new tab opens then closes and nothing downloads. I’d love to check them out as I learn about SW!
ICE changed servers to .uk so those old links aren’t valid anymore. I have to go through and reset everything, but you can find the master thread here:
https://ironcrown.co.uk/ICEforums/index.php?topic=15879.0
I’ve been able to find most things over time (by going through very long threads going back many years!). However I can’t seem to find where things have been “published”. Like where is the Book of Pales for example? I happen to be doing some digging on demons of SW and any additional info would be great.
BTW my favorite thing you posted was the SW Narrative History doc. I’m kind of surprised that wasn’t done in one of the Atlas editions. Makes it much easier to follow.
I’m presently working on a new “player’s guide to SW” for a new campaign with people completely new to SW. So I’m trying to tag the historical info with which character from which region would know what things (from growing up and going to school, depending on background, etc). It’s quite challenging! The “timelines” in all the various SW books are convoluted and don’t always line up with each other. So I’m comparing like N different books at once. It’s fun but very tedious work.
All of the files except the BASil Spell lists are in this thread: https://ironcrown.co.uk/ICEforums/index.php?topic=15879.0
The Book of Pales is here: https://ironcrown.co.uk/ICEforums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15879.0;attach=4353
Excellent thanks! I also just realized your profile had a tinyurl link with 14 pages of docs, so my brain is spinning a bit: https://tinyurl.com/y47cfcrc … good stuff!
One more quick question if you don’t mind, Brian. With all the work you’ve done for Shadow World and Rolemaster in general, some of which is homebrew, and some of which is collating existing info from various books/modules, do you know how IP works these days with all this? I don’t exactly understand where the lines are drawn. For example, I want to make a vector graphic for the entire world of Kulthea. Like one map to rule them all. And then slowly start adding detail to each continent, all cities/towns/etc, and so on. But I don’t wan to make money on that. I just think it is a missing resource for this world. But how would that work IP-wise? Perhaps I should create another thread on this? It gets complicated once you add in Fantasy Grounds and so on.