This page contains a summary of all available second-by-second combat systems for ROLEMASTER.
This overview and evaluation is purely subjective and is not intended to persuade anyone to use any one of these systems. They are all an aweful lot of work. The only possibility for me to play these systems without going completely ga-ga was the use of extensive help by my players and some self-written computer programs, I use on a laptop.
Should you not posess a great dedication to realism in combats and patience to attain an acceptable speed to play the combats through, stay away from these systems ! The use of a computer is heavily suggested.

1. The Combat Environment Activity Tracking System
   This is the most complicated, complex and realistic system available for Rolemaster. It's use is generally considered suicide. During my testing phase (before I decided to use a computer), we needed the following material:
   
   • One sheet per character wo write down the start and end of each action. I made a graphical approach, showing each second as two rows of OOOOO and an area for notes on the side. Each tenth second used was to be marked
     

     0.1	OOOOO	0.5	Draw Weapon
     0.6	OOOOO	1.0	Melee Attack Goblin
     1.1	OOOOO	1.5
     1.6	OOOOO	2.0
     2.1	OOOOO	2.5
     2.6	OOOOO	3.0

     I think, you get the point
   • Another sheet to do so for the enemy. I found out the hard way, that marking more than three enemies per column and three columns per page is impossible.
     When you have six players, that'll leave you with two opponents per player. That's not very much, considering the average orc tribe.
   • One sheet filled with tables as such:

     Attacked by	Time End	Hits	Parry End	Stun End	Stun no parry End	Down End	Out End	Dying End	Penalty	Criticals
     Odo	5.4	78		8.7					-25	C
     Meris	6.7	55		8.7	12.8				-45	E,C

     And so on, and so on.
   • A calculator, because when someone is stunned for 3 rounds in 5.3 and his melee attack time (which counts as a round for this purpose) is 6.7, that's stunned until 25.4, and you have to do this dozens of times during a fight... Well there are other things to make life miserable.
   • Every player needed to know the rules perfectly well and had to plan his action well beforehand, so that we didn't have to wait for him, when it was his turn.
   • Being ready didn't help him, should an earlier attack (between his last attack and his next one) stun him, all preparation (should he miss on Stunned Maneuver) would be for naught.
   I can assure you, this system really sucks, sometimes.

   BUT it is really great fun, once you've computerized it!. It's faster than the standard system, more deadly, and absolutely realistic.
   You wanna do something ? Name it! Everything is possible and every footstep is critical. Timing is everything !
   Open the door, bash the, surprisingly arrived, Troll against the kneecap, throw the door shut (maybe hitting him on the head as he ducks to clutch his damaged knee, use a Ceiling Walk item, Jump up there and, after the door has reopened, break the enemy's skull. Should you have decided not to make a Snap Perception roll before attacking, I'll tell you afterwards, that your Magus, using a Power Word: Stun, knocked out the Troll and ran from his pursuers, just to be felled by a friend (at least his player called you a friend).
   All that, you can do in any combat system. Here, you can do it within one single round of 10 seconds - if you succeed in every roll. If not, you're dead meat (or the Magus is still alive).
   Concerning the tactical situation, just imagine a combat of Drizzt Do'Urden (R.A. Salvatore, Forgotten Realms) and his friends against a numerous enemy. This system can have the same pace, fun and suspense. BUT ONLY WITH A COMPUTER TO AID. Do it without, and you'll probably hate it.

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