In a 1996 reader poll conducted by "Arcane" magazine to determine the 50 best roleplaying systems, "Rolemaster" was ranked 15th. "Arcane" editor Paul Pettengale commented: "Often used as an archetypal example of a complex roleplaying system, "Rolemaster" is a fairly numbers-heavy game that also relies on the use of a lot of tables. Most notable are its notorious 'critical hit' charts, which are subdivided by damage type and describe various horrific wounds in graphic detail. If you're looking for a highly detailed and fairly complex system, "Rolemaster" has a great deal to recommend it. The rules are fairly well organised and very flexible, easily adaptable to a wide variety of situations. On the other hand, if you're not one for tables and calculations, it's probably not going to ring your bell."