Rules for Spell Risk and Corruption (MERP – Collector’s edition, 2nd Ed., p.

71)

When casting spells use the following rules,

Spell Use Risk roll = open-ended roll + Risk Factor (see MERP spells) + Time Period
Modifier
Time Period Modifier:
Early Third Age (TA): -15
Middle TA: 0 (TA 1300-2000: +10-+20)
Late TA: +25
Fourth Age: -25

If the modified roll is 100 or more, some sort of Shadow servant has noticed the casting
of the spell. A 2nd open-ended roll must be made on the Spell Use Risk Table ST-12,
p.264. Otherwise, nothing unusual happens.

Whenever a spell failure occurs there is a chance that the spell caster will be partially
corrupted and drawn towards the darkness. Certain results from Spell Failure Table FT-
3, p. 240, indicate that the spell caster receives Corruption Points (CPs). When this
happens, the spell caster is allowed to make a RR v. Essence (the attack level is the
level of the spell being cast). If this RR is successful only ½ of the CPs are received,
rounded down; otherwise, all of the CPs are received. When using an evil magic item,
the character must make a RR v. Essence or receive one CP or more, depending on the
magic item.

A GM may also want to assign CPs for particularly evil acts by players. A GM may
wish to allow certain rituals at certain places to cleanse, i.e. remove, CPs from
characters. In general a character’s CPs reflect his tendency towards evil. On this scale,
a total of zero reflects an innocent character, and a 100+ indicates a totally evil being.

For the commands of evil beings where the character is faced with temptation, he must
make a contest of skills using Leadership or Intimidation (Arms companion) subtracting
his Corruption Points and the Interaction & Influence Table; where both contestants
succeed I’d use the RR table as to Rolemaster Companion 7,

Rank v. Rank Resistance Rolls, (Rolemaster Companion 7, p. 16),

There may be instances where competitive skill rolls have been made which both
indicate success but are mutually incompatible. For example, a target makes a
successful Hide roll but his pursuer makes a successful Tracking or Perception roll to
spot him. To determine the final outcome, use a contest of skills based upon the
expertise (number of skill ranks) of the persons involved. This is done using the Spell
Law Resistance Roll table (15.5) where the Attack level is the number of skill ranks of
one contestant's skill (for example the pursuit as described previously) and the Target
level is the number of skill ranks of the other contestant's skill. The target contestant
must roll equal to or higher than the roll indicated on the Resistance Roll table to win
the contest of skills. This method may be used to resolve the following example skill
contests:
• Stalking vs Perception (attempting to surprise an opponent);
• Perception vs Hiding/Camouflage (attempting to escape pursuit);
• Tracking vs Tracking (attempting to conceal tracks);
• Duping vs Perception/Lie Perception (attempting to fool
someone).

A RR should be made for each such Influence attempt. During a given day, each RR is
modified by an additional +5 for every such RR already made that day, e.g. the 6th RR
against evil commands made on a given day would have a +25 RR modification.

Interaction & Influence Table, MERP – Collector’s edition, 2nd Ed., p.243.