The Realm of Yolmi is a role-playing game published by West Coast Games in 1977.
Contents
Description
The Realm of Yolmi is a science-fiction system with class-and-level rules that covers human characters on a future Earth (soldiers, cyborgs, scientists, and psychics), their skills, experience, equipment, et al. Combat includes both futuristic weaponry and unarmed fighting. The background material covers space travel, galactic trade, alien races (including the evil Yolmi), over 140 creatures, plus starship statistics and combat rules. Character class chosen dictates what skills are available. The game includes combat rules, equipment, and five levels of psionic abilities.
The Realm of Yolmi is set on a future Earth which has suffered a catastrophe in which humans have become semi-barbaric, animals have been mutated, and automatons are allowed to roam. A leading news commentator discovered immortality through drugs and started his own religious sect: the Undead of Yolmi (Cronk).
Publication history
The Realm of Yolmi was designed by Ken Black and Marshall Rose, and published by West Coast Games in 1977 as a 116-page book. The book is A4 size and neatly bound in a spiral plastic binder. The second edition was published by Avant-Garde Simulations Perspectives (ASP) in 1978 as a 180-page book.
Reception
The Realm of Yolmi was reviewed by Don Turnbull in White Dwarf #10 (December 1978-January 1979), who gave the book a rating of 2 out of 10. Turnbull called the game "in effect, technological D&D". He complained of the game's humor: "The rules are peppered with attempts at humour and what are obviously 'in-jokes.' I wasn't particularly amused, but other readers may find it funnier than I did." He added: "This attempt at light banter rather spoiled the rules for me, though they appear to be complete and comprehensive if you can stomach the unnecessary attempts at wit." Turnbull did note the similarities to the contemporarily-released Gamma World, and suggested that "adherents of that game may find some useful hints within Yolmi".
Lawrence Schick felt that the class-and-level system was derived from Dungeons & Dragons, and commented: "What a title - Realm of Yolmi - just kind of rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it?"