Moonowl67

Congrats Ben! i"m happy for you and a little jealous. I'm English Lit major working essentially as a data-guy for an old, large insurance company who makes a few bucks once in a while with artwork, but it would be awesome to make a living at my hobby! That's great! Please just don't forget the monographs - do whatever you can do from your position to help those along. This comes not from just a personal preference standpoint, but as practical advice; It was Classic Fantasy that allowed me to move my DnD group to the D100 system. Anyway, I wish you well, and good luck in your endeavors!

This is a very brave project, and I'd love to see the results. I'd focus on trying to capture the differences in cultures; the professions and skills available, and something about the type of technology that can be found. To evoke a nice Old Testament feel, magic of course, will be very important. To keep the story (the game) interesting, be cautious about making one form of magic more powerful than the others. You may have a personal stake in one faith or the other, but that doesn't matter here (I'm not inferring that you do, but some of the comments seem to want you to). If I were running this campaign, I'd be strongly attracted to the Enlightened Magic rules, or something similar to that system, but that would only be my own take on the subject. The important thing to remember is that you are the narrator and, to keep the story strong, you shouldn't come down on one side or the other. Remember the Rifts RPG? As messy as it was for a system the setting had some real nuggets, mostly because Siembieda followed his own advice - (to paraphrase) always try to make the villain in right in some way. I find that it makes the story juicy. Wouldn't it be interesting to see this setting from the pagan point of view, and that there God of the Israelites as the powerful force who's minions seem to be dangerous to face, where you have very little chance succeeding against some of them, and when their God acts, it brings certain doom. Hmm, another setting like that Calls to mind - one which is well-known to those who Love this Craft; the RPG . . . ;-)

ah, but sufficiently cloaked magic resembles advanced science . . . otherwise, Mulder might yet again fail his sanity roll!

Xulke - Note that these use a lot of custom rules (most of which I've published on BRP Central) The Xulke are a race of cybernetic beings originating in forgotten history from a small planet whose star died in a dark corner of the universe eons ago. They are curious beings, with a strong urge to explore, but they tend to treat other races with a cold arrogance. A party is likely to encounter a Xulke probe unit ahead of an exploration team. These are sometimes precursors to invasion, but are more often simply exploratory missions. They will occasionally replace units in a team by stealing brains from ‘locals’, and these brains are then transformed into Xulke, a process which can take several weeks. An Explorer unit mayl craft bodies for these units, but usually slain units have their bodies repaired and then replenished with fresh brains. Xulke are not born, but rather they are grown or created in small vats as little more than brains in an alchemical protein solution. Multiple brains can be combined into run a single consciousness with multiple abilities. It is likely that they were once humanoids, but a Xulke has not been born in millenia and it is uncertain what their ‘natural’ forms once may have been. Most Xulke are grown to have psychic abilities, and each will have Telekinesis and Telepathy. All can use Telepathy to send and receive surface thoughts with each other for a 0 MP cost (but abilities beyond this communication cost the standard MP), out to a visual range (even via scrying). The Telekinesis ability is perhaps how their strange, metallic bodies are animated. This race are masters of all known forms of magic, as well as an alien form of technology that combines magical principles with technology. Magical Artifacts and magical beings fascinate them. Probe units are often sent ahead of battles involving Angels or Demons to record the events and then report them back to leader unit with Eidetic Memory. Xulke are not known to practice worship in any form, but they have often worked the cults and forces of Hecate and Nyarlathotep. Using both Alien technology and the ability to travel via the Ether, Xulke have conquered half their native galaxy, taking several races as slave races and wiping out several others to harvest their brains. Xulke have mapped the ether thoroughly are able to navigate (using Planar Knowledge) through it to return home and to explore other worlds. Woe to the world that becomes the target of a Xulke magical gate. DIDX31415; Deep Inter-Dimensional Explorer, Unit 31415 Tri-Brain Xulke Cyber-magical Construct These appear to be large vats with a a barrel filled with opaque liquid in which can be seen the skull, spine, pelvis and shoulder bones of an elongated humanoid being. it is held aloft on three legs and appear to be armed with pairs of arms. Large, translucent spheres mount the top of it like a pair of bug-eyes, and these are surmounted by rune-covered pylons on above the arms. STR: 24 CON: -- SIZ: 42 INT: 28 POW: 30 DEX: 16 APP: -- MOV: 8 Hit Points: 33, AP 15 Dmg Bonus: +3D6 Attacks: Large Claw attack: 65% D6+1+db Note: -5 to MP costs of spells. The three brains are interconnected, and this grants the DID 3 standard actions per round! Also, it receives three dodges per round before receiving a dodge penalty. Left and right Shoulder pylons each store 20 extra MP and both regenerate 2 MP per hour. DIDX31415 is able to regenerate 2 MP per hour. Knowledge (Arcane) 100%, Knowledge (Planar) 65%, Cast Casual Magic 75%, Dodge 75%, Ritual (Enchanting) 85%, Ritual (Summoning) 85%. Spot 65%, Listen 65%, Sense 65%, Xulke Alchemy 65%, Craft (Metals) 65%. Enlightened Sorcery, Magical Modifier; 7 Psychic Abilities: Clairvoyance 65% Precognition 75% Energy Control 75% Eidetic Memory 65% Telepathy 75% Telekinesis 75% Deep Magic Glyphs and Runes: Mind & Spirt, Direction, Positive Energy, Inhibition Favorite Deep Magic Spells: Enhance Armor: Earth/Enhancement Base Cost 5 + 1 per 8 additional Points of Armor With a thought, enhances the Armor value of the DID by 40 Points for POW in rounds. Chance of Success: 115% Transfer Magicka Mind & Spirit/Direction Base Cost: 3 + 1 per 8 points transferred Range: POW X 2 meters Duration: POW rounds if Vampiric Transfers MP from one target to another, Both targets must be within range. Lightning Burst Cost 2 + 1 per 8 additional hit points. (Positive Energy/Creation) With but a thought, Target takes 8 lightning damage, requires Evade or Dodge if changed to AoE, Or POW vs POW if single target, Instant Duration, Range POW X 4 in meters Cost +1 to extend 5' diameter Chance of Success: 110%. Spirit Amor Cost 2 + 1 per additional points (Mind/Spirit/Diminution) Reduces the effects of magical attacks upon the target by 8 points. Cost +1 to extend 5'radius Repair Item Cost 2 + 1 per additional 8 hit points or SIZ (Earth/Creation) With but a thought, Repairs and item of wood, metal, crystal; any non-organic material Restores mundane object of SIZ 5 Max to full hit points, or instantly repairs 8 hit points to objects where Hit Points are tracked. Chance of Success: 130% or lower (minus 5% per MP required). Identify Cost 3 + 1 per additional property wished to be learned. (Mind & Spirit/Summoning) Caster summons knowledge of one magical property possessed by target touched object. Chance of Success: 125% or lower (minus 5% per MP required). Charm Being Cost 5 (Mind & Spirit/Transmutation) With but a thought, Charms the target into treating the caster as a trusted friend. Being is favorably disposed to the caster for POW in minutes. POW vs POW Cost +1 per 5' radius of targets. Chance of Success: 115% or lower (minus 5% per MP required). Short-Range Scry Cost 5 (Mind-Spirit/Enhancement) Caster is able to view and listen to an area that is out view or blocked from him. Range is POW is X 100 Meters. Chance of Success: 115% or lower (minus 5% per MP required). Undo Magic Cost 4 + 1 per 8 levels. (mind-spirit/dismissal) With but a Thought, may cancel ongoing magical effects. Roll POW vs POW of caster, subtract 8 from the target’s effective POW. Cost +1 to extend 5' radius Range is POW X 2 meters Chance of Success: 120% or lower (minus 5% per MP required). Invisibility Cost 7 (Positive Energy/Diminution) Turns target of SIZ 48 Max invisible until they attack, up to the duration. Target may spend an attack action to return to invisibility. Cost +1 per 8 max SIZ of target Cost +1 per 5' radius of targets. Chance of Success: 105% or lower (minus 5% per MP required). Etherealness Cost 2 + 1 per SIZ 8 of target Ethereal Plane/Direction Target is moved into the ethereal plane (POW vs POW), Range is POW in Meters, for 1 Round Per POW. The ethereal individual is able to function on the Ethereal Plane, appears ghostly, can move through objects, attack such creatures as wraiths, spirits, and ghosts with ‘normal’ weapons, and is vulnerable to ethereal encounters. He or she can likewise alter his or her own bodily vibrations to materialize in the various planes touched by the Ethereal, or he may go deeper into the Ethereal Plane. Lightning weapon(s) Cost 4 +1 per 8 additional hit points (Positive Energy /Creation) Thought only, Sheaths a weapon in Lightning (damages wooden weapons) to inflict 8 extra fire dmg per hit. POW vs POW if wielder is unwilling Range is POW X 4 meters Cost +1 to extend 5' diameter Chance of Success: 120% Preserve Flesh Cost 11 Flesh/Enhancement Used to collect brains, a brain is typically cut out of the body of a sentient being, and this spell is used to keep it fresh for POW days while a growing vat and body are prepared for it. Chance of Success: 85% Dual Brain Probe, Unit 314 DBP314 Dual-Brain Xulke Cyber-magical Construct These resemble large, round spheres held up by a tripod of metallic legs. Stout, wand-sized anteanae seem to protrude from between the legs. STR: 14 CON: -- SIZ: 14 INT: 19 POW: 18 DEX: 14 APP: -- MOV: 16 Hit Points: 14, AP 10 Dmg Bonus: +D4 Attacks: Brawling (Foot) 45%, Dmg D6+db Both brains are interconnected, and this grants the probe 2 standard actions per round! Also, it receives 2 dodges per round before receiving a dodge penalty. Three Wand Projections pylons each store 10 extra MP and both regenerate 1 MP per hour. Knowledge (Planar) 55%, Cast Casual Magic 65%, Dodge 65%, %. Spot 55%, Listen 55%, Sense 55%. Navigation 65%, Climb 65%, Tracking 65%, Stealth 55%. Enlightened Sorcery, Magical Modifier; 4 Psychic Abilities: Etherealness 65% Invisibility 55% Eidetic Memory 65% Telepathy 65% Telekinesis 55% Body Weaponry 55% DIDX31415’s Drones, Xulke Cyber-magical Construct These can be mistaken for clock-work constructs, until they are cracked open and the brain is revealed . . . STR: 20 CON: -- SIZ: 18 INT: 12 POW: 14 DEX: 16 APP: -- MOV: 12 Hit Points: 16, AP 10 Dmg Bonus: +D6 Attacks: Brawl 45%, Dmg D4+db Alloy Axe 55%, Dmg D8+2+db Or Sword-Arm 55% Dmg D8+ 1 + db Or TK Pulse Pistol 55% Dmg 3D6 (Can be set to Stun, which causes living targets to resist the Damage vs their CON, but this does no actual hit point damage), Range 20, carries a Payload of 16 MP, 1 MP per shot. Regenerates 1 MP per hour. Self-Destructs if any MP are left D4 rounds after the death of the owner, for D6 per MP, in MP/5’ radius. Dodge 55%, %. Spot 45%, Listen 45%, Climb 65%, Stealth 45%, Wrestle 55%.Throw 40$ Psychic Abilities: Etherealness 65% Telepathy 65% Telekinesis 45% Body Weaponry 45%

Make the Knight cursed to guard succubi, as penance for falling to their charms. However, give the succubi the power to cast the illusion, or even can gain brief control/domination of him, so that he attacks the party (appearing to be a demon) at least once. Two of the demons distract the party with their pleas for help while the third casts the spells. Then, give the party a chance at parley . . . Do Not trap them into killing a holy man - that path leads to resentment. It might be fun to have him gasp out an "I'm Sorry!" as a sword rips through his armor and he changes back. Okay, now you have three chained up demons . . . or ARE they chained up? Was this one big demonic mind-game? To answer your question - I count willful murder of innocents as granting dark points but somebody slain because of a nefarious trick earns the trickster dark points, not the slayer, unless the slayer is willingly complicit (in this case, the party would not be). Gaining Light or Dark points can only be done with willful acts of valor or selflessnes/Cruelty or extreme forms of greed. A ruse, or momentary madness, or even demonic possession all turn off the will, so no points are gained. Darkness spreads by seduction - it thrives when somebody willingly slakes a thirst for blood, or sheds blood in pursuit of power. Followers of the Dark may appear mad, they may even be insane, but they know the evil that they do. Shadow grants them powers (expressed as allegiance points) because they can be counted upon to spread more Dark. The Succubi would gain Dark points for having their guardian slain, and will no doubt taunt the PCs, or try to convince one of them to stay and replace their former guardian as penance. They would offer 'benefits' to their brave new guardian. Darkness weaves lies and illusions. How many knights have they killed in this way? Perhaps there's a stash of loot from all the former victims, in a secret room nearby . . . This is not a prison, but a lair!

Called shot to the SPAM!

Correct; both weapons would have to be used to qualify for a check-mark (Could be an attack or a parry).

I've introduced a "Two Weapon Attack" skill into my campaign; it's rating limits the attack rating when both weapons are used simultaneously (similar to the ride skill), and grants an extra attack with the off-hand weapon, or an extra free parry for the turn. This provides a mechanic for the option that is balanced against the fact that you have to develop a second or third skill for the tactic. I've also allowed a "weapon plus shield" version of the Two Weapon Attack. Note that my players and I have adopted an adapted 4E round structure, but I'm sure the Two Weapon Attack skill is easily adaptable to the standard BRP Dex-rank round. As for the example above, without getting too analytical: Taking into account the fact that he was jumping down on a foe who is unaware (assume attacker made his stealth roll). . . the main hand dagger is an easy attack (roll to avoid the fumble), the off-hand weapon (I would rule) is a standard attack - easy because the foe is surprised/unaware but difficult because it's an attack with an off-hand weapon (unless he's ambidextrous, apparently). Oh Yeah, don't forget the Jump roll afterwards, to avoid damage or falling on his butt . . . I believe the off-hand weapon attacks are always difficult, unless the character is ambidextrous (BGB 234).

My Own campaign provides room for each of the alternative magic systems. and my players all came off a long stint of 4E DnD. I've found that Deep Magic has a lot of ambiguity that a min/maxer can simply go to town with (So I had to thoroughly re-engineer it). The next problem with was with Magic World Sorcery in that, as somebody else noted on the forums elsewhere, it was both too powerful and too weak in many respects. I then discovered Enlightened Sorcery, which works very nicely with some minor tweaks in a high-magic world. But my players like blasty mages, and much of my campaign involves converted/tweaked DnD modules, so most of the spellcasters use an ES inspired reiteration of the Classic Fantasy magic system; this breaks down spells from each class into Common, Uncommon, and Rare. I house-ruled that a spellcaster must reach 75% in Common spells before being able to cast Uncommon Spells, and then 75% in Uncommon Spell Casting skill (I forget what I called it) before learning how to Cast Rare spells. It's a middle-way between single-skill spellcasting and having to learn each spell as it's own skill. Oh yeah, clerics and such get to add their favored allegiance to their spellcasting skill (fumbles are always possible, though). When I'm feeling lazy, I'll just give an NPC Magic World spells to throw around . . . lol

I actually rarely encounter the combat ping-pong; circumstances usually prevent the dueling type of environment that would entail. Usually, somebody tries to help one of the combatants or the other, or somebody turns to under-handed tactics. Like, why not risk grappling the opponent to slip a dagger up his plate-mail? With my current mechanics, it would need a successful grapple (entailing a dodge of that attack that the opponent would no doubt attempt), which would need a held until the next round, when the attacker can reach for the dagger in his belt or boot (May need a luck roll depending on the mood of the gm. . .ehem, circumstances). The dagger attack would then be converted to an Easy attack. In my campaign, some characters can add their allegiance to an attack roll (which would also improve the range of specials and critical). it's a hell of a gamble, but it might work . . . at least, it would speed things up!

The point-buy system suggested in Classic Fantasy makes elves very expensive on character-point expenditure, which results in more-than-usual sub-par stats. I've balanced this with my own alternative experience point system that allows for a more-even progression where players can opt to increase stats-over skills or some combination there-of. It seems to work pretty well; the players are happy with it, and nobody has gotten crazy stats (the regular players are now qualifying as 'advanced'). The only balance issues I've found in BRP have had to do with Magic World sorcery spells, and the Deep Magic system presented in Advanced Sorcery. Hopefully, players choose races more for the character-concept than to min-max stats, but I echo the sentiment that BRP in general is not for the game-balance obsessed. The best cure for that, I've found, is creativity at the table; play to the PC's strengths, and try to be conscious of giving each player a meaningful turn.