Tywyll

How often do you choose to eat garbage when you have the option to eat stake? Seriously, who's eat a Krystal burger (an old, wet, cold one at that) when they have the option of eating a filet mignon, cooked just the way you like? There is nothing suicidal or stupid about it, its about fulfilling desires. Sure, there will be vampires who will intentionally avoid flagging the authorities, but again it depends on the mythos: does a vampire have to kill to eat? This is the stupidest element of modern vampire myths and exists almost exclusively in the movies... even Dracula could keep coming back to the same target over and over.

Wow, I didn't realize there were such differences in the BRP systems. Could you show your math on how you came to those conclusions? I don't doubt you are correct, I'm just curious in the differences.

My intent, at least as I am thinking now, will probably require something from the player in order to activate. In the case of special combat abilities, I'll probably charge the character hero Points or perhaps even POW, so its a definite effort on the part of the character to learn them. So in the case of casters, they will have to choose between using those HP or POW for magical abilities or combat. It doesn't /stop/ a caster from learning them, but that's not really my desire. It makes someone who focuses have more potency where they focus, and I think that the casters will be busy spending their resources on magical stuff. That's my initial thought anyway.

That's interesting, about the Claws. Are the mutations and super powers equatable? I mean, would you use mutations for more 'physical' super heroes while using superpowers for more generic ones? Can you spend points from your super powers on specific mutations if there is something you want (like the aforementioned claws)? Ok, so nothing really new there then. The sorcery system is the system of magic from 'Elric!' correct? Both with the summons and the 'fire and forget' spells?

I'm certainly ok with this style, in theory. My main question/concern is how many points of 'super martial arts' would be fair alongside someone who practiced the traditional magic system?

That sounds awesome. I can't wait to read it.

Cheers! Does 'Unarmed Combat' allow you to model such things as claws? Are there rules for supergear (a super hero with a magic hammer for example)? Would you mind listing the names of the spells available in the magic section? I'm really curious. Thanks so much for the info, May can't get here fast enough.

Hey, One thing I've not heard much about is Superpowers. How are they handled? Are they effects based like HERO (Blast, Armor, Flight, etc) or specific (fire bolt, skin of stone, wings)? Are there modifiers to powers (advantages or disadvantages) that modify the cost? What 'comic level' do the characters default to (gritty street vigilantes, X-men, Avengers, Superman)? Cheers!

Depending on your mythos, there is no reason why each vampire couldn't have different weaknesses (Night's Edge, for cyberpunk 2020 took a similar approach). Each vampire's weakness might be unique to them, or perhaps to their line, depending on where vampires came from. So somebody might get all obsessive about counting grain, while another dies from a stake in the heart. Also, depending on the time frame (is it modern day?) then the 'power' of the vampire can be very relative. Vampires might be more than a match for any human... in melee. However, guns can be a great equalizer. Perhaps while a bullet won't kill them, collecting too many will slow them down enough to be dealt with. So you lose the superhuman effect, and force the characters to be more methodical and thoughtful about it. Perhaps really ancient ones get to the point where this is not an issue, but younger ones can be stopped by a machine pistol on full auto... or a shotgun. That forces players to be much more thoughtful, and not just rampage around.

I don't agree. Sure it should, if there is no reason to play humans, then no one will. If a race has all sorts of advantages, and few to no disadvantages, then why shouldn't you try to balance things out? That's possible, the question becomes: what is a reasonable cost/balance? What are those weaknesses? Back in the day, playing d&d and ad&d, almost no one played humans, because there was nothing interesting or compensating for them to compare to the abilities/cool factor of the non-human races. Luckily, I only have one power gamer in my group. However, he's also a good roleplayer. That's not my concern, I don't want players feeling cheated later on in play when they want to play a concept but someone who's simialr non-human concept simply always outshines them (like a Melnibonean in just about any SB game, etc, etc).

VAM (or whatever you call it) shouldn't be random. It should start at X depending on whatever it represents (the power of the sire? the evil of the mortal being embraced? every vampire being equal when first created?) then rise according to whatever govern's such things. It could be more like an Allegiance score than an attribute, with break points (every 10, every 20?) the vampire gets 'stuff'. That's how I'd handle it.

I didn't know there were other creation methods (for skills) in BRP that weren't point buy. Anyway, in theory, yes, this is true. The question is the specifics. How valuable is 4d6 in a stat versus 3d6? What about things like nightvision (I'm imagining the super power section might help me out there)? Also, I'm very hesitant to remove skill points for special abilities. In theory it works fine, but it seems odd that 'Elder Races' that live longer than humans would be less skilled than they are. I'd probably simply be more restrictive on them, which is to say that starting skills might get spent in specific ways to model culture and upbringing, while humans have more latitude. That still doesn't seem entirely to solve the issue. So, what would be wrong with giving humans an advantage or extra Hero Points?

Personally, I find that balance through role play only goes so far... I mean, look at Dark Elves from 2nd Ed D&D... they were way more powerful than any other race and the only 'balance' really was roleplay restrictions, but if you get a group of people who trust you, those sort of things don't matter in the wilderness very much. It's widely regarded as one of the failings of Advanced D&D that they went by that method. The other problem is that the lack of balance is mechanical. Elves, for example, don't have RP advantages as much as mechanical ones. so seeking balance out with that doesn't really always work, at least for me. Ok, so you charge the elf more for his stuff in town, or he get's snubbed by the locals. So he holes up in the room, or in the wilderness outside, and lets his human buddies who have learned to trust him, deal with buying his gear or other such things. Sure, when he is constantly getting picked on by the town guard, its a hassle, but there are ways around it. And it also only works if that is the setting. My campaign world human's treat Dwarves with respect, but their stats are generally much better than humans, so that doesn't work.

I know that BRP has never been particularly 'balanced' when it comes to races that aren't human. I think that, as a primarily simulationist system, this is generally fine. However, there is a small part of me that worries about player's feeling disadvantaged or what not for playing humans. Has anyone ever tried to do anything to balance the races a bit? I'm mainly looking at fantasy style games, and I'm not talking about races like trolls, but more like elves, dwarves, Melniboneans, etc vs humans. I've been toying with a few ideas to make humans more interesting: 1) If I use Hero Points from MRQ allow Human PCs an extra HP each game to represent their drive. 2) Pick a few skills for which they get a +X (10?) to all experience rolls to represents human haste and focus. 3) Possibly more skill points at start (though I don't really like this option).

Anybody know?

Is it published by Mongoose or someone else? Oops, I see you said Heroquest, not runequest.

Out of curiosity, why not? Do you not allow multiple attacks for combat skills over 100% (which is essentially the exact same thing)? If we have a special (even if there is only one) in combat applications, why shouldn't non-combat applications also benefit?

Not when, hopefully, it will be out next month. If it were going to be a six month wait, then maybe. I'm impatient, but not that impatient.

How are contested rolls handled in the new BRP? Is it simply defender wins (a dodge succeeds against any attack unless its a crit)? Is it a compared roll (highest/lowest roller wins)? Or something else? Are there any changes if skills are 100+? Cheers!

Eh... I fail to see how reveling in one's sociopathy = horror or scary. The 'fear' in the Personal Horror style of game comes from seeing what lengths you'll go to and how far you'll fall when you do. That requires characters who care about what they are losing (or 'emo' I suppose by your definition). Whether vampires are sociopaths depends on how their mythology is defined. Do they need to kill everytime they feed? Do they create a new vampire every time they eat? Etc, etc. What you seem to be describing sounds like the Splatterpunk game, something like Nightlife, though even that has a humanity system (though one of the better one's I've seen). Interestingly, it's a percent system so could easily be ported/adjusted to BRP.

Just let me say: Sweet!

Won't there be Enchantment rules, which would be another way to remove POW points? See I think these are great ideas. Other options might include: 1) More Damage with a specific type of weapon 2) Ability to negate some armor 3) Ability to 'roll with a blow' (i.e. innate armor) 4) Increase range with missile weapons 5) Decreased reload time with MW 6) Ability to reduce opponent's dodge/parry 7) Increase Initiative (or Strike Ranks, or however they are handled now) 8) Bonus with a specific weapon (if weapon skills are grouped, like 1H Edged) Just some thoughts off the top of my head.

Which, while good, is still simply a pass-fail, there is nothing beyond the success or failure of their action, that's all I'm saying.

Don't have the book yet as its not out in the UK, so that doesn't help much. I find that including the players in the creative process makes them more involved and more interested in the game and the world. We've never found them intrusive, but as you say, YMMV. You tell me, what does having such a high skill do for you under the new BRP rules? How is functionally different from a skill at 96% other than the higher chance of a critical? What can you do with that 250% that you can't do with 100% or 150%? In combat, I imagine it gives extra attacks... but does it allow you to do more damage with a blow, shatter your opponent's weapons or armor? Does a 250% in art allow you to manipulate the emotions of your viewers, so that everyone who sees your work weep or go insane? My BRP games don't allow skills to represent such abilities, they simply increase the chance for success. I'd like to see more to it than that. If the new BRP rules have such ideas in them, then awesome. What I'd be interested in seeing if there is a way to map such extra abilities to high skill levels. Yes, they are optional, not standard. I don't intend to use them as I find they slow down the game personally. Hero Points reduce damage to locations in a specific way in MRQ. Thanks for letting me know how they work in BRP with 'total hp'. It seems a bit weak though, doesn't that mean that say your average person with a Pow of 10 will only deflect 3 points of damage? I guess the better option is to spend your points to avoid being hit in the first place? Anyway, thanks for that bit of info on how the new system works.

I fail to see how a 'minor change' in the storyline is cheating. Four heads are better than one and sometimes the players come up with ideas that are better (or more interesting) than the GM has had the time to. They can also populate the world with old friends that show up at the right moment, like in stories and movies and myths, without the burden being on the GM to create such beforehand. What is wrong with that? Or is Plotbending something beyond the normal use of HP in MRQ?