vagabond

Ok. So that is clear.

But where does MRQ enters the equation. If I wanted to use MRQ supplements with my BRP is that possible and if is how much work does that require.

Sorry for all these stupid questions but inquiring minds need to know

Yes, you can use MRQ supplements, and most likely it would require little

effort.

-V

Again, you need to take into consideration a few factors:

Chaosium is a very small operation. The economy has hit them very hard

I am sure. And, the primary editor is for all intents and purposes no longer

part of the staff, and is not going to be replaced any time soon.

I recall Dustin posting on his blog or somewhere else that between the cons

they attended, Lynn's health, and some other issues that cropped up, things

have been a bit slow getting out. Also, I recall at least Jason has some

issues with Chaosium that needs straightening out before Interplanetary

goes further.

-V

I would also submit that becoming an Agent/Champion of Law/Chaos/Balance

(or reaching Apotheosis) in Stormbringer/Elric! also granted new "feats" -

special abilities that went beyond simple percentile adds.

-V

Hey all,

BRP had "feats" long before D&D3. The RQ supplement Land of the Ninja

had Ki Powers. Adding "feats" to BRP is fairly simple. Look at MRQ's Legendary

Abilities as well.

As for a classlike system, WFRP uses "Professions" to narrow down skill sets

and such, with the possibility that once you reach a point, you can progress

to a different professions, kind of like D&D3's Prestige Classes. I could see

a similar system for BRP working quite well.

-V

I would be vastly interested in seeing these notes. I love Dark Sun, and I could see where it may port to BRP quite well. I'd be very curious to see what you came up with!

I lifted extensively from Gerall Khalla's website (the old chromebob site)

and Neville White's excellent work for RQ Athas. I'll have to dig around

some, I made some changes since I was using Stormbringer rules instead,

and originally used Elan when dealing with Defilers and their relationship with

the Dragon Kings. I may have started to play with Allegiance when Elric!

came out. I modelled Psionics after SB4 demon powers, using POW (eventually

converted to Magic Points).

Of course, I have no idea where any of this stuff is ...

-V

Can you elaborate?

Well, I was kind of asking you to elaborate on this:

I like BRP/RQ combat but love D&D magic.

from your other thread.

-V

You Vagabond!

If you take a 3.5 character and convert it there doesn’t need to be any loss of feats or spells that the player is familiar with.

If you were to take that same character and move them over to straight BRP you will more than likely lose a lot of your abilities because there is no equivalent in BRP.

In some cases making the character not even seem the same.

Dextrous fighters and high level casters being the greatest victims.

Have you ever done conversions like this Vagabond?

Yes, I have. I had, at one time, copious notes converting most of

Athas/Dark Sun over to BRP, as well as converting Stormbringer over

to an OGL/D&D3E setup. And, I have my ongoing Skyrealms of Jorune

conversion in the works. I agree, dextrous fighters and high level spell

slingers are the most worrisome. I am a little curious about what you

mean by D&D spells from your other thread.

After a comment like that, vagabond, I'd say you're honour-bound to provide one of your own characters to find out...

I will try to dig up my long lived half-drow 8th level pure thief to see what

Solinor can do. He's a 2+E AD&D character, but I could probably whip up a

3E version if desired.

-V

Aaah, but isn't this:

If anyone has a D&D character that they could post and I will convert the character? My intent is to show that the character will remain in tack.

in direct conflict with this?

Of course his or her fool hardy days are tempered by the new laws of physics they must abide by.

How can the character and all of its skills and abilities remain intact if

the system's new laws of physics overrule things?

-V

I believe at one point Beholders were also officially called

Eye Tyrants. So, Tyrant sounds like a good name to use.

-V

I'll have to check, but I believe Elric!/Stormbringer actually had

a separate Bluff skill at one time. I think it was SB 1- 4, and

it was removed in Elric!

-V

In Poker, a successful "Poker Face" is achieved with some skill.

Some are good at it, some aren't. It takes effort.

I would say, a general "Bluff" skill roll would suffice. One need not

say something to bluff someone, just providing a demeanor is

sufficient (trying to look cool under duress for example).

-V

Thanks everybody...but..uh...guys...I am speaking only about mechanics of it all. So, let me rephrase it:

Could I use Deep Ones to attack Pan Tang raiders? I mean statistics-wise (disregarding SAN obviously)?

From what I understand answer is YES with a little work (or better with almost no work at all)...

Yes, things like Deep Ones and some of the various lower powered Cthulhu

Mythos beasties can easily be dropped into the Young Kingdoms, as long as

you keep two things in mind:

1) Characters in the Young Kingdoms are significantly more heroic than

the investigators in CoC, so the outcome will be different (mostly, no going

insane unless you use some optional rules - YK characters are supposed to

be a little more hardy when it comes to blood, gore and weirdness).

2) The higher powered Cthulhu beasties may need a bump in power to

have a similar effect on YK characters that they have in CoC investigators.

As it stands, I have done plenty of CoC/YK crossover stuff, which also makes

for nice Howardian style S&S.

-V

One of Chaosium's major employees (who is also the primary editor)

has been very sick recently. Chaosium is a very small company with

a staff of five (or is it six now?). Losing one of the them is pretty

hard, especially since the core group are very close friends who have

been together for the entire ride just about. There was a news item

about it some time back, and Charlie explained that, at the time, and

I am sure it is still true today, the door will always be open for

the person in question should he decide to come back, and Chaosium

will not replace him until he decides to hang it up.

So, in other words, patience is the mantra right now. I am sure there

are other issues - the economy for example, and I know Jason and

other contributors have some things they need to iron out. But, all

the end user can do is wait.

-V

Actually, it's not so black and white.

While, for the most part, the system is the same across the board,

how it is implemented is different. In thinking about having Elric enter

a 1920's Cthulhu investigation, you'll note that Elric's POW is rival that

of Great Cthulhu's. So, while POW is mechanically the same, how it

is represented in Elric's world vs. Cthulhu's world is far different.

Just something to take into account.

-V

But for the "Change" spell you have to overcome the targets POW. Also, a cow can be pretty dangerous, I would go for something a bit more harmless

Especially a cow with the original stats of the target, and potentially any

powers ...

-V

As Bob points out, Blast has no resistance roll attached. Armor affects

it, but other than that, bring on the pain. Also, it has a significant

range advantage over Change. Also, Blast is permanent, Change has

a 15 minute per MP duration.

Makes sense that Change costs so much less.

Also, I believe it takes more than 1 extra MP to add a second target.

You need to have enough SIZ covered - I read as you need the total

SIZ covered to extend to another target i.e. adding 1 MP adds another

target, but the two targets must total less than 15 SIZ.

-V

Well, I don't know as I'd use the word *lucky* with an encounter with this thing, but I remember that one of the thing's head was supposed to be Immortal. Now me, I don't mind a really tough creature, but *Immortal*? No way. So I decided to make one head decidedly tougher (ie: Primary) with much more HP. Take it off and the points come right off the grotesque's Total HP, which can be quite telling. Lop off any of the Secondary heads---essentially window dressing---and nothing much happens.

Your memory serves you well - one head was supposed to be "immortal".

However, depending on the myth read and the translation, it either meant

that the "central" head could not be touched until the "normal" eight (most

sources claim the Lernean hydra had nine heads) were dispatched and

cauterized (in some versions, Heracles lops off the "immortal" head using his

bronze sword and expending no extra effort), or it had to be buried under a

rock. So, your philosophy seems appropriate. Maybe give the central head

some extra protection (the result of the other eight heads being in the way),

or make it impervious until the secondary heads are either completely dispatched,

or half of them have been.

I'd read somewhere that the hydra was supposed to have a more dog-like (>) body, which I assumed was reptillian, like a big croc or Iguanadon or something, rather than the actual dog's body, but with this classical stuff, who can really be sure.? Maybe a consultation with the Oracle of Delphi (which I'd read has been proposed to be a s*really* strong gas leak) could clear things up

And the thing is supposed to have *100* heads.

I don't know if classical sources have a version as a snake (maybe I;m thinking I saw one of trhose vase paintings..), but after many, *many* viewings of the old Harryhausen classic, *Jason and the Argonauts*, a

snake-like just seems *right*, if you know what I mean...."Well, *of course* its a big snake!"

Maybe I'll attempt a *proper* Hydra

Best,

-Ken-

Again, the original stories vary, as do the translations. Most sources claim

nine heads (in some versons, its "father", Typhon, had 100 heads), some claim five, some claim

50, and some claim 100. Again, nine is the most common number. As far as

the body, again the sources vary - either it is a "serpent" in the modern

sense - a giant multi-headed water snake, or it is a "serpent" in the classic

sense (I believe "drakon" was used in at least one version). Size is also another

issue to debate on - some claim it is gigantic, others show the central body

as smaller than Heracles himself. Finally, it also had a "stench" attack - its

odor was lethal as well.

-V

Looks like a typo in the rule. The example given states that the ROF

for a rock is 2 SR, however, it is only 1 SR normally. So, I suspect

that the Volley Fire Rule should allow double the ROF.

I like the Elric!/SB5 rule best. Volley Fire Rule allows spears and axe

to be thrown at double the rate, and arrows, rocks, etc. (crossbows

are not in the YK universe) at triple the rate. However, it can only

be sustained for CON rounds, and then normal rate for CON/2

rounds before continuing the volley rate. Also, attacks are at 1/3

normal chance during Volley Fire.

-V

I don't have the book in front of me, but this is my guess:

The normal ROF is correct. I believe that the first attack occurs at

DEX, the second at the end of the round. Not sure how weapons

with a ROF of 3 or better work, perhaps normal rate is DEX-10. I'd

need the book for that.

Volley fire assumes the same number of shots per round, but has them

occur earlier in the round (DEX, DEX-5, DEX-10, etc. until 0). Each attack is

a Difficult task.

-V

I think the situational modifiers for the RAW Chase Rules will fit

for skill modifiers for those on deck not actively engaged in

the run/pursuit.

Things like Wind (-10%), Heavy Rain (-20%)/Rain (-10%) (for the spray),

At maximum Speed (-10%) and Oily/icy (-20%) (for the deck slipperiness

and movement). In any combination. And, perhaps success levels for

the respective rolls by the captain, pilot, and sailing/rowing crew could

affect things as well, both positively and negatively.

I'll dig out my Sailing the Seas of Fate as well as the Conan

supplement Pirate Isles to see what rules they have. I may have

MRQ Pirates somewhere as well.

-V

And, for me, I was going to say how nicely it would fit into my

own version of the Young Kingdoms, placing it in the western

ocean off the map, or somewhere heading east ...

All fit for my Ultimate Stormbringer stuff which I am slowing

putting together.

-V

I'll have to take a look at the RAW, but IIRC, the RAW reflects

individual opponents, and smaller and more agile moving objects.

Ships provide a more stable platform from which others not directly

involved in the chase maneuvers may take action which can affect

the chase (i.e, while the captain and crew directly responsible for

ship movement are busy with difficult actions, others on

deck have less immediate concerns - so they can fire missile weapons,

use a spyglass, etc. at a less than difficult level. However,

there is still some degree of difficulty - ship movement during a chase

is hardly smooth, and one must still take care to cover if the opponent

is firing as well.

-V

Another thought.

The underside of commercial passenger vehicles is not very thick.

I recall an incident in high school where someone ran over a not

very thick branch which pierced the floorboards.

Also, an big complaint in Iraq was that the Humvees and trucks were

not properly armored, cost cutting led to the elimination of extra

armor underneath. The number of casualties resulting from roadside

bombs prompted a call to change that.

Maybe the vehicle rules need some "armor location" rules as well

What are some other vehicle AVs? How does 14 compare?

-V

OK, maybe I am confused (and should look at the book when I get

home), but ...

Didn't you say that the AV is 10 and not 14? If so, 6d6+6 averages 27 HP

damage. Subtracting AV of 10, 17 HP of damage gets through. The Accord

originally had 40 HP, but you rule it only has 36 HP due to age. 36 - 17 is

19 HP left. But, this is more than 50% of the original 40 HP, so the half

speed rule applies. Additionally, in the playtest (again, I need to refer to

the book), there is an option for the GM to roll against the Chase Mishap

table any time the vehicle is damaged.

Seems that should cover it nicely.

-V

To me, using terms like "dated" and "modern" really don't apply too

well in RPGs. Especially when people call a system "dated" when it

contains the same elements those same people cite as representative

of "modern" games.

Looking at the laundry list of elements most people use to describe

a game as "modern" - point buy systems, unified die mechanic, levels

of success that actually influence results, adv/disadv system, hero/drama

points that actually can change narrative - Victory Games' James Bond 007

had pretty much all of those. And a table which makes many people claim

it is "dated". Not bad for a 25 year old game.

-V