Rurik

Our top beetle posed over in the Name? thread: Does it necessarily need to be a disk with Sky Mountain in the middle? Why not irregular shaped with Sky Mountain closer to one edge? There could be icy cold edges and hot deserty edges and all kinds of edges in between. My biggest reservation is I like the bit about Snow Trolls having (supposedly) visited the edge of the world. Still, I figured I'd throw it out as a thought. It is good to see others are still thinking about it.

Sky Mountain? O.k., I suppose we need another name. I'll have to think on this. Maybe something tied to the creation myth?

That is the scenario Charlie Krank is running at Tentacles. I'm not sure about it's status as a reprint.

There are all kinds that don't directly translate to skill bonuses per se, such as being resistent to damage, bonuses to initiative, etc. But really I think the motivation is that some gamers like character creation with edges and hinderences (or whatever you want to call them) and feel that they help define characters better than just a bunch of skills. EDIT: Or if looking for a more specific answer see Charles Green's post directly above mine.

:shocked: Was that just Censorship?

That looks like an attempt to simplify the math behind the "whoever makes their roll by the most method". The potential problem I see is that it tends to favor skills that are exactly multiples of 10. In your example a character with a skill of 40 rolls a 39 and gets a MoS of 1. Say his opponent has a skill of 39 bit rolls a 30. Even though he made his roll by nine points his MoS is 0. No matter what your skill, if your skill has a 0 in the ones place your chance of a MoS 0 is only 1% (roll skill exactly). If you have a 9 in the ones place your chance of an MoS 0 is 9%. I'd say that method places too much importance on the 1's place in the skill in question.

Oh, the irony.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not out to discourage anyone from using BRP, my #1 game system. I am very impressed with SW though. It has really hit a sweet spot in being very simple rules wise, easy to learn and play, and fast but still being playable (I really think many 'rules light' systems go too far to be playable in my book). What it does - heroic, pulpy action - it does very well (and yet a trollkin mook still has a chance of dropping a runelord with one shot, though it is much less likely than BRP). For a good gritty western go BRP all the way.

Umm, you players do realize that there isn't much to learn with SW? I just recently checked out the SW system and would like to run it. It seems a very simple system to pick up. But I think I agree with a bonus of +20% or +25%, leaning towards the +25%. Translating +1 in SW to +10% in BRP is straightforward, but a total bonus of +20% feels a little weak. If I recall right Edges that give a bonus pretty much universally give a +2, so just arbitrarily assigning +25% is not really a problem. I disagree with +2 meaning significantly less if you have 1d8 in a skill than if you have 1d4 in a skill. In many instances such as combat you get raises for each 4 you exceed the target number by, so +2 makes raises much more likely. Other skills, such as Notice, are opposed by the targets roll, and +2 greatly boosts your chance of winning.

I just have to hold this statement over your head as you defend LOTR That is of course just opinion. It is an opinion shared by a whole lot of people without a doubt, but there are no absolutes in the appreciation of art. Beauty is as always in the eye of the beholder. As our resident Book burner and MRQ Hater #1 wonders: I would say that every one's perception of any work is wholly based on their "screen of reality", or it should be, because otherwise they are basing how they perceive the work on the opinions of others. Depends on the contemporary author. Trends in writing, just like fashion change. While I don't read much contemporary fantasy right now (mostly history and current affairs non-fiction with some sci-fi mixed in - plus of course RPG books), I think the current trend is towards efficient writing, and honestly I like it when it works. Like any style, it works well in the hands of some and not in others. I also like Dylan Thomas a lot, and he breaks every rule Strunk and White laid down in the classic writers handbook "The Elements of Style". Thomas is unfocused adjective heavy rambling at it's finest. Does that make the advice given in "The Elements of Style" bad? Not in my opinion. A writer has to find their voice, and I think the best do. The rest may follow the rules, and even get published, but their works will ultimately be lost unless they stand out to a significant readership enough to passed on into the future. While I enjoy the stories of all of the authors you mention, I do not consider all of them the greatest of writers. All of them are pioneers, and tell a good story, and some make you think quite a bit, but with the exception of Poe (and the Hobbit) I don't think the writing itself is actually that great. I have been reading Howard's Solomon Kane stories lately, and while they can be fun, the writing isn't the best IMHO, though they are classics for sure. Don't get me wrong about LOTR. Overall it is great epic story, solid plot, and respectable (if a bit shallow) message all in a deep and well realized world, plus it has after all contributed more to fantasy (and hence indirectly the RPG hobby we hold dear) than any other work. But the last time I re-read it I must say the act of reading it was not the high part of the experience. In the end the whole experience is rewarding, but getting through the actual damn words was a chore at time. On the other hand my guilty pleasure is Elmore Leonard novels (contemporary crime and some westerns). Honestly he has never written a really good ending, and about half of his books are in the end just ok (some though are very good), his books are a pleasure to read for me (the characters and dialogue are always great, which is enough to keep even the mediocre books moving) and the pages just turn themselves. Ideally the best books get it all right - the writing, characters, plot, dialogue, suspense, imagery, and emotions. In the end that sweet spot is going to be different for each person's own "screen of reality". I should stop now. Do forgive me for this Silmarillion of a post (ahh, the irony...).

Mine eyes bleed rivulets of blood as crimson as Sunwolfe's searing hatred of MRQ while my mind screams in silent agony, tortured by the words of that foul sentence as if by an iron maiden of prose most bad; damn you Thalaba.

I think the two most common methods are: 1) Declare one side as the active (often the PC if against an NPC, or else whomever initiated the contest) and have the active side roll. This resolves the contest in one roll. 2) The 'extended contest' method: Have both sides roll, if both sides succeed or both sides fail the contest is a draw and roll again next round. Repeat until one side succeeds and the other loses.

I don't disagree at all. The LOTR is significant as an iconic work. It is the common reference point for all fans of fantasy and is a part of the collected consciousness of not only fantasy fans but much of mainstream society. There are much better written fantasy works out there, but none that are as universal as LOTR. I also agree the Hobbit is much better written. It is an easy and enjoyable read, a tight and concise tale (compared to LOTR) that feels like a tale a wizard may spin by the side of a fire in a warm hobbit hole. Tolkien gets more grandiose as his works move on. Don't even get me started on the Silmarillion. To cut it some slack the LOTR is also a product of it's time - writing style has evolved since they were written. But still there is the Hobbit for comparison...

Or better yet, create a page on the Wiki on this website. There is such a page on the MRQWiki (also known as Mr. Qwiki) here: Main Page - MRQWiki It of course only lists MRQ products.

Atgxtg is right with regards to Dispel Magic and Dismiss Magic - you only need to overcome the Intensity of the spell. The sorcery spell Neutralize Magic attacks the total MP of the spell on the Resistance Table.

That is why I specified MI6 "00" agents - there is definitely a place for MI6 agents in vans for surveillance and assault and being killed by the bad guys minions and such. Lesser agents get stuck in vans. Bond, though, never. (never mind the Spy Who Loved Me...)

You know, I almost threw in the "For Call of Cthulhu, not James Bond" clause in my above evalution, thinking specificaly of the Victory Games RPG and the Aston Martin itself. An MI6 00 agent should never, ever, drive a van (or RV for that matter).

Ahh yes, the RV does have it's uses, and has been pressed into world saving/crime commiting (at the same time mind you) duties. Once we even bought a Semi and had to send one of the party members to truck driving school. But the van is the perfect balance of handling, storage, anonymity, and flexibility for general investigative use.

Ouch. :eek: Ok, now I am actually ashamed of being party to this silliness.

Ahh yes, the Cthulhu Investigators Van, close relative of the Mystery Machine (the latter distinguished from the former by the lack of nondescript-ness). Next time I'm rolling up a character for a CoC game I'm going to tell the GM I want to be the owner of a Van Dealership.

True. Didn't they have a god of whining?

Sadly it seems he is looking for actual campaigns, not just settings. And as far as I can tell Carlos is correct, there are no actual campaigns to be found. Which is the 'sadly' part.

Just to be clear: So it is ok to whine about waiting and paying extra if we are not going to Tentacles nor know someone stateside who is, correct?

Welcome Back. Hope you had a good time. Rurik feels a bit ashamed of his behavior all of a sudden and sheepishly starts to try to piece together a few bits of broken mug.

Whoa. Thanks for the clarification. It is always good to have the facts straight.