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One idea you might want to go with is to give each weapon a list of possible special effects and let the character chose which one to use on a critical. The Usagi Yojimbo RPG does this, and the new RQ does something similar. All you would need to do is list the possible special effects and write up spot rules for the effects that aren't already covered, and then just add the appropriate specials to each weapon's description. Some pre-existing rules such as attacking to break weapons, attacking to knockdown, disarms, and called shots could all be adapted into possible special effects.

A lot of GMs make players roll everything, and it becomes ingrained. Quite a few rolls could and shold be dropped. At times I've gone so far as to bypass a small fight because the outcome was pretty much automatic. On one side a group of experienced PCs, on the other a single foe with combat skills at 25%. Sure, I could roll lucky and main or kill a PC, but that really wouldn't have helped advance the adventure or the campaign.

As far as wanting both realism and narratarism, it really isn't as simple as checking on yes/no for either or both. It's more a case of trade offs. For every feature that you add to an RPG there is a tradeoff - complexity. So in boils down to just what things we the game rules to cover and how much complexity we are willing to accept to get them. And even "realism" is a relative term. The old RQ combat system with hit locations, impales and severed limbs was one of the most deadly RPG systems out there, in it's day. But it really wasn't very realistic. It's much harder to lop off a body part in combat, than it is in old RQ. And the system hasn't gone any more "realistic" since then. Probably less realistic. But it all boils down to what features we desire and what we are willing to put up with to get them. That's also why it's hard at time to "enlighten" other gamers to the virtues of BRP - because the game system might not have the features that they desire or expect. I have some friends who play D20 who are simply terrified of the idea of fixed hit points -despite the problems that escalating hits points cause for some of the genres they want to play in. A Old West style shootout gets silly when the shootists have to stop to reload a couple of times!

This may, or may not help.... SIZ in general uses a logarithmic doubling progression where each doubling of mass adds 8 to SIZ. SIZ 8 is about 50kg, SIZ 16 is about 100kg, SIZ 24 is about 200kg and so on. This holds true from around SIZ 8 to around SIZ 88. If you want a formula to convert a mass to a SIZ score for a spreadsheet or calculator try log (kg)* 26.575-37.15 (round down).

Yes, as has been pointed out, rifles are more accurate than pistols, even at short range. A good deal of accuracy comes from the length of the barrel and the distance between the front and back sights. But there is something to be said about pistols being quicker to bring to bear,ou might want to do is to give weapons a modfier to SR or DEX rank *depending on which rules you use(, when determining the order of action in a round. For instance, a decent light pistol that is quick to bring to bear, might be worth :1 DEX, while something like a typiucal rifle might be -3 DEX, and big heavy elephant gun -4 or even -5. That way, if everthing else was equal, the guy with the pistol would probably get off his shots before someone with a rfile, but the guy with the riufle has a better chance of hitting if he is still around.

HArnmaster is similar. But this method can handle opposed rolls because you use the 10s digit for comparison. So a 73 would be a 67, as long as both rolls were under the repsective skill scores. Special Success add +5 to the effect and criticals +10. Both figured out a little different than in BRP to eliminate the "high is good, but low is better" way that specials and crticals affect opposed rolls in BRP. It works, but like I said, it's a radical departure from BRP. For instance I use the difference between tens digits as the value for any EFFECT that results from the rolls. So things like damage are based off the difference between the rolls rather than by making another, separate die roll. It also allows you to adjust the difficulty of your rolls. Raising the difficulty makes it harder to succeed but also increases the EFFECT if you succeed, while lowering the difficulty makes it easier to make the roll, but reduces your EFFECT score. That is also how this method handles high skill scores. To really benefit from the higher skill, a character would have to try something more difficult.

["click", lightbulb turns on] Ah, Now I see it. It's at the end of the hit location table under "Craft". Oops. I'm thinking of those classic anime scene where the heroes hve to catch up with the big bad mech before it gets to the city, dam, laboratory and destroys it. Must be the Getta Robo influence. I remember several epiosdes where the "Command Craft" had to try and slow down the big baddie while Getta Robo was on it's way. Cutey Honey!. But I figure Hani-san might be pushing the BRP mecha rules a bit. The rules are "no spaceships - sorry for teasing you with Yamato and Arkadia - and no Evangelion". I should be able to stat out everything else.

Attributes can have a bigger impact if you use the RQ3 method for skill advancement. In RQ3 the category modifiers (attack, parry, knowledge, etc.) are added to improvement rolls. So somebody with an attack bonus of +10% not only starts with a higher starting skill, but also tends to roll over his skill rating more often, and his weapon skills will increase faster. IMO, the bonus to improvement rolls has a bigger impact that the adjustment to starting percentages.

Oooh. That looks fun. Some questions: 1)The command vehicle "has same statistics as crafts", but I can't figure out what the stats are for the individual Getter vehicles. 2) Move is listed as 5, is that ground movement, flying movement, or tracked movement for Poseidon? If I recall correctly (and it's been some time), both Dragon and Liger could fly and one was faster than the other.

Or do a stand alone RPG. That works too. That's how I see it. If I picked up a supplement for Game X, that alleged to compatible fwith Game X, but wasn't, I'd feel like somebody pulled a fast one.

Interesting, but I can't see why someone would do that. THey could try to tap the Lengends market base, but that would probably work against them once people realsed the book wasn't compatible with Legends. If somebody removes the BRP specfic stuff from a supplment, then they could publish it without Legend.

Except 1D10 changes it to 10% increments instead of 5% increments. Yup. Rumor has it that the 50% +/-5% per point of difference proved to be difficult with some of the early RQ players and the resistance table was a way to get around the math!

Yeah, I suppose it depends on just how fast people can do the math. I can do the math in my head faster that I can pull out the table or dig up a reference sheet. It's just another way of doing the same thing. It might be helpful to some GMs and groups or it might not. Where it could get interesting would be applying it to skills, or even using it to turn this into a both sides roll mechanic. A GM could replace the base of 50% with a D100 roll.

I think you just answered your own question. He would have to change things from BRP to Legend. That's a pretty significant set of rule changes. Say, I wonder just how much Twilight:2000 is in it? That could be another problem if some sections are too similar the GDW's game.

I wonder if it would be better to take the 50% out of the equation and just write down the resistance table modifiers (RTMs)on the character sheet? THe active character would add his applicaible RTM to his chances and the opponent would subtract his RTM from the base 50% success chance. For example, let's say a PC with 16 STR is in a tug-o-war with a STR 20 Troll. 16 STR would be STR RTM 30%, while the Troll with STR 20 would have a 50% STR TRM. 30-50 is -20, so the man would have a 30% (50-20) chance of winning.

Sounds like you might want to consider just releasing it as a free fanbook, like some others that have been floating around. You could even cut out the stuff that is duplicated in the BRP core rules, or even break it up into several sections. If you're not interested in a profit, then a free PDF has some advantages. RPG companies are also a lot more forgiving with fan-produced free stuff than with somebody making a profit off of the company's RPG.

Just how intergrated are the rules with the setting? In the long run you might want to (or have to) go it without Chaosium's approval and without BRP. Now it is possible to come up with something fairly similar as long as you don't cut & paste text, terms and descriptions right out of BRP. Several people have done so to get their own projects off the ground, or to keep them going without Chaosium's support. Using one of the alternates or working up your own might be the only way you'll be able to sell your WWII book. The good thing is that if you do end up going that route, you don't need most of the stuff in BRP in a WWII setting. Good Luck with your submission, but be prepared.

Good work Gollum! You degenerate hobbit. You're quote right, both formulas are essentially the same.

Yeah, it boils down to deciding what;s more important the difference between the stats or the ratio. But since BRP uses a doubling scale, it's effectively doing both. At least in the 8-88 stat range where 90% of the game is played. A SIZ of 88 (51.2mt) is twice the value [/i (in this case mass) ]of a 80 (25.6mt), which is why there is such a big swing in the resistance table despite what is only a 10% difference in the actual stat. By doing thing that way, you don't need to worry about the 100 vs 200 situations as a stat of 200 has over 500 times the value of a stat of 100. It's like comparing humans to ants.

Thr 1D2/1D4/1D6 etc method was something I pulled from Elric! years ago and even passed on to Steve Perrin as an alternate db for SPQR. The D20+adds method is something I am working on for a base ten logarithmic stat game. That is a 20 would be ten times the value of a 10 and so on. The idea is for the system to be able to handle some really high values, such as those used for superheroes and battleshiips as well as for normal people, yet keep the values relatively small. It's not bad at all. Matter of fact, I've used it as the basis for a BRP variant once or twice.

Not if you come up with a good formula. FOr instance the 1D20 per 10 points plus remainder works just fine outside the usual range. Or, this progression Stat/Die 1/1D2 2/1D4 3/!d6 4/1D8 5/1D10 6/1D10+1D2 7/1D10+1D4 8/1D10+1D6 9/1D10+1D8 10/2D10 etc. Oh, Generally speaking I prefer the table too, but the thread was discussing alternatives.

No the are not, but then they don't have to be. THe idea is to come up with a simple, alternate mechanic for handling opposed stat rolls (the resistance table). The statistical curves don't have to be the same, and the odds do not have to be in 5% increments. It just has to work and give an "acceptable advantage" to the higher stat. Just what is an "acceptable advantage" might vary from GM to GM. I've got an idea I've been working on that uses 1D20 per 10 points of stat plus any remainder. For instance a 10 would be 1D20, a The guy with the 10 has little chance against the guy with the 24, but I'm fine with that, and it's still better than his chances on the resistance table. Edit To be more precise, 1d10+2 (minimum result, 3; average result, 7.5) has more than one chance in two to win 2d6 (minimum result, 2; average result 7).

No, Arduin!

No. Not at all. Since we are attempting to emulate the resistance table, we aren't evern trying to make anything better[/i. We are just trying to make something the same using a different die mechanic. I suppose some might find rolling 1D20+STAT ONE- STAT TWO easier and/or faster that rolling percentile dice and looking it up on a table. But I don't think that is necessarily better. But then I'm one of those people who can do the resistance table in my head, so to me it's the same. Other alternates would be to use the Pendragon mechanic or, better yet, the HeroQuest mechanic. Another would be to come up with a die formula for each stat. For instance, a 10 could be 1D10, and 11 could be 1D10+1, a 12 could be 2D6 and so on. Then roll and compare. But I think to some extent those approaches open up a bigger can on worms. TYouend up with a very different mechanic for resistance rolls than you have for everything else, as opposed (pardon the pun) to a slightly different game mechanic. It also would make the idea of cooping the new resistance roll method for other things, both to cut down to one method of task resolution and to handle opposed rolls. And then it really isn't BRP anymore.