LivingTriskele

Page 122 states that at a normal power level, a sorcerer starts with 1/2 of his or her INT (rounded up) in levels of sorcery spells known, and in his/her grimoire. If I have a 16 INT I could have 8 1st-level spells committed to memory and documented in my grimoire. Page 123 states that your character's INT characteristic is equal to the maximum number of spells her or she has immediate access to. Is this the total number of spells a sorcerer can collect in his/her grimoire? The wording suggests to me that you start with your INT worth of spells, which would contradict page 122.

Cool, thanks. You find the layout easier to read? I may mess with it a bit more, try to get the fonts bigger. I just realized that I forgot to put down a note regarding damaging weapons and shields.

Being dyslexic and obsessive, I redesigned the Attack and Defense Matrix so that I could comprehend it quicker. There may be typos (I did this at 2:30 in the morning). If you discover any, please let me know and I'll fix them. Cheers http://basicroleplaying.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=135&act=down

"There can be only one!" (--Highlander III)

Yeah, as much as I love realism I understand how other people can go for more cinematic games. With Hero System they accomplish that with basically two kinds of hit points Stun and Body. By default most attacks do stun and maybe a little Body at the same time, but you're far more likely to get knocked out before you get killed. Unless you encourage everyone to make characters with Killing Attacks, that do more Body damage, and subsequently live up to their name. I think a similar optional system could be created for BRP, maybe using fatigue. No doubt about it, it's a lot of work. In order to bring BRP 'up to date' with more modern 'generic' RPG systems, someone is going to have to break the bones of the entire system and reset them. It's not going to happen anytime soon, if it all, and probably would be met with some animosity. But I think it's totally possible--then I'm a hopeless romantic :happy:

But they aren't equal now -- STR, CON, SIZ, and APP are worth a point each while DEX, INT, and POW (EDU if you're using it) are worth 3. I guess it's a rough call deciding which is worth more. In GURPS INT and DEX cost more because most skills are based off of them.

Oh remember when this came out. I've never looked at it. If it's 100% based I bet a conversion would be easy. Better yet, I'd rather see an original take on the old vampire seen, inspired by these sources. I personally think White Wolf slit their own throats when they recreated Vampire with The Requiem.

I definitely go more for the gritty super hero genre myself (on of the reasons why I preferred GURPS over Hero System). And I agree considerable work needs to be done in order bring BRP up to the super hero genre. But considering BRP's most basic core elements, I really think it's possible to pull off. I really wish I could had two laptops, two brains and four arms to contribute to the cause. Incidentally, I've only just started watching the Heroes TV series (through Netflix). I'm sure most everybody else has seen it, but to me it's new-- very gritty and realistic for the genre.

Great! Thanks for getting back, that helps quite a bit. I thought this rule was only used if the shield is slung. I guess there's a lot of room for GM-ruling here.

I am, I'm admittedly obsessed about it. they accepted a proposal for a Monograph--this thing was originally accepted by Necromancer Games for D&D 3.5, but 4e threw some complications up (and after looking at that set of rules I have to confess that I'm glad). I would have hated to write something for a system I'll never play. Officially Necromancer has me 'on hold' but I think that's a good enough excuse to get out. Dustin actually suggested I get a license from them (which I would love) but I don't think that's in the realm of the possible just yet. There is so much material I have that I want to contribute-- I really want to see BRP takes it's place on the shelves next GURPS, Hero System, and whatever other 'generic' systems are out there. I agree that it's way too soon for fans to be asking for 2nd edition, but it's a good idea to start looking at the text now, for areas where it could be improved. So when that 2nd edition time comes around there will be a supply of fresh ideas and perspectives to consider.

Hey Nick, thanks--between you and Sarah I've got this understood now, I think. Extrapolating upon my own confusion is like audio feedback I guess, the only question I want to make clear is which missile weapons are subject to the shield's passive block chance, and which are parried at the shield's base skill chance. It sounds like only slower (hand-thrown )weapons are subject to this passive defense but 'faster' missile weapons aren't, and have to be parried at the shields base skill chance. Where do bows and crossbows fall in regards to this? But aren't hand-propelled weapons subject to the passive defense block chances? Do you have the option of using the passive defense block chance and if that doesn't work, trying to parry at the shield's base skill chance? Uh oh, here comes that audio feedback again...

Heh, I finally just read Watchmen. Was totally blown away.

Yeah, I agree. That's another reason why I steered away from Hero system. You spend an entire evening beating on your enemies and no one gets killed (usually). GURPS can have that gritty feel. No doubt BRP would!

Right on. Looking forward to it! I started one in 1999, a gritty sort of alternative noir now. Originally it was for Hero System, but as much as I respect that set of rules-- too much math Was going to try it with GURPS, but again, all that p++ damage whatever was too much. Looked at Mutants and Masterminds but by then was tired of d20.

I've been curious how BRP would fair doing Vampire the Masquerade.

If you don't have the minimum STR/DEX to use a shield your skill level is Difficult. Under the Weapons section, page 257, the STR/DEX requirement gives no such guidelines but asks "What are the minimum STR and DEX required to use the weapon?" Is it safe to assume that not meeting the minimum STR/DEX for a specific weapon makes it Difficult as well? In RQ, you are penalized -5% for every deficient point.

If only they would support BRP with the same exuberance as Call of Cthulhu.

Sorry guys, I'm banging my head against this. Page 206 discuses the 'base chance' to block missile weapons, starting with 15% (for small shields) and going up 90% (if you're using a large shield and kneeling). In this case (as described on page 231) these chances of blocking missile fire are not successful against special or critical hits. The third paragraph on page 206 says "Under most circumstances, shields cannot effectively parry extremely fast missile weapons like firearms or energy weapons, and are of limited use against hand propelled weapons like arrows, sling stones, and spears." Though this paragraph says that shields are of "limited use against hand propelled weapons" the above base chances of blocking missile fire (15% - 90%) seem pretty good. I've been told these base chances (15% - 90%) are a passive defense, not a parry. Is this so? The example given on page 206 refers to the above game mechanic as a parry. Is the 15% in the above example the base *skill* chance given in the list of shields on page 263, or is it the base chance of blocking missile fire, based upon the shield's small size, as described on page 206? Since in both situations the chance is the same, I'm not sure how to read the example. It could suggest to me that arrows are considered fast missile weapons and treated as such, as described on page 231. Is this the case? The term 'base chance' suggests to me that you can add something to it, like your skill level, but in the case of the base chances (15% - 90%) described on page 206, this would make a foe carrying a shield nigh impossible to wound with a bow. Plus, adding your skill level would make it an active parry, correct? I think I'm having a problem with semantics here. Just to clarify: if I try to parry a firearm with a shield, I can only use the base chance with that shield, as given on page 263 (not including my skill level). I'm not sure if I'm making the source of my confusion clear. :confused:

I don't want to come off as being an ungrateful curmudgeon-- so for clarity, I've been gaming for nearly 32 years and I've never been as enthusiastic about a system as I am about BRP. I'm eating it up--really. I'm happy as hell. But I'm wondering what the chances are of Chaosium printing a second edition (hardbound, hopefully). Now that it's out and being played and supported with relative fervor I suspect people will develop ideas and improvements that could help the game evolve.

There's Stunning and Subduing rules on page 232, though I haven't read them yet.

I just re-read your reply-- is the 15%/30%/60% passive defense not used with the optional hit location rules? Scratch that question...

Thanks Sarah, I guess I got confused by the text's use of the term 'base chance' on page 191. Most the base chances listed on page 263 aren't higher than 15%. So for clarification, the 15%/30%/60% (or 60% and 90%) is passive protection? I thought shields only functioned as passive protection if they were slung. Are these % chances modified at all by a character's skill level with a shield? For example if I've got 55% with a small shield and someone shoots an arrow at me, my chance of blocking it is still 15%? The example on page 206 sounds like the use of a shield against an arrow is an active parry attempt. "For example, if your character tries to parry an arrow with a small shield, his or her chance is an unmodified default chance of 15%, rather than his or her normal skill rating." Can you tell me where in the text it discusses passive protection? Thanks, I appreciate your response! Cheers, Steve

Yeah, this is sort of the bane of point-buy systems--min/maxing. Sometimes it requires guidelines and restrictions on how points are spent. I think this is an example of a situation where the GM has to emphasis the importance of certain (non-combative) skills. Sure you can fly and blow holes through walls. But you still have to pay the rent and your credit card bills--unless you're completely rogue/insane, in which case the game will probably be short with various government agencies intent upon bringing you down.

For anyone who's interested. I still plan to create separate sheets for the rest of the power types. Cheers. http://basicroleplaying.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=129&act=down http://basicroleplaying.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=128&act=down http://basicroleplaying.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=133&act=down http://basicroleplaying.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=134&act=down