threedeesix

The monographs are every bit as sturdy as the core rulebook as far as I have experienced. Rod

My group and I prefer a much more gritty and deadly approach to combat as well. If a player gets killed in a non-specular fashion, thats an open dialog between him and his fate points. As a GM I stay impartial and let the dice fall where they may. I don't even make attack rolls behind GM screens anymore. There right out in the open where all can see them. This tends to remove any suggestion of favoritism and reinforces the idea that combat is deadly. I have never killed a player character in 30 years of gaming, but my dice have. Rod "Gamemasters don't kill people, dice kill people"

Thanks Im pretty sure I have already added the griffin and manticore to my list of monsters to include. Of course, monsters are to be in volume II, not I. I cant really tell you yet as I have no idea. It all depends on what font size Chaosium went with and how much clip art they stuck in there. Charlie is suppose to give me more info when it gets back from the printer. I'll let you know then. As for Trollslayers, I would say it's pretty compatable. Obviously neither Troy Wilhelmson nor myself were in contact during the creation of either book, so some assembly may be required. But there both BRP, so I think they should work together with little problem. I hope it helps those out there trying to bring their D&D campaigns over to BRP. Rod

I just wanted to let everyone know that Classic Fantasy Vol. 1 is at the printer. Volume II is a little behind schedule but I hope to have it turned in by the end of winter. Rod

I think the way Sorcery works now fits the description as given. The minimum POW requirement takes into account that not everyone has the innate ability to cast spells, while the "complex formulas" comment is taken into account by having a higher INT character having a better chance of learning a specific spell. Someone with a low INT and high POW, may still have the capability to cast spells, but the chance of them learning a specific spell is considerably less. While someone with a high INT and low POW may be smart enough, but lack the innate ability. If it fits your campaign to change it then do whats best for your group, but I think you should try it as is for a while. Rod

I can't wait to see it in print. My group and I really enjoyed the included adventure during playtest, and hope it made it into the final product. It was quite original. Rod

I guess, going strictly by the Basic Role Playing core rules, I would base each on campaign level. Army Infantry (Normal Campaign Level) 250 skill points to professional skills. 75% max. Marines (Heroic Campaign Level) 325 skill points to professional skills. 90% max. ODST (Epic Campaign Level) 400 skill points to professional skills. 101% max. Spartans (Superhuman Campaign Level) 500 skill points to professional skills. No max. The other option is to have both Army and Marine built on Normal level and shift all the others up one. ODST (Heroic), and Spartan (Epic). If using the personality types from step 6, you could simply use them as a guide and come up with military specilities within each service that would use them. A security systems specialist, a heavy weapons, etc. These could be built as personalty types, maybe 6 of them, and each squad member could be required to choose one. Personally I don't use this option however, but I could see it's use here. With that determined, next would be the Profession write-ups. I would base the infantry on the Soldier profession and make the others, using it as a guide. Or they could all be based on the soldier, with the specilities noted above giving service diversity. Soldier Brawl, Climb, Dodge, First Aid, and six of the following; Artillery, Command, Drive, Firearm (usually Battle Rifle, but any), Grapple, Heavy Weapon (any), Hide, Language (other), Listen, Jump, Medicine, Melee Weapon (any), Missile Weapon (any), Navigate, Repair (Mechanical), Ride, Spot, Stealth, or Throw Thats all I have time for now, more as I think of it. Rod

Halo ODST is the next game in the series (coming later this month), and would be a great setting for a non-military campaign. Playing as a group of civies caught up in the fighting. Sort of like the movie Red Dawn, but with aliens. Rod

Now this I wish I had time to help with. I love the Halo universe. I've played every game, read every novel, and comic book. But unfortunately, until Classic Fantasy is finished, as well as a couple other playtests (non-rpg) I have committed to, that isn't going to be possible. I will follow this thread eagerly however and offer input where I can. And If you get something on paper, please point me in the direction where I can download it so I can check it out. Rod

These are great, I cant wait to show them to the group.

No. In the same way that to cast Magic spells one has to be a mage, to cast cleric spells one only has to be a cleric. However, to acquire new cleric spells requires a ritual roll and a good roll can result in a common cleric spell being granted for no POW sacrifice, while more powerful spells can be granted at a reduced cost. There are rules for becoming a cleric in play, but they are simply a variation of the rules for Becoming a Magician in play as noted on page 93 of Basic Role Playing. It should be noted that in addition to new Magic spells, there are the cleric spells, and druid and illusionist spells as well. They all use the Magic system and in a non-Classic Fantasy campaign, they are simply new Magic spells. However for Classic Fantasy, they are seperated into four classes, and there are little variations that change how each class of caster uses magic. Rod

Yeah, I use the BRP Allegiance system in full, just renamed alignment for the before mentioned reasons. But, the allegiances are towards good, neutral and evil, and everyone, not just clerics, must be allied towards one of the three. In the case of the cleric, each deity has an alignment of either good, neutral, or evil as well. A cleric must keep their alignment true to that of the deity they worship or be stripped of their "powers". Although, there are rules for repenting as well.

Yeah, as Classic Fantasy is pretty much a way to play D&D with a much better system, priest became cleric to better bring back that nostalgic feel. As a matter of fact lots of terminology has changed for the same reason. For example... Allegiance: Alignment Appearance: Charisma Power Point: Magic Point Sorcerer: Magic-User 1st Level: Grilled Cheese Sandwich 10th Level: Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Tomato Soup

Sorry, I realized that after I went back and re-read the original posts but couldn't get back on until now. Yah, I have clerics sacrifice to get the spell, then they can cast them with magic points (pp), I'm not familiar with the Pact method as while I did pick up MRQ it was way back during the BRP playtest and that kept me too busy to really read it. Pretty pictures though. PS - I want to playtest BRP Mecha Rod

Sorry, I totally missed this thread or I would have commented sooner. I just wanted to say that Classic Fantasy will be using the sacrifice a point of permanent POW to acquire new cleric spells. I have always loved the system for the same reasons mentioned by RMS above. I feel it is well balanced by the fact that a cleric can cast the spell with a 100% chance of success where a mage must begin at INTx1% and build it up from there. In Classic Fantasy there are no one use cleric spells, once the POW has been sacrificed the cleric may cast the spell as often as the magic points hold out. There are a few powerful new spells that require the sacrifice of permanent POW just to cast, these would be spells like Finger of Death that will kill an opponent outright, and Wish that will permanently alter reality in some form. To me and my group, just because a system has not been used in any recent publications doesn't change the fact that it is a good rule, it just hasn't been used in any recent publication. After all, the Superworld rules wasnt used in a new publication of BRP for a really long time, but they're back. Rod Edit: I just wanted to point out that I have been writing Classic Fantasy for so long now that terms like cleric and magic point have become ingraned in my head. Sorry.

This is awesome news. :thumb: I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. And the timing is awesome as I am getting ready to detail the witch in the NPC chapter of Classic Fantasy, with optional rules for including them as player characters, I will be able to refer players to specific pages of BRP Witchcraft. Rod

Slow but sure. Right now I'm organizing the stuff that was originally to be in the single book that got pulled for volume 2. Introduction: Finished Chapter 1: Spot Rules (for GMs): Finished Chapter 2: Non-Player Characters: About half done. Just wrote up the anti-paladin Chapter 3: Monsters: About half done Chapter 4: Treasure: Finished, but may add more if space allows. Chapter 5: The Realm: Nothing done yet. Still up in the air. Chapter 6: Adventures: Nothing done yet. Still up in the air. A Fall submission while not out of the question may not be completely realistic. Rod

I have to say the biggest disappointment for me is that no one know they were going to do this. And this goes for Basic Creatures and Basic Game Master as well. Had I known that this was going to be re-issued, I would have volunteered to go through it line by line and make it compatible with the new book. Change skill names, page references, etc. Sure it would have been time consuming, but it would have been a true supplement, truly compatible with the current rules and not a thinly vialed attempt to re-issue old product. There, I said it. >:-> Rod

I had given that some thought too, but I use the spell to conjure other types of elementals as well, with their general power based on SIZ, so this allowed the same spell to be used to summon everything from tiny little elementals to elemental lords. But that being said, I am going to try to get in a last minute change, when and if they contact me based on what you said earlier. I want it to now read... Note: The method of conjuring an elemental was inadvertently left out of Basic Roleplaying as it pertains to what each spell level actually accomplishes. For the purposes of Classic Fantasy, each spell level will conjure 3 SIZ points, or extend the duration another 10 combat rounds. Rod

We went with 10 rounds per spell level during playtest and found that most combats last far less that that (for us anyway). Therefor 1 power point for something that could last an entire combat and do a fair amount of damage, is invulnerable to normal attacks, can cast the Flame spell (in the case of a fire elemental) and possesses other powers as well seemed too generous. Rod

Not sure, it has been turned in to Chaosium for layout and they said they wouldnt be able to get to it before the fall. That dosn't mean of course that they will get to it in the fall, just not before. Rod

When writing some additional summon spells for Classic Fantasy I realized that it seemed like there was information left out of the Conjure Elemental spell write-up as to just what each spell level accomplishes. This is what I added in Classic Fantasy... Note: The method of conjuring an elemental was inadvertently left out of Basic Roleplaying as it pertains to what each spell level actually accomplishes. For the purposes of Classic Fantasy, each spell level will conjure 3 SIZ points. So, with the above system, it would take 6 spell levels to summon an elemental of the size listed in the creatures chapter, however smaller ones could be summoned for a reduced cost. I submitted this to Jason almost a year ago for his opinion and he gave it his blessing. So thats all I can really tell you. Rod

I haven't thanked you for this contribution yet and for that I apologize. I first came across a real early version on the Mongoose forum when I didn't even know it was you. While my own projects have precluded me from being able to use any of it yet, I have read the earlier versions and look forward to it's latest incarnation. I have been picking up all the mongoose traveller stuff as it comes out and have to admit when I get around to running BRP Traveller this stuff is going to save me all kinds of time. Thanks.

Not really true, you can dodge out of an area effect attack and if successful take no damage, while an Agility roll can be used for half damage. You can't really parry a grenade or dragon breath. And while it is optional, you can dodge arrows and bullets with a Difficult roll, but (I don't believe) parry them. Edit: I just checked, dodging bullets and arrows is a core rule, not optional, and it is Difficult as I remembered. You can parry them with a shield but only at its base chance. So all things being equal, I see dodge as the better skill before adding ripostes and counterattacks. One may be better than the other in a given situation, but there is no point where I would wouldnt want to have both skills. Rod

I like it, can we rest now? :thumb: