threedeesix

I'm still organizing the stuff that got pulled from the first volume, but it looks like it will be as follows. Chapter 1: Spot Rules This is essentially spot rules that would in my opinion be GM only, specifically Surprise, Traps, Noise (Optional), Reaction Rolls, etc. This chapter is finished. Chapter 2: Non-Player Characters This will detail character classes like the Anti-Paladin and Assassin as well as everything from Hirelings to paying to have an ally raised from the dead. Chapter 3: Monsters Many monsters common to classic gaming, such Basilisks, Bats (large and normal), Beetle (Giant), Boar, Bugbear, Carrion Creeper, Cave Bear, Centipede (Giant), Creeping Cube, Displacer Cat, Doppelganger, Dragons (Red, White, Black, Green, Blue, and Gold, each with write-ups for Small, Medium, and Large versions), Elf (Dark), Gargoyle, Gnoll, Giants (Hill, Fire, Stone, Cloud, and Storm), Goblin, Harpy, Hobgoblin, Hyena, Kobold, Lich, Lizard (Giant), Lizard Man, Medusa, Mimic, Mind Slayer, Mold (Yellow), Nymph, Ogre, Ooze (Grey), Owlbear, Pixie, Piercer, Purple Worm, Rat (Giant), Rust Monster, Saber-tooth Tiger, Shadow, Shrieking Mushroom, Slime (Green), Snake (Giant), Spider (Giant), Stirge, Thought Devourer, Tyrant, Wererat, Wereboar, Weretiger, Werebear, Wight, Wolverine, and Wolf (Dire). I'm sure there will be some additions as I finish up this chapter, it's currently more than half done. Chapter 4: Treasure Tons of magic items and tables for determining them randomly based on a monster's treasure factor (as per RQ 2nd ed.). Most magic weapons use a prefix and suffix system to randomly determine its qualities so few will ever be the same. This chapter is finished. Chapter 5: The Realm This may be included if space allows and would be a bare bones setting with just enough information to get a campaign started, that could grow into it's own supplement down the road. However, the game assumes a group is using an already established setting such as Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, etc. My playtest has taken place in Mystara for well over a year now. Chapter 6: Adventures As for Chapter 5 above, This may be included if space allows and would include one to three short adventures, mainly of the dungeon crawl variety. So there yah go. I'm sure much of the above will change, but at this time that is my goal. Rod

As the game has changed so much from the time that this thread was started more than a year ago, including several name changes, I have sarted a new thread at http://basicroleplaying.com/forum/basic-roleplaying/1514-brp-classic-fantasy-sword-spell.html Please continue on to that thread when posting comments. Thank you. Rod

Technically you can fight with a weapon in both hands in BRP already, you just don't get two atacks. There were rules for performing a Reposte in previous editions of BRP. This gave you an extra attack with the off hand weapon when you scored a Special success with a Parry (if I remember right). I have included this rule in Classic Fantasy Volume 1 as a Spot Rule. Rod

Hack-N-Slash is the name of a fantasy game for the Fudge system. Chaos & Catacombs which everyone would abbreviate as C&C, would be confused with Castles & Crusades, which everyone abbreviates as C&C. Sword & Spell got nixed with the announcement of Shadow, Sword & Spell. It's ok though, for the last couple months of so I have known that it was to be Classic Fantasy and it has quite grown on me. I like the title as one can just look at the cover and know the feel the game is attempting to evoke. Rod

Thanks, I was bummed when I couldnt use the name. But then again I was bummed when I couldnt use Hack-N-Slash and Chaos & Catacombs. If I end up not able to use Classic Fantasy for some reason i'm gonna lose it (and I don't mean the name) :mad:. I've already worn out the "find and replace" function in Microsoft Word. Rod

Just Magic. But tweeked a little differently if your a cleric or druid. Magic-users and illusionists use it unmodified. I do use this really awesome system for potions and their creation that I got from... well that would be you. Rod

Still technically a monograph as I do not believe they are doing anything in the way of editing or going out of their way hunting down typos. Rod

Ok, just got a reply from Dustin based on the rough draft I submitted. As of right now it looks as if they are going to do the layout, and I assume provide artwork, in house. Oh, and there are three other monographs ahead of me and GenCon is coming up soon, so it will still be a bit until it's ready. So while I appreciate the offers for help, it looks like I can get right into finishing volume two instead of tying myself up with learning to do layout. Rod

I already sent him a private message. :thumb:

Thanks Jason, that means alot. I also want to take this opportunity to mention that it was Jason more than a year and a half ago that e-mailed me suggesting I write something. So if this doesn't live up to everyone's expectations, forward all hate mail to him not me. >:-> Rod

Yah, when I spoke with Dustin a couple months ago and told him I was currently at 147,000 words, but not done yet, he told me I would have to break it up into two volumes. Rod

I have several NPC character classes to be included in Vol. 2. He will be right there with the Anti-Paladin and the Witch. These will be fully detailed classes, and usable as PCs if the GM allows, but not what I would consider core character classes.

Yes and no, in that order.

First, I lost the rights to Sword & Spell when someone else beat me to it with Shadow Sword and Spell. Oh well, it went from Hack N Slash, to Chaos & Catacombs, to Sword & Spell, to Classic Fantasy. I like Classic Fantasy becouse you can look at the title and know what the book is attempting to capture. Anyway, Classic Fantasy Volume I: Adventurers is finally done! Ok, kinda done. It's completly written coming in at 87,500 words (I thought writing a 500 word essay in grade school would kill me). I still have to lay it out (which I have no idea how to do, but what the heck), and find some artwork. Here is an overview... Chapter 1: Characters This chapter details seven playable races; human, elf, dwarf, halfling, half-orc, half-elf, and gnome. Also included are 10 classic character classes, the Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Illusionist, Magic-User, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, and Thief. In Classic Fantasy, classes are simply BRP professions with a tighter skill list and special abilities. Also in chapter 1 is complete rules for Alignments. This uses the BRP Alliegence system as written, but geared towards Good, Neutral, and Evil. Chapter 2: Skills This chapter details several new skills specific to a Classic Fantasy campaign as well as notes any changes to existing skills. Chapter 3: Spells Classic Fantasy uses the basic Magic system as detailed in Basic Role Playing, however adds 150 new spells to the 30 already included in BRP. These are broken down into magic-user, cleric, druid, and illusionist spells, and includes such old favorites as magic missile, reincarnation, power word, phantasmal killer, sleep and hold person, just to name a few. Chapter 4: Equipment This short chapter details some of the more common general equipment common to a classic campaign as well as sets up a gold/silver/copper monetary system and assigns a value to all existing weapons, shields, armor, etc found within Basic Role Playing. Chapter 5: Spot Rules Finally, this chapter includes rules for some of the less common situations that can crop up in your typical dungeon crawls, including rules for Armor Damage, Choosing a Leader, Digging and Tunneling, Hiring Others, Locked and Stuck Doors, Marching Order, Recovering Spent Ammunition, Repairing Armor and Weapons, Scouting Ahead, Secret and Concealed Doors, Securing a Door, Setting Camp in or at the Dungeon, Sinking, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Surprise, Tight Spaces, Training, and Vision, Lighting, and Encounter Distance. With the exception of a double sided character sheet and spell sheet that about wraps up the contents of volume 1. I have submitted what I have (unformatted) to Dustin to just to make sure I don't have to make any drastic changes before I get to heavily into the layout of it. Classic Fantasy Vol. II: Gamemastery is already more than half done, and I hope to have it ready in the fall. Rodney Leary

But then again, don't let the deadliness factor stop yah if you want to run action packed games. All the options are there to give the players a little edge over the adversaries without going to the same extreme as most level based systems. Use the "Total Hit Points" option and/or "Fate Points" and as long as your players know the system they can survive just about anything. I'm in two combat heavy BRP games right now, one I run and one I play in. The one I play in is my brothers conversion of Fallout. Submachine guns, high powered sniper rifles, grenades, and rocket launchers. Every combat see us on the recieving end of some high damage weapons. Don't waste fate points to make your characters failed attack roll a success, instead save those fate points to make that rocket that would have hit your character a miss instead. You just have to keep in mind that you can do this a couple times at most and it's not a sure thing. Which I like way better that having 185 hit points. Really look over the options in the BRP book, there are enough there to run just about any kind of game that interest you and your group. Rodney Leary

Names, I want names damn it. They shall be blacklisted from all gaming in New Hampshire. I just have to call in a few favors. Rod

Sorry, The only way it will possibly come out in a couple of weeks will involve a time machine and a layout artist/editor. The alchemy/potion rules from Witchcraft will be included in Sword & Spell as well, used with permission of course. I added about 25 new potions to the list to fit a more classic feeling high magic campaign. There is Bigbee Fist spell write-up in the old Chaos & Catacombs (the original name for Sword & Spell) thread. Its an old version of the spell but may be of some use. Sorry I have no idea how to link to it. The thread is near the top of page three though. Anyway, thanks for your interest. Tomorrow I promise to type faster. Rod

I just finished volume 1 of Sword & Spell a whole five minutes ago (still needs layout and I have no clue on that but thats another story). Anyway, in Sword & Spell I use only BRP magic and divided all 30 spells up into cleric, mage, and druid spells. Then on top of that I added over 100 new magic spells to the system. I'm sure its still a ways from release, but when it is it should be helpful. Rod

Well Jason, I think you may have to just hunker down and make the time. >:-> Rod

Yah, I agree. I just wanted to include it as an option for groups where the GM feels his players are doing it for everything. Like I said in a previous post, in my own games I'm much more lenient. Rod

This is very similar to what I have in Sword & Spell as follows. He Failed, I’ll Try It is a common occurrence in any role playing game, for one player to say he or she is going to have his or her character perform a skill or characteristic roll, then failing that, another player says he or she will try, followed by another and then another. Take listening at doors or picking a lock for example. The absurdity of this situation becomes apparent when you try to visualize what this event must look like. If the GM feels this is being abused, one way to handle it is to have the players choose the character with the best skill level for the job and have him or her make the roll. In this case, if the roll was a failure it can be assumed that any further attempts by other characters will yield similar results. After all, if the STR 18 barbarian cannot bash down a door, what chance does the scrawny STR 9 magic-user have?

Ive never really had a problem when my players go "tick hunting", yes I know how unrealistic it is, but players like to see their characters developing. Plus as the characters get nearer 100% the rate of advancement drastically slows down anyway. In my brothers BRP Fallout game, I have a 96% Brawl skill. No matter how often I "tick" that skill box I may never increase it. But if I do, you better believe I want to roll that "six". As for the golf bag of weapons. I think 5 DEX ranks to sheath a weapon and another 5 DEX ranks to draw a new one is enough of a penalty that I don't see it happen "that" often. However, the one recent one that comes to mind was when the ranger dropped his magic bow to avoid the first DEX rank penalty and drew his sword 5 DEX ranks later, only to watch the speedy little goblin run off with his prized bow. Rod

I don't follow how this has anything to do with game mechanics. I would rather kill 100 kobolds than 5. Hmm. This works just like in BRP. I would rather have a 110% Profession skill too, its easier to roll under. In BRP, I want my character to make $80.00 an hour just like I would want to in real life as well. But saying I have a 98% Golf skill is a real world figure that just makes sense. Not "I have Golf +5". When the weatherman says there is a 75% chance of rain, everyone knows to bring an umbrella. If the weatherman said the chance of rain is a 15 or better, a lot of people are gonna get wet. Play a few games and see if the confusion smooths out, unless your group is just looking for an excuse to play something else, it should all jive. Rod

Back before I was involved with playtesting Basic Role Playing, we were in the middle of a Warhammer Fantasy Role Play 2nd ed. campaign. When I was notified about being accepted into the playtest my group and I decided to convert the campaign, characters and all, over to BRP so as to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. We found BRP already so similar to WFRP that it never really felt as if we had changed. Percentile based skills, hit locations, sanity and insanity, a system for learning from books that was almost identical, etc. We would go back to The Old World again anytime, but would most definitely be staying with BRP. Both systems are great, but we have our favorite. Rod

I'd get rid of half my group to get one hawt girl into gaming, two hawt girls and the other half would go. My group would more than understand, except maybe the wife, guess she would need to stay. I would probably need supervision anyway. >:-> Rod