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Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine is available now in PDF! While this updated edition features new art and a brand new full-color layout, here BRP creative director Jason Durall highlights seven changes from the previous iterations of BRP that we believe makes this the best edition of Basic Roleplaying to date! 1. General improvements to the text While a decade may not seem that long, the TTRPG space has changed a lot in the 10+ years since the last edition of Basic Roleplaying was published. As such, the text has undergont a big update, including a lot of rewriting for clarity and consistency, as well as a focus on the use of direct language. The text was also edited for brevity. In some instances, entire rules were completely rewritten for clarity's sake (looking at you, Encumbrance!) and others tweaked to make sure their usage was more clear (such as with the Augment mechanic). This also includes some core terminology changes. Damage Bonus is now Damage Modifier, and the Appearance (APP) Characteristic has been changed back to Charisma (CHA), to bring it more into line with the original Basic Roleplaying rules set. We also cut back on unnecessary extra mathematics, so there are no longer any rules that require you to calculate 1/4th of a skill (those rules have now been changed to 1/5th, a much more commonly derived number in BRP). The text has also been rewritten to be more player-facing. Instead of “the player”, it’s “you”, and instead of “the gamemaster”, it’s “your gamemaster”. For sections specific to the gamemaster, the text shifts to “you” being the gamemaster. 2. Changes to powers and general streamlining While many powers in Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine might be familiar, most of them have undergone tweaks and changes. Care was taken to streamline the powers, as well as removing as many subsequent and sometimes unnecessary rolls (such as “If the D100 roll for the power succeeds, roll another D100 to see if X happens, then a resistance roll, etc.”). Text of core rules was also smoothed out to remove any superfluous detail, such as removing unnecessary explanations of what common animals are. 3. Simplified core combat rules This edition of Basic Roleplaying has seen the removal of Strike Ranks (a core combat mechanic used in RuneQuest), along with splitting attack and parry into separate weapon skills that had to be tracked separately. Strike Ranks in the prior edition of BRP were not as well implemented as they are in RuneQuest, and feedback on splitting attacks and parries lead us to the conclusion that the rule itself was not particularly useful. As it is not easily supported on the basic character sheet, it seemed an easy thing to remove. 4. Simplified Sanity Rules The Sanity mechanic in previous editions of BRP was derived directly from Chaosium’s own Call of Cthulhu. As such, the Sanity rules were very specific to a modern horror setting, with terms and terminology based on modern psychiatric practice, which didn’t gel with the level of universality we want for Basic Roleplaying. Sanity in this edition of BRP is simplified in order to have the mechanic make sense across all settings and time periods. [And while we're talking about Call of Cthulhu, the rules changes specific to Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition address and improve the play experience for horror roleplaying, pitting human characters against unfathomable evil. Those rules are balanced and scaled for the human experience. Basic Roleplaying, on the other hand, is a multi-genre rules system with a toolkit of optional rules to customize play with characters ranging from Bronze Age adventurers to galactic superheroes. Many of the rules changes unique to Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition do not scale beyond the human level. Other Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition rules are also parallel, redundant, or even contrary to certain optional or core Basic Roleplaying rules. Short of a full rewrite of BRP to integrate them (and draw BRP away from being a middle ground), the difficult decision was made to make those rules unique to the Call of Cthulhu gameplay experience.] 5. Gender-neutral pronouns As part of our ongoing mission to make our games as inclusive as possible, all instances of “he or she” from previous editions of BRP have been updated to “they.” 6. Introduction of new mechanics Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine sees the inclusion of the Reputation and Passion mechanics. These allow gamemasters and designers to add a layer to the experience with social standing, a mechanical measure of trust amongst different in-game factions or individuals, as well as mechanizing key character story elements and backgrounds with Passions. 7. Updates to general roleplaying advice For a long time, it was expected that a TTRPG rules manual would include extensive explanation of what a roleplaying game is. Because the hobby has exploded over the last decade, we’ve dramatically reduced the amount of text dedicated to beginner content (such as “how to find a group” and “how do you sit around a table?”). However, attention has been paid to advice for using Basic Roleplaying with Virtual Table Tops and Online Play. And those are the seven major changes you’ll find in this edition of Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine! The book is available in PDF right now from Chaosium.com and DriveThruRPG with the hardcover to follow later in 2023! Remember—when you purchase direct from chaosium.com you get the cost of the PDF deducted from the physical book when is out.

The Stars will be Right next weekend for Chaosium Con! And there's still time to join us in Ann Arbor MI for a weekend dripping with cosmic horror, essential runes, swashbuckling adventure, and chivalrous quests: get your Chaosium Con badge here. Chaosium Con badges and lanyards ready to deploy! All of the pre-printed badges, plus a few blanks for last minute printing at the show arrived today. They will be ready to distribute at registration with the custom Chaosium lanyards we had made. Our Hotel Block is Sold Out - Alternative Arrangements Hotel Accommodations Our hotel block is SOLD OUT! Please contact the hotel directly for booking. If they're full, there are two hotels within walking distance to the Conference Center that you could consider booking. Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Hampton Inn & Suites Ypsilanti Thank you! We'll see you soon! Chaosium Con Important dates Event Registration Event registration is OPEN. Secure your badge TODAY

Salt and Serpent has set sail with Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying Universal Game Engine.Salt & Serpent is a swashbuckling tale of rainbow romance and revenge. In the first episode, "Widow's Watch", the crew of Fortune's Fair race against an impending storm, and seek the answer to the age old question: can you kiss a ghost?With the Pixel Circus crew Saige Ryan, Kailey Bray, Surena Marie, Rowan Hall, and Aabria Iyengar.Salt & Serpent premieres on Twitch, Sundays at 6pm PT and on Youtube, Wednesdays at 10am PT.Watch episode one here: The following code can be used for 10% off store-wide on Chaosium.com, once per customer: SALTSERPENT

All of our books are professionally edited and proofread. But we set up corrections threads here at our forums at BRP Central because if we don't our fans would do so anyway. However, if we Chaosium, set such threads up we can at least corral any suggested corrections into one place and manage what is received.

Please note any typos or errors here, quoting page number, the error, and the suggested correction. We will update the PDF. The book has not gone to print yet:

** IMPORTANT NOTE: we have updated the PDF with further feedback. Please ensure the PDF you review is the current version - V1.03.** With the PDF release of Basic Roleplaying Universal Game Engine, this thread is to catch any typos or errors spotted. Please note them here, quoting page number, the error, and the suggested correction. We will update the PDF and any subsequent printings of the book. We will delete reported items as we review them, so if your post gets deleted it's because we've dealt with it. Please read this initial post to see what has already been reported. NOTE: this is not a thread for questions or discussion of the rules, we are specifically looking for errors and typos only. Please take any discussions you may have to another thread.

The way the ORC license works, there is no need for an SRD. The entire text is in effect the SRD, so you can use the whole book - minus the product identity elements (all artwork, illustrations, and graphic design/trade dress, and all trademarks.)

Create. Explore. Play. BRP’s Universal Game Engine is available royalty-free for personal and commercial use under the Open RPG Creative license, aka ORC license. Basic Roleplaying (BRP) is a system of core rules for tabletop roleplaying. Whether you’re a seasoned roleplaying veteran or new to the hobby, Basic Roleplaying has everything you need for years of entertainment. https://www.chaosium.com/basic-roleplaying-universal-game-engine-pdf * Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine is the complete guide to BRP—the same system that powers Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, Pendragon, Rivers of London, and countless others. BRP is adaptable to any world of your choosing—either previously established, or created from scratch. Use these rules royalty-free to create your worlds, scenarios and even books to sell! *Buy now and get a coupon for the printed version later! So you want to purchase the physical version, but really want to get your hands on so you don't have to wait. We have you covered! If you purchase a PDF we will send you a discount coupon just before the physical book goes on sale to offset the PDF purchase price you have already paid.

Six Ages, the 'spiritual successor' to the magnificent King of Dragon Pass, now has its own sequel, coming to Steam and iOS this summer! Taking place after the events of the original Six Ages, its sequel will again challenge players in making difficult choices and fight in turn-based combat to ensure the survival of their clan. While completely stand-alone, players will also be allowed to bring in their save from Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind and carry over some of their choices. King of Dragon Pass and the Six Ages storybook strategy games take place in Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha, setting for the RuneQuest TTRPG. Release Trailer: Developed by A Sharp and published by Kitfox Games.

The Dhole's House is the official online toolkit for Call of Cthulhu where you can create, track, save, and print characters for free – and it's just passed the milestone of half a million downloads! Create characters for Classic, Modern, Pulp, Gaslight, Down Darker Trails, and Regency Call of Cthulhu games. Or search the Character Library for pre-gen characters to use as PCs and NPCs. And you can also generate props and handouts. All in a matter of minutes. Create a free account at The Dhole's House today and start exploring!

We have some irons in the Hollywood fire. The D&D movie becoming a huge popular success and start of a new fantasy franchise will certainly not hurt the chances of a RuneQuest movie/series one day.

Mike Mason, creative director of Call of Cthulhu, shares some condensed advice designed to get new Keepers ready to start playing ASAP. He's talking to James Coquillat for our Chaosium Interviews series on YouTube. Get your own copy of the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set today from Chaosium.com: $24.99, and comes with the PDF included in the price!

Sure, we've run some gags on April Fools Day over the past few years (hopefully they raised a chuckle or two), but this April 1st the joke is that all legacy Twitter accounts – including ours – are are about to lose their "verified" blue checks. Going forward, please bear in mind a blue tick on Twitter now only indicates paid membership, not verified identity!

James Lowder has decided to end his tenure as Chaosium’s executive editor, effective March 31, 2023. James is moving back to full-time freelancing as a writer, editor, and publishing consultant for books, tabletop games, comics, and transmedia projects. James’s contributions to Chaosium as a creator stretch back more than two decades, most notably on the RPG book Pulp Cthulhu and the fiction anthology Madness on the Orient Express. Starting in 2015, he served as a consultant on creator relations and remained a passionate advocate for creators throughout his time with us. He later joined the staff to help revive the fiction line and then took on the role of company executive editor, with work negotiating licenses and improving contracts, developing IP strategies, building processes and standards, and handling many other matters that played an integral role in every Chaosium product and project. Susan O’Brien will be taking over the day-to-day of the fiction program. Questions about licenses, contracts, and other matters can be directed to Chaosium vice president Michael O'Brien. Chaosium president Rick Meints said, “James joined us when we sorely needed his expertise to help tackle a myriad of problems. He will be hard to replace, and everyone at the company wishes him the best in all future endeavors”.

Another Call of Cthulhu Classic title now also available POD at DriveThruRPG — The Great Old Ones (176 page softcover), six scenarios that can played sequentially, or stand-alone.

In Rivers of London: the Roleplaying Game, players are members of the London Metropolitan Police Service’s special magic branch. You will solve mysteries, and come to grips with the “demi-monde”—those who have been irreversibly changed by magic! Coming in hardcover April 17th!

When it comes to Luck Points, are you a spender or a saver? Lynne Hardy, line editor of the Rivers of London TTRPG, talks about Luck rules in Rivers of London—what’s new, what’s different, and what’s the best ways to use them? Lynne is talking with Chaosium's James Coquillat. Get the PDF for Rivers of London: The Roleplaying Game now, and we'll take that cost off the physical book when it is released next month, April 2023!

Dungeon Alchemist is okay. The artwork in Dungeon Alchemist is all human created, and used with permission of the creators who are all credited. As Arkenforge notes, there is a significant distinction between AI artwork generation tools like Midjourney, and AI arrangement tools like Dungeon Alchemist.

Here's a start...

Starting April 2, Salt and Serpent is hitting the seas with Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying Universal Game Engine. A story of rainbow romance and revenge, the Pixel Circus crew says "We can't wait to show you what we've put together on this system!" With Saige Ryan, Kaylie Bray, Surena Marie, Rowan Hall, and Aabria Iyengar.

Hear from more of the Chaosium team! Here Sim Cogswell, Chaosium’s in-house layout artist and graphic designer, talks about their work and about how TTRPGs come together. What part of building a book is most mysterious to you? Sim is talking to James Coquillat.A recent example of Sim's layout and graphic design work is RuneQuest: Weapons & Equipment.

What failed dice roll was most fun for you? Call of Cthulhu creative director Mike Mason shares his advice on how to turn failed checks into exciting and memorable moments. He's talking to James Coquillat as part of our Chaosium Interviews series.

What’s the strangest change you’ve seen in a TTRPG using an established setting’s lore?Jason Durall, creative director of RuneQuest and all things BRP, talks to James Coquillat about when and how to best break the lore. Part of our Chaosium Interviews series on YouTube.

Here John Wick, creative director of 7th Sea, talks about Worldbuilding for TTRPGs. How do you know if you've done too little, or too much Worldbuilding?Part of our Chaosium Interviews series with James Coquillat.