Verderer

Sounds exciting, please hurry up!

Well, from GM point of view, anything that allows the players to waste their über-skills is good, no? Besides, it gives they players a (false?) sense of superiority and empowerment (I have more attacks than the puny NPC!) Granted, not all players are that shallow, but hey, many are! And in some situations (multiple opponents etc.) it just might make sense?

Good stuff, thanks for making them available, Gheedon! This will be very helpful. I was thinking about village and town sizes, and where there might be regular market days. There are no major cities in the area, but I would assume the town of Cleve and other bigger towns would hold markets? And I seem to recall reading someplace that monasteries often had the rights to hold market days within their communities? Any thoughts on such matters?

Excellent, thanks a lot Gheedon! I am looking forward to the supplement.

You might have a point there, rust. Although I did get the impression from the text that this particular Cleve is not the same the historical one, the coat of Arms is different, and name of the Count doesn't match with the historical rulers of the real Cleves, etc. Also, only the Prince-Bishop of Liege and the Counts of Luxembourg are listed in the chapter of 'historical figures'. But I hope Gheedom will be able to clarify the matter at some point?

I have a few question related to the geography of Val du loup, for the author Gheedon, or anyone else who might have information or views on the matter. I've been trying to locate the val in Google Earth (I know it's fictional valley) based on the map on page 22. I did this because I am trying to draw a more detailed campaign map for our game, and wanted to see the distaces to various major cities etc. Now, based on the mentioned map, Val du loup might be located somewhere roughly due east of f1 track of Spa? Maybe around the natural park of Hautes Fagnes-Eifel? I figured this out by drawing a line from Liege to Trier, and then another line from Aachen to Luxembourg.And Val du loup seems to be located smack in the intersection of these lines (or slightly above it). Ok, so looking at Google Earth I got the rough area, and did the same two lines & intersection trick. Ok, so this is all well and good, and I am not so concerned about whether there really is a valley or river there, and my players won't know any better. The game area is fictional, after all, and created for game purposes. Just one thing is confusing me, the County of Cleve. I assume that this has nothing to do with the real, historical Cleve(s), which is located much further north, if I am not mistaken? Anyways, I started reading the book and locating the places mentioned on the campaign map. I could use some extra directions in this regard. first of all, the map contains a church or abbey called St. John's, and I can't remember reading anything about this location? Secondly, the Templar site of Epeedor is described, but it's not placed on the map. The river Froideau is marked there, so one assumes it's around there, but how far along the river/swamp? Does St John's have anything to do with this? Another place I could not locate on the map was Castle Cracfer, but the map on page 132 mentions that it's due east from Montfort, so I guess it's outside the main map area? Another feature that's mentioned in the text, but not located on the map, is the hamlet of Loufort and the nearby Lake Noireaux (and the 'desolate' hamlet by the same name). Somewhere near Beaufort, perhaps? I'd appreciate any input on these issues, and it would be great if someone could provide a more detailed map, perhaps with these items and more added. I intend to do this myself, but I am still in the early stages, and any help would appreciated.

Very mysterious, thanks for the tips! I think I might be able to use this material in my campaign, which does promise some surprises to my players in regard of the 'established' truths are concerned. Or maybe not, as we've played Conspiracy X for a long time. I am using Val du Loup in my campaign, and I guess this book would fit in very nicely timewise etc. as my campaign starts around 1187. Incidently, how different are Mongoose's RQ II rules from BRP ones? I was was thinking how useful any NPC stats/professions would be? DV seems to have one scenario out too, anyone checked it out?

Oh, right. Thanks. The review didn't mention the publisher, I know where I can get Mongoose locally. Incidently, it seems that the 'Order' is not Templars? Or are the Templars their cover (bit like thePriory of Sion?)

So is this available someplace?

I guess one of the annoying things about BRP is that since you can choose so many optional rules, very few character sheets are exactly what you want. So you end up making your own, because none of the available ones contain all the things you need or want (unless you're playing a 'vanilla' game). That's certainly my case. I use regular word for making the sheet, don't need any calculations, so Excel isn't necessary.

Much food for thought, thank you ladies and gents. I guess I will use the Val-du-Loup campaign to test the sr system. I like the tactical possibilities it gives to combat, and in some ways it seems more realistic. I can always use the DEX system in the CF campaign, and then we can compare notes and decide which one we like best. We've played CoC quite a lot, so we're familiar with one type of dex rank system, although I guess it's not exactly the same as BRP?

I am trying to get my head around strike ranks, and I can't help feeling that this system is somewaht broken: as has been pointed out, the bigger/longer your weapon is, the more often you tend to strike, especially if you have high size and dex. Now, size and str I can understand, they make sense, but that weapon reach thingy is just whacked. What I am thinking is that they should be exactly the opposite, the smaller/shorter the weapon, the more often you're able to attack (provided you are within the 'range'). The longer weapon striking quicker makes only sense to me when the combatants are initiating the melee, ie. when they're still relatively distant from each other. So what I am thinking here is using the weapon sr only in the first melee round, when the two combatants are engaging. After the first round, I would reverse the weapon sr: 0 becomes 3, 1 becomes 2, 2 becomes 1, and 3 becomes 0, and vice versa, of course. Only if the combatant maneuver away from the opponent can they regain the advantage of the weapon reach. What would you experienced BRP GMs think of this? Would it work, would it get messy etc? I am also inclined to allow combatants attack multiple times in a round, provided their sr (modified as above) allows them to do so. I would perhaps consider giving a cumulative -10 penalty for each additional attack. No requirement of the 100% skill rule for multiple attacks, though. I am about to lauch two campaigns, Val-du-Loup/Stupor Mundi one, and Classic Fantasy one. I will probably use the sr system only in the former campaign for more realistic combat, and use the DEX system (as suggested by Threesixty here) for a more relaxed and 'heroic' feel. Or if this is confusing for the players (same players on both campaigns), I will go with just one rule. But I really want to solve this issue with strike ranks to see if get a satisfactory and working rules for them. EDIT: Of course this mod would require some common sense rules for deciding when you're able to close in, and reverse the weapon sr. If the owner of the longer weapon wins the first combat round, or if it is a tie (no hits), then this can't happen. Or when the combatant with shorter weapong dodges or parried the opponent, he/she may decide to close in to take advantage of the short weapon. And so on.

If we forget the brilliant Chtulhu mythos itself for a minute, it's the sanity rules that make CoC what is it, IMHO. The game is all about the investigators going nuts or being killed in horrible ways, preferably both (I am a GM). In the long run, the investigators will perish one way or the other, unless the GM is unnaturally lenient. And that is the way CoC should be played. Otherwise the game will become just a bug hunt. Well ok, you can play it like that, but you will be missing the point. Browsing very quickly this thread, I am not sure if you're not comfortable with the mechanism of the SAN rules, or their effect in the gameplay? If it is the former, use some other mechanism to simulate the same effects, and if it is the latter... well, maybe look for another game? Personally, I don't see what the problem with SAN rules might be? But these are highly personal preferences, if it doesn't work for you, change it. I use Taint of Madness in our campaign, it gives a more indept view of the sanity rules, and goes into more nihilistic detail. Also makes the effect of sanity loss more realistic and detailed, and therefore more difficult for the investigtors to cope with.

Yeah, it was a pity they got the rug pulled from under their feet. Even if it was d20, I would consider even a bad Fallout RPG better than no rpg at all... I am thinking maybe buying that SW Wasteland sourcebook and perhaps a few of the adventures to give me ideas. Haven't considered yet where exactly to place the campaign, Washington area is most familiar to me from Fallout 3, and none of my players have played it YET. On the other hand, a brand new area of my own would be nice to develop. Have to think about it.

Necropolis? Where in the ole US is your campaign taking place? Has your brother examined the d20 'Exodus' stuff, Rod? I wondering if there's anything interesting in them?

There's really no way I can avoid it any more, the idea of GMing a Fallout based campaign. For long I have had hankering for a post apocalypse game, and I just love the Fallout setting having played all the games on PC. So there's no end of ideas for adventures, monsters and so on, but I got to thinking how I would give the PCs a G.O.A.T. test. The acronym comes from Generalised Occupational Aptitude Test, and Fallout 3 uses it as a part of the interesting story mode character generation. basically you answer a series of pretty silly questions, and then get a couple of corresponding bonuses in certain skills. Character creation like this is kinda sneaky because you as the player can't really be sure what you get (unless you cheat). As a result you get your grading as some silly trade like hairdresser or marriage counselor, and so on, but this isn't really explored in the computer game (perhaps fortunately). So how to do this in BRP? I thought I would invent another series of questions, and then use the multiple choice answers to give some bonuses. Instead of single skills, I thought I would apply these to the skill category bonuses, that way they would be more effective and relevant, and a smaller bonus would cover more skills. So Instead on giving +10 or +20 to communication, I might give +5 or +10 to communication skill category? Or maybe use a combination, if a PC gives constantly a certain type of answer (hit him in the head!) He might get +20 to brawling but nothing in his combat category bonus? I still need to figure out the types of questions, and what answers relate to which skills, but how would you more experienced GMs feel this would work, and what amount of bonus would be suitabtle (not too excessive) for a category or a single skill? Naturally, because they take the G.O.A.T., they need to be vault dwellers to begin with, and I fully intend to come up with suitable (annoying&funny) professions they need to roleplay a bit before I release them unto the unsuspecting Wastelands...

Ok, ta!

Would it be possible to show a sample page from the book, please? I am interested in it, and would like to know how it's presented, and what's the rules / background text ratio?

Yes, getting a free pdf with your dead tree copy would be nice. PDF's are nice as quick reference with search function, or for printing out some bits for the players, but other than that I prefer books. I hate reading books on the computer screen for some reason. And I generally dislike having a laptop as GM screen, it's pretty clumsy as an object and I find it's rather distracting. So I usually keep it out of the way on the side. But a laptop has it's uses, for example I have recently started using it for playing music and sound effects during gaming sessions. Used carefully, they really crank up the atmosphere.

Sure, but personally I don't like to use pdfs either as printouts or on a laptop. Give me a proper book anytime!:thumb:

Hm, maybe I will just buy another re-edited copy once it comes available, you know, just to support your efforts and Chaosium...and to get all the extra goodies in one book!

Kewl beans, 3d6, that looks great! Thanks for your help and extra work! I know you must be busy with Vol II right now..:cool:

Thanks for the great advice, 3d6! I guess my google-fu is weak, but I couldn't finad any AD&D versions of a pirate class in the Interweb. However, I do have several d20 products, the aforesaid FP stuff and Skull and Bones pirate sourcebook. So I will use those for now. So these books have several different types of piratey classes: swashbucklers, pirates, buccaneers, corsairs, sea dogs... they're all more or less the same, only with different emphasis. And a collection of different/same feats. I won't be adding feats or anything like that, but I guess I can use them as pointers towards the sorts of abilities I want to include... as you said fighting skills seem to be very much on the fore, just as are acrobatics and agility. Then you have the sailing/piloting skills. These seem very much in line with your suggestions. Then there are various marginal feats, which might be used to bring some colour to the pirate class: animal companion, superstition, and fearsome reputation all seem to fit in the picture, but I am not sure if they deserve to be promoted as abilities? Another possible ability which wasn't as much covered is leadership. Pirates can be an unruly bunch to handle, especially if things are not going well? I haven't read CF through yet, so I am not sure if all classes get followers at some point?

My copy of CF arrived just in time for the weekend, so I have some quality material to read!:thumb: I am planning to add one special character class for my campaign purposes. As I might have mentioned, I am using Freeport, so a Pirate/Buccaneer type of class might be useful instead of using the obvious fighter/thief solution. This would be an exception to the CF type of play style, but pirates are such a central theme to Freeport, I feel they would warrant a class of their own. Making up classes seems pretty easy, as in BRP in general, but I need to think about what sort of special abilities to add. Do you have any suggestions, rules of thumb or general guidelines for making up special abilites?

Sounds great, thanks again for your patient answers, Rod!