Jason D

I read some appallingly bad fantasy fiction when I was in junior high and high school, and even then I recognized that Norman had some serious issues that dwarfed the fantasy setting entirely.

Read my outline above. Weird tech, space vehicles, and vehicular combat are a part of the sourcebook. I'm just trying to clarify that the thrust of this book is planetary romance, not space opera. Though there are some areas that both cover, Interplanetary isn't about a doughty core of lantern-jawed heroes rocketing across the solar system to defend Earth from alien death rays.

As noted in the outline that started this thread, there is a background. Each of the planets of this solar system will get several pages of description.

No need for thanks from you - if you were a playtester, you have our gratitude!

Yes, there's a statement phase in the default rules set. There's also an optional rule box right next to that section of the rules titled "Eliminating or Reversing Statement of Intents".

This one, though the value has been made 10 (as it appears in some other BRP games).

Just to be clear, this is the planetary romance genre (also known as sword-and-planet). Planetary romance, by almost every definition, doesn't include stuff like Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, or Space 1889. Differences are that usually in planetary romance: - the voyage to the other planets is usually of little importance or significance - very little attention is paid to the scientific plausibility of the setting - the emphasis is on swashbuckling adventure and high melodrama - the protagonist(s) usually have no choice but to go native - often, the protagonist(s) become more at home in the alien environment than on Earth There's no reason GMs and players can't add those elements into the book I'm writing, or emphasize the aspects that are there, but I want to be clear on what I'm writing to prevent people from thinking it'll be something else. More loincloths and jeweled battle-harnesses than redcoats and Sharps rifles... if that makes sense.

I would love to see one, but it would likely have to have some twist or supernatural element to make it more accessible to a player base today. It would be pretty deadly. I'd recommend using either the optional heroic HP rule from BRP or allowing fate points to lower damage. Otherwise, I see heroes dying mighty fast. See the above. There have actually been a half-dozen or so in the last three years. Sidewinder: Reloaded (a d20 variant from Green Ronin) True 20 Wild West (a d20 variant from Green Ronin) OGL Wild West (a d20 variant from Mongoose) Aces & Eights (from Kenzer & Co.) - a truly deluxe product in every sense of the word On the indie game front, there are even more: Dogs in the Vineyard (from Lumpley Games) vs. Outlaws (a little minigame printed on a CD-book sized GM screen) Coyote Gulch (from Precis Intermedia) Dust Devils (by Chimera Collective)

No idea. I hope so. Charlie's recent account of his trip to France indicates to me that Chaosium has a new French publishing partner and a potential new BRP-based game.

It's the mêlée table alone, though the missile one might be added.

I'm casually familiar with his work, and it's not really planetary romance. In fact, I'd agree with you that it is pretty much straight-out sci-fi.

Oh, I haven't.

None of the above. It's pulpy, heroic adventures on alien worlds within our solar system, most of which are filled with ancient ruins or primitive societies. Very little of the game is set in space or concerning space combat. Think "sword and planet" rather than rayguns and Martian invaders. Pulp sci-fi. Just plain bad. But it might fall into the planetary romance genre, as it is (at least initially) about an Earthman who travels to another world where he has fantastic adventures.

You're probably right. I don't have my copy at work, though.

There are disadvantages and power limitations you might take to increase the number of points to purchase a power.

Spaceships are common to the interplanetary adventure genre, so they're in here. The first significant one of these stories appeared in 1911 (ERB's "Under the Moons of Mars" serial that later became A Princess of Mars) and space vessels appeared later in the series. The 1920s will also be stretched to the early 1930s. Mad inventors, alien technology, etc.

Where did you find it? The only one I can find is the old version.

There are specific point amounts (and skill cap limits) suggested. Generally, fresh BRP characters at the normal level are at the starting CoC/SB/RQ level. The higher power levels are much more competent. Somewhere between the first two ranges. It is very specifically to create the sort of campaign where you might have exactly one solid power, or two or three that you're not great at.

I think I answered this before, but the answer went something like: Strategy Teach Science and Knowledge as big skills with specialties It varies by the GM's choice. It varies, ranging from a value equal to your POW (for a low-level Heroes-style setting where heroes might only have one power) to ridiculous godlike numbers of points.

Not in the core rules (as it's never been a characteristic of BRP), but there's no reason a GM couldn't reward automatic skill checks or the like as a reward.

\ It's made clear which skill is tied to which category, and the sample character sheet is organized that way.

Inspired by Pete's revelation about BRP Rome, I thought I'd unveil the proposal for my next BRP project. This is the actual "pitch" I sent Chaosium, and was approved by Dustin and Charlie. I'm in the middle of collecting background info, re-reading the classics of the genre, and doing "preproduction" on it before dedicated writing begins in the last third of the month. INTERPLANETARY – A BASIC ROLEPLAYING SOURCEBOOK By Jason Durall Interplanetary is an adventure sourcebook for roleplaying games in the style of planetary adventure (also called ‘interplanetary adventure’ or ‘planetary romance’). This popular genre was epitomized by the John Carter of Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, as well as other authors such as Poul Anderson, Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, Andre Norton, and many others. It is a fan favorite in many online polls regarding what genre should be explored more, and has rarely been addressed in roleplaying games. Rather than being about the worlds created by any one of these particular authors, Interplanetary deals with an overview of the genre, and focus more on the style of planetary adventure. This sourcebook presents a sample campaign and exploration of the planets of this solar system in a manner appropriate to the planetary adventure genre. Additional resources allow game masters and players to explore distinct and new settings of their own devising. In size, this project will be in the 48,000-64,000 word range. Once approved, I anticipate it taking roughly three-to-four months to complete, with an additional month for a limited playtest cycle using a smaller and more dedicated subset of the Basic Roleplaying playtest, as well as local playtesters and reviewers. Assuming approvals and contracts are executed in or around January, it would be ready around late April. Writing will go much faster than BRP due to the lack of rules-related content and the relative light requirement for playtesting. Following is a projected outline of Interplanetary: SECTION ONE – INTRODUCTION A basic introduction to the genre and a quick description of Basic Roleplaying, stating that this is a sourcebook for BRP and that the core rules are required. Introduction to the genre Suggested optional rules from BRP SECTION TWO – CHARACTERS Mostly self-explanatory, this provides some background and context for players to grasp how to create appropriate creatures for planetary adventure. Character origins New character professions Character generation Alien characters Powers Motivations and personalization SECTION THREE – ARTIFACTS AND EQUIPMENT Self-explanatory, this presents a wide range of armaments, equipment, ancient artifacts, and vehicles for use in planetary adventure campaigns. Introduction to planetary adventure technology New weapons New armor New equipment Creating new artifacts and equipment Spacecraft, ground cars, seacraft, airships, and other means of transport SECTION FOUR – ADVENTURING This section is for players and game masters, and contains game systems and mechanics. Getting into space Vehicular combat Space hazards New spot rules SECTION FIVE – OUR SOLAR SYSTEM Each planet’s description will include a basic description of the planet’s geography and climate, its inhabitants, major conflicts, notable points of interest, significant NPCs, and a variety of aliens and creatures native to that planet. Earth – Described in brief with the 1920s as the default setting. The Moon – A near-lifeless wasteland, though with strange canals and ancient ruins hidden in crater cities. Mercury – Extremely hot volcanic planet, as well as [withheld] life forms. Venus – Hot and humid, with thick jungles and evocative life. Mars – The desert planet, home to many [withheld]. Sol System's Asteroid Belt – Home to exotic life forms and [withheld]. Ceres – This planet-sized asteroid is near-lifeless, though home to ancient mysteries of time and space. Jupiter – A giant gassy planet, with inhabitants dwelling in floating cities. Saturn – The ringed planet, host to many moons and inhabited by [withheld]. Uranus – A cold gassy planet, inhabited by [withheld]. Neptune – An oceanic planet, shrouded in poison mists and inhabited by [withheld]. Planet X (Pluto) – A barren and strange planet, with equally inscrutable inhabitants. [withheld] There will be a short section describing how the planets were viewed at the time, versus their scientific reality. SECTION SIX – GAMEMASTERING AND CAMPAIGNS Basic information for handling planetary adventure campaigns and structuring adventures. Aspects of the planetary adventure genre Evoking a planetary adventure atmosphere Adventures in planetary adventure games Sample campaign involving [withheld] threatening the entire solar system and involving a visit to each planet SECTION SEVEN – APPENDIX AND BIBLIOGRAPHY List of sources Reference sheets

Your question had thrown me into a little bit of deja vu...

You asked me this before in the previous thread, and here's a link to the answer: http://basicroleplaying.com/forum/1197-post63.html MM doesn't have much in the way of "fantasy" creatures, but you could always pick up Cthulhu Dark Ages or Elric!/Stormbringer if you'd like those.

I could certainly hear more about this, as Rome was one of my favorite television series.