Jason D

That sounds very interesting! I can easily see the connections between those pools of points.

Yeah, it always bugged me that the system was so inconsistent about them.

HP = [CON+SIZ]/2

MP/PP = POW

SAN = POW x 5

FT = STR+CON

I always wanted to make them all sort of work in the same method and refigure the rest of the values, like this:

HP = CON+SIZ (healthier, bigger people have more HP)

MP/PP = POW+CON (healthier, more willful people have more PP)

SAN = INT+POW (reasoning and will help resist insanity)

FT = unchanged

This, of course, would lead to changing weapon damages, power use costs, sanity losses, and fatigue, and I'd treat all of those resources like something that does damage against them.

SAN losses would be chunked away if you fail your Luck or Idea roll, but would be less (because you've got less to lose).

Fatigue would be lost per turn of heavy activity based on your actions/armor/burden, and you might make Effort rolls (CON x 5%) to avoid losing them.

And so on....

Fatigue rules for BRP? What's the current version? Not the RQ3 mess I hope?

SGL.

It's an optional system, and there are two options.

The first is a slightly improved version of the RQ3 mess, while the second is the easier version from Elric!/Stormbringer.

One of these days, I'll post my unified resource system for power points, fatigue points, and sanity points.

In other words, we all there to have a good time and spending precious time out of our busy lives. It would suck to have a character or campaign derailed over one errant dice roll.

Which is why they're there, but as an optional system rather than a default part of the rules.

I just love anthropomorphic humanoids that are bi-pedal and bi-manual.

I'm not so much for the anthropomorphics in that sorta setting... though I loved me some Albedo.

I kind of like anthropomorphic (is that spelling right?:eek:) characters too.

I'm a huge fan of Usagi Yojimbo.

I ran a lot of the Gold Rush Games version of it, and despite the anthro aspect, my players all thought it was a blast. I didn't, however, enjoy the updated rules set from Sanguine... suddenly it became overcomplex and crunchy when the previous edition had been simple to run and quick to play. The players likened the rules switch to going from BRP to D&D.

I know there are many more games that have this concept, I just can't think of anymore off the top of my head.

Usagi Yojimbo (as noted above)

Jadeclaw

Ironclaw

Kzinti from Ringworld

If they start producing 64-page hardbacks for $25 dollar a piece then they can really start competing with Mongoose! :eek:

SGL.

I'm pretty sure that's not the plan at all.

Great! And which setting will it be?

You missed the part about "trying to decide".

The only difficulty could be to find good writers for this. How about you Jason? Ahem...what are you planning in the next 10 years?

I'm trying to decide what I'm working on for them next. I've got a few small projects on the table, but will likely do one of those short setting/sourcebooks.

I dont like monographs. I am working in the print business and it hurts my eyes if I see one of these booklets. 25years ago I made fanzines which looked better.

Well, they have gone over to Lulu (I believe) for some of the printing, which does make for nicer-looking books.

I do not like the monograph format at all. They're like doomed to stay underground forever. They will not be taken into RPG stores, and few would order them, since the shipment often surpases the cost of the book.

If I recall correctly, one of the main goals of the monographs was specifically to create a reason fans would periodically check out the website. A second goal was to offer something like those old mimeographed booklets that were available only at conventions, directly from Chaosium.

I'm not saying those are great reasons, but the monograph program does fill both of those requirements solidly.

Ordering from Chaosium is just to expensive, at least if you live in Europe.

That's a valid concern. You should email them directly and let them know you've got a problem with that.

IF I were them, I'd revive Questworld. It would solve a lot of their problems and has no drawbacks.

I took a recent look at Questworld specifically with the thought of "Would this work as a BRP supplement" and sadly, it really didn't fit the bill. It's still fairly tied to Glorantha, and feels very, very dated.

It sounds like the monograph format, to test the market I suppose.

Nope.

The excerpt I quoted was #1 of three plans Dustin was eager to pursue. #2 was BRP monographs. #3 was something else that I can't talk about.

I'm not sure I like the sound of that. That's Mongoose size.

I want Dorastor, Pavis & Big Rubble, Borderlands - that kind of stuff.

A 64 page setting book? What can you fit into that? A setting book should be bigger, then it can later be followed by smaller supplements.

SGL.

Based on what Dustin and I talked about a while ago, their goal is to break a setting into manageable pieces to start with - smaller sourcebooks with followup publications if the setting was popular.

I think they're trying to steer clear of monolithic settings that take forever to detail and even longer to write.

Remember that all of the works you mention began initially as smaller pieces, articles in fanzines, etc.

There has been quite a bit done for Averoigne, in some magazine (fanzine?) devoted to CoC. I saw it in a gamestore, there was a series of articles about the setting. The article I saw was 'Beasts of Averoigne', or something like that. Perhaps someone knows the magazine, and more about it?

Worlds of Cthulhu covered it.

Are you saying they are looking for a D&D style setting for BRP?

From a recent email from Dustin (edited for public viewing) regarding future submissions:

Short Setting Books - preferably with a heavy focus on player content.

I'm driven to release followup support material for BRP. The initial format I think we can use is 64 - 96 page (30,000 - 48,000 word) setting books. These books are short for several reasons.

- Such books should come together rather quickly, rather than taking years of drudgery to complete.

- There is a lot of ground to cover. I'd like to get several settings out quickly so we can find out which will be popular enough to support with more printed releases

The field is wide open. We need all the genres.

Is the protection value for ancient armor going to be on a scale of 1(light leather/cloth) to 6(Plate) Like in RQ1 or 1 (light leather) to 8(plate) like in RqIII? For me I like the range from 1 to 8 as I feel it give my players more options ( My monsters already have what ever armor I want to give them)

At the bottom of the scale is hide/soft leather/heavy clothing with an armor value of 1, and at the top is powered assault armor with a 24.

Full plate is 8.

As a point of reference, Dustin Wright is very interested in seeing new settings for BRP. You can contact him at dustin@chaosium.com, and he'll gladly field any questions about submissions, either as monographs or as longer works.

Yes, basically that version of the BRP system is RQ3 with all references to Gloriantha removed.

Mostly... every so often they make a slip and didn't catch one.

Are there any provisions for treasure generation in this book?

None whatsoever. There's some discussion of material rewards in the GM section, but given the setting-free nature of the rules, it didn't make any sense to include such a system.

Is there any development of weapon stats beyond what has already been published, like stats for the pilum, the chakram, etc.?

The weapons charts are pretty standard - nothing too unusual or strange. Again, given that it covers weapons from thrown rocks to plasma rifles, I had to keep the list fairly mainstream. Setting books will undoubtedly provide additional gear specific to the setting.

Oh, now a question from you.

I dont think so. I never read any BRP rule material with aerial combat other than that in shattered isle.

I should also mention that I've seen the stuff in Stormbringer (expansions of the Fly skill), and that's made it into the core book.

Is there anything taken from the Shattered Isle suppliment? I am thinking specifically on the Aerial combat rules and the vehicles.

As an aside, other than the brief mention of them in The Shattered Isle, is there anywhere in the canon of BRP materials that have aerial combat rules?

So, anything more you can tell us about the cover Jason? The news section are screaming for more rumours you know...

SGL.

I don't know anything solid.

The gist of what I reported on rpg.net is that Chaosium is aware that there is a negative perception, and is considering options.

I am aware of some of the options, and unaware of others.

If one of those options I'm aware comes to pass, I will be exceptionally pleased. (And that's beyond being unbelievably ecstatic that a core BRP rulebook largely written by me is actually in print.)

Obviously, I can't really speak publicly about the behind-the-scenes situation. I also don't want to give anyone the impression that a new cover is a foregone conclusion, because it's outside my control.

In Pulp Cthulhu (I believe, as I havn't seen it) there was mention of a "Trait" system, something like a lighter version of advantages and disadvantages. Any chance of this making it in as an option?

Not much chance at all.

The majority of the playtesters were adamantly against traits in the way they're commonly understood. It was, I think, one of the bitterest discussions during the entire playtest process, and stemmed not from a discussion about traits, but the introduction of the special "profession abilities" from the Call of Cthulhu Investigator's Handbook. (If you're curious, those got cut.)

Personally, I'm not really in favor of them for "core" BRP, though I've enjoyed them mightily in other games. If someone wants to put together a traits system as a fan-made submission, or make them a part of a monograph, that's perfectly acceptable and I'd be interested in seeing such a system. Whether I'd use it... it would depend on the system.

Is hit location information included for all the creatures (as locations are optional)?

There's a big collection at the end of the bestiary chapter with a dozen different hit location charts and the breakdown of how HP are divided amongst them. With that is a breakdown of HPs showing the different divisions (1/2, 1/3, 1/4/ 1/5, 2/5, etc.) for ease of reference for the math-challenged.

It's not as easy as RQ3's bestiary was, but then, those values were based on average stats and weren't accurate if the creature had a non-average SIZ and/or CON.

Is there anything taken from the Shattered Isle suppliment? I am thinking specifically on the Aerial combat rules and the vehicles.

Nothing from there.

The chase rules from Call of Cthulhu are in the BRP corebook, but I suspect that one of the most demanded expansions to the core book will be a more robust or detailed vehicular combat system. I did some work on adapting the system from Sailing on the Seas of Fate and looked at the systems in Ringworld and Worlds Beyond (if I remember correctly), but it got to the point where it was, once more, way outside the scope of what BRP was intended to be.

I may put a system like that together as a web freebie to coincide with the core book. I'll send an email to Dustin and see if he's game and if they'll host it.

There's Worlds Beyond, a science-fiction game which apparently had some sort of agreement to openly use the BRP rules set.