Foen

Sent email: thanks SGL.

Unfortunately it does not. It is intended to be a virtual gaming table, with character sheets, dice, maps, tokens etc, and doesn't have a standalone/non-GM mode. Stuart

The extension is .PDF Stuart

Apparently the file size exceeds the PDF limit for the forum. I attach a screen shot. Stuart

IIRC Pendragon uses a D20 mechanic rather than a D100, in which case it would take more than a tweak to make it work. Other than that, I'm not sufficiently familiar with Pendragon to know how difficult it would be to implement. Foen

I don't know what the size limit is, but the file also failed to upload on another vBulletin forum (the Fantasy Grounds one) which has a PDF size limit of 3.8MB. The file is only 2MB. Oh well. Foen

I have been unable to upload the completed User Guide, with corrections to date, as the site refused to accept the pdf Foen

I've now added the final instalment in the User Guide, Adapting the Ruleset, giving details on how to modify the ruleset to work with different BRP genres and options. I'll separately post the full User Guide (including a correction to the way wounds operate). Cheers Foen

I've added the gamemaster's guide to the initial post. It includes a bit more detail on hit locations. Foen

sdavies I have posted a preview of the BRP product for Fantasy Grounds on this thread. Foen

I have been working on documentation for the forthcoming BRP conversion to the Fantasy Grounds platform, and I thought it also works quite well as an overview of the product. I've finished the first of three sections (the players' guide) and attach it below. The remaining two sections are a GM's guide and a section on adapting the ruleset to work with your own BRP campaign. EDIT: The Gamemaster's Guide is now finished, and this gives a bit of a better oversight into the capabilities of this ruleset, including the treatment of hit locations. EDIT #2: The Adapting the Ruleset guide has been added, and this gives the full flavour of what can be achieved with this product. Foen Basic Roleplaying for Fantasy Grounds II - Players' Guide.pdf Basic Roleplaying for Fantasy Grounds II - Gamemaster's Guide.pdf Basic Roleplaying for Fantasy Grounds II - Adapting the Ruleset.pdf

I have built this ruleset around separate rolls - there is no automatic resolution of combat. There is an option to enable the ruleset to flag fumbles, successes, specials and criticals, but that can be switched on or off. The HP formula is specifically customisable, this allows standard BRP to work alongside Mongoose RQ1, for example. Standard BRP uses a series of factors, MRQ1 uses a series of +/- adjustments. To change the formula requires a little bit of script editing, but should be easily achievable (and could be done for you if you posted a request to the forums). There is no automation of major wounds/death. The ruleset tries to strike a balance between doing everything for you and allowing you flexibility to run the game how you want it. It is a difficult balance and some folks will say I haven't automated enough while others will want the automation disabled :confused:

Hi RobP, fancy seeing you here IMHO, although there is a lot of intellectual appeal to generic systems, I often find my heart wins over my head and I end up going for systems with a compelling setting. Classic Traveller, and Gloranthan RQ are the obvious examples, which somehow seem to beat their generic offspring (MGT and BRP) precisely because you get the whole thing. It is (to my mind) like the difference between a tournament adventure and a campign-set adventure: the mechanics may be the same but the setting is really key. The final analogy for me is with the WoD games: to my mind the WoD mechanics are very basic, but the settings are so compelling it is hard *not* to enjoy the games. Heck, they even call the system 'storytelling' rather than 'gaming'. With all that said, there is no reason why you can't have the best of both worlds. Using a sound generic system with a great setting which requires little adaptation sounds like a win-win to me. I guess BRP+Glorantha or Rolemaster+MERP would be examples that spring to mind. Finally, there is something to be said for current availability, as already mentioned. The link to the BRP Quickstart is worth checking out, as the quickstart will let you know how much or little BRP differs from the RQ you know and love, it is free, and it contains seven one-shot adventures. Just my 2c Stuart

There's no reason why the ruleset wouldn't take this in your walktapus' stride, as it were

1. The GM can switch a player's template for them, but the player can't do that themselves (to prevent pesky players mucking about with templates...). 2. The Vitruvian Man view only applies to humanoid templates: if you are playing a dragon newt, you are stuck with a tabular view. 3. The FG platform supports D100 quite easily, in addition to D2 and D3, and the spots on the modifier box are used for tracking the number of modifiers, not their values. So you might see two spots illuminated if two modifiers were applied (say +10 for good circumstances, and +5 for another player assisting you). BTW, half damage bonus for missile weapons is calculated automatically. Cheers Stuart

I've been working on a project to convert BRP to run on the Fantasy Grounds (FG) virtual table-top software, as part of an official product licensed by Chaosium. By far the toughest feature to implement has been the use of optional hit locations, and I thought I'd share a few screenshots on the progress to date. The FG ruleset includes the facility to turn hit locations on or off, and the following screenshots are taken with the hit location option enabled (they would be fairly dull screenshots otherwise), but the ruleset does support non-hit location play (like standard CoC). The first screenshot shows the default view for hit locations: the Vitruvian Man figure has indicators for each of the locations, and the spots (here all grey) change colour to show the health of each location at a glance. The colour goes from grey (healthy) through yellow, amber and red, to black (the location is severed/destroyed). The second screenshot shows how you can click on any location to call up more detailed information about it. In either of these two views, you can drag damage results and drop them onto a location to apply damage to that location, and similarly with healing results. Finally you can double-click anywhere on this screen to roll d20 to resolve where a blow lands (if you hold the SHIFT key while doing this, the ruleset resolves against the missile hit locations if applicable). The third screenshot shows an alternative tabular view, for folks who want to see everything in one go. This view is freely selectable by each player, from the preferences list. The screen is more 'busy', but everything is readily accessible. The fourth screenshot shows non-humanoid hit locations for a player character. Firstly it should be noted that only the GM can swicth a player character from humanoid to non-humanoid, and secondly that if there are no missile hit locations (such as in this case), then that column isn't displayed. The final screenshot shows the GM view when the hit location template is switched to 'Custom'. Using the BRP ruleset, many built-in templates are available straight from the rules, but it is sometimes useful to have complete freedom over the hit locations for a given character. In custom mode the GM can freely edit the chance for each location to be hit (melee and missile), the location name, and can even add/remove arbitrary additional locations. The method of HP calculation can also be selected ('Standard BRP' is built in, but others such as RQ3 can be added). The editing screens aren't available to players: only the GM can switch templates or use the Custom mode. This is still work in progress, but hopefully it gives a small look into how the FG conversion is shaping up. Stuart

Thanks Peter, the point is very well made about the number of CoC hit locations ... too many tentacles!

Thanks for the help with this. As I am trying to do an official core-rules conversion, under licence from Chaosium, I think I'll have to just stick with the Humanoid missile hit locations from the BRP rulebook. It also sounds like I should leave scope for GMs to add the non-Humanoid ones they'd like to use in their games. As regards progress, it is a case of the old 80:20 rule - I'm 80% there with 20% of the effort, and have 20% left to finish which will take 80% of the effort. Perhaps not quite that bad: it won't be a January release, but if I can finish it for GenCon that would be cool. Cheers Stuart

Ah-ha! While I can find most of the BRP templates in RQ3, I am missing three of them: Multi-limbed: the RQ3 stats go up to 8 limbs, whereas BRP goes as far as 10 limbs; Winged: there is no creature which matches this profile; Winged Four-Legged: the RQ3 stats are closest with the Griffin template, but griffins have a different distribution. Is there an official BRP source for this, or is it an area where the official rules are giving some freedom to the GM? Cheers Foen

My version is labelled with the Games Workshop, Avalon Hill and Chaosium logos, 1987, ISBN 1-869893-05-0. Page 24 has the humanoid melee and missile hit location tables, which are the same as the BRP ones. Pages 56 to 72 have descriptions of each creature with one or two columns for hit locations by melee or missile/magic. I should be sorted now, thanks to everyone Stuart

Thanks Rod - I have a copy of the 3rd edition RQ book, and can see the missile hit location data alongside the melee data for each creature. It sounds like you might have a different version though, if there is a summary (rather than each creature having its own chart). Foen

I'm working on a BRP conversion for the Fantasy Grounds virtual table-top software, and am struggling with missile hit locations. The BRP rulebook (p190) has humanoid hit locations for melee and missile attacks, but the non-humanoid tables in chapter11 (pp368-369) are only for melee attacks. Is there any authoritative source for non-human missile hit locations? Cheers Foen

I fully expect RuneQuest support to be there in some form or another - discussions on *how* it would work were put on hold a couple of months back, pending more news from Mongoose.

The 'cosmetic' changes are done because they can be, and some folks like to play the game as it was written. As the extensions can be modified, gaming groups can choose how they want to see the character sheet. With skill bases, the engine allows either, and the formula is held in the extension or in the library material, so it could be edited too. Here are some lines from the core BRP ruleset, the CoC one and the MRQ one: BRP: ["Disguise"] = { Base="01", Category="Communication"}, ["Dodge"] = { Base="DEX*2", Category="Physical"}, CoC: ["Language, Other"] = { Sublabeling=true, Base="1"}, ["Language, Own"] = { Base="EDU*5"}, MRQ: ["Stealth"] = { Base="10+DEX-SIZ"}, ["Throwing"] = { Base="DEX"}, The Base value is a formula that can mix absolute values and stats. The Category is optional, but groups skills if present. The Sublabeling attribute indicates that this skill has multiple variants. Adding further skills or using different bases is relatively straighforward, although delving into code won't be everyone's cup of tea. That's why I think it would be handy to have some templates for folks to use and/or edit. On the MRQ front, I'm work with Matthew and we will see how it goes when his new plans are unveiled. Foen

Although the core ruleset has all the flexibility of the core BRP product, it doesn't directly cater for the BRP-based game systems such as MRQ, Superworld and Call of Cthulhu, nor for the countless GM-modified and home brew game systems. Typically, these will add/change power types, alter skills and base chances, and even add/remove characteristics (RQ adds CHA but has no EDU or APP). The FG product therefore allows custom plug-ins (or 'extensions') to override basic ruleset functionality in this area. I have prototyped three extensions, to ensure the key features can be modified: Call of Cthulhu: Perhaps the simplest, given it is still actively developed by Chaosium and shares recent heritage with BRP. The CoC extension changes the skill list, adds a SAN characteristic, restricts the named characteristic rolls to Luck, Idea and Know, uses feet rather than metres for distances, and has only one power type (Spell); Superworld: The extension changes the way damage bonus dice are calculated (Superworld uses different DB progression to BRP), amends the skill list, uses four power types (Magical, Mechanical, Mutated and Mastered), removes EDU and uses Idea, Luck and Agility rolls; and MRQ: This is quite different, it has a different approach for calculating base skills (typically one or more characteristics), a different mechanism for calculating hit points by location, different damage bonuses and three power types (Rune Magic, Divine Magic and Sorcery) each with different data characteristics (like the 'Rune' used with Rune Magic). The first screenshot shows the Call of Cthulhu front sheet (using the extended BRP ruleset, not the hard-coded Call of Cthulhu ruleset from my first post), and the second screenshot shows the MRQ powers sheet with the added library entries for spells. In addition to the game system extensions (which can be community-built), the power lists and skills are modifiable/extensible by adding data to the built-in library. Some extensions will be published commercially (especially where licences are involved for the material, and reference material is reproduced electronically and distributed), but I hope to provide examples so folks can modify or create their own. Foen