Mankcam

I agree with much of this sentiment, and I think the analogy to D&D OSR holds up well. I would be happy if Chaosium goes with the RQ6 BRP build as a priority, and the BRP BGB survives more as a fan entity, just like the D&D OSR. A return to the cottage industry concept of roleplaying is not a bad thing if we still have a more prolific and presentable commercial set of rules. I would love to see MW and the BGB thrive with a similar passion to D&D OSR, and I suspect we may potentially be witnessing the emergence of this within the views expressed here in BRP Central. Interesting times actually

Well I tend to agree with you on this Trippy. I intermittently play in a D&D 5E game, it's a lot of cheesy fun, and the implementation of the Advantage/Disadvantage Dice is a great thing. GMs can use it for any modifiers, and it works exceptionally well because D&D 5E is at its core a very 'gamist' rpg, and this is a 'gamist' mechanic, designed for simplicity. Where I suspect this feels out of place in CoC 7E is that BRP is a system which is much more 'simulationist' than 'gamist'. In D&D, you don't care much about the degree of advantage, you just are happy you have been deemed to have one. In BRP the concept of degrees of difficulty is much more integral to the rules, so in this aspect the Bonus/Penalty Dice feels very out of place for CoC. It has a light 'gamist' flavour that somehow seems out of context with the 'simulationist' core of the game. I guess it will remain an oddity for CoC 7E, and perhaps so will the Characteristics expressed as a percentage. Ironically the later is very much in keeping with the BRP system itself, except it is a minor irritation for back compatibility - perhaps this should of occurred much earlier in BRP's history, but it's a little late in the match for it now I think. The rest of the CoC 7E looks great however. Possibly the nicest english language production of the game yet, and it is brimming with information. It will certainly be a great book to catch the eye of new customers if it manages to get shelf space in the hobby shops around the globe.

Yeah this Characteristic-Conflict sounds like a great concept, and certainly an innovation to the BRP system. It vaguely reminds me of Traveller where your Characteristics get directly depleted, although here the Characteristic itself is not being depleted, but the points used to represent it's capacity are drained. The possibilities are endless with this idea, and it fits neatly within the preexisting rules of BRP. Nice one Paolo I'm happy I'm backing this one

In regards to Skill Advancement in RQ6, I use Improvement Rolls as written, although I also allow a bonus Improvement Roll at the end of any scene if a player-character has rolled a Critical Success in that scene. It's kinda a left-over from BRP's more organic method, and is a winner for players who are used to playing one of the earlier builds of BRP. But yeah, just shows you how you can mix and match from both systems, and get the mechanics you want. At the end of the day, its all BRP

While I agree that this could be handy, it may also be impractical, given the potentially very vast array of Advanced Skills. It is great to have a list of Common Skills on the sheet, but the Advanced Skills, Magic, and Combat Styles are too varied to be printed on the sheet, and it may also 'straight-jacket' choices to a degree (Ie: space for only 3 Lore skills, etc). I have always liked the look of having all the skills listed on the BRP character sheets, and I think this was perhaps best done with RQ3 and again recently with MW ( both lists appear to look less 'overwhelming' than CoC or BRP BGB) Despite this, I have actually found that the RQ6 character sheet benefits from not having a huge pre-printed skill list like BRP does. BRP's way of doing it is nice for the char gen process, but it's not like you can easily see your notable skills at a quick glance. It's a bit like not seeing the forest for the trees, so to speak. In practice I think the way the MRQ D100 SRD sheets tend to do it is better in play for newbies - everyone can see the common actions they are capable of, and at a glance they can also see their specialties. But that might have only been my experience, I guess everyone is different At the end of the day, its all good :-)

Loz don't change those base scores!!! ?

Well I love BGB and MRQ D100 SRD builds of BRP, but these days, if I have to choose, I choose the later. I think the add two Characteristics together idea for actions is great. GMs can pretty much ask PCs to attempt any action by this method, applying difficulty degrees if necessary. Players just check their skill list to see if they have any skill of relevance based on that which will increase their chances. As far as NPCs are concerned, I just have their stat blocks listed as Characteristics, followed by two to four defining skills, and I can pretty much cover any situation with that. I think a trimmed down version would of the RQ6 mechanics will be great, but I'm not keen on it being 32 pages. About half the size of RQ Essentials (about 100 pages) would be my preference. I can see it working without Magic and Gifts, and perhaps a smaller list of Special Effects. Keep the professions, but make them a tad more generic so they can be used across a wide range of genres. It could look a bit like OpenQuest or Renaissance actually In any case I think it has been a good move to go with a more recent build of BRP, and I only wish that they could look at Call of Cthulhu to be consistent, despite the further delays in getting it out there. It is a shame for the BGB/MW fans however, and it's easy to understand the feeling of rejection one has when these things occur. I would encourage everyone to keep bringing out fan material for MW - the stats port over with minimal ease if playing another build of BRP in any case, and everything can be salvaged by GMs who tinker as much as BRP GMs tend to do. But that goes for fans of the RQ as well, and putting out fan stuff for RQ6 etc / new BRP Essientials should be encouraged. I think Loz's comments are quite positive in that fact that if a fan base is enthusiastic then obiviously a company can thrive better in return, and our hobby stays alive.

Well it makes sense to base the BRP Essentials of either RQ6 or CoC 7E for the sake of consistency. Both are more recent builds of the BRP system which feel 'fresh', and given the age of BRP then it is not surprising that a more recent build of the system is the one they are going with. Not saying that I dislike BGB or MW, and I would rather play them over most other rpgs on the market today. Given the mixed bag of concerns that surround CoC 7E, and the fact that RQ6 is reasonably popular (for an indie game), it is pretty clear which one to go with as a core system. Not sure where this puts CoC 7E however. A flagship setting that is not using the core build may be a issue, and it makes me wonder that if it survives to be CoC 8E it could possibly be further tweaked to be consistent with the BRP Essentials - pure speculation. The fact that RQ2 may be reprinted is a surprise, although as we know, Rick Meints is into classic reprints so this will be something more for older fans rather than something to grab a new audience. I expect we'll also see WoW reprinted as well. Which also means that BRP BGB and MW could also be published again later as a legacy system for a niche market, that sounds like something that could be considered down the track; I don't think we have seen the last of the BGB or MW, but it is clear that they are firmly shelved for the time being. As much as I like the BGB, perhaps many people right in saying that it is a little big and clunky for entry to the BRP system. I loved it when it came out, but I must say I have grown fond of having a slimmer set of rules at the table, such as RQ Essentials, Renaissance Deluxe, OpenQuest Basic, or even GORE. There is a charm to that, and I can see why this will be the way forward. It is a shame for MW however, as it is clear that there is alot of love for the system, and Ben Monroe's enthusiastic presence that comes along with it. If this forum's views are representative of the buying public, it may not have been a great thing to put BRP/MW on the back burner. At least things are getting a little clearer now I guess, but I expect things really won't move forward in leaps and bounds until next year after the CoC 7E kickstarter books have been shipped The main thing is that the BRP system is surviving in some form yet again,which is great to see

Yes you are too quick in your responses Paolo I actually just popped back here to delete my post, as I have indeed just found all these answers and you beat me to the punch. And as you know, I also have now opened an Ulule account and jumped aboard your project! Fingers crossed that this gets across the line :-)

I went with Unarmed and Bludgeons for weapons. For combat style traits I eventually went with Unarmed Prowess and Brass Knuckles. I found a mention of Brass Knuckles in my Luther Arkwright pdf with one of the NPCs, and it kinda suits (increases unarmed damage by one step) I'm still happy for input if someone else has a more fitting idea, I'm no combat expert by any stretch :-) UPDATE: I re-posted this query over at the Design Mechanism forums, and Pete Nash replied. He advised me to build this combat style as thus: Bartitsu (Unarmed, Bludgeons, Concealed Intent, Throw Down, Unarmed Parry). Concealed Intent grants a Surprise advantage upon Deceit vs Insight before the combat round starts; and Throw Down allows for a penalty to apply whenever the opponent tries to resist a Trip Opponent effect by the character using Bartitsu. Also with Unarmed Parry, the character can still Parry when unarmed, as long as he has a coat or cloak available. Possibly even a hat or cap at a stretch (perhaps with penalties) Great stuff, very pulpy; I'm taking these as canon!

I am in the process of porting over my Pulp Adventures BRP game from BGB/CoC6E to RQ6 mechanics (also using the draft Raiders of Ryleh mechanics) One preexisting character has the BRP skill of Martial Arts (Bartitsu). The fighting style that Sherlock Holmes is proficient in, so yes, it's very pulpy. I am recreating this as a RQ6 Combat Style called Baritisu. I am thinking that it will obviously include weapons of Brawling and Bludgeons. However it also needs to include a Combat Style Trait, so I am still working on this. The first idea I had was to attach the Daredevil Trait, and I'm unsure if another Weapon or Trait should also be included. I'm also considering the Unarmed Prowess Trait either to replace Daredevil, or also to include both Traits within the Bartitsu combat style. Suggestions welcomed from anyone who is aware of Bartitsu. cheers :-)

This needs to be on a Convention T-shirt!

Sorry if these queries has been asked before Paolo, but I just want to clarify a few things: I understand that Revolution D100 will be a percentile system, that is quite obvious. However will it be more or less compatible with other games of the BRP Family, or is it a completely separate game? By this I mean, Warhammer and Eclipse Phase are also percentile systems, yet they are completely different systems and certainly not compatible with BRP (nor are they intended to be). If Revolution D100 is BRP Compatible, then I assume it will have a similar list of Characteristics (ie: STR, CON, DEX, etc), although I suppose skill lists may be a bit different here and there. I am interested in some of the mechanics you have suggested within these posts, and would like to see them in print for adapting to the BRP system. Also, if it is part of the BRP Family, will it be more compatible with the BGB, or more compatible with the MRQ D100 SRD derivatives? (I prefer the later, but either is good with me, I pillage from both sources) I am assuming that your system will be a BRP compatible game, otherwise you would not have been discussing it here on BRP Central. I also assume it is available in English. Sorry if I am asking the obvious, but I just wanted to be sure :-)

because some things are just geek-cool, such as Bowties, Fezes, Nathan Filion, Polydice, Monte Cook, and Patrick Stewart and Fred Hicks is very cool, apparently Actually, joking aside, popularity is a factor to consider. If you get Wil Wheaton to promote your game on his Geek n Sundry show 'Tabletop' then it will likely sell via market exposure and his own personal fun factor with the system. But do the games become popular because he showcases them, or are they already popular and then he showcases them? That is a big question But SDLeary is certainly right, in addition to a high quality production value, you need to wage a heavy promotion war in order to break into an oversaturated market Hopefully Moon Design has the energy for this where the previous Chaosium Management may have been lagging. Moon Design did exceptionally well with the G2G, so lets see if they can continue the Midas touch...

...hmmm OpenQuest Basic Rules is 157 pages, even GORE rules comes in at 58 pages, so it does make you wonder how stripped back the rules could be. Still, if you take out magic, combat manuvers, and only have a few spot rules then perhaps it could be done with the MRQ D100 SRD as it has a smaller skill list than BRP BGB. Basically you briefly describe the Standard Skills, and then perhaps handwave the Professional Skills according to genre, and provide a few common examples. If is doesn't use Hit Locations then it would play similar to Renaissance or OpenQuest I suspect. ADDIT: The BRP Quickstart comes in at 48 pages, and without scenarios it comes to 30 pages...so perhaps BRP Essientials could just be an edit of the BRP Quickstart rules. Given the statement that BRP Essientials will be for those who do not like RuneQuest or Call of Cthulhu, then perhaps the BRP Quickstart could easily live on repackaged as a nice new little slim hardcover. Although this is kind of at odds with streamlining everything, as it will mean that there would now be three different BRP rules variants being published by the same company...

I'm good with all this recent news; it's very positive and clears the air a bit. I also wonder if BRP Essentials will be a slim version of the BGB (akin to Gore), or if it will be a more generic version of RQ Essentials? Perhaps no magic, and smaller weapon lists covering a variety of eras Having BRP Essentials be a generic version of RQ Essentials makes sense in the fact that the system mechanics will be consistent with RQ Glorantha. I think having too many system variants is not great for the new market if the system is going to continue, so my preference would be an Essentials rules based from the MRQ D100 SRD; it just feels a little more modern in some ways. There is no way around it; this could be a downer for those who want classic BRP to continue in a current published form on the shelves of the game stores. However it has been very rare to actually see the BGB in game stores down here in Australia, and I'm not sure if it's presence has been much more prominent elsewhere. That being said, I can see that this may be a smaller market now, and having the BGB available in pdf and PoD still allows for that market to have the BGB. So nothing is really lost here, and if the BGB is available as pdf and PoD, then at some stage it is plausible that that same could occur with MW. I really would like to see MW continue at least in pdf and PoD, as it has been a great release, and the enthusiasm for it within these boards is quite high. I think it is a very smart move to keep some version of a generic ruleset alive in published form to satisfy the tinkerer GMs out there, including myself. I left rpgs for a few years, but was initially lured back by Savage Worlds and the generic delight that it is for sandbox GMs. That system eventually turned out too loose for my tastes, so then GURPS caught my eye, but it had too many 'splats'. I then returned to my earlier favourite mechanics with RQ3, CoC4, & SB, to strip them back in my search of having a generic set of logical rpg rules, only to see that the BGB had been published and done this for me. I love the idea that I can watch any movie, then grab the BGB and use that to translate it into a rpg session. Having a generic set of rules is a 'must-have' for me, whether it's a flagship product or a minor release. I guess that I'm reasonably happy with all this; and the teaser regarding the hardboiled detective noir book is very promising indeed!

Yes this is sad news. Ben Monroe has been so enthusiastic with his love of BRP and he did a good job putting Magic World together. I especially love the simple char gen in MW, that is truly a gem that deserves to be highlighted. But all in all, MW is a solid release, and has alot of potential as a line. Ben is right to be proud of his work with this. I wish Ben all the best for future endeavours; I just wish it would be with Chaosium, he would certainly be an asset to Moon Design. A true Champion of the Balance. This really does not bode well for MW or classic BRP at all now.

Although I am one of those RQ6ers who is more or less secure that I'll have a system to keep playing in, I'm far from happy with the entire thing. I have been primarily a BGB devotee until this year, and all this is indeed sad news. I seem to prefer the MRQ D100 SRD builds at present, but I don't like how the generic BRP rules could be going the way of the dinosaur. One of the things that brought me back to BRP was that it had the BGB, a set of generic rules from which I could build my own genres from. It was not as nice looking as GURPS, yet it had much better rules with the percentile system. Perhaps the BGB could be reinvented with MRQ D100 SRD as the core perhaps (or perhaps this is blasphemy)... but either way I think it is a major step backwards if there are no generic rules in print - this is what attracts us to dabble and tinker with. Prepackaged settings are great, but there are many rules out there doing that. New consumers, the tinkerer types, will go for Savage Worlds, GURPS, Cypher and the like; not only due to their flashy covers, but also due to the fact that Chaosium appears unlikely to be publishing a generic ruleset as part of its strategic plan. Very sad indeed. And even sadder is that for CoC and RQ to live, it seems that MW and BGB may have to die. Your analogies do strike a chord. You captured an intangible feeling that I suspect many of us are experiencing, and minimising with the real world around us ( of which all this will seem trivial). I suspect many of us are quietly feeling the pain Of course all these games can live on at our gaming tables, but even that may feel hollow at times if the system has no current incarnation on the shelves. We'll just have to keep hoping for the best, and see how all this pans out. Thanks for the honesty in your blog Sunwolfe

The virtual office is probably a good move if it can work for them. With technology it can work well for the private sector. But what needs not to be virtual are the products. Whilst I love pdfs and tablets, hard cover well made books are not only a delight, but a physical presence on the shelves in game shops. Chaosium needs to do everything it can do to raise the profile of Chaosium products both online (ie: OneShelf, Amazon,etc) and in the actual game shops around the globe. Otherwise it will fade into the mists of memory just like seneshal's reference to the Arthurian Cycle. Although I love the production standard that will be CoC 7E, I am confused why they are persisting in disimilar systems for their main BRP game lines. Personally I feel the way forward may be to consolidate the MRQ D100 SRD mechancs as the core BRP rules, making it more or less consistent with RQ6, Renaissance, OpenQuest, etc. The mechanics feel like a freshened up version of classic BRP, and I would like perhaps a generic version of those rules if a new version of BGB ever is published (? Worlds of Wonder line perhaps). I would even like Call of Cthulhu to be built along these lines (hence my enthusiasm for the upcoming 'Raiders of Ry'leh' rules being funded via Kickstarter) Although I do understand that this is not to everyone's tastes. The BGB has its place, and I was happy with the release of MW, but I just can't see too many lines being supported. To this end it makes sense to have at least one set of core rules, and then the other lines are more genre specific rather than having too many differences in actual game mechanics. In a perfect world, none of the settings and lines would disappear, although this is unfortunately far from the reality if Chaosium is to remain a viable company.

Sad. But better than the looming uncertain future that lay ahead. Better to live on in another form, hopefully with a Phoenix-like rebirth. Rock on Chaosium!

Good sighting, that's kinda like knowing El Dorado exists! I also see that they still have a boxed set of Worlds of Wonder - I think Rick Meints will be doing something with that!

'River of Heaven' is made for BRP (OpenQuest version). The Sci Fi setting is interstellar rather than cyberpunk genre, but it has 'Augmentations' which covers cyberware, nanotechnology, etc. You could easily use it all for all cyberware if you alter it slightly - it's basically just a Powers system with sci-fi trappings instead of magical trappings. Nice and smooth to port over to any SciFi genre or setting, and will will work just as well with BRP BGB mechanics as it does with BRP MD100 SRD mechanics. An easy solution I would think.

Nice port of the RM Magic System to BRP - I kind of tinkered with something similar about 15 yrs ago, but never got it off the ground. It was very much like your port if I remember correctly

I actually forgot that imperial is still used. Down here its only the oldies who remember a time before metric in the early '60s

Well a hardcover version of Magic World, with colour title page art may be nice if you want the system to sell. The content is good, but modern production is generally a tad better and more colourful. Perhaps include a hard cover Advanced Sorcery book, or include most of that content in a bigger version of the Magic World core book. For me personally, perhaps a hard cover version of The Southern Reaches would be much better, expanding the content greatly, with some one-shots included or perhaps a small campaign. I love the map in the Magic World book, but it needs to be inlaid into the internal covers. Having more on The Southern Reaches would be great, possibly even detailing an adjoining region, The Eastern Reaches perhaps? Hardcover books are my preferred option, although the nostalgic element of a boxed set is sometimes hard to beat!