Mankcam

I ordered my premium copy through DrivethruRPG, and it arrived last week - very nice!

I actually like the name Revolution D100, that could easily stick as a name for a generic core rule set. I am not overly fond of proliferation of too many BRP family systems from a commercial point of view. However if it is pretty adaptable then it won't be a bad thing, as many of us GMs tinker with these things to get what suits us. I really appreciate the settings that Alephtar Games have produced. It really is a nice little library of psuedo-historical content, and that niche has been the strength of the company in regards to BRP games. I hope the stat block for this new system is very similar to either BRP BGB or to MRQ SRD for cross compatibility with the major BRP games. From the initial posting it does sound like a system I would be quite interested in

It sounds interesting, like it ticks a few boxes I like. I tend to back these crowd-funded projects (despite the long wait for CoC 7E), so if I have the money at the time then I will certainly look at this. I really like the setting content that Alephetar has put out in recent years, and will certainly try to support the company where I can. You can't have enough D100 rulesets I reckon!

This is the wrong time for me to try and develop something, but I'm certainly going to follow this thread with interest. It's a great concept, and it's going to be really fun watching to see what you creative types come up with. Enjoy yourselves!

No, HARP didn't grow out of MERP per see, but yes, it is a more recent version of the ICE system mechanics. MERP often felt incomplete as far as mechanics went, and was really there as a primer for Rolemaster. Many people ended up playing Rolemaster using the Middle Earth setting (as was suggested), but the setting of Shadow World was also quite good. By the 1990s the company had lost the rights for Middle Earth, so Rolemaster was pretty affixed just to Shadow World by then. By the mid 1990s Rolemaster had become one of the major alternatives to AD&D for simulationist rpg gamers. I always preferred to run BRP of course, but many of my troupe back then played Rolemaster and I was involved as a player for a few campaigns. When AD&D became D&D 3E in 2000 and the D20 OGL wave hit, Rolemaster pretty much declined as a major contender on the market. I think even Chaosium fared better here, due to having Call of Cthulhu. HARP came out about 10 yrs ago, although a more recent version of it has now been produced as HARP Fantasy and HARP ScFi; same system, different genres. I think it was a way for the company to stay relevant with new gamers who were no longer wanting heavy simulationist rule sets. HARP is kinda like a more basic version of Rolemaster. It has a much better magic system, and it is all contained in one rulebook. The character classes are quite good in the fact they are very broad in scope, allowing for a lot of customisation. So no books are required beyond the core rulebook, which is quite nice. The system itself is reasonably good, and plays like a streamlined Rolemaster. Much less tables to reference, and a bit quicker. Despite such, the rules are still very recognisable as ICE system mechanics, and it could be considered a bit clunky compared to many current (and past) gaming engines. It needed even more trimming, in my opinion. However I still thought HARP was a step forward in many ways. Rolemaster was dormant by then, so it looked like HARP was the heir to ICE's fantasy line. The world setting didn't seem to capture people's attention as much as Shadow World did, and HARP suffered a bit because of this. The Rolemaster name itself seemed to have more product identity, so it looks like ICE has resumed that line and is currently in the process of formulating a new edition of Rolemaster. They have made much of the back catalog available in pdf and PoD, and are also starting to write new material for Shadow World. I am a bit disappointed that HARP will be the second cousin to Rolemaster, as I think it is a superior set of game mechanics to that of Rolemaster. This is not a big issue for me however, as even HARP is a little awkward for me to GM, and I much prefer running a BRP set of mechanics. I don't see Rolemaster products filling up the shelves of my game store anytime soon, but I think it is carving a niche in the online sales market at present. Some of the regional sourcebooks are very well detailed, and there are some sandbox scenarios just screaming out to be ported over. This goes for the Shadow World setting, as well as the old MERP books. So there is plenty of material here to hack for RQ6 or MagicWorld if anyone is looking for reasonably good high fantasy world settings.

Looks great - you can never have enough scenarios or campaigns up your sleeve. This one looks really good, thanks for posting the links for it!

My close friend is a big ICE supporter, and pretty much has most of their games dating back to the mid 1980s. I had alot of fun playing MERP and Rolemaster over the years, and my nostalgia for their products are quite high. Despite this its far too complex for me to GM, with heaps of tables and large maths calculations, which is why it was often jokingly referred to as 'Rulemaster'. I have bought both editions of HARP Fantasy, which I think is a best version of the ICE mechanics. HARP is much more compact and versatile than Rolemaster, although it doesn't have the Rolemaster name to sell it. Still a bit clumsy at times for my personal tastes as a GM, but I don't mind simply being a player-character with those rules. Rolemaster probably has a better high fantasy setting than HARP, and I really wish they would have ported over the setting of Shadow World to HARP. That makes more sense to me, but they seem to be developing the lines separately. ICE is another great old rpg company, and I like the fact that they are still alive and kicking. They are a bit like Chaosium in the fact that most support for them appears to be online, and you rarely see their products on the shelves sitting next to the likes of Wizards Of The Coast, Games Workshop, and White Wolf. But like Chaosium, ICE was a major competitor against TSR back in the '80s and early '90s. However the core ICE system is just a bit too crunchy for my tastes. Having said that, the amount of detail they have put in the setting books over the years is very good. Shadow World is just screaming out for a MagicWorld or RuneQuest conversion. Ironically my friend wants to do a HARP version of Glorantha, so I guess it works both ways.

Nice work

Yes that's totally true. I have re-trapped many Rolemaster, HARP, and D&D scenarios over the years to be used with RuneQuest. Certainly having maps for dungeons, villages, old fortresses etc have always been handy, and those games did this particularly well. I did likewise with a couple of Elric/Stormbringer scenarios as well. Not so much for the maps, but the NPC character stats were so close to RQ that it made portability an ease. That's primarily the main way I was hoping to support Magic World in the first place, considering I'm more of a RQ GM anyway. I bought the initial Magic World rulebook just because I wanted to support Chaosium getting it off the ground, rather than for my core fantasy build (although I like the simple char gen in MW, that was a stroke of genius). I really like the Advanced Sorcery book however, as it has a wide application for any BRP game. But I was really hoping to see this more as a line of scenarios which I could pillage for whatever setting I like. The Southern Reaches is a perfect analogy for the old D&D style modules, and I was hoping to see a series a scenarios I could use for one-shots, or re-trap and use within the RQ Glorantha setting. So I'm still holding out that this may occur under the new structure, but only time will tell I guess

Glorantha is once again Choasium's big fantasy setting, which is something I am quite happy with. It looks like this will be supported by HeroQuest and RuneQuest, and these will be the main priorities. Call of Cthulhu will remain the other priority for the BRP system, which also makes sense So Glorantha and Cthulhu will draw the masses once again. I'm all good with that, and I can see that working. Both settings are very immersive, which can work for both new and experienced players. However I think it would be quite sad to see Magic World fade in the shadows, and I just can't see Chaosium having currently having two fantasy systems and settings ( it was great when they had both Glorantha and The Young Kingdoms, but those days are gone). It is almost certain that they will not be placing the same importance on each system in regards to publishing schedules, so Magic World may be the second cousin for a while. However it will be grim if Magic World dies so RuneQuest can live, it just doesn't feel fair or right. So the only way forward I can see is put a different spin on it, promoting Magic World to a slightly different audience to who RuneQuest Glorantha will be aimed at. Hence the old school approach of churning out 'modules' scenarios within The Southern Reaches. A few generic style fantasy scenarios here and there would be fun and useful, although they don't all have to be restricted to one-shots. A few small areas could be given quite thorough treatment, just like the detail in RQ2 Griffin Mountain. Just as long as the overall appeal remains something that will attract GMs to tinker with. I think Magic World is the perfect inheritor for this approach, given the other properties above are going to be the main heavy hitters on the shelves. Yes it will be a niche market, perhaps mainly an online market, but at least it is still a market.

Now, that's not a bad idea Seneschal...

I wonder if Chaosium will ever make the Elric/Stormbringer setting stuff available on pdf, for use with MagicWorld? Okay, of course I know the answer: they can't due to licencing (or rather, lack of licencing), but man I would love to have Melnibone, Sorcerers of Pen Tang, or Sea Kings Of The Purple Towns; I missed them first time around and would certainly shell out the money to have them in pdf format. But as far as new MagicWorld supplements go, a separate Creatures Book is usually must-have for any fantasy system, although for me personally the amount of critters in the rulebook suffices my needs I think MagicWorld would perhaps be best served with bringing out old school style scenarios.This could be kicked off perhaps with one of two little sandbox locations (with scenarios attached), loosely set within The Southern Reaches. I like the idea of it remaining an evolving setting, to offset the now very detailed Glorantha (which I love, BTW). Something like how the early D&D modules worked, when The World of Greyhawk was mainly a sandbox for GMs to tinder with at whim. Every kids troupe ended up having an almost completely different version of the setting, and that was the charm of it. I think for MagicWorld to continue it needs to cultivate a very separate identity to RuneQuest. So instead of having a rich, detailed setting like Glorantha, the sandbox approach to The Southern Reaches could be the desired option for those who love this kind of concept. Just a few locations partially fleshed out, and churn out some low level fantasy scenarios - basically Dungeon World Classics for BRP. That would be a nice niche for MagicWorld, and one that could ensure it remains viable I would think.

Thanks for posting these. It's great to see these classics and good to see what can be achieved with a good plot and script, despite minimal special effects; Hollywood should take note. I really like the old 'weird sci fi' which came out of Britain, it has a flavour that is worth preserving and continuing.

I have cross posted this from the Yog-Sothoth forums, but I thought I would also post here as well to try my luck. This will only make sense to those who have run the Masks Of Nylarthotep campaign: I have been running quite a pulpy version of the MoN campaign, where the characters can pull of wild stunts etc (basically just liberal use of the BRP Fate rules option), so the game has been much more Indy Jones than purist Lovecraft. Been lots of fun so far However I am having issues on what to do next. The characters are currently in Cairo, they have met Faraz Najir, Nigel Wasif, Dr Ali Kafour, and Warren Besart. They followed leads from Besart which led them to Nyiti El Wasta, and they have the Eye Of Light & Darkness. In the last session we ended up in a particularly pulpy action scene wherein they were at the Mosque of Ibn Tulun during the chaos that ensured when cultists attacked it by summoning the Cthonian. The Mosque was partly destroyed, but the characters managed to escape. One character, who is a con-man with dubious morality, actually looted the Mosque and now has the Sword of Akmallah, and also the Girdle of Nitrocris. It was actually quite a fun episode, but now I am at a loss where to go to from here. The characters have not yet met Omar Shakti (although they have heard about him), or the Clive Expedition. So these are obvious next steps, but I wonder if it is necessary to the campaign? Would there be plot holes later on if they don't meet these parties or go to the pyramids? They already have some shipping invoices and other leads which suggest Kenya may be the next location to follow, and to keep the pace of the campaign going it may be time they are chased out of Egypt once the cultists work out the characters have the Girdle. I am just wondering how important is it that the Bent Pyramid of Dashur gets some screen time? Even if the characters go there, Nitocris cannot be summoned unless the cultists steal back the Girdle, so unless that happens I have to be ready not to have Nitocris resurrected, and I am wondering if this impacts later in the campaign. Is Nitocris's role pivotal to the Great Plan, or can it keep rolling without her return? Due to my busy work and family commitments at present I am finding it difficult to get the time for the proper prep this next step of the campaign should take, and I just seem to be have difficulties with this stage. Any input would be greatly appreciated

This is a smart move to do some reprints of Chaosium Classics in the same manner of the hardcover Gloranthan Classics reprints. Personally I think Worlds of Wonder would be great presented this way, or perhaps it could even be a springboard to keep classic BRP alive with a whole Worlds of Wonder line.

I think there will need to be major concessions in the RQG book, both for the RQ6 mechanics, and also the AiG content; there will be no way to make a decent page count otherwise. I would hate to see too many concessions regarding the RQ6 mechanics themselves, given how robust the system is. I think the RQG book will only have superficial Gloranthan content, and much of this content from AiG will need to be published under a subsequent volume, or perhaps spaced out over a series of volumes I suspect. It is a shame in some respects, however I am relatively happy that RuneQuest and Chaosium are surviving. If this is the cost, then it is not too bad.

Although I am leaning towards moving into MRQ SRD versions of BRP at present, I don't think one build will suit every setting. For example, I think the brutal nature of an ancient, medeival, or sword n sorcery setting is perfectly suited to RuneQuest 6 or Legend, with its emphasis on various cultural backgrounds, as well as hit locational damage. Combat is chunky, tactical, and bloodthirsty, and evokes the sense of gladiatorial grittiness quite well. For more modern games I would go with a more streamline char gen build from Renaissance or OpenQuest, and as I said, something like Raiders of Ry'leh. Combat does not need the chunkiness of RQ6, and indeed probably benefits from a quicker resolution for sense of pace. For futuristic settings, River of Heaven (OQ) will do the trick, although Mercenary Breed also offers a good set of resources. So the MSRD BRP core mechanics are certainly very portable (as with classic BRP as well), but there are significant emphasis changes according to the particular setting, with rules for hit locations, powers/abilities, and technology. I don't see the game benefiting from one core build, and I think the fact that both classic BRP and MSRD BRP can have different builds shows the strengths with them. In game play, these are only minor differences from a players perspective in any case, and all BRP is almost interchangeable on the fly.

Yes, I have the Raiders of Ry'leh draft core rules pdf and its looking very,very good. Not much I would tweak, if at all. Possibly increase the number of 'Mettle' Points available to more cinematic settings, but that's about it. Quentin should definitely look to C&W to distribute it through the Renaissance system. I can't wait to have the finished product!

I have been running a Pulp Adventure 20s/30s era game using hybrid rules. Started before Astounding Adventures was published. That book certainly had the flavour I liked, but there was some inconsistencies in the char gen that didn't work for me so I didn't jump ship. For my core rules I used Character Generation from Call of Cthulhu, and most game mechanics from Call of Cthulhu (pre-7E), using the BGB for Spot Rules backup. I was influenced by other Pulp Era rpgs ( such as Adventure!, Thrilling Tales, Hollow Earth, Daring Tales, etc, even DareDevils) which had characters pulling off trademark stunts, typical of the pulp genre. Sadly, Astounding Adventures was surprisingly not much of a resource here as I had anticipated. I then considered Legend's Heroic Abilities, although I did not like having a skill level minimum, I just wanted the characters to do this regardless of actual skill. I created my own 'Pulp Feats' which were essentially magic spells re-trapped as Pulp Abilities which costed 1 to 3 Power Points to use (which I renamed Pulp Points). When Blood Tide was published I saw that the Stunts system was so similar that I completely ported it over, and added a few of my own to the mix, not to compromise characters with pre-existing pulp abilities. Additionally I ruled that all characters could spend a Pulp Point on a re-roll, and all characters could also 'Try Their Luck', which is a Luck roll costing 5 PP, with the results allowing for the player to edit the scene in their favour, specials and criticals being the stuff of truly wild pulp tales. Now I am running these characters through Call of Cthulhu scenarios, turning them into Pulp Noir investigations or Classic Adventure style romps. The system mechanics work well because the game build is essentially Call of Cthulhu with BGB for Spot Rules reference. The Stunts system ports over well from Blood Tide, and the 'Try Your Luck' mechanic is essentially a more pulpy version of RQ3 Divine Intervention, just re-imagined for the setting. It shows how robust the BRP system is. The only issue I find with BRP hybridization is Magic Systems are not always portable. Not only are they obviously setting specific, but they can also be quite imbalanced in terms of game mechanics. That's the main issue you need to consider if mixing and matching from the BGB. BRP never makes a claim to have 'balanced' characters in any case, but I have only found it is in the magic systems that you need to be wary of this. Others don't mind this at all however. So its not GURPS in that respect, but otherwise everything else is modular and you play with what you want. As an aside, I am leaning towards using Renaissance as my core build for this setting in future, with the char gen provided by P. Chapman's Pulp Era Character Gen For Legend (in the downloads section of BRP Central). Its just more to my liking, and can still run CoC scenarios just as easily. Unsure whether I will use Legend Heroic Abilities mechanics or just keep the Bloodtide Stunts though. I like what I see from Renaissance Pirates & Dragons, and its easy enough to port over. However I think I will probably wait until Raiders Of Ry'leh is finished, then have a good look at that. It is still based of MRQ SRD, and it will have Pulp professions - the setting is a generation earlier, but this is easily tweaked.

Sweet! You have my money :-)

Most certainly. Essentially doing what the BRP BGB does, except having a system more influenced by the MRQ D100 SRD instead of the more classic BRP builds. It would be great to have it sit nicely next to the BGB, one book for classic BRP builds and one book for new BRP builds. This would be a great thing

Yep, I certainly second this. My personal favourite is RQ6, but if I was running a cinematic Pulp Era Roaring Adventures style game (or even a Pulp Space game, like Star Wars) then I'd perhaps want to play something a little less crunchy

From purely a gamer's perspective, I would think one of the newer MRQ D100 SRD based systems would have wider compatibility uses - in your setting probably OpenQuest may be the most generic system to work from, or you could easily build your own version using the MRQ D100 SRD Just an idea, but like everyone is saying, its probably going to be a waiting game to see which direction you should take with your product.

Yes it makes sense that a hard sci-fi setting like that can be almost directly compatible with River of Heaven (OpenQuest) Come to think of it, OpenQuest can easily dialed up or down to work for troupes who are playing any of the new BRP builds, such as Renaissance, Legend, or RuneQuest 6th Ed - a perfect happy medium for the monographs to be ported into But frankly, the way things are panning out, it makes sense for most new content to be designed using one of the newer builds of BRP, as they are all highly compatible with each other. Its certainly not a stretch to use these games with scenarios made for the BRP BGB for that matter; its just they would only be about 75% compatible with the BGB, whereas the new BRP systems are about 90% compatible with each other (perhaps more). And the upcoming products are following suit. For example, both 'Chronicles Of Future Earth' and 'Classic Fantasy' are for RQ6, whereas the kickstarter game 'Raiders Of Ry'leh' was intended to be based from OpenQuest (although the draft pdf now indicates more consistency with RQ6 or Legend for char gen and skills etc) Not sure where CoC 7E fits in with all this. I can conceptualise the BRP BGB as a BRP Legacy system, and I can clearly see the MRQ SRD as the basis for the new BRP systems. However CoC 7E has gone its own merry abberant way and is really throwing a cat amongst the pigeons here. It would be easy enough to ignore, except it is produced by Chaosium and it will be one of their flagship products...

Horses For Courses: 'The Green' for RuneQuest or Legend 'Aces High' for Renaissance 'Lords Of Tarsha' for RuneQuest or Legend 'Rubble And Ruin' for Runequest, Legend, or OpenQuest (This is fun!)