Mankcam

This is one I did a few years ago, my players liked it at the time: STR+SIZ: DB 02 - 10: -d4 11 - 19: 0 20 - 24: +1 25 - 30: +d2 31 - 35: +d4 36 - 40: +d6 (Every multiple of 16 beyond 40 grants +d6) It's a bit more lenient on the negative modifier side (PCs would hate having a consistent negative modifier for damage anyway), and it gives a little more graduation in terms of having a damage bonus. It seemed to work for that campaign, but in truth I haven't used it since. I'm not sure how reasonable I was in working out the actual graduations, but its the kinda thing you can easily tweak if you want to alter it. My other idea was a little different. Based on calculating STR+SIZ, I felt that the players should receive a +1 DB if the total was 25, and for every fraction of 4 above this receive an additional consistent +1 DB, so for example, someone with SIZ 15 and STR 16 would have a + 3 DB (15+16=31. +1 at 20, +2 at 24, +3 at 29). Once the DB is +4, I felt that the rate should slow to a +1 for each fraction of 10 beyond. I toyed with this, but never actually used it, so I'm unsure if its a reasonable house rule or if its entirely broken. These days I try not to focus on changes to mechanics too much, experience has taught me not to stray too much from the path

My mistake, I incorrectly assumed that this had been reprinted with the Rabble/Underling Rules for RQ6. That will teach me to actually check the books before replying! But yes, this is what I thought you meant, and it would do the trick

That rule that Chorpa is refering to is probably what RQ6 has described as the Rabble/Underlings Rules, I'm not sure. That could definitely work I would think, and it has been tested by the authors so it shouldn't 'break the system' so to speak. Here's another option that just came to me: Don't use Limb Hit Points or Total Hit Points. I feel that the term 'Hit Points' is quite dated now, best left with D&D and computer games. It is a game mechanic term which should be replaced with something like Stamina, Toughness, etc. RQ6 actually has an Endurance trait, so I think that should be used instead. So my big idea is to just use the Endurance %.This certainly makes Endurance a very important skill/trait, and keeps the % roll dynamic consistent. Whenever a character receives damage, an Endurance Roll is required, with a modifier equal to -10% per 1pt of damage incurred ( thus 4pts of damage requires an Endurance Roll at -40%). Failure indicates that all subsequent actions are made at that same modifier ( -10% per 1pt damage sustained), whereas success indicates that the opponent, although damaged, has 'shaken off' any impairments due to pain etc. Perhaps PCs and Major Opponents have a modifier equal to -05% per 1pt damage, thus given them a slightly better chance of survivability. Perhaps make the base chance for Endurance slightly higher to compensate, possibly from CON x 2% increased to SIZ+(CON x 2)%, I'm unsure... So I guess an opponent would be Incapacitated once they are unable to make any Endurance Rolls due to the % modifier. The result could vary depending upon the weapons being used, it may not always indicate death (fist fights come to mind, where people are knocked out or too exhausted to fight), obviously being bludgeoned with a Mace or Slashed with a sword will have more likely terminal consequences. This would make it easier in a sense as you don't keep track of how much Hit Points have been lost, the GM is aware of how much damage is dealt in the combat round and makes the rolls according to that. I'm unsure if this will lead to faster combats or if it will slow it, but it will give a sense of escalating impairment due to being injured. It does make it quite important if you land a good hit in early in the combat scene. I think the main thing I like about this idea is that there is no recording of Hit Points, just impairment %. Also no need to refer to Major Wound tables either, so it should be a quite fluid mechanic. I should add that I haven't tested any of these ideas in actual gameplay myself. I've learnt over the years to direct my efforts in add-on rules or narrative for my sessions, as fiddling with tested core mechanics sometimes brings unforeseen issues to the gaming table. But you might find that some of ideas give you the flavour you want for your sessions, so perhaps try them out in smaller sessions first before launching into campaign mode with them

Then in that case I would use the Rabble/Underling rules for most foes, and keep the Hit Locations for PCs and Major Villains. If this isn't quick enough you could always just use BRP concept of total HP (SIZ + CON)/2. If half HP lost, make a Persistence or Resilience roll to ignore a -20% mod. Perhaps make another roll when down to 4HP to ignore a -40% mod. This would be fairly quick and save referring to any Major Wound tables like in BRP. May be the kinda thing you're looking for

T

Ordered print copy, and just received pdf - now time to digest it all, it looks pretty good. Hmmm do I run this with my Gloranthan RQ troupe, or do I port it over to my BRP Pulp Cthulhu troupe...looks like another notch in Pete Nash's belt in any case, lots of content and flavour. Great stuff!

I think in many ways RQ6 has Hit Locations as a defining aspect of its mechanics, and personally I'ld advise against tinkering with it. Much more than the BRP/RQ3 build. It'ld be too much hassle every time to calculate the foes HP considering that Total HP are not included in the stat block. The old split for mechanics like this was RQ3 vs Elric/Stormbringer, so I guess the current versions are RQ6 vs Magic World. Both are excellent in my opinion, although I am partial to the RQ6 combat options and the tactile feel of Hit Locations. Magic World, on the other hand, has a very clean character creation system, and probably plays combat slightly quicker using Total HP (although I think the variable AP may balance that out...). Both systems are BRP, and thus worlds above most rpgs on the market So perhaps you'll be more in the MagicWorld camp rather than the RuneQuest camp by the sounds of things

That is brilliant. I would either go with this, or do something with the SAN rules. The SAN rules could work pretty similar to Call of Cthulhu, with a SAN rating for implant, and perhaps even a SAN roll dependent upon how much PP an implant takes to use... The rule above also works fine, quite nice. I like how an implant is given a Class Rating, it serves as a legal indicator, and it is mechanically similar to Spell Magnitude, so it isn't reinventing the wheel, just changing the 'trappings' of magic in a sense. Either of these would model the Cyber-Inhumanity aspect really well, that's if you want that to be present for a gritty cyberpunk setting. A more pulpy version of the genre would probably ignore it completely, so it depends on what flavour you want the campaign to be. For the actual cybernetic abilities, I would use the BRP Powers rules, and make up some techno-babble jargon to give them a less generic feel, maybe have a look at the names they use for implants in other Cyberpunk settings. That way you've got your character creation consistent with a pre-existent system, and it has the costings for Failings, that can be looked at to make some specific cybernetic failings as well. It's always better not to put all your efforts in developing a completely new system, but repackaging the ones provided is what the BGB is all about in many ways. It also allows you to spend more time on designing your actual campaign plot, as this will be what the players remember rather than mechanics.

It ain't RuneQuest without Hit Locations !!!

Well I must of misread that, I thought that the content from the current core books were somehow being split up - my mistake. Glad to see it is more or less the same as it has been

I'm grabbing the slipcase edition of the hard cover Investigators and Players Book, so this will be a nice addition to the my library. I'm not sure if I really dig it being released as two books though, it seems to break the continuity of the other editions having everything under one cover. I know other games love to bring out GM Books, Players Books, etc but I always felt that this was a cheap marketing ploy and I have tended to prefer rulebooks that have all that core content contained within. In any case it'll be nice to have another edition of Cthulhu rules, even if it certainly isn't necessary. I would love to have one of those leatherette editions or goat skin editions they are doing, but I gotta feed my kids as well as pay the bills, so the hardcovers will have to suffice me. Now, perhaps a Kickstarter to have an expanded Masks of Nylarthotep, including the MoN Companion, now that would be the icing on the cake

Great timing with this publication - Pacific Rim release just around the corner!

Heh heh great save there Ben heh heh!

Yeah, I have that free Radiance PDF as well, and it looks great. Very nice layout with great art.I'm sure the hard copy of it would be great to have. Yes it does make you wonder why its a free PDF, given the high productions. Great setting as well, its a pity they went with D20 OGL instead of BRP!

Well try not to fumble your Sanity Roll! No, you have made good points. I have no idea why some companies have marketed better than others. But it is a plain truth that big glossy books with colours galore catch the eye better than little paper covers with black and white interiors. Most of the major rpgs have much better quality books than Chaosium, and that's about the sum of it. I remember it being much worse back in the '80s, so I think Chaosium's standards have generally increased since then, but the other rpgs still look much better in my bookcase. It's a crying shame, considering how I find BRP to be one of the most versatile rpgs systems on the market, and certainly my favourite in terms of familiarity with the mechanics. Given that this is the digital age, I believe any print run book needs to be hard cover otherwise most people will just have the content on their Tablets. I'm still waiting on the Design Mechanism to consider printing RQ6 in a hard cover, now that will be a good looking tome to have. But here I guess it all comes down to money in the end. More money comes from marketing, yet to market you need to spend money, so its all messed up. Any opportunity to elevate the BRP (and related games) profile in the gaming hobby would be great. BRP does tend to have more mature and perhaps more 'serious' gamers, and in that respect I don't feel it needs to grab in the adolescent munchkin market, but it does need to keep its profile fresh otherwise it won't be a dinosaur one day, it'll be a fossil I think RPGs in general have thrived with the internet, with sites such as this and the numerous G+ feeds springing up etc, as well as blogs, video blogs etc. This is a kinda renaissance for roleplaying at present, yet out in the 'physical' world it still risks the chance of being devoured by the computer gaming industry and the wargaming hobby (Warhammer shops in shopping malls, I'm looking at you). Any opportunity to support tabletop rpgs is good in my book. Still, I certainly won't be jumping to Pathfinder next week because its got a pretty book

I agree that you have to know what you're seeking in order to find out more about BRP. However this has always been the case, and the big rpgs like D&D/Pathfinder, Warhammer, World of Darkness, Savage Worlds, etc also suffer this to a lesser extent. The whole RPG gaming industry is a fringe hobby after all. Not sure why, this has been one of life's enigmas for me as well...

I agree with Rosen, I would go with Sorcery from the BGB for any lengthy rite-based practice. Possibly call each spell a Rite if you dont want it to some too much like a D&D magic user, such as Rite (Summon Kami), Rite (Summon Hungry Ghost) etc but the BGB Sorcery should suit. You could do the same for Buddhism, just choose different spells/rites. I would still perhaps allow BGB Magic and call it 'Folk Magic' and tie the effects to various trappings you might read, but this would be more the magic of the village wise woman etc, perhaps mixed with things like Herbalism etc. The RQ3 Land of Ninja book did have rules for Ki Skills (or Ch'i Skills, whichever you prefer). These were good for covering some of the Mind-Over-Matter abilities of Buddhists, and could lend itself to Wushu type abilities at higher skill levels. I believe that Ki Skills (or a similar concept) may be being reprinted/reviewed for one of the upcoming Magic World supplements (unsure where I read that though). You could always simulate Wushu abilities using BGB SuperPowers, just make them lower level than you would if playing comic-book style superheroes. Typically there would need to be several ingredients for a Shinto/Buddhist Rite to work, such as components, the time of day, the mind set of the invoker, etc. If you research these then it will add flavour to the magic. BGB Sorcery automatically works, but only if the stipulated trappings are all present, so sometimes it may be hard to do so, and if this occurs then the Rite will simply fail; this takes the place of the casting roll. Even if the Rite itself succeeds there will be other factors at play which will require a % roll to see if you achieve the aim of what you want to achieve with the Rite, so BGB Sorcery does have game balance in that respect. But certainly no need to buy the RQ3 magic book for Shintoism, I would just stick with the BGB Sorcery rules for this, it is much more what you would be looking for here.

Actually perhaps the more correct term for Medicine is Ishinpō, named after early medical manuscripts going by the same name. So perhaps Knowledge: Medicine (Ishinpō) could be a more authentic name for the medical skill

I'ld try and make Oriental Medicine sound more authentic by using the name 'Zhōng Yī' to describe it, perhaps Knowledge: Medicine (Zhōng Yī) or Knowledge (Zhōng Yī Medicine). I agree with you that Psychic Powers are the best fit for any kind of Asian flavoured Mysticism such as that powers attributed to Buddhist Monks. As far as science goes, I know that the Heian period was famous for its artistic and intellectual endeavours, although beliefs in magic and mythology over shone science and rational thought. Perhaps a 'science' like Knowledge (Apothecary) could be suitable perhaps? Although I guess its probably more a Craft skill rather than a Knowledge skill... yes you are probably right saying that science skills would be limited for this period.

I've always used POW as the maximum number that innate Magic Points can regenerate to, but I have never altered the character's POW attribute no matter how low the MP have gone. Seems to work fine. The regen rate for MP is too quick for my liking actually, I prefer characters to make a daily POWx5% roll to see if they recover 1d3 MP overnight. It just seems to give them a reason to be careful with their spellcasting, and also they value magic items or practices which allow them access to additional MP, so it feels a bit more 'sorcerous' for me. If you like playing D&D style high fantasy I would suggest keeping the regen rate as it is, but as others have indicated, I would allow more availability of magic items which store MP that the caster can use.

Oh no, not another botch-up for LEGEND...at least Mongoose is going well with Traveller...!

Yes!

It certainly stands as a similar system to BRP, despite the core mechanic being D20 rather than D100%. I really wish it had been brought out with BRP mechanics, but many people prefer Pendragon as written. Unless you have a troupe that is willing to change both setting and systems at a drop of a hat then I'ld use BRP mechanics and port Pendragon into BRP, its a very easy system to do that. Pendragon has heaps of great setting info, and I think Greg Stafford did a brilliant job bringing an Arthurian setting to the hobby, it certainly stands up there as a classic roleplaying game.

Well you can BRP any setting I believe, although it probably wouldn't be my first choice for this kind of setting. Perhaps FATE would be the best fit, and failing that, Savage Worlds could also be an option.

They already reached $35,000 out of their $40,000 target by half way through their first day on Kickstarter, I'ld say they'll definitely be bringing this out. Sweeet!