Mankcam

It sounds like its covering different things, but I'ld be interested in seeing how you portrayed Specialities and all the old fantasy tropes. I've only read good words about your monograph Rod, so I might look into purchasing it one day. It will always be useful to help 'bridge the gap' with players who are familiar with D&D in its many forms, and it sounds like there's plenty of ideas to mine from it as well. Thanks! I hope it works out well, and let me know if you come across any major issues with it. It's been one of my better house rules over the years... Yes, I think it has many applications actually, ranging from Skill Specialities through to entire Backgrounds if you want it to have a wide scope. I guess the charm of portraying Feats/Specialties in this manner is that it is a very simple rule, and it is already being done with the Martial Arts skill, so its no big changes to the mechanics. Actually it's such a simple house rule that I expect many forum members have been using something along these lines for quite a while.

Glad you think it may be a reasonable rule, I was quite happy when I introduced this to my troupe a year or so ago, I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it before or there wasn't something along these lines in the BRP core rules. In regards to chopping the core rules up, I used to bolt on new rules all the time, but I'm reasonably particular about what rules I import into BRP these days. I want the game to still feel like it is BRP, so any new mechanic I bring to the table is usually a reworking of a current mechanic that is being used elsewhere in BRP. Having said that, the BRP system is pretty simple at its core and bolting on imported rules from other systems often works okay, albeit prone to changing the flavour of the system somewhat. Hopefully these rules I present here don't do that, as they don't overshadow the core rules and they are already using a preexisting mechanic. I can't see too many glaring issues down the track with them, and they appear to have worked well with my current gaming group. They're not really fiddly either. You just make one roll. If you roll under your usual skill, then thats a success as usual. If the roll also happens to be under your Feat/Speciality's skill then you have earned yourself an additional effect. Pretty simple to play and GM from where I sit. I'ld like to see how its handled in Classic Fantasy though - I wasn't aware that Feats were addressed in that publication.

Especially when using Firearms it is a good idea for characters to know rules for Cover etc and to have Flak Vests, Energy Shields etc otherwise, like Rust says, combat can be very lethal. It's quite realistic, as in real life you'll be incapacitated or dead within a few bullet shots, if not the first one. BRP simulates this well. It also depends how gritty you want your game setting, as you can't use the Dodge skill with missile weapons usually. In my setting I allow for Difficult % Dodge rolls against Thrown missile weapons and that's it. For a more cinematic experience you might want to allow this for all missile weapons, and for a truly Pulp experience you may want them to use Dodge without impairment. But for a gritty setting there's either no Dodge against Firearms, so characters in gunfights need to know the Cover rules and hopefully have Armour of some description, otherwise it's a short game session Have fun mate

This has come up before, and I just thought I'ld post my take on it. Occasionally there are 'gaps' in the BRP skill system that could be served by a Feat/Edge system. A number of responses to previous posters who have looked at this were along the lines of 'meh' or 'we don't need these', 'the BRP system skill system is fine how it is' or 'no munchins here please' etc. That's fine, and it was also how I used to view things as well. However if you are porting characters from other rpgs into BRP then not every Edge/Feat is best served by putting it simply into a preexisting BRP skill. We have seen MRQ2's Heroic Abilities which is not a bad way of doing it., although I would prefer them to be even a bit more 'powerful' or 'heroic' actually, but I like the idea that a character can strive for these abilities. This still leaves problems for characters from other rpgs who are not masters in their skill use, yet also have Feats/Edges which are part of their character concept. I have ported characters from other rules sets to BRP and often there is a problem with how to import the Feats/ Edges, such as 'Dual Wielder' or 'Martial Artist', etc etc. The simple way to do it is to try and cover most Edges with skills, so for example, a 'Master Swordsman' Edge is simply a high skill in Sword Attack in BRP. This works for some Edges and not for others, so I still found myself wondering how to do it. The easiest way is to port over Edges as mere skill bonuses, but to me this seemed a bit bland and not BRP at all, kinda like a BRP-GURPS pastiche. If I wanted to play GURPS I would have stuck with it, so I was looking at a solution that felt like it fitted with the BRP rules, rather than grafting something foreign onto it. My solution actually came from inspiration when looking at how BRP does it's Martial Arts skill. You roll your normal Fist or Kick attack, but if you have found that the result is also under your Martial Arts ability then you get double-damage. This struck me as a very simple solution to how to cover Feats/Edges - my idea is that you roll your usual BRP skill, but if the result is also under the chance for a relevant 'Feat' ability as well then something additional occurs. As a rule of thumb, I decided that the 'something additional' is usually a Special Success, but this effect could vary depending upon what Feat being used. The mechanic is pretty simple and it is consistent with BRP mechanics, rather than duct-taping another games's mechanic into the system. It has worked well with my troupe, and I just thought I'ld share the idea so anybody who has had the same quandary may want to look at how to do it in a BRP fashion. Two examples that my players are currently using: * Rune/Sphere Specialty (Specific Type): A character who performs magic that has trappings of this sphere receives a Special Success if the result is also under their Rune Specialty when they attempt their usual spell casting roll. In my setting it requires the 'Rune Touched' trait as a prerequisite. * Fighting Style (Dual Wielding/Florentine Sword fighting): A character who makes a successful sword attack and the result is also under their Dual Wielding Specialty can receives an additional free sword attack or parry within the same strike rank. Requires Sword min 50% as a prerequisite. Note that I restrict the advancement of the 'Feat/Style' to training/research only (no EXP skill checks), and the characters can only advance at +02% at a time, unless there is some occasional unusual way at receiving more advancements, peculiar to the setting. The idea is still for the characters to focus on their core skills, so this mechanic doesn't become an overbearing feature, I see it more as an occasional bonus effect that they can slowly improve with over a long campaign. I just thought I'ld throw these rules out there, as it is a quandry how to portray Feats/Edges if you are porting in characters to BRP from either D&D, GURPS, Savage Worlds etc. I'ld still go with attempting to portray the ability purely with skill use first, but if that doesn't feel right then these mechanics are a reasonable way to approach it without doing a cut n paste from the other rule sets. They have worked well for my troupe, so I just thought I'ld post it for others to check it out.

That's pretty much how I run my current fantasy campaign and it works for us

Well I think I read that Pete Nash may be doing a Mythic Greece for RQ6, but I'm not sure... either way if it's BRP, LEGEND, or RQ6 its got my dollar. A gritty realistic historical portrayal would be good, but a Mythic version with all the Greek Deities in their glory would be great as well, especially for doing those Homeric epics. A grim Dark Ages Europe as opposed to Merrie England sounds interesting, but I suspect there would be alot of overlap. The Steppes Nomad project has sparked my interest - I never knew I wanted it before, but now it's in the works I gotta have it! The closest thing I have is a Gloranthan sourcebook on the Charn-Un for HQ, but a historic supplement for BRP (or any d100 system) would be the thing, especially with Shamanism rules. Good times ahead...

This certainly needs to be addressed for an english version

Pity about my real life commitments such as work, wife, kids, etc otherwise I think I would get engaged in this, I've always wanted to be a play tester. It will certainly be a great experience for anyone who can be involved in play testing, and if I was logging in from Europe or the UK then I'ld be keeping an eye out for when you run it. I have only recently come across Fantasy Grounds, and my initial reaction was 'why?'. But upon reflection I can see it being a useful application as mature gamer troupes always fall apart due to people moving away, so I can certainly see the benefits of using Fantasy Grounds. It's a good sign that BRP and CoC are supported, and hopefully LEGEND and RQ6 will be as well one day. My own troupe is more likely just to keep playing MMOs online however, due to the visuals and immediate gratification, but real RPGs are much more worthwhile, so I may be using an application like Fantasy Grounds myself one day. I like much of what Alephetar has produced so far, and I like the idea that BRP is supported by a non-Chaosium company, to fill in many of the areas that Chaosium haven't been able to do. Steppes Nomads would actually be a great addition to the BRP Fantasy Earth line that Alephetar has published, but BRP Sci-Fi will be an interesting genre to pursue. The post-apocalypse setting of The Zone could be interesting, and a Mecha setting will be high on my wishlist this year, just to see how it comes off in BRP. My opinion is that BRP probably can do any genre, although various setting rules need to be in play for certain flavours. Mecha could be done as a hard gritty sci-fi, or it could be a pulp action anime, so this title will have alot in store for us I reckon.

I just received my copy. Yes, a fist full of typos, that's for sure. The actual production quality is reasonable however, its a nice looking book, but the overall content is excellent, which makes up for any flaws in my opinion. Sits nicely alongside 'Crusaders of the Amber Coast', and a heap of useful stuff for any GM wanting to run a middle ages setting. I've been wanting this a while, and I'm pretty happy it's in my hands now. Great work Simon, your love for the material really shows. I'll be using this book in various guises for many years to come, you have created a great BRP gaming resource here. Thumbs up from me!

Next christmas? I was really hoping this would be mid-year at least, I really want to see how this plays out in BRP. I just hope I still have a viable gaming troupe by 2013 to actually play it...

I second this! BRP Steppes Nomads would be on my wish list for sure!

Sorry if my tone appeared a bit negative, it certainly wasn't intended, my forum-fu is weak sometimes. Your ideas certainly sound interesting and creative, all the things that make a good GM. Best of luck with it!

Someone had to say it, and as it's Christmas Eve down here, then I thought I'ld kick it off. Merry Christmas BRP gamers, may your skill rolls be low and your damage roll be high! Have a good christmas everyone, and spare a thought for any gamer in Darwin at the moment, as there is a Cyclone predicted for Christmas Day. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Allegiance rules are really the ones that should be looked at here I think, not so much the Sanity rules. Being insane doesn't make you 'darker' in any way, just out of touch with reality. The Allegiance rules are great for basing a mechanic from that is receptive to the characters' actions. I would retag Allegiance and call it 'Psyche', and probably have Morality and Immorality as the opposing parts of the Psyche. The system itself is simple, but has a fair amount of leg room for adding in house rules, perhaps the characters gain different traits when one of the forces is 20% greater than the other (I dunno, I'll have to read the actual rules again). I initially thought the Allegiance rules were bland, but you and always fiddle with it to spruce it up, that way you are adapting a BRP mechanic rather than porting in brand new mechanics. You just need to have major emphasis on how the Psyche reacts to characters' actions, that way the Allegiance rules wouldn't sit blandly in the background, it would be a central dynamic in this setting. Okay I'll jump out now, as that's my five cents worth but I'm inclined to think that you've got your heart set on importing the UA rules - best of luck with it.

The more I think of this, I wouldn't be inclined to use the Sanity rules at all unless you want to bring in Madness, and you could leave that pretty much as written in CoC/BRP. I hear the Unknown Armies sanity rules are quite good, but in my experience it's not good to port in too many new mechanics, as it can often cause unforseen complications down the track. BRP is quite easy to 'bolt on' new rules, but just be careful on how it may impact on other facets of the game. For what you've described I'ld probably use the Allegiance rules, using 'Morality' and 'Immorality' representing opposing parts of the character's psyche. That way you know the mechanic is sound, it's actually part of the BRP system, and there's not much work involved. Unless I'm mistaken, it seems to portray the atmosphere you describe AikiGhost.

Re: AoT I think that's a plus, not a negative, at least for me. Your book is great, I love the big hardcover, and the internal art and overall presentation is very good. I think it would be lacking to produce it in digest-format actually. I don't mind the LEGEND core rules in digest format for ease at the gaming table, although an expanded core rules would be nice as a hardcover. Settings and sourcebooks need not be the same format, as they won't be referenced as much during a session. Also AoT is the same size as the MRQ2 products, so it's nice to sit next to them in a bookcase - this will cheese me off if all the LEGEND supplements beyond game mechanics end up being digest size...

Any news on this?

Excellent news! These sound like great books to wait for

Good to see the Christian 'Magic' from Amber Coast has found its way into this publication, this is great for consistency. My copy is on its way as we speak, I'm looking really looking forward to this release

Yep, I think Loz just crit his Orate Roll for promoting RQ6 - if there were any doubts then they are squashed now!!!

Heh heh

Well I'll come out and plainly say I got suckered in by the low cost - first the pdfs, and then the print copies. I don't know if this is gaining new customers though, or if it's spiking the curiosity of the current fan base. My purchase certainly won't stop me grabbing RQ6, and I suspect that for many who are currently playing MRQ2 it is actually RQ6 that is the biggie on the horizon, not so much LEGEND. LEGEND is literally the flavour of the day at present. I really hope it doesn't fade away either, but the current buzz is obviously related to practically giving away the core rules to any who was watching. LEGEND will benefit from RQ6 as many of the LEGEND mechanics will be similar to RQ6, or similar enough to allow quick conversion. Hell, most GMs are probably buying a range of BRP systems, and just tinkering with each to get it down to their own preferred style of play. This is certainly what I do, and although I wouldn't do anything of the kind if I was to GM at a convention, my own private troupe gets to have our cake and eat it, just playing with the bits we like from all the BRP-related systems and settings. I agree that BRP systems need to be devoid of a particular setting, at least in the core rules. AH RQ3 was under par when it came to supporting it's settings, and including both of them in the actual core rules was of minimal advantage to anyone. I'm obviously talking about Glorantha and Fantasy Earth. I'm glad Alephetar Games has taken up the baton for Fantasy Earth, that's been great for BRP, it's like fulfilling the obligations that AH started (only two or three AH Fantasy Earth supplements produced to my knowledge). However there is also something 'limbic' about having Glorantha supported by the RQ system, and I welcome DM indicating that there will be Gloranthan source books on the horizon. Heh heh very doubtful

Well considering the print versions are going reasonably cheap on the Mongoose site, I did pretty much the same thing, I have ordered the core rules and the monsters book directly from Mongoose, and have the Spider-God's Bride on pre-order. A bit of impulse buying, but hey, it's not breaking the bank. Maybe the idea of the dirt-cheap core rules pdf wasn't just an odd business move after all, and I suspect the print copies will be selling reasonably well considering this is a 'new' game for the general public. Perhaps it is brand loyalty or curiosity from current BRP buyers that may be spiking sales; I suspect that sales are going quite well from everything I see mentioned, but it remains to be seen if LEGEND can become one of the top-selling rpgs or not - in any case the $1 pdf core rules has certainly rallied interest from current players who were not going to fork out cash for a system that they already had (I include myself in this). So Mongoose has proven you actually can sell sand to an arab, heh heh - top marks, really!

Perhaps there's a market for a scaled down BRP rulebook, slightly thicker than the BRP Quick Play rules. I for one wouldn't buy it, but given that the Savage Worlds Explorer Edition (the small digest sized edition of the core rules) has sold really well then maybe it's less daunting for new players - perhaps this is why Mongoose has decided to release LEGEND in digest size - the rules are pretty much the same as MRQ2, but the book's size makes it appear to be less rules-intensive. Having said that however, Pathfinder has also sold really,really well, and it's a nice big hardcover tome, so it's quite difficult to gauge if gaming audiences are after minimal rule sets or more comphrensive ones. In reality I think that BRP sits nicely between the two.

Rule-heavy? I guess that depends on what BRP is compared to I suppose. Maybe there's a few more nuts n bolts than a system like FUDGE, it's not much more than Storyteller or Savage Worlds in terms of actual rules mechanics (not in regards to how combat occurs, which can be lengthy at times if using the SR option I suppose). But compared to systems like GURPS or Rolemaster, BRP is so much more simple, I'm surprised to hear that it could be perceived as 'rule-heavy'...