Mankcam

I vote you start your intial session with a pulpy battle scene. Perhaps the PCs are villagers who find their village attacked by raiders, or maybe they are slaves in a pit fit etc. The only difference I would do is treat any lethal wounds or impairing damage as Incapacitiation. Once a character is incapacitiated, they are effectively out of the melee and current scene (but not dead or permanently disabled). Whatever the outcome of the initial battle scene, you then set you main scenario thread some weeks or months later, which explains why the characters are all healed and ready to go. You've given the characters a bonding thread to begin a campaign, and you've also exposed them to the combat rules right off the bat. You can explain to them that in future battle scenes the outcome of combat will be more serious, so it'll give them pause to think about their actions, rather than just go in as MMO tanking style - this way they'll see why pnp rpgs are NOT mmo with paper and dice. And BRP sure ain't D&D either Trust me, you'll be off to a good start if you pull something like this off in your first session

For a dead horse, this steed seems to wake up alive and kicking, at least twice in the past twelve months. So it must be an issue. I'm not always the best on the logic associated with my own house rules (hence why I steal others), but this is how my troupe is doing it at present: *Successful Weapon Parry = Hopefull absorbs the damage. Any damage in excess to Weapon HP is halved (rounding down). Half damage goes to the weapon, whilst half goes to the character. *Success Shield Parry = Any damage in excess to Shield AP does 1 pt of damage to the shield (unless the attacker's roll was a higher category, such as a Special or Critical. If Special, then any excess damage higher than the Shield AP is subtracted from the Shield HP). *Unsuccessful Shield Parry = For use with Hit Locations only. Any damage done to an adjacent limb (as determined by shield size, and which arm is holding the shield) is halved. Half damage goes to the character, wheras the other half goes to the shield. Any excess damage outside the Shield AP is subtracted off the Shield HP, like Weapon Parry. I think I may have read this idea in the BRP ROME book by Pete Nash, I'll have to check. *Additional Parries = Small Shields have one additional parry action per melee round at -15%. Medium Shields have two additional parry actions at -15%, and Large shields can make three additional parry actions per melee round at -15%. This seems to work well for us so far, but no one has a large shield yet so I don't know if it's too overpowering or not. It's a good offset to having the ENC associated with a shield however. I tend to like gritty combat sessions, so in my rules when a Dodge is successful it only 'pulls the blow' so to speak, and the character takes half damage unless their Dodge roll was of a better category (ie: Special, Critical), or if their Dodge roll was both successful and lower than the assailant's Attack number rolled. I haven't worked out two-weapon combos yet, and I don't have my BRP BGB to check at present. So just off the top of my head I figure that perhaps both attacks can occur within the same Strike Round (if using them), with the second attack at -15%. Perhaps if the second attack is forfeit then the character may have a free additional weapon parry later in the melee round? I have to sort this one out soon, as one of my players has been making noise about it as well.

If your sessions are half as creative as your use of one-liners Kingskin it'd sure be an entertaining gaming table to sit at heh heh

I'm not sure melee weapons are set to deal 'global' damage, as even my old Chaosium RQ2 had Hit Locations and it was primarily melee focused. I do think that it may seem much more harsh if you are using modern firearms or sci-fi weapons, and maybe it might be wise to double the Hit Points or not to use Hit Locations in these genres so that it's just global damage, like in Call of Cthuhlu. But for a gritty fantasy setting, I'ld play Hit Points as written, and with Hit Locations so you can capture that 'tactile' flavour of BRP melee. First Aid skills are a must for a least one or two PCs, and provide opportunities to advance natural healing, such as magical potions etc. Don't go overboard on these, but allow an opportunity to get them or something like that, just so everyone doesn't die. The combat sessions are not always so brutal to PCs, but the unpredictability makes things alot more dangerous than D&D. As a GM make sure you use circumstantial modifiers to show how to get combat advantages - such as flanking, slippery surfaces etc and make the opponents cause these eg: throwing oil on the floor, flinging sand in someone's face before striking etc. Once the PCs see how such things can be used for advantages in combat then they'll start thinking of creative combat moves themselves.

Dragon Lines is very flash, very much in the wuxia genre and maybe a little too powerful for what you're after, as most styles have access to Powers. It's a great book however, one of my favourites. Celestial Empire also does wuxia quite well if you want, but I thought that much of it was a tad more realistic if you are balancing martial artists against non martial artists (it depends on the setting - if non-martial artists can readily access magic, then I'ld go for a more wuxia approach with Powers to balance this). Both books have great setting material - Celestial Empire goes for a semi-historical, semi-fantasy approach to China; whilst Dragon Lines is very much a mythical-fantasy Asia. I think both books described mundane martial arts as well, I'll have to check - maybe you just want to use the mundane martial arts instead. Both are excellent supplements. I also recommend Mongoose's 'Land of Samurai' for RQ as well, as between all three titles you can make a great oriental game.

I wouldn't double the Hit Points either, but each to their own. Fate Points are a much better option if you want to even out the PC's chances yet keep gritty gameplay. Discussion threads have arisen here in recent memory concerning the pros and cons of Fate Points. Personally I like the idea that the PCs must use Power Points to access a Fate option, it's like they have to invest themselves into the world to get something back. I find the Fate rules a little fiddly as written, so I pretty much make it a standard cost of 5 Power Points to utilise any Fate option, and these Power Points are recovered slowly, only after a successful POW x5% per day for each Power Point used (as opposed for to an automatic 1 PP/hr recovery when used for magic use). These means that Fate is used sparingly, so it's more of a last resort kind of thing. I found that when the Power Point recovery was the same rate as when used for Magic then Fate was used quite a lot, a little over-used for the gritty fantasy genre that I prefer to GM. Occasionally I'll reward a character in-game with a Fate Point, which they can use to 'cash in' as a Fate option without investing Power Points, or perhaps use to intensify the Fate option. They must use it within that same session or story arc (so this doesn't lead to too much accrual them). Recently I allowed accrual, converting them to Hero Points which means they can't be accessed as Fate, but they can be accrued for purposes of meeting the requirements for Legendary Abilities (I ported this over from MRQ2 - if you don't have this then disregard this last bit). Anyway Fate works for my troupe, but the only issue is that Specialist spell-casters will tend to be a bit compromised by accessing it as they'll already have reduced their Power Points by casting spells. Never worked out a way to balance this.

For a gritty fantasy setting, I'd certainly use Hit Locations, it makes things so much more 'tactile', and will add a different flavour to combat than what you got with AD&D. I'ld suggest that you go with Hit Points as written, rather than 'tank' the PCs up too much. It makes players think much more in combat, rather than approach the session like they are in an online MMO where they just mow down the opponents. For a more 'pulp' feel once the characters progress, you can always halve the Hit Points per Location for unimportant opponents ("fodder"). Don't change their Total Hit Points though. This way the opponents are not necessarily killed easier, but they are disabled much quicker. The end result is that if you want to play a cinematic style game then the PCs delay, eliminate or otherwise dispose of the munchin hoards until they get to your Big Bad Boss opponents, if that's the kind of thing you're after. I much prefer the more gritty approach, but the idea I floated above can simulate Savage Worlds/D&D style play if you want it to. Typical BRP combat can be quite...interesting to new players heh heh

Ahh Europe, it sounds so small at times... (in a nice way!)

Terrible news, my thoughts go out to anyone in Norway affected by that lunatic

Yes, I might follow up your recommendations and nab some of the Mongoose Elric/Hawkmoon line, I loved reading the Chaosium version of that setting and I wouldn't mind seeing how it has been interpreted with Mongoose. And, as far as BRP fantasy-setting gaming goes, hit locations and strike ranks certainly float the boat for me, that's a plus not a negative! A 'Guide To The Million Spheres'? Now that is certainly something to dream about...

I'm not sure if 'DM' is such a great title, heh heh, it reminds me too much of D&D's Dungeon Master title for GMS...(cringe!)

Yes, this was how I initially worked out weapon weight SR years ago (just the reverse of the current weapon SR), and yes, things evened out unrealistically, exactly how you described. So it was the same stumbling block as in game mechanics it evened out and thus offered no advantage over the current weapon SR rules which are based on weapon reach. I think the concept is sound (taking into consideration both weapon reach and weight), but tweaking the current mechanics was quite flawed. If anyone has come up with a mechanic to address it then I'ld be interested, but I think to do so would mean deviating quite alot from the Strike Rank system, perhaps too much. Which is why I ditched the idea a few years ago. I was rather hoping someone may have gotten further with it...

If you want to tweak the Strike Rank model, perhaps you give weapons two SR values, one for reach (leave as currently described), and one for weight. Just add the values together for total Weapon SR and add that to your Melee SRM as per usual Strike Rank rules. Of course the Combat Round will need to be more than 10 rounds now, perhaps 15 or 20 rounds instead? While you're at it you might want to incorperate the MRQ2 armour rules which impact upon Strike Ranks, making a heavily armoured warrior act much later in the Combat Round. Having an Armour SR coupled with a Weapon SR that incorperates weight as well as reach will certainly open up avenues for the whole nimble knife-fighter type vs the heavily armoured tank type combatant. I'm just throwing ideas around here, I haven't looked at all angles on it - it's certainly something that should be developed for another BRP or RQ edition...

For melee combat, I think the Strike Rank idea is based primarily around weapon reach. An attacker with a broadsword has a better chance of striking first based on that principle, if attacking an opponent with a smaller weapon, such as a dagger. If the opponent with a dagger has a higher DEX than the attacker, then that will provide the opponent with a lower DEX SRM, which can even the odds out. It works okay for me, given that the authors are supposedly familar with melee combat principles. Swapping the SR around will work okay for a more idealistic game though, perhaps wuxia genre where everything is about speed, I'm not sure. You'll be double dipping though, and if you give a advantage for a weapon being lighter than its probably ignoring the weapon reach. Strike Ranks could be tweaked more to incorperate weapon weight as well as weapon reach, but I'm not sure its actually worth it. Your principles are sound, but it will get complex trying to work it out. For example, if you give a dagger a SR1 then you acknowledge weapon weight, but not weapon reach, so simply swapping the SR doesn't fix anything, it just bases the SR on weight instead of reach. This is not to say that a system can't be derived to accomodate both reach and weight, but you can't portray both of these by swapping the SR. I had similar thoughts on it initially, but then realized it was pointless unless I came up with a more elaborate system. I'ld also be interested to see if anybody already has done work on this.

Yes, I'm aware the CONAN property is up for grabs, I was just pointing out that these were two properties that sold well for Mongoose, and that 'Legend' will need settings of this calibre to survive. Just wishful thinking for CONAN to finally be in a BRP-related system. Again, I'm digressing from the original Stormbringer thread, I'll back off and let someone get it back on topic...

Wishful thinking on my part for Chaosium to still have the licence, I keep hoping that Chaosium will publish more source settings beyond Cthuhlu Mythos (yes I have Future Earth and I'm aware of Devil's Gulch), and I thought Young Kingdoms was perfect for their fantasy setting. Yes, I've seen the MRQ2 Elric of Melnibone edition on the Mongoose site, but I haven't come across a hard copy to peruse it in a store yet (probably because where I am is a little provincial when it comes to roleplaying). I've got it flagged in my Amazon Wishlist though, and it's likely to be my next purchase as I tend to like most of the things you've written, and also the fact it's a hard cover edition - my old Stormbringer rulebook is a covered softcover, but it's starting to feel like its seen better days. I wonder if Mongoose will make Young Kingdoms a flagship setting for 'Legend' now that they're leaving Glorantha behind. 'Legend' will certainly have legs if Mongoose promotes good settings such as Young Kingdoms and Hyboria (they always should have used MRQ as the system for their CONAN line). They'll have to have good settings if they're losing two principal authors :-) Anyway, back to the Stormbringer discussion thread...

Well I feel that AHRQ3 or MRQ2 has been the best BRP gaming engine and setting (Fantasy Earth and Glorantha). I think I preferred the 'crunch' of RQ, such as hit locations, static armour etc and I liked Glorantha quite alot. Having said that, Stormbringer is a close second in my opinion, and the Young Kingdoms is a bloody great setting. I did run a few doom-laden SB sessions in my time, although I tend to go back to AHRQ3 as a default. Some of the Elric/Stormbringer setting material and scenarios I ported over and repainted for my Gloranthan AHRQ3 campaigns, they converted quite nicely. Depending upon the troupe, I'ld certainly GM another SB session in the Young Kingdoms, although its getting harder to find people who've read Moorcock's books these days (its all Jordan, Gemmell, Acrombie and Martin these days; not the Lovecraft, Howard, Moorcock, Leiber etc that inspired Chaosium). I also loved the Demon rules and Magic rules from Stormbringer and the Unknown East sourcebook. Chaosium did a great job portraying the dark fantasy of the Elric stories, just as they have done portraying Lovecraft's Mythos. It's also a wonder that there hasn't been any films produced for the Elric series, it could truly be done justice these days. I'ld love Chaosium to bring out a new hardcover edition of Stormbringer; if they're gonna have two properties as their babies then Cthuhlu Mythos and Young Kingdoms are certainly good ones to have.

Just aside from all this weapon-talk, I'ld just want to put a request in for RQ6 being a hardcover. I loved MRQ2's beautiful leather-like cover. Something like this, or perhaps with evocative artwork. Internal artwork should also be reasonable quality, and the fonts need to be clear. The BRP BGB wins out over RQ2's fonts and internal layout, it just seemed more clear and less 'flimsy' somehow. No paperback corebooks please - we'll pay the extra rupees for the hardcovers, and its almost an industry standard now, at least for the main rulebooks. Please keep the bulk of the MRQ2 rules, they seem to work well. Hit locations over general HP are a must, they keep the game more tactile, and perhaps the hit location chart could be tweaked to be even more specific (ie: feet, shin/calfs, thighs, hands, forearms, upper arms, chest/shoulderblades, abdomen, groin/buttocks, jaws, cheek, neck, temples etc, or something like this). The game would certainly play a little more differently than BRP, otherwise you might as well play BRP with the Hit Location Option instead. It might play a bit more gritty, more 'Gladiator/Beowulf' than 'Lord of the Rings'...

I am hanging out for this one, I have it on pre-order thru Amazon.com. Looks like its going to be another great addition for my BRP resources, like all the previous Alephetar Games books I have been buying recently

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Sounds pretty cool mate, sounds like you're gonna get alot of use out of it

Actually thats pretty much along the lines I was thinking, its pretty simple. The only problem with Glorantha is that Deities within a Pantheon have quite different virtues, rather than a common virtue bonding them. You could do a one or two virtues per Culture, however, rather than Pantheon - ie: Theylans may have value Free-Spirit, Kralori impress Self-Restraint etc. But if its gets into the spiritual side of things then you can't really use Pantheons in Glorantha, but you could do it for particular Cults & Deities - no biggie to work out the important virtue for each Cult, as both RQ and HQ Cult descriptions have these in their write-ups. But I definately won't be listing all the Personality Traits of importance on a character sheet, I'll have space for a few notable ones of the character's description - these may correlate to the Pendragon ones, or they could come up with new ones. If their personality traits encourage behaviour that is admired by their Cult, they'll gain Allegiances. Or something like that, I'll have to look at it more closely, but it appears simple enough. Now, if Lawrence Whitaker or Pete Nash is watching this thread - it may be food for thought to be included in RQ6! Shameless request on my part heh heh

Please please try to get your hard copies onto Amazon.com, or have PayPal services available for online transactions, it'll help your sales, esp for customers outside of the UK or USA

Arrgh!!! Too much real-world stuff going on at present to get my head around these Allegiance rules. I'll get back to it soon, feel free to discuss further (actually that would be helpful, it'll give me a clearer view of it when I get back to it). Thanks for all the advice so far.

This is great news. Some of the best BRP/RQ products have been written by you guys, and I was so impressed by such that I returned to the BRP system after a sojourn into other systems. I wasn't a big fan of MRQ initially, but the rule and supplments for MRQ2 won me over. I think Mongoose 'Legend' has much more competition going for it now, considering how you guys have your own 'cult status' as game writers. I'm really glad you've become a licencee for Issaries Inc, and Glorantha may live on with the RQ system (although I'm sure your other settings will be just as good) Best wishes for the venture, this is great news for the BRP/RQ community!