Zit

IMHO, scaling attributes on a 1-20 or 1-100 scale is actually not so important, consistency and playability are the points. I think that the original d100 system (the very first BRP) was actually almost a d20 system: skills were on a 1-100 scale, but with 5% steps, which is equivalent a 1-20 scale –with the exception of critical and impale rolls-. BRP has been developed in the 70s, when the reference was D&D with a 1-20 scaling (as well as other rpg). The designers did not completely push the “D100 paradigm”, for whichever reason, probably not intentionally.

The second innovation has been the opposed characteristic rolls.

In the meantime, skills got a true 1-100 scaling and the opposed skill rolls have been found. I think this completes the d100 concept and can be extended to the opposed characteristic rolls, with characteristics on a 1-100 scale. One single concept for everything. This is what HeroQuest does. The main (single?) but big advantage of the 1-20 scale is actually its simplicity for bookkeeping (subtracting 6 from 12 hp is easier as subtracting 37 from 63 hp…).

Switching to the “full d100” implies some cleaning-up of the remnants of the 1-20-scale (hp, damage, encumbrance…) and changing 30 years of habits for rpg-players.

Because of all this, I’ll keep my good old 3D6, but I think it would be logical and interesting to explore the “full d100”.

(regarding the lack of characteristic rolls in RQ, this has been already debated but I must say I'm not realy convinced by it -but I'd be happy if somebody can explain me the point)

This makes sense. Occasional yearly rituals for the Valar, everyday magic for the spirits.

Add some taboos (but I'm sure you did), it makes a more colorful setting and role-playing, and belongs to shamanism.

Well, things are not so simple. Belief in natural spirits do not except belief in deities. Actually, it has always been the case: the lesser spirits did not make nor ordinate the world. This has been done by several or more often one main deity -a god- who assigned their tasks to different lesser deities - great spirits or gods-, spirits and living creatures. Siberian peoples believe in a supreme sky god, sometimes in a way close to monotheism. This does not prevent them from beliving in spirits, lesser or great:those are creatures of the Deity, just like animals and human beings.

In these cultures, shamans are at the same time the sorcerers who can call the spirits the way you described it (but may have some magical powers as well), the soothsayers and a kind of priests when it comes to please or ask for help from the deity(ies). The way they interact with the deities is however a shamanic way: they do not make a complete distinction between animism and theism. The superior deity is rarely called upon, living far away in his sky realm, while lesser deities are, since they are seen as very powerful but true spirits interacting with the World. Borderlines are very blurred, which makes it difficult when it comes to writing rules.

Of course, in a fantasy stting, it is posisble to simplify things, but I would still consider superior kind of great spirits, kind of deities.

it is what the Germans call an ear worm. Can help for a "trance travel".

Wellcome aboard! When do you write us a kafkaian Prag BRP game? A kind of early 20th century Paranoia with a bit of Chtulhu...

I think it is a good idea and a good understanding of shamanism (at least the same as mine ). I wrote a complete rule about shamanism to be (if accepted ) published with a Steppes setting. It is based on Allegiance, the trance is treated as a power and there are some specific shamanic skills (like knowledge[spirit world]). I developped rules for negotiating and allying a spirit: in most d100 rules (like the different RQs) this aspect is a bit neglected, while rules for spirit combat are detailed. Forcing a spirit to accept to help shall however still be an option for a shaman .

I like your free approach, and I think also that it is the best one. I wanted to do the same, but when writing rules, I had to think about those players who like to have lists of powers and precise rules, therefore I wrote a list of typical powers, when it made some sense. For spirits which affect the PCs (like disease spirits) or which action is to be channelled by the PC, it makes sense.

I my rules, spirits are helping either with these known powers, or by any other way which fits. Powers are however the traduction of the spirit's influence on the world. It can be to influence an animal, with all the freedom this allows, or simply to give a single disease. The nature of the help is determined only when summoning.

Thus, how much freedom you like to leave depends on your players, but if they like it and accept this kind of story telling, do it. The only thing to care about is that all agree on the extend of the help they can expect and on the cost for it, otherwise, you may have to start long discussions with the players or have impose arbitrary sotutions.

You may at least define a kind of guidelines with different levels (e.g. the help from a lesser spirit shall be "human-ranged", while the help from a great spirit can be superhuman, but not as much as lifting a mountain...), and a small list of "typical spirit interventions". And shamanism is based on exchange. The shamanesses should not get the help of the spirit without somehow paying a fee (in form of a sacrifice -POW, animal, characteristic...even human being). The more powerful the spirit and its help, the highest the cost (which may have been paid for in advance).

There are 3 criteria, which should be taken into account:

- the nature of the spirit, who won't be able to do anything

- the power of the spirit: there are lesser spirits and powerful spirits, comparable to deities

- the affinity of the shaman to the spirit: this can be resolved using allegiances -I would at least separate ancestors from nature spirits

I stop here, otherwise I will write an encyclopedia...

ok, the 3rd download was ok.

Yeah ! Hours of reading ! The heavy snow can come.

Hi Lawrence,

I just bought everything

But the Abiding Book appears to be broken: I can't open it.

I think you can still get the BRP Quickstart rules as a free pdf from Chaosium.com or Drivethru.rpg (if not, it is likely to be very cheap). I'ld start there if I were you mate

I would highly recommend to purchase the Quick Start, 2$ at Drivethru.

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=2&products_id=82093&filters=0_0_0_0_40050&manufacturers_id=2

Easy to understand, very cheap, it is enough to start any no-magic, no sci-fi campaign. You can make your mind and purchase the BRP later for a more detailed campaign: the BRP is an amazing tool box for creating whatever you like.

what about a FG-lite application for cell phones, featuring BRP ? And downloadable adventures and extentions?

Just dreaming.

What? There are no more vinyls? . You're probably right, I'm either too old to realy know what young people like. We shall observe our children but mine is still too young.

Whatever the support, I was speaking about Biomanipulator's idea to make a kind of teasing product for young people. Simple ruleset, simple complements for 2-3 simple basic universe with a lot of fun factor and an attractive price (when not free). One Harry Potter like ambiance, one with Manga-Like feeling and one like what-else-was-popular-among-teen-agers-5-years-ago. May be using simplified or "de-historicized" versions of existing BRP settings? And of course a lot of noise around it.

The question is actually, who will make it?

...or like the old RQ proposing the Very Basic RPG in the box, which allowed to start playing without magics. The French magazine Cassus Belli, which had for a while the rights of the BRP, published actualized basic rules + 3 very basic settings. This could be a good idea, as teaser for more developped settings. Just use the Basic Quick Start + the 3 very simple and classical settings (space opera, fantasy with orcs, super heros à la Marvel, all themes easy to understand and likely to find amateurs) slowly introducing some more rules + the BGB.

The most important is the younger audience: whatever the form, old afficionados like us will anyway like it...

Just a reminder, which has nothing to do with the previous reply but which get on my nerves when I'm watching a sci-fi movie: there is no noise in the intersideral vacuum. Nothing to hear when a vessel explodes (not talking about "pew pews"). I've however never seen a sci-fi movie allowing something exploding silently in the space...

I know, there are much more important things to care about, but stil, I find it quite irritating...

Don't be sad: light makes no noise until it interacts with a medium and is not always visible BUT, just like digital cameras artificially add the noise of an opening diaphragm only for comfort, laser guns may -and shall- have an artificial "pew pew" and some visible light for aiming, like tracing bullets on machine guns. May be even a small vibration like in Play Stations hand gears. These features may be "disabelable" for discrete action.

I'm only not sure we will be sometime able to miniaturize a drilling laser in the size of a hand gun, but who cares in a Star Wars setting ?

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.

I totally agree with this, in particular to introduce specialties. This is a very simple and flexible way. It works for any kind of skill (I used it for archery and litteracy in different settings).

One way to have players being careful with firearms may be to limit the ammunitions and keep track of them. With an automatic gun, you may run out very quickly.

Are there any stats on what has been the most sold and on the buyers profile? Is there any recent market survey?

BRP Egypt is only available in Italian. There were also a BRP West and BRP Dinos, but you can find better alternatives nowadays. There is also The Wheel of Fate for RQ2.

There are certainly much more amateurs settings in different languages which could be used as sourcebooks or for inspiration (my unperfect ancient Mesopotamia setting in French for example -I'll put some downloadable stuff in english in a short future).

Just an idea: there was a very good arabian setting published in French in the 80's (Légendes des 1001 Nuits), from the game Légendes (looks like déjà vu ...). Could be translated and adapted to the BRP (or to Legend, we could even keep the tittle!). The only problem is the copyright, but the company still exists (Jeux descartes). This would make a link between chinese, european and steppes settings -not to speak about the crusades. Only Byzance will be missing. Alternate earth will be quite complete for middle ages.

With homeric Greece, do you mean late mycenian, or the mythical Greece as described in Homer's poems?

Mark is an expert on Russia http://inmoscowsshadows.wordpress.com/ as well as the writer of Mythic Russia for HeroQuest http://mythicrussia.wordpress.com/.

I am not sure he still has time to write RPG stuff though.

Oh, that's him! Me and names...

I've read some stuff from Mythic Russia. Actually the Golden Horde and Bashkorts extension made by Simon, who's actively helping me. I forgot to cite of course Mythic Russia as another possible hook to a Steppes extension, even if it is a HQ product.

Who's Mark Galeotti ? Sorry for my ignorance.

Thanks for these encouraging comments. I'll work even harder.

It won't be a "Genghis Khan supplement", but instead insits on the deep steppes, where the Khan issued from as many other empires (Xiongnu, Ruan-Ruan, Huns, Göktürk, Djurchen...). Actually, there is not much about the gengiskhanide empire itself. It should allow to play from about the 1st century BC up to the 16th AD with minor adjustments, since the cultural traits where quite constant above this period.

You also get rules for shamanism which you may adapt to any setting (CoC Steppes ???).

I'll make a thread about this later with more details.

We can fit an extra product in the schedule for a post-summer release. Which means that if you have a good idea in mind for BRP or HeroQuest, it is the right time to submit it.

Paolo, as you may remember, I'm working hard on a BRP historical setting for steppes nomads, with Simon's help. Fierce mounted warriors of Attila, Gengis Khan and other Turks, Mongols, Djurchens... including a big part about central asian shamanism and believes with full background, spirits, magic and shamanic rules. Could be used as stand-alone or in conjunction with The Celestial Empire, Dragon Lines, Crusaders of the Amber Coast... making a kind of link between these different "historical" settings. I could send a first complete draft in spring, may be before.

I believe many players would appreciate such a source book for a quite ignored culture, even for non-historical setting. What do you, members of this forum, think about such a supplement?

Olivier

Wait, I'm just trying a "Allegiance to Santa Claus" roll...

roll, roll... 01!!

JOYEUX NOEL À TOUS !

As for scope for more books, I am planning at least two follow-ups. Age of Crusade covers the Crusades in the Holy Land and the Reconquista in Spain/Portugal/El Andalus, with Martial Orders, expanded backgrounds and descriptions of those lands. Age of Adventure will be purely a scenario pack covering some of the campign types in Merrie England. Other from that, I am open to suggestions.

THen don't forget the Crusade in Albigeois angainst the Cathars, and even may be the 2 centuries before the crusade, during this kind of "first Renaissance" in southern France. Cathars, troubadours, religious and political conflict, intense and new cultural life, jealousy of Northerners and of the Church and at least destruction: everything is there for and exciting game. Eleanor, Richard Lionheart... they, too, raised in this culture. Gianni made a small RPG there: http://giannieanna.chez-alice.fr/tdt/ It is written in Occitan (Provencal as the English say), if you know a romanic language it is understandable.

I'm pretty sure he would be interested in helping.