GerallKahla

Hi there, Mugen!

Sounds like you're as hooked on BRP as the rest of us. I think most people here have their own "homebrew version" they stick to.

It's a sign (to me at any rate) that the system is flexible and provides genuine utility for gamers. Just look at all the niches it has mutated into.

Thanks for joining - looking forward to hearing more from you.

-pax-

For the record, I belong to a group with 3 GMs who rotate the duty across their plots. Each GM presents a 5 - 10 session plot to the group, and we choose 2 plots to play.

One week, the first plot is run. The next, one of my cohorts will run theirs. We each have several potential plots, and when one arch ends, our group decides on the next to be played. Some plots are set in the same setting and game (where you can play an old character again); some are unique. It all depends on what the players are interested in at the time one of the plots ends.

All of the games I run use BRP (of one version or another). So, my group is already familiar with the system and enjoy it.

However, having said this, I'm not sure why you want to address this particular dichotomy. What's wrong with proselytising the BRP system to both new and established players? My suggested selling point to both is that it is ‘elegant’, relatively simple and transparent, and well established and therefore robust. Long may she sail :thumb:

Specifically, I am concerned about conventions.

There's nothing quite like having a group of unknown players at your table (some complete newbies, some veteran BRP'ers, others of unknown allegiances), running a game and having the d20-fan complain the game isn't like theirs. Considering the odds of a completely new gamer getting exposure to the BRP system is much less than that same person finding a d20 book at the local bookseller, I want to make a clean first-impression!

I ask because I'm thinking of advertising with my FLGS for "new gamers" to run BRP for. I'm trying to keep this kind of gamer-society exposure to a minimum.

Also, like mentioned before, there is a real inertia to overcome when trying to present a new system to gamers. I even feel it myself. I don't want to play in systems other than BRP, typically. (Even with the group described above, I find myself having to play in systems that these other GMs want to run.)

Does any of this make sense?

Hello all -

I'm curious about how to give BRP a broader audience among gamers. We, as a culture, are all getting a bit older. And it would be nice to have new gamers come in and sort out how to use this set of rules in the hobby.

From the perspective of my early gaming, BRP was one of my first non-D&D games. It helped me to think of roleplaying in a different light; allowing a fairly flexible rules-set to be used for playing archetypes (RuneQuest) and horror games (Call of Cthulhu).

I'm not interested in BRP becoming the only thing played; that's not reasonable. I am, however, interested in passing the system on to other gamers. Giving them another, very versatile and interesting tool for their kit.

Do you think giving beginning gamers exposure to the system would be more profitable than trying to get gamers who already have preferences and habits to use the system?

Please, let me know what you think - Thanks in advance!

In terms of systems heresy I was thinking using Burning Wheel for Sun County, Savage Worlds for Prax and Unknown Armies for Lunar Intrigue.

This is an excellent break-down of the tone each of these parts of Glorantha has. The systems you map to each culture/area definitely give a different "feel" to what goes on in each place.

The system support for the setting's tone is one of the most overlooked aspects of modern game design, IMO.

On the other side of the argument, I do believe there are ways to use BRP to support non-adventure games. Very much looking forward to HiG, despite being somewhat disenchanted with the setting. Please let me know if we on the other side of the pond might get our hands on your 'zine!

Regards -

KoOS, Fergo113 - welcome to the forums!

Glad to see more people from the "I like BRP" camp showing up for some discussion...

KoOS; the Zero Edition is a very slick book, and will be even better once the edits are complete and 1st Edition makes the shelves.

Fergo113; interesting set of games on your "Gamer CV"! Were your RQ2 adventures all focused on Glorantha?

All the best, folks!

Excellent idea - let me know if I can help with anything!

Wardrobe Malfunction table? Oh dear. . .

Shaira, dear, tread carefully!

I haven't heard of pre-order details for the 1st edition of the new rulebook. Only the specifics on Zero Edition. Sorry!

Have you dug into the Chaosium website looking for specifics?

When you drop something and think, "Damn! Botched that roll..."

Or, when the friends who watched your clumsiness say the same thing.

Out loud. In public.

I think Street Fighter used the WoD system so you could have Guile fight brooding Emo Vampires.

I type this as the coughing fit subsides - soda was not intended to be consumed through the sinuses...

Thanks, PK Games, for helping me snark my drink through my nose!

I've got a ZE, but I'll certainly get a copy of the final release.

Isn't it strange that Chaosium's products are so popular in Europe, but so hard to find there? I'd think this would be a priority (and I'm pretty sure it is). However, the conundrum is strange to consider.

Ah well - happy gaming!

Centaur66 - You don't like Glorantha?!?

Well, alright then...

Welcome all - I'm having lots of fun with Zero Edition just running in my own little worlds. I don't think anyone here's going to give you grief about not enjoying Glorantha.

If they do, you're not obligated to read those posts.

Have fun with it! It's a game!

With a swiftness belying their mortal frames, Chaosium has had delivered unto me copy #296 of Zero Edition!!

/me does a little dance...

Now, to absorb it and put the system through further paces!

My wife and I write a lot of CoC stuff and are just about finished with a 600+ page steampunk game using BRP...

Welcome to the forums, and congrats on having such a developed setting!

I, for one, would be exceptionally interested in seeing that one -

Try and keep the bail low --

Thanks for the kind words, guys!

I'll add my praise as well - you've earned it. Great layout and quite clean. Thanks for sharing.

Strangely, I seem to be finding critters & NPCs easier to stat up in BRP than in RQ3. Not sure why - it could be my advanced age and obsessive brain - but my hunch is that it's something to do with the Powers system. It's acting as a "special abilities" list for critters with darkvision, etc, so you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time round, plus the magical abilities (Sorcery and Psychic abilities, in my case) are a lot easier to deploy than the RQ3 magic.

The Powers system is a great place to put all those "little exceptions" that make certain monsters difficult to write up. Excellent observation!

I'm going to be creating a P'Tek (Chronicles Troll) Shamaness with a bound darkness demon (and maybe a darkness elemental) and a pile of sorcery spells shortly - that should provide a good shake-out of the stat block & chargen system! I'll post the results here if they look like they might be interesting.

I'd be *very* interested in seeing your P'Tek Shamaness! Sounds quite dangerous - and good exercise for the system. Bravo!

Welcome Dirk - and thanks so much for putting together the MRQ SRD!

Quite a nice download.

Best regards --

I've ordered Zero Edition, and am impatiently waiting for it to show up...

Not that I've got any excuse for waiting this long, but still. I find myself going to the UPS website every few minutes. *click* Still not here. *click* Still not here. *click* Still not here...

*sigh*

Speaking of that site Gianni has, anyone know enough French or Italian to translate some of those BRP settings?

I've got enough French to translate his Ancient China setting on-the-fly... And it's fantastic! Gianni deserves much credit for his commitment to this system and his creativity, for sure.

I need to commit to doing a full-on translation, but time doesn't permit.

As for my most-frequently used supplement; it would have to be Magic World from the Worlds of Wonder box. Not for the mechanics, but for the sheer inspiration it provides. For game mechanics, it would probably be the Magic Book from RuneQuest 3.

-pax-

The concept of a book which describes how to create creatures for your specific setting has been done; it's called the Monster Burner for the Burning Wheel system.

Not only does it point out how to integrate the specifics of your new critter into the the gamescience, but it gives tremendous weight to the role it plays in the setting. Quite an innovative book, if a bit story-game oriented.

A book of lists of monster stats? Not so interested...

A setting book with the creatures found wandering this specific countries' lesser worn trails? Much more interested...

-pax-

There's even more stuff in there that the playtest didn't see, and the past eight months have been a flurry of me sending Chaosium little "Oh, if you can fit this in" sections and pieces.

Delicious!

Thanks for the feedback, Jason. You rock and stuff.

Here's a place, four or five links down on the Google search, which has multiple colors in stock and ready to go...

Price for one of these 'dual' dice? $1.00 USD...

dicepool.com

Enjoy --

Well, did a little digging online, and found this online to prove they actually exist...

RPG Shop: Double d10

Although they claim that they're out of print on that site, Google is a lovely thing when you enter the phrase "double d10" as a search term...

Enjoy!

I don't particularly care who publishes RQ/BRP/GORE/whatever.

Fair enough - I tend to prefer the material from Chaosium because I *am* interested in Call of Cthulhu and I appreciate their production values (deliberately not looking at the monographs - which are less than ideal, in my mind). I would like there to be lots and lots of BRP-derived products out there, but the user base just isn't big enough for it.

RQ was kept alive as a game by third-party publications with precious little help from Chaosium, Avalon Hill or even Issaries for a while. So, third-party publications are the key to getting a lot of interesting material out very quickly.

Which 3rd-party publications are you referring to, specifically? I might have missed something!

Someone mentioned FGU (mostly percentile-based game systems with, ahem, *challenging* character creation systems :shocked: ), which I enjoyed several releases from. Psi World, Bushido, and Space Opera leap to mind. Their Land of Adventure boxed set did some early Historical Earth material, too (again, percentile based).

But if I remember correctly, these came out during the RQ heyday...

I'm genuinely interested in hearing about other 3rd-party materials.

Thanks for your feedback --

That's pretty much "I've fallen in love with Game X" mode though; I've heard that from people about any game with any general purpose utility over the years--including BRP...

True enough - I've been accused of this with BRP, but they keep playing my games...

As for SotC, I've played it twice. Once in it's original form, another with it mutated to support roleplaying in Conan's Hyperboria.

SotC didn't give me the feeling like I was affecting anything; the system didn't keep my attention too long, and I bowed out of further sittings.

I just couldn't feel any traction with the system. But that's just my opinion, obviously.

-regards-

Have you seen the large, transparent d10 which contains a smaller d10? When rolled, you get the 01 - 00 result range, and you only have one die to keep track of...

Also eliminates the question of which die is which digit.

Sorry I don't know where to find the Zocchihedron II...

Good luck!

It also means people can (and are already) publishing works that effectively copy stuff Chaosium are doing, without Chaosium having any legal recourse. This, to me, is morally dubious. The fact that it was apparently Greg Stafford's intent ("the same system but not the same copyright words") in granting Mongoose a license to use the RuneQuest trademark doesn't make it any less unpalatable. Hence my personal decison not to support MGP and MRQ STL products.

I agree completely, Nick - and I've chosen to avoid the Mongoose products for the same reasons. It doesn't take too much digging online to discern who is writing what that steps firmly on Chaosium's best interests...

What BRP fans and Chasoium need is a BRP license - a way that lets third parties support Chasoium's BRP without having to jump through too many restrictive hoops, but which also protects Chaosium's core investment in BRP.

As I've said before, Green Ronin's True20 license, or WEG's d6 would be good starting points. A two tier approach - a "Compatible with BRP" logo for PDF's and semi-pro fan material, and a more costly "Approved for use with BRP" for por-3rd patry PDF & print products. Neither would allow a full BRP game (that I'd suggest they should still do via separate specific licenses), but it would allow people to publish their own settings as BRP compatible, or a series of adventures (a la the Goodman Games Dungeon Crawl Classics for d20).

That would allow third party support, whilst protecting Chaosium's core book sales, and still leaving room for specific licenses like Seraphim Guard's Dead World

This is a much more realistic stance for Chaosium to take. The OGL only serves the huge engine which is D&D. For a company with such a smaller market-share, OGL only opens them up to material of dubious content being published based on BRP.

Why would they want to sully the reputation of their rulesystem with rafts of potentially horrid product?

Given a specific license, they would be able to vet the potential products. There's a podcast where WotC called a panel at a convention, asking producers of OGL material what they wanted during the migration to 4.0. WotC's primary concern was that they didn't have the resources to do this kind of filtering; their submitted volume was too great.

Given this, Chaosium's size could potentially help them in this regard. It would allow them to go over potential candidates with less trouble than WotC could.

I love their game system, but Chaosium (if they intend to be around in another 3 years) needs to begin looking hard at these issues... I will support them through the changes, and I'm really excited about the Basic Roleplaying book!