seneschal

In the wiki section we've got a write-up for the Cloverfield monsters, and there've been several mecha threads. However, I think Firefly Games' Monster Island would be a smoother fit if you're looking for monster-on-monster action. Now, if you're throwing 'em at the PCs, you've have to use BRP (and a greatly expanded size chart!).

But Mongoose RuneQuest is perfect and without flaw. The Computer says so! Oops! Wrong genre. But seriously, Mr. Whitaker, I appreciate your input. Thanks!

I just don't get it. Mongoose hasn't yet had time to wear the paint off their first edition. Why do we need another? Have players finished collecting the entire current crop of runes already? It'd be like them announcing this coming March that they're planning Traveller II (Electric Boogaloo). :confused:

Your interpretation of the character may have merit, but I just don't see it.

Source: The Fly, 20th Century Fox, 1958; Return of the Fly, 20th Century Fox, 1959 The Fly It is said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Montreal industrialist and physicist Andre Delambre intended his matter disintegrator/re-integrator to revolutionize global transportation, reduce pollution and end world hunger. His bulky 1950s equipment proved able to teleport both inanimate objects and living creatures successfully, three centuries ahead of Star Trek. Unfortunately, during his second attempt to transport a human being (himself), a fly made its way into the disintegrator chamber. Both creatures which materialized in the reception chamber displayed a combination of human and insect anatomy. Delambre acquired a bug’s head and claw while the arthropod received a human head and arm. To his horror and despair, he felt both his reason and his humanity slipping away daily, and his insect claw seemingly had a mind of its own. Delambre’s young son, Philippe, grew up to become an electronics genius in his own right, determined to reconstruct his father’s research and prove that teleportation was a viable technology. It was a matter of honor; his success would be a memorial to the elder Delambre. Although Philippe avoided his father’s technical mistakes, he proved a poor judge of character. His trusted lab assistant was eager to steal the disintegrator/re-integrator. When Delambre discovered what he was up to, the villain knocked him unconscious and stuffed him into the disintegrator. Knowing of Philippe’s phobia of flies, the thief spitefully captured one and put it in the machine before teleporting his former boss and fleeing. The result was predictable. Before his transformation, Andre Delambre is a dark, handsome, athletic man in his late 30s. He is outgoing and enthusiastic, devoted to his wife and son but apt to become aloof and distracted when confronted with a science puzzle that needs solving. Delambre will gladly meet with player-characters, particularly if they are potential investors, but will decline to discuss his latest project in detail pending further tests. After the change, he will refuse to admit anyone into his presence except his wife. If adventurers manage to get past her, Andre has concealed his inhuman features beneath a cloth. He is unable to speak but can write or wave the PCs away with his remaining hand. If they refuse to leave, and particularly if they shove around his wife, Delambre may be unable to restrain his animalistic impulses. Philippe Delambre is a slim, earnest man in his late 20s. He has his father’s dark hair and his mother’s delicate features. He’s good-natured but grimly determined to fulfill what he sees as his life’s mission. Like his father, Philippe will welcome PC investors; he will also accept proffered assistance from adventurers who have demonstrated their trustworthiness and technical expertise. His transformation is more “buggy,” if possible, than his father’s. The younger Delambre is also less able to control his violent tendencies. Both men, when mutated, possess inhuman strength and vicious knife-like claws. They are unable to speak or eat solid food. They gain an enhanced sense of smell and 360-degree vision but the input from their multiple eye facets can disorient them. Philippe’s insect arm and leg enable him to climb sheer walls, something his father is unable to do, but he walks with a limping shuffle. A particularly vindictive Game Master might also give them the ability to vomit acid. Both Delambres have the ability to reason, at least at first, but their thinking and desires will become more monstrous as time progresses. Assuming the PCs are able to find a way to restore them, it is uncertain what the long-term effects of their transformation will be. STR 4d6+6 (20) CON 2d6+6 (13) SIZ 2d6+6 (13) INT 2d6+6 (13) POW 3d6 (11) DEX 3d6 (11) APP 1d6 (4) Move: 10 Hit Points: 13 Attacks: Claw 50%, 1d6+1d4; Vomit 25%, 1d4 acid attack Skills: Climb 45%, Technical Skill (Computer Operation) 35%, Dodge 51%, Fine Manipulation 35%, Technical Skill (Electronics) 35%, Hide 25%, Jump 30%, Stealth 25%, Sense 50%, Research 50%. Science (Physics) 36%, Armor: Chitin AP 2-3 (head and limbs only)

Here's author Dan Proctor's take on GORE. It isn't abandoned yet but what exactly Goblinoid will do to support it is uncertain. :: View topic - Whither GORE? I'd hate to see GORE go; it's what brought me here in the first place.

Thanks for your hard work. This is useful stuff.

I like your take on the Frankenstein monster. I was wondering whether to go the supervillain option via Superworld powers but it looks like CoC handled it nicely. I'm unfamiliar with the Headless Machine Gunner. Is that your original creation? Could be very creepy, especially when he keeps popping back up almost every two weeks. "It's payday, mortals, in lead!" Brat-atat-tat!

The Great Pumpkin approacheth. Browsing through my copy of Basic Creatures, I saw stand-ins for the Universal Pictures icons: vampire (Dracula), werewolf (The Wolf Man), mummy (The Mummy). And I suppose you could use one of Call of Cthulhu's beefier Deep Ones as a stand-in for The Creature From the Black Lagoon. But we're still missing a few classic movie monster greats: Frankenstein's monster, the Invisible Man, Mr. Hyde, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Phantom of the Opera. So here's a troublesome twosome to spice up your Halloween BRP campaign, and a challenge. I'll be posting my version of the Frankenstein monster later. But what about your favorite classic movie monsters? Can you Build A Better Monster ? For Frankenstein's monster, there are several directions you could go. The literary monster was a super genius and well-spoken as well as incredibly tough. The 1931 Boris Karloff version was a sensitive child-like soul, moody and dangerous, but not the unstoppable robot the monster became during the innumerable sequels. In a similar vein, Karloff's Mummy was an ancient sorcerer, quite unlike the shuffling tanis-leaf powered hulk Tom Tyler played a few years later. And the mummy from the Brendan Fraser films is another bundle of wrappings altogether. Source: Frankenstein, Universal Pictures, 1931 Henry Frankenstein "It's alive! It's alive! Alive! Ahahahaha!" Son of a Swiss nobleman, Henry Frankenstein left medical school when his unorthodox theories about biological rejuvenation and requests for more and more cadavers for research alarmed his professors. Using his personal wealth, he established a private laboratory in an ancient abandoned watchtower. Obsessed with completing his experiments, he isolated himself from family and friends, even putting off marriage to his fiancé Elizabeth. Unable to procure human bodies legally, Frankenstein and his assistant, Fritz, have been scouring the countryside for fresh graves and recently hung criminals. Frankenstein is a tall, thin man in his late 20s or early30s with large, serious dark eyes and a grim, determined manner. Without loved ones to constrain him, he has neglected sleep and meals until his already thin frame is gaunt and starved. Frankenstein is fanatically set on confirming his theories and will brusquely push aside anyone or anything that threatens to interrupt him, such as the player-characters. He can be charming and reasonable when he needs to be. His monomania and physical exhaustion have brought him close to being unable to tell the difference between right and wrong. STR 8 CON 6 SIZ 12 INT 15 POW 12 DEX 13 APP 10 SAN 60 Move: 10 Hit Points: 10 Damage Bonus: None Armor: None Attacks: Brawl 25%, 1d4; Pistol 20%, 1d6 Profession: Scientist Skills: Biology 31%, Chemistry 31%, Craft (Scientific Instruments) 35%, Electronics 31%, First Aid 50%, Language (German) 55%, Medicine 35%, Persuade 25%, Physics 31%, Research 55%, Status 25% Fritz the Hunchback "Don't touch that!" A dark, twitchy little man, Fritz seems even shorter than he is because of his spinal deformity. He’s much stronger than he looks, however, and despite needing a cane to traverse stairs he can climb and jump like a monkey when he needs to. Frankenstein used his influence to free Fritz when the latter would have gone to prison for burglary. Fritz is utterly devoted to his benefactor and obeys him implicitly, even when the task fills him with dread. Fritz’ harsh underclass upbringing gave him little opportunity for education but he’s a quick learner and has picked up the ability to build and adjust the electronic equipment Frankenstein plans to use in his great experiment. Unlike his boss, Fritz has hardly any social graces at all and possesses a cruel streak as a result of his own suffering. He will be generally hostile and sullen toward adventurers unless Frankenstein indicates that he will tolerate them. STR 18 CON 11 SIZ 10 INT 15 POW 10 DEX 15 APP 6 SAN 50 Move: 10 Hit Points: 14 Damage Bonus: +1d4 Armor: None Attacks: Brawl 45%, 1d4 + 1d4; Dagger 35%, 1d6 + 1d4 Profession: Criminal Skills: Bargain 20%, Climb 55%, Drive 25%, Fine Manipulation 35%, Heavy Machine 36%, Hide 45%, Jump 55%, Language (German) 55%, Spot 45%, Stealth 45%

Goodness! When is the next etherflier chartered to go there?

Take those dice out at once and shoot them! :mad:

I'm an old hand at HERO (3rd-5th editions) but a relative BRP newbie, which is probably why I took a while to create Wolfie. That said, HERO would have given me 350 total points to build him with (plus disadvantages), while BRP gave me 325 skill points and 15 (plus failings) power points to create his huffing ability with. So even though I rolled up his characteristics in minutes I still had to spend a couple hours calculating how to set up his powers and figuring out how to maximize his skills so he'd be able to do what he's supposed to do. Skills in HERO are relatively cheap compared to BRP. So it would have been easier to make him a really smooth talker (14- on 3d6) and to throw in some acting ability to boot. In BRP, with his non-Wolf Profession skill levels ranging from 26-35%, he's something of a putz. But I suppose that's OK. In the fairy tales he's something of a putz as well. His powers, though, are pretty equivalent to what I'd have given him in HERO. His 2d6 wind energy projection attack is equivalent to a HERO System 2d6 ranged killing attack; in HERO terms, all BRP attacks are killing attacks. HERO has killing attacks and normal attacks (which do less hit point damage but can stun a character), so I would probably have modified Wolfie's bad breath to be a 6d6 energy blast (worth the same amount of points). Since HERO powers run on Endurance (END), which is 2xCON, Wolfie would be able to huff and puff a lot more in a HERO game than he'll be able to in BRP, where his bad breath is fueled by his pitiful 6 POW.

I thought that sort of thing only happened in Rolemaster. :eek:

Yeah, SIZ 2d6+1 (I notice Mongoose Runequest wolves get 2d6+3). About 5 feet tall, 140 pounds. Even Barbie could slap him down, much less Kim Possible. It's the old "roll random and make it work" phenomenon. Of course, people in the Middle Ages were smaller than they are now.

Thanks! In light of all the "BRP is easier than other RPGs" discussions I've read here and on RPG.net, I have to say that building the BBW took me at least as long with BRP as it would have with HERO System. But I demonstrated to myself what is possible with BRP.

The BBW The Wolf. Yeah, it’s him. The original Big Bad: Sultan of Stealth, Master of Disguise, He of the Herculean Lungs, the terror of little pigs and little girls. What? There are a lot of wolves in the big woods, you say? Maybe that explains how the BBW seems to be everywhere at once. But which of those mangy curs can speak flawless Human, charm potential victims with urbane manners (at least until he loses his temper), and swap into appropriate raiment faster than Clark Kent on a hectic day? What mere flea-bitten canine can, with a little effort (OK, OK, with a lot of effort), emit gale force winds from his muzzle capable of demolishing small buildings, or at least poorly constructed ones? Also, the BBW appears to have more lives than the proverbial cat. Plummeted into a cauldron of boiling soup? Sliced in half by a woodsman’s axe? Drowned in raging rapids by a clever hen? No problem; he always bounces back for more. Hide the goodies, Grandma. The BBW is back in action! Background Remus was an unlikely candidate to become one of the best known villains of all time. He was always smaller and weaker than his littermates, the runt. Ordinarily, he would have been killed or cast out of the pack. But Remus was also much smarter than the other wolves and quickly learned to become a master manipulator to survive. The pack may have despised him, but he always found a way to make himself indispensable. While hunting, Remus stumbled upon a troupe of wandering players who were busy roasting meat for their evening meal. He hid at the edge of the firelight, hoping to snatch scraps, a plateful of food, or even one of the smaller actors for his own repast. Instead, he discovered he could snatch scraps of something else, their words. Intrigued, he shadowed the group for weeks, learning to understand human language, watching and listening as they practiced their lines, constructed and tried on costumes, and perfected feats of juggling and sleight of hand. Alone, away from both the pack and the humans, Remus began practicing himself, trying to repeat the words, mannerisms, and tricks he’d studied. It was heartbreakingly difficult, and Remus had to adopt new ways of breathing to enable his canine mouth, esophagus and lungs to create human words. He also struggled to balance himself on his hind legs as the awkward humans did so he could mimic their movements. As months passed, however, he discovered that not only had the strenuous regimen enabled him to speak, but it had developed his personal stamina to unaccustomed levels. He could run further, stalk prey for longer periods of time without growing exhausted. The epiphany came one day while Remus was trying to rid himself of horseflies that were persistently stinging his nose. He blew at them, as he’d seen one of the humans blow at a candle. He not only succeeded in removing the flies; he also sent a pair of his brothers tumbling. Remus didn’t stick around for the pack’s retribution. He struck out on his own, counting on his new abilities to enable him to become a more effective predator than the pack’s strongest hunter. Powers and Abilities Despite his ability to walk upright on his hind legs and speak human languages, Remus is by no means a super-strong, invulnerable werewolf. Rather he is a canine mutant with human-level intelligence and charm, a being of diabolical patience and cunning. Rarely able to overpower opponents with brute strength, he’s learned that trickery and sheer chutzpah are often more effective in acquiring his prey. He possesses the normal wolf teeth, protective fur, and hunting skills. He’s persuasive but not nearly as good as he thinks he is. Also, given a lungful of air, Remus is capable of blasting opponents (or their dwellings) with damaging gale-force winds. He can huff and puff three times before becoming completely tuckered out for the day. Disadvantages Remus, The Big Bad Wolf, is smarter than other wolves but often not as clever as his intended prey. Not that he’d ever admit this to himself. His overpowering self confidence tends to make him his own worst enemy. It’s not as if he needs more. As a wolf, he’d shunned and feared by most humans and demihumans even if he didn’t have the uncanny ability to speak and dress up in costume. The fact that he inevitably chooses other sentient beings for his next meal doesn’t endear him to the populace either. Appearance Remus is somewhat small for a wolf, which aids him in seeming less threatening to potential targets. He has dark gray fur, which he keeps carefully brushed and oiled while among humankind. He doesn’t normally wear clothing in the wild (its uncomfortable and restricting) but has collected a whole cave full of costumes and props for his excursions into town. STR 10 CON 15 SIZ 7 INT 11 POW 6 DEX 13 APP 13 Move: 10 Hit Points: 22 (CON+SIZ method; he’s an epic NPC villain, after all) Damage Bonus: None Armor: 2 AP fur Attacks: Bite 30% (1d8+1/2db); Projection 26% (2d6, wind energy projection) Skills: Disguise 31%, Dodge 35%, Fast Talk 35%, Insight 31%, Language (Wolf) 55%, Language (Human) 55%, Listen 55%, Persuade 35%, Sense 55%, Spot 55%, Track 55% Powers: 2d6 wind energy projection, super characteristic (+1 STR) Failings: socially excluded group (wolf); noxious personal habit (eats people) Notes The Big Bad Wolf is a super villain based on the standard wolf write-up (Basic Roleplaying, Page 340). His primary characteristics are unmodified except for STR, which was bought up by 1 point to avoid penalties. As a heroic level super, he got 15 build points based on his above-average CON which were enhanced by two +3 flaws. His miserably low POW rating limits his bad breath to the number of uses we see in fairy tales. His high natural “wolf profession” skills had to be lowered to enable him to acquire human skills; he gained intelligence at the expense of instinct and natural ability. If he seems kind of wimpy, remember that his opponents are typically normal-level characters without powers. Why bother to stat up the Big Bad Wolf? Well, if Basic Roleplaying is flexible enough to handle that, it is capable of creating aliens for your conspiracy, space opera or planetary romance game or beast men for your fantasy campaign. Besides, after 30 years of BRP, I hadn’t seen anyone else do it.

I wrote The Soul of Ra Mihn Nudal. The booklet represents a broad range of genres: pulp, space opera, time travel, weird war, superheros, pirate adventure, fantasy. The layout is an easy to read two-column with decent-sized print. It was a monograph, though, which means Chaosium didn't include illustrations or maps unless the author submitted them with his adventure.

The eleven scenarios include fantasy, time travel, pulp, superhero, pirate, Weird War II, modern crime, and outer space adventures. So the monograph has a pretty broad spectrum of genres to choose from. Sadly, IndianKen's was the only straight historical scenario this time around. In the wake of BRP Rome I thought we might get more of them.

At least one of the scenarios was a tongue-in-cheek pulp adventure along the lines of the Brendan Fraser Mummy movies.

Since Halloween is coming up, I'd have figured some of you guys would have checked this out by now. Anyone had a peek at it yet?

Anyone managed to acquire and read through this yet? How is it?

I agree. Both At Rapier's Point and A Might Fortress have lots of historical and cultural info that would be valuable for such a campaign. Their mechanics won't convert to BRP, but the professions and classes will help you figure out what sorts of skills and abilities your characters should have. There's little or no magic (and witches tend to have short lifespans), so you won't have to mess with that unless you're interested in a fairy tale sort of game (this was the era when Charles Perrault's classic tales were being compiled). BRP probably already has rules for primitive black powder firearms. The toughest part might be simulating fencing, but Jason Durall is working on a set of fencing rules for his Interplanetary scientific romance game. Want horror? Werewolves are the monsters de jour, particularly in France, while evil child-snatching hags tend to dominate in England. Werewolves from folklore aren't invulnerable like their movie counterparts, but they don't have to wait for the full moon to do their stuff, either. And there are plenty of ordinary mean, nasty wolves around as well in the wake of the wars. Hags are associated with ancient, isolated groves and pools and may be pagan deities who've fallen on hard times since the advent of Christianity. Fairies aren't noble Tolkeinized, Disneyfied creatures. They're malevolent shape-shifting beings who resent human intrusion, and they're everywhere. Unlike the fantasy games and literature we've become used to, in folklore there aren't hard and fast differences between "good" elves and "bad" elves or between fairies, goblins, dwarves, pookas, etc. And regardless of whether they're gorgeous or hideous, they really are out to get you.

No "high fantasy." Does this mean you're ditching supernatural or folklore elements and going pretty straight historical? ICE's At Rapier's Point has detailed info on 17th century Europe. And despite the era's swashbuckling reputation, things don't get much grimmer and grittier than the Thirty Years' War.

I'd also check out Will and Ariel Durant's world history series, which has a lot of good tidbits. Also, check out Iron Crown's "At Rapier's Point," which covers Musketeers-era Europe and the Ottomans, too.

But don't we already have some BRP Traveller conversion stuff in the downloads section or in the threads? And the old Futureworld (available free online) has a faux Traveller military sci fi setup you could swipe. Of course you could avoid all this by emigrating to Vinland and becoming chummy with the Behotek. A few slugs of homebrewed wine, and all your conversion worries will fade.