Building a "Magic" System for BRP OGC

[JonL]

1 hour ago, g33k said:

I'm not seeing a dramatic problem here...  You include BOTH license in the front matter, and indicate that neither licence applies to OGC of the other.

What am I missing? 

The challenge of describing  how incompatibly licensed rules interoperate in a single text without giving rise to content that is a derivative work of both sources and thus invalidating compliance is not to be underestimated. 

If it was just seperate stat blocks side by side in a monster book, or maybe a book with all the setting info up front and two appendices containing seperate parallel game mechanics implementations for each license-realm - maybe it could be done to the satisfaction of all upstream license holders.

That's a lot of work and risk to take on for a small reward.

Much wiser to stay within a single license realm and fill whatever gaps you have with original content. 

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by JonL

[Austin]

I've confirmed with MOB over in the BRP OGL questions thread that the following simple system qualifies as "not substantially similar" to RuneQuest's spirit magic. So, it seems to me that you can make something which will play fairly close to how BRP's simple magic typically feels, without violating the prohibited content clause.

For the record, anyone can make use of the following in BRP OGL work. In case that wasn't explicitly stated by me posting it publicly.

Quote

Combat Magic

Spell Descriptors

• Distance: Defines how close the magician must be to the spell's target. There are three distances: self, touch, and ranged. Self spells may only target the magician. Touch spells are cast upon a valid target the magician touches. Ranged spells are cast on any valid target within 150 feet. (N: I chose this range for the example because it's basically parallel to spirit magic's 50 meters.)
• Time: Defines how long a spell is in effect. Spells are either instant or temporal. An instant spell's effects happen the moment the spell is cast. A temporal spell lasts ten combat rounds. [A combat round lasts for six seconds.] (N: These metrics were chosen because it is the same mechanical duration as RQ's spirit magic, but a different in-world time passes.)
• Cost: A spell either is variable or has a set casting cost in magic points. Variable spells cause increasing effects for each point spent when casting them.
• Spell Knowledge: A magician can only know total points of combat magic equal to their INT characteristic. 

Casting a Spell

A spell is cast by rolling under the magician's POW×5 as a percentile, and marking off the expended magic points on the magician's character sheet. Casting a combat magic spell costs the magician's action. [So, a magician cannot both cast a spell and attack with a weapon in the same combat round.] Depending on the casting roll's result, the following effects may take place:

• Special Success: The spell costs one less magic point, to a minimum of one.
• Success: The spell is cast for its normal cost in magic points.
• Failure: The spell is not cast, and the magician loses no magic points.
• Fumble: The spell is not cast, and the magician loses magic points equal to its cost.

Spells

Block

Touch, Temporal, Variable

Each point of Block cast gives the touched shield +1 armor point, and increases the wielder's shield skill by +5%. Armor points from Block cannot be destroyed by mundane weapon damage unless the shield is reduced to zero normal armor points. They are destroyed first by magic damage (such as from Crusher or Magic Blast).

Crusher

Touch, Temporal, Variable

Each point of Crusher cast gives the touched crushing weapon +1 point of damage, and increases the wielder's weapon skill by +5%.

Magic Blast

Ranged, Instant, 2 points

Magic Blast deals 1D6 damage to a random hit location. It cannot be dodged, but armor reduces damage as usual. If a shield is being used to cover the rolled hit location, that shield's armor points protect against the damage of Magic Blast.

Piercer

Touch, Temporal, Variable

Each point of Piercer cast gives the touched piercing weapon +1 point of damage, and increases the wielder's weapon skill by +5%.

Protection

Self, Temporal, Variable

Each point of Protection cast gives the magician +1 armor point of protection against both mundane and magical damage. (N: I've intentionally named this Protection for the example, but if I was trying to be sneaky I'd probably name it "Armor.")

Slasher

Touch, Temporal, Variable

Each point of Slasher cast gives the touched slashing weapon +1 point of damage, and increases the wielder's weapon skill by +5%.

 

[NickMiddleton]

8 hours ago, g33k said:

I see...  But frankly that "in theory" clause (of JonL's) actually looks awfully practical, to me... 

The WotC-style OGL already allow mixing OGC and non-OGC content in a single work, after all; as does the BRP OGL.

Let's add a "W" (for WotC) and repeat that; then a "B" for BRP:  the WOGL already allows mixing WOGC and non-WOGC content.  So it allows mixing WOGC and "BOGC" content, correct?  And vice versa, the BOGL allows mixing BOGC and non-BOGC content.  All as per the terms of the respective licenses.

(I mean... unless you want to make a version of Camelot where Arthur and Lancelot are Beholders.  Then Jeff Richards and Mike Mason drink a few beers, have a laugh, and come over to beat the living shi-- ... erm, play in your game.)

I'm not seeing a dramatic problem here...  You include BOTH license in the front matter, and indicate that neither licence applies to OGC of the other.

What am I missing? 

Feel free to undertake such a project at your own risk - I've articulated my concerns (and Jon L continues to elaborate reasons for such concerns  more clearly than I) and thus will not.

I have, however, as a result re-examined the other licensing models Chaosium offer ( https://www.chaosium.com/fan-use-and-licensing/ ) and, despite their different restrictions, find them significantly more appealing - to the extent I have even started some tentative steps to reinvigorate a project long left fallow.

At this point I doubt my scepticism is contributing much to discussion of the BRP OGL so I'll bow out. I wish everyone luck with it and I hope I am proven wrong in my concerns.

NDM

Edited April 2, 2020 by NickMiddleton
typo

[Jeff]

2 hours ago, Crel said:

I've confirmed with MOB over in the BRP OGL questions thread that the following simple system qualifies as "not substantially similar" to RuneQuest's spirit magic. So, it seems to me that you can make something which will play fairly close to how BRP's simple magic typically feels, without violating the prohibited content clause.

For the record, anyone can make use of the following in BRP OGL work. In case that wasn't explicitly stated by me posting it publicly.

 

Yeah this is not Substantially Similar.

[Austin]

1 hour ago, Jeff said:

Yeah this is not Substantially Similar.

Thanks for re-confirming, Jeff. "Substantially similar" is a concept I still feel kind of squishy about, if that makes sense, but I appreciate you and @MOB clarifying it.