BRP Using a d20?

[lawrence.whitaker]

I think Bushido is one of the very best examples of merging classes, levels and skills - along with both a d100 and d20 roll under mechanic - into a successful and unified whole.

• Skills are calculated on a 0-100 basis for base values and improvement, and then divided by 5 for a d20 roll under resolution
• Levels are limited to 6, with level providing a bonus to certain skills, saving throws and capabilities
• Classes are archetypes and determine beginning skills, but there's no real limit to developing skills outside of the class itself

It's a brilliant game, and shows how the old class/level approach can be adapted and unified to work with an open skill approach. By using d20 as the rolling mechanism, if also allows for some neat tricks especially around Effect Numbers (the difference between your skill success chance and what you roll, when successful) for all kinds of different resolution needs and situations.

It really is a very elegant and nuanced game system. Further iterations of the same system - notably Aftermath! and Daredevils - do away with classes and levels but retain the underlying framework of the Bushido system. Sadly, they both layer-in a lot of unnecessary complexity in other areas, but show that the same basic system can be shorn of its class/level parts and function very well as a skill-only game.

[Zenith Comics Presents...]

18 minutes ago, lawrence.whitaker said:

I think Bushido is one of the very best examples of merging classes, levels and skills - along with both a d100 and d20 roll under mechanic - into a successful and unified whole.

• Skills are calculated on a 0-100 basis for base values and improvement, and then divided by 5 for a d20 roll under resolution
• Levels are limited to 6, with level providing a bonus to certain skills, saving throws and capabilities
• Classes are archetypes and determine beginning skills, but there's no real limit to developing skills outside of the class itself

It's a brilliant game, and shows how the old class/level approach can be adapted and unified to work with an open skill approach. By using d20 as the rolling mechanism, if also allows for some neat tricks especially around Effect Numbers (the difference between your skill success chance and what you roll, when successful) for all kinds of different resolution needs and situations.

It really is a very elegant and nuanced game system. Further iterations of the same system - notably Aftermath! and Daredevils - do away with classes and levels but retain the underlying framework of the Bushido system. Sadly, they both layer-in a lot of unnecessary complexity in other areas, but show that the same basic system can be shorn of its class/level parts and function very well as a skill-only game.

You know I only ever played V&V from FGU and read Psiworld. I'll have to take a look at this! Thanks for sharing 🙂 

[Atgxtg]

On 5/6/2021 at 12:56 PM, lawrence.whitaker said:

I think Bushido is one of the very best examples of merging classes, levels and skills - along with both a d100 and d20 roll under mechanic - into a successful and unified whole.

Perhaps. I always thought that the levels were unnecessary. Come to think of it, Aftermath uses a variation of the same system without levels. Still, Bushido is a great RPG, with or without levels. I still use it as source material for similar genre games.