MRQ II compatability with BRP

[KjetilKverndokken]

How compatible are the two systems?

Can I take Magic from MRQ II and use it in BRP without to much trouble, same with Creature stats and such?

I have read that there are some things that are different in MRQ II but have not found out what exactly, if its earth shakenly different etc etc.

Also, what rules are in your opinion better in BRP then MRQ II and visa versa.

[RosenMcStern]

How compatible are the two systems?

Very much.

Can I take Magic from MRQ II and use it in BRP without to much trouble, same with Creature stats and such?

Yes. Replace the word "Pact" with "Allegiance" and that is it. For creatures, remember that RQII assumes you use hit locations and calculates HPs a bit differently.

Also, what rules are in your opinion better in BRP then MRQ II and visa versa.

[Rurik]

MRQ2 is hit location based. There are not even total HP.

MRQ2 Magic is probably the most radical reworking of the traditional RQ magic systems (Divine, Sorcery, and Shamanism) but the rules work very well and 'make sense' in how the mechanics represent 'how the magic works. The overall power level of the magic seems a bit higher than previous editions. Since BRP does not have the 'classic' RQ magic systems these are not analogous to any of the magic/power systems in BRP.

It should be very easy to use MRQ2 magic in BRP. The only area I can think of that is tricky is casting time (in MRQ2 a typical character has 2-3 actions in one round, and casting times are in Actions). MRQ2 spells are resisted with skills but these could easily be replaced with POW vs POW or POW vs CON rolls on the resistance table.

MRQ2 Combat is also very different. It uses the concept of Combat Maneuvers (CM's) - for every level of success over you opponent you gain a CM, something like Trip, Disarm, Ignore Armor, Impale, etc. Some of these are weapon dependant, others can only be used with criticals, etc. These make combat very graphic and very deadly (a simple success vs a failed defense earns a CM). Most combats last only a few rounds.

Other than what I have mentioned the games are very compatible. They share the same characteristics, skills are all % based, etc.

If you hate hit locations stay clear of MRQ2. Otherwise it is worth a look. I can't say one system is better than the other, but MRQ2 definitely brings some new ideas to the table.

Also don't let apply any bad things you've heard about MRQ1 to MRQ2. It is largely a complete ground up re-write, with the combat and magic systems being totally re-done (not that combat and magic are a major part of a fantasy RPG ). The core rulebook is also largely free of the editorial errors that plagued the first edition.

[KjetilKverndokken]

Thanks, sounds very good from what I can tell and maybe worth the investment too .

[TrippyHippy]

MRQ2 is hit location based. There are not even total HP.

Actually, for RQ2, this isn't entirely true anymore. Unimportant NPCs can use total HP now, in order to speed up combat.

[fmitchell]

Since BRP does not have the 'classic' RQ magic systems these are not analogous to any of the magic/power systems in BRP.

Unless you have Basic Magic or RuneQuest 3 (Avalon Hill/Chaosium).

For that matter, the "Magic" system is a prototype of RQ Sorcery, and "Sorcery" is someone analogous to RQ2 Battle Magic / RQ3 Spirit Magic / MRQ2 Common Magic.

[deleriad]

I would say it's both simple and hard to convert between MRQII and BRP. If you know both systems well then it's pretty easy to eyeball the statblocks and off you go. If you don't actually know MRQ there are a lot of subtle differences that can trip you up. The balance between weapons, armour and hit points is different from BRP's core assumptions. Skills are broader and skill levels higher than BRP equivalent characters. Common Magic is easy to port across but while in BRP, getting extensions to Power Points is relatively easy, in MRQ it isn't, therefore MRQ spells tend to be more powerful than BRP norms. Also the spells themselves have been written to mesh with mechanics in MRQ that aren't in BRP. A lot of the time the differences can just about be hand-waved away if you're happy running very loosely.