Stormbringer

[Mankcam]

Yes, I might follow up your recommendations and nab some of the Mongoose Elric/Hawkmoon line, I loved reading the Chaosium version of that setting and I wouldn't mind seeing how it has been interpreted with Mongoose.

And, as far as BRP fantasy-setting gaming goes, hit locations and strike ranks certainly float the boat for me, that's a plus not a negative!

A 'Guide To The Million Spheres'? Now that is certainly something to dream about...

[Greville]

The most fun I've had playing a pre-made adventure was in Stormbringer. We played the Hall of Risk adventure and I went through three characters in one day.

I bought Elric and it was my 'go to' system for fantasy games, until I imported a copy of Runequest III.

[Chaot]

The most fun I've had playing a pre-made adventure was in Stormbringer.

I agree. I don't use pre-made adventure much, but I've cribbed from Hall of Risk. I absolutely love springing See Hwarmgaarl and Die!. Fang and the Fountain with some changes and expansion makes for a great Dr. Moreau stand in. While I haven't used it myself, I've seen The Strong Arm become a foundation for two separate campaigns.

[Questbird]

We are of the same mind, sir!

I still play Elric! in the world of Nehwon (by Fritz Leiber) and various intersecting planes (most recently a stint in HP Lovecraft's Dreamlands). Elric!'s elegant combat system and mechanics, slim rulebook and dark-tinged play cannot be beaten. The magic system left a little to be desired, and needed tweaking for my campaign (a topic Chaot and I have discussed at length in different forums over the years). Even if you don't use the Young Kingdoms setting (as I did not) the Digest of generic NPCs was also very useful -- I wish more BRP supplements did the same.

I have Darcsyde's Corum book (I think that was a Chaot recommendation too -- thanks) and it's very interesting. I use it for some of the elder races.

[Chaot]

Elric!'s elegant combat system and mechanics, slim rulebook and dark-tinged play cannot be beaten. The magic system left a little to be desired, and needed tweaking for my campaign (a topic Chaot and I have discussed at length in different forums over the years).

And the way you meshed Elric! with the magic system from Maelstrom was really sublime. Totally agree on the Digests by the way. I get so much use out of them it's ridiculous. One thing I've lifted from those write ups are the 'throw away' skills that sometimes get included. Things like Always Take a Bet or Piercing Stare. I like to allow PCs to take personality skills that operate in some vague way.

[The Venomous Pao]

And the way you meshed Elric! with the magic system from Maelstrom was really sublime. Totally agree on the Digests by the way. I get so much use out of them it's ridiculous. One thing I've lifted from those write ups are the 'throw away' skills that sometimes get included. Things like Always Take a Bet or Piercing Stare. I like to allow PCs to take personality skills that operate in some vague way.

And thus BRP introduced free-form skills (or FATE-like aspects) before anyone else had ever pushed such things. Yay, BRP!

[Da Boss]

Hello

Always loved the Stormbringer setting and rules - played and ran there for decades. I like high level games os the system suited well and prefered the cut down version of the RQ rules (no fatigue or hit locs etc).

Have ran the Fang and the Fountain a number of times with pre gen characters - great fun and must admit the throw away skills were always great for one offs/ pre gens - things like - Pose with Sword, Recite Saga and Command Slaves was amusing. Used the teenage Melnibonean daughter from Ghost of Cities as a adventurer pre gen with her bodgyguard a few times which was worked well.

Must admit I have spent alot of time fiddiling with the rules and adding stuff from the varying editions over the years - if anyone is bored my present rules (incorpating MGPs Elric) is here:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?t7cthdspf3gsskd

[Marcus Bone]

I've just added some Stormbringer stuff to the downloads section. The first is a player handout gazatteer for those new to the Young Kingdoms. It's largely text from the books edited and formated in order to be a convenient player hand out. It totals four pages, each page details a different continent, the north, west and south as well as one page for the island.

The second is two versions of a character sheet for a Gods of Law game.

I hope someone finds them useful.

Hey Chaot!

Would you mind if I upload those to Stormbringerrpg.com? I'm always on the lookout for good SB support material!

Beyond that, it's great to see some more discussion on my favourite fantasy RPG!

Marcus

Edited August 2, 2011 by binder

[Baron]

I'll just chime in with my love for 1st ed Stormbringer. I wonder what Ken St Andre's contributions were, anyone know? I'm always appreciative of slimmed-down rules, and I love the YK. My copy is falling apart, but I'd still be up for a game. Not at all familiar with the subsequent editions.

[Guest Vile Traveller]

I wonder what Ken St Andre's contributions were, anyone know?

Something I've always wondered about, too. He's also mentioned in the dedications at the front of RQ2, right after Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax.

[Baron]

Something I've always wondered about, too. He's also mentioned in the dedications at the front of RQ2, right after Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax.

Well, I believe the RQ2 dedication is in reference to his authoring Tunnels and Trolls.

[Baron]

Anyway, regarding Stormbringer, my thoughts would be that Steve Perrin at least gets credit for the BRP-type rules, because of his work on Runequest. What's new or different in Stormbringer? Haven't looked at in years, but my guess is, the magic system. So maybe that's St Andre's?

[Guest Vile Traveller]

He's credited as the author, so presumably the whole thing is is. The 1st edition system was mostly BRP, but with tweaks IIRC - random armour values, for one.

[Baron]

just re-read it tonight. I have the GW printing, lists Perrin and St Andre as the authors, but Perrin may not have been that actively involved.... I don't know. It's streamlined compared to RQ, anyway.

Edited August 2, 2011 by Baron

[Chaot]

And thus BRP introduced free-form skills (or FATE-like aspects)

Hah! In practice it was much more write your own not very useful skill a la Unknown Armies but I am convinced that aspects can be woven into the BRP tapestry.

Must admit I have spent alot of time fiddiling with the rules and adding stuff from the varying editions over the years

I quickly breezed through it. Very comprehensive. I see you use Allegiance and Elan together. I like this concept very much and am going to think about including something like this in my game.

Would you mind if I upload those to Stormbringerrpg.com? I'm always on the lookout for good SB support material!

Please do Marcus! I'd love that.

Edit: But if you put the gazetteer thing up, please stress that the prose was taken and condensed from Elric! and Mongoose Elric. In fact, I should edit the pdf to contain a page that acknowledges that. I'll do that tonight and ask Triff if he will swap it out with the one I have uploaded.

Anyway, regarding Stormbringer, my thoughts would be that Steve Perrin at least gets credit for the BRP-type rules, because of his work on Runequest. What's new or different in Stormbringer? Haven't looked at in years, but my guess is, the magic system. So maybe that's St Andre's?

You know, that's a very good question. I've always felt that the early Stormbringer stuff oozed St. Andre's off the wall energy and assumed that the 'looseness' of the Stormbringer system compared to RuneQuest was directly influenced by St. Andre. I'm betting that things like Goldar and Champion Amulets came from his wonderful brain. I may be remembering wrong, but I think some of the Demon Summoning stuff came from zomben. I think he was the one talking about adapting the Superpowers from Superworld to Demon Abilities. I wonder if he's still hanging around on these boards?

Edited August 2, 2011 by Chaot

[vagabond]

You know, that's a very good question. I've always felt that the early Stormbringer stuff oozed St. Andre's off the wall energy and assumed that the 'looseness' of the Stormbringer system compared to RuneQuest was directly influenced by St. Andre. I'm betting that things like Goldar and Champion Amulets came from his wonderful brain. I may be remembering wrong, but I think some of the Demon Summoning stuff came from zomben. I think he was the one talking about adapting the Superpowers from Superworld to Demon Abilities. I wonder if he's still hanging around on these boards?

I believe Ken took Steve's RQ core and "turned it up to 11". Goldar and Lawful Virtues were his "creation", though he pulled virtues from things like Myshella's bird and golem. Also, the original Demon Summoning rules were Ken's (SB 1 - 3), but Ben revamped them in SB4 (where he did indeed use the Superworld powers as a basis). Ken also came up with Elan (or if early RQ used Elan, Ken mashed it to fit the three cosmic powers, elementals, and beastlords) as well as creating the Champion/Apotheosis for the powers. And the racial modifiers and professions associated with the specific Young Kingdoms peoples. Overall I think Ken did a very fine job fitting the original stories into BRP. Some things were a stretch, but he did capture the flavor of the setting quite well.

Ian

[Da Boss]

the GW version of Stormbringer was one of my first ever rpgs - loved it including all of the "over the top rules".

Elan works really well I feel and the alleigeince system complements it nicely.

[BMonroe]

I may be remembering wrong, but I think some of the Demon Summoning stuff came from zomben. I think he was the one talking about adapting the Superpowers from Superworld to Demon Abilities. I wonder if he's still hanging around on these boards?

Occasionally.

[rustorod]

I have Elric and SB5 rule books, is the old Bronze Grimoire and Demon Magic supplements necessary? Did the sorcery of the later rule books go on to include some of that material?

Thanks.

Mike

[NickMiddleton]

I have Elric and SB5 rule books, is the old Bronze Grimoire and Demon Magic supplements necessary? Did the sorcery of the later rule books go on to include some of that material?

Demon Magic was the second Stormbringer companion - not a lot from it made it (directly) in to Elric!/SB5, but it was very much a supplement for the early game. There's an excellent scenario, a solid SAN variant and some OK "Rune" magic ideas... There's some other stuff but my copies at home...

The Bronze Grimoire is a substantial expansion of the Elric!/SB5 sorcery system and has currently NOT been re-issued or reworked for BRP and is well worth picking up. It adds a significant number of spells, a whole system of rune magic, an entirely new necromancy sub system and a load of other material.

Demon Magic is really for completists only - the Bronze Grimoire is something I wish Chaosium would de-Moorcock and republish NOW.

Nick

[wbcreighton]

They are still available as pdfs though.

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?cPath=5618

[Smoking Frog]

[ithe Bronze Grimoire is something I wish Chaosium would de-Moorcock and republish NOW.

Nick

I doff my hat to your masterful turn of phrase. Shakie could not have verbed that noun better.

[sdavies2720]

I doff my hat to your masterful turn of phrase. Shakie could not have verbed that noun better.

I think it should have been "...de-Moorcock and re-bookize NOW."