Mixing in other RPGs with BRP...

[samwise7]

The idea of a frankenmonster RPG, that mixes all sorts of RPGs has been on my mind lately. I'm not sure if I'll actually do it, but it would be a challenge to try to mix all the favorite elements from all of the RPGs I like, into one big lurching behemoth.

Has anyone done this?

[rust]

As far as I remember, I never went further than mixing elements of BRP, GURPS and Traveller,

with an occasional idea from other roleplaying games added to the mix.

[dragonewt]

Has anyone done this?

I have been doing this for a while. This includes analysing essences and key concepts to derive modular ideas, then combining them in a way where they elegantly combine to make a fluid system that can be easily changed and tweaked (and debugged).

Example break downs include:

• Stat ranges: 1-5 (Most "modern" systems), or 1-10, or 1-20.
  
• Stat types: Fixed value, single dice, dice pool, percentile, etc...
  
• Skill heavy vs Stat heavy.
  
• Roll-over vs Roll under.
  
• Criticals/Fumbles either by number rolled on dice, or by degree a target number has been exceeded or failed.
  
• Stat/skill types and relationship of stats (Eg: Fudge style vs Fixed attributes+skills).
  
• Nature of fixed stats used and how they combine concepts and relate to others (including derived stats) - I like POW, but this could be split or recombined (eg: Luck, Will, Mana and Charisma).
  
• Modifiers and how to handle, eg: improving a skill with extra time, but defining limits, and how a failed skill can be repeated.
  
• Story-teller vs crunch.
  
• Types of task resolution.
  
• etc...
  

The goal is to have a single fluid system that can scale and be tweaked to many peoples' tastes, using one system, without being a "bolt-on" monster (such as Fuzion).

Goldylocks will let me know when it is "just right".

Edited July 21, 2010 by dragonewt

[Skunkape]

Classic Fantasy written by our very own threedesix does just that! Takes the goodness that's ADnD and shoehorns it into BRP.

I've been looking at the parts of the Pathfinder system, and using Classic Fantasy as a guide, been shoehorning it into BRP myself. Granted, some Feats don't transfer and such, but I'm making headway, so yes, I've done similar things.

I really hate level based systems, but I like quite a few of the Feats and a lot of the spells from Pathfinder/DnD 3.5 so in order to use a great skill based system, BRP with those items, I've got to house rule it!

[fmitchell]

I'm fiddling with porting other magic systems to BRP / MRQ2. (And BRP systems to MRQ2, which is much easier.) I haven't gotten far, but my queue includes:

Barbarians of Lemuria Sorcery

Book/Path Magic (GURPS Thaumatology)

Genius: the Transgression Mad Science

Incantations (d20)

Mage: the Awakening Magic

Miracles (All Flesh Must Be Eaten)

S. John Ross's Hedge Magic (GURPS, FUDGE, etc.)

True20 Powers

In some cases, I'm combining similar systems for a "best of breed" in BRP, e.g. my Incantations system also borrows from Occultism from A Magical Medley (FUDGE), Magic from Buffy and Ghosts of Albion (Unisystem), Castle Falkenstein Sorcery, and a little bit of Call of Cthulhu Magic.

[vagabond]

Well, my port of Jorune to BRP is obviously a mix of Skyrealms of Jorune and BRP, with some MRQ2, and other sources of inspiration tossed in.

Ian

[Atgxtg]

Over the years I7ve ported various things over from one RPG to another. In one case I coverted an Stormbringer campaign over to RQ3, with only a few changes (but the systems were fairly similar).

Inevitably with a "mix 'n match" system, the GM has to make decsions abot how to covert things becuase of the differences between game systems. WHat might be a slap on the wrist in one rpg can be a lethal threat in another.

[Nightshade]

Over the years I7ve ported various things over from one RPG to another. In one case I coverted an Stormbringer campaign over to RQ3, with only a few changes (but the systems were fairly similar).

Inevitably with a "mix 'n match" system, the GM has to make decsions abot how to covert things becuase of the differences between game systems. WHat might be a slap on the wrist in one rpg can be a lethal threat in another.

And you have to watch changes in process, too. Porting over a spell-fumble system, for example, can be far more hair-raising in a linear roll like BRP than it is in, say, some kind of die pool system where avoiding fumbles is fairly easy.

[samwise7]

I was thinking of bolting on some skills to Labyrinth Lord a la BRP (Basic Roleplaying). I really like the D100 roll under mechanic for skills. I was also thinking of multiplying the stats by 5 to get a percentage total (so they could roll under that with a D100 as well). It is just an idea. I know Classic Fantasy (a BRP monograph) has done this, so that will be an inspiration and I will merge much of that with LL.

Just thinking about tinkering, hehe.

(Edit, hehe I thought I posted this on the LL Forum, hehe).

Edited July 24, 2010 by samwise7

[sladethesniper]

I have been doing this for years. Started with Palladium and Call of Cthulhu (BRP), which was actually pretty easy.

Eventually, I threw in the World of Darkness, then everything else. Right now, my three bookshelves of RPG's are all able to fully combined into BRP with the help of several files on my computer covering weapons damage, skill transfers, combat, and character creation.

Converting game systems has been a hobby of mine for a while. It can be rewarding and frustrating at times.

What I can say is that one of the best parts to convert is character creation. That is actually the "meat of the game" which will allow you to explore a setting.

Converting combat systems is a pain and not really worth it

Converting equipment is nice, but only do the stuff that can't be found in your "base system".

Setting conversion is nice as well, such as smashing RIFTS: Vampire Kingdoms and WOD: V:tM together, but you might end up with some very odd results.

Good luck!

-STS

[sladethesniper]

I have been doing this for years. Started with Palladium and Call of Cthulhu (BRP), which was actually pretty easy.

Eventually, I threw in the World of Darkness, then everything else. Right now, my three bookshelves of RPG's are all able to fully combined into BRP with the help of several files on my computer covering weapons damage, skill transfers, combat, and character creation.

Converting game systems has been a hobby of mine for a while. It can be rewarding and frustrating at times.

What I can say is that one of the best parts to convert is character creation. That is actually the "meat of the game" which will allow you to explore a setting.

Converting combat systems is a pain and not really worth it

Converting equipment is nice, but only do the stuff that can't be found in your "base system".

Setting conversion is nice as well, such as smashing RIFTS: Vampire Kingdoms and WOD: V:tM together, but you might end up with some very odd results.

Good luck!

-STS

[nicoledc109]

I have been doing this for a while. This includes analysing essences and key concepts to derive modular ideas, then combining them in a way where they elegantly combine to make a fluid system that can be easily changed and tweaked (and debugged).

Example break downs include:

• Stat ranges: 1-5 (Most "modern" systems), or 1-10, or 1-20.
  
• Stat types: Fixed value, single dice, dice pool, percentile, etc...
  
• Skill heavy vs Stat heavy.
  
• Roll-over vs Roll under.
  
• Criticals/Fumbles either by number rolled on dice, or by degree a target number has been exceeded or failed.
  
• Stat/skill types and relationship of stats (Eg: Fudge style vs Fixed attributes+skills).
  
• Nature of fixed stats used and how they combine concepts and relate to others (including derived stats) - I like POW, but this could be split or recombined (eg: Luck, Will, Mana and Charisma).
  
• Modifiers and how to handle, eg: improving a skill with extra time, but defining limits, and how a failed skill can be repeated.
  
• Story-teller vs crunch.
  
• Types of task resolution.
  
• etc...
  

The goal is to have a single fluid system that can scale and be tweaked to many peoples' tastes, using one system, without being a "bolt-on" monster (such as Fuzion).

Goldylocks will let me know when it is "just right".

Thanks you for the post.

Hi guys, Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.

[Al.]

Dominion is a mixed bag of rules, included are many clever or idiosyncratic little bits.

One I like is that 'Witches' (magic users and magicians of most sorts) only lose 'spell points' (power points) when they FAIL to cast a spell.

BASIC likewise has lots of clever bits, I like the VIRulence rules for diseases being exactly analogous to POT for poisons

[Atgxtg]

Yes, definately. The bane of porting, IMO, are the suble differences in game mechanics that the GM might miss in translation. I've gotten blindsided badly a few times in the past by something unxpected in the "translation". Typically something gets transofrredinto an unberweapon, or else into something nearly useless.

[TrippyHippy]

For those interested in adapting a more freeform approach to magic(k) in BRP, akin to Mage's sphere system - would it be possible to get hold of the progenitor game system?

Maelstrom (the 1984 Puffin book one).

That clever little 16th century, swashbuckling game, which Mage got it's basic magic system from, is essentially a very similar percentile-based system at it's core. The setting's pretty good too, and it has been out of print for ages. I reckon it would make a great adaptation for either RQ or BRP.

[fmitchell]

Maelstrom (the 1984 Puffin book one)

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