Converting BECMI - B/X D&D to BRP, suggestions?

[KPhan2121]

There's a pretty good NPC/monster conversion for the 3.5e rules, which could be helpful for you. I used it extensively for my own classic fantasy game that I converted from a long running D&D campaign.

 

[essere74]

Update
We've been playing Mystara for a few months now, using Classic Fantasy (the yellow one, not the Mythras one) and we're having a lot of fun..
Everything goes smoothly.
The only thing is the fights, because with the possibility of parrying/dodging sometimes killing a monster with 10 hit points becomes a bit long (but not too long).
But it's beautiful like this and we like it!
We use hit point tracking along with the "total hit points" option, the PCs have a lot of HP and seem invincible, but the possibility of being seriously injured or incapacitated adds tension to the game (without too much mortality that would make them too scared)
BRP is always better, no matter what you play with it... love!

[g33k]

26 minutes ago, essere74 said:

Update
We've been playing Mystara for a few months ...
<SNIP>

TYVM for returning with a play-report!!!
So often, people come ask & then never return to give feedback!  This is really welcome.

 

So now, let me ask YOU:  what  games-mechanical / PC-build / NPC-build  things are you now doing, to convert BECMI to BRP+CF?

😁

[essere74]

38 minutes ago, g33k said:

TYVM per essere tornato con un resoconto del gioco!!!
Così spesso le persone vengono a chiedere e poi non tornano mai per dare feedback! Questo è davvero il benvenuto.

 

Quindi ora, lascia che ti chieda: quali cose di meccanica dei giochi/costruzione di PC/costruzione di NPC stai facendo adesso, per convertire BECMI in BRP+CF?

😁

Simple..
I didn't convert!
I then decided to use Classic Fantasy which is already a sort of conversion/adaptation of AD&D 2nd edition (which I like) instead of BX/Becmi.
Also because we still set the game in Mystara, but the NPCs will be "converted" (if necessary) using the most famous system possible: common sense! 😉

[jackleg2010]

From the Savage World's group, don't convert adapt. It's hard to figure out the exact conversion, so just adapt. Give the creature or npc the appropriate ability they need for the adventure. Adjust as you go along.

[Barak Shathur]

On 11/22/2023 at 4:12 PM, essere74 said:

Update
We've been playing Mystara for a few months now, using Classic Fantasy (the yellow one, not the Mythras one) and we're having a lot of fun..
Everything goes smoothly.
The only thing is the fights, because with the possibility of parrying/dodging sometimes killing a monster with 10 hit points becomes a bit long (but not too long).
But it's beautiful like this and we like it!
We use hit point tracking along with the "total hit points" option, the PCs have a lot of HP and seem invincible, but the possibility of being seriously injured or incapacitated adds tension to the game (without too much mortality that would make them too scared)
BRP is always better, no matter what you play with it... love!

I've started up my BECMI campaign using the Mythras Classic Fantasy Imperative, and it works like a charm! I really recommend giving that a try  (shouldn't be too hard to convert from BRP). I think it has some upsides over the earlier version (and it's free by the way). It's seriously some of the most fun I've had in roleplaying in a long time.

[tooley1chris]

Maybe it's been said already but BECMI is a fun system as is. There are quite a few good fantasy systems for BRP, as I'm sure many have pointed out, Classic Fantasy is most excellent. But as a wise group member here once told me, if you wanna play D&D play D&D. If you want to play fantasy BRP play Magic World. It's easy enough to incorporate small changes without breaking the game 👍

There's a bunch of great fantasy systems outside the D&D family and BRP as well. MERP was a favorite of mine for a long time. Way...WAY crunchier than D&D or BRP but still fun. 

Finding the right mix is important for the Chroniclers. But everyone having a good time is what's most important.  

Edited December 1, 2023 by tooley1chris

[Atgxtg]

13 hours ago, tooley1chris said:

 MERP was a favorite of mine for a long time. Way...WAY crunchier than D&D or BRP but still fun. 

 

If you think MERP was crunchy, don't ever look at RollMaster RoleMaster. MERP was a streamlined version of RM.

I found MERP wasn't too bad, but then I photocopied all the key tables(Attack Tables, Fumble Tables, Maneuver Table, Weapons Table, Price Tables), and stapled them to a 9 panel double sided GM screen I made from manila folders. 

[g33k]

16 hours ago, tooley1chris said:

Maybe it's been said already but BECMI is a fun system as is. There are quite a few good fantasy systems for BRP, as I'm sure many have pointed out, Classic Fantasy is most excellent. But as a wise group member here once told me, if you wanna play D&D play D&D. If you want to play fantasy BRP play Magic World. It's easy enough to incorporate small changes without breaking the game 👍

There's a bunch of great fantasy systems outside the D&D family and BRP as well. MERP was a favorite of mine for a long time. Way...WAY crunchier than D&D or BRP but still fun. 

Finding the right mix is important for the Chroniclers. But everyone having a good time is what's most important.  

I'm happy to play class-and-level in one-shot & short-arc segments at low-to-mid levels.
I don't like sustained D&D-style play, nor the way things works at higher levels.

I honestly find that CF makes a "better D&D than D&D" 😁
YD&DMV (obviously)

Edited December 1, 2023 by g33k

[tooley1chris]

6 hours ago, Atgxtg said:

If you think MERP was crunchy, don't ever look at RollMaster RoleMaster. MERP was a streamlined version of RM.

I found MERP wasn't too bad, but then I photocopied all the key tables(Attack Tables, Fumble Tables, Maneuver Table, Weapons Table, Price Tables), and stapled them to a 9 panel double sided GM screen I made from manila folders. 

I played RM for a few years. Had all the Core and  Companions books. But I would have NEVER played it without Chargen and combat software😀

[Atgxtg]

1 hour ago, tooley1chris said:

I played RM for a few years. Had all the Core and  Companions books. But I would have NEVER played it without Chargen and combat software😀

Software, that's cheating! LOL! RM Chargen wasn't too bad. But the game was the most table heavy RPG I can think of. THe supplments didn't help either, since they were loaded with optional rules and alternate chargen rules. 

 

If you even get the chance, have a  to look at KABAL. All the modifiers were in percentage increments and multiplied by each other, so you pretty much had to run it from a calculator, back when calculators used to cost real money. I had a handheld computer and could go back into the equations to change values and could barely run the game in "real time".

[Mugen]

14 hours ago, Atgxtg said:

If you think MERP was crunchy, don't ever look at RollMaster RoleMaster. MERP was a streamlined version of RM. 

The most complex game I read was french first edition of Légendes.

Character Creation was a nigthmare. You had a ton of attributes, each with its unique table used to determine its value based on 4 to 7 base attributes.

The same logic applied to skills, except the values you got from the tables was a maximum value, which was modified according to the number of "education points" you put into each skill. And sometimes you needed a minimum value in a skill to put points in another. Typically, you needed 30 in Balance to learn Ride. Which meant you couldn't simply put education points then do all the maths...

But the worst part was that you had to do the calculations 4 times (except for skills), once for each possible health state. Because, obviously, some attibutes changed with Health Status, and others didn't.

[Kloster]

1 hour ago, Mugen said:

The most complex game I read was french first edition of Légendes.

Agreed, it was probably the worst. I seem to remember a game a collector friend of mine purchased that contain square and cubic root that has to be calculated in game (not at chargen) could compete, but that's it.

At least, Légendes's authors had quite good humorous easter eggs that made part fun to read (In Légendes des Mille et une nuits, there was a spell called Paralysis, whose physical component was to throw Garlic to the target. If the target catch the garlic in flight and throwed it back to the caster and hits him, the caster himself is paralyzed. The comment was that 'le lanceur doit faire attention au retour du jet d'ail'. The play on words can not be translated, so I let french speakers with it).

[Atgxtg]

9 hours ago, Mugen said:

The most complex game I read was french first edition of Légendes.

Did you ever see Spawn of Fashan?

[Mugen]

1 hour ago, Atgxtg said:

Did you ever see Spawn of Fashan?

No, and I didn't read Space Opera either. 🙂

[Akhôrahil]

Mythras Classic Fantasy seems to be exactly what you're looking for. It specifically and explicitly does this.

https://roleplayrescue.com/2022/08/26/an-apologia-for-mythras-classic-fantasy/

[g33k]

On 12/4/2023 at 7:32 AM, Akhôrahil said:

Mythras Classic Fantasy seems to be exactly what you're looking for. It specifically and explicitly does this.

https://roleplayrescue.com/2022/08/26/an-apologia-for-mythras-classic-fantasy/

Yes; they reported back (a couple of weeks ago -- 22 Nov) that they had gone with CF.

[Kettlehelm]

I don't know if this has already been posted but this thread could help.