Basic BRP- What am I missing from this?

[AikiGhost]

As time goes on I'm getting more and more into rules light gaming so I though Id have a go at hacking BRP to a rules light version or BBRP.

I've pruned the stats and skills quite a bit and was wondering if I was missing anything vital that people could spot?

Basic BRP - A simplified version of BRP for use in rules lighter gaming.

Stats

Mind (2d6 +6)

Dexterity (3d6)

Body (2d6+6)

Charisma (3d6)

Hit Points: 9 + ½ Body

Serious wound: 1 + ½ Body rounded down

Damage bonus: 1 / 5th body rounded down

Stress Points (Used like a combo of SAN & fatigue): 1+ ½ Mind rounded down

Skills List

Skill / Base Percentage

Athletics Body + Dex

Brawl Body x 3

Convince/Lie Mind + Charisma

Dodge Dex x 2

Driving Dexterity

Education / Gen Know Mind x 3

Languages Mind (+1 language per 20%)

Larceny Dex

Leadership Charisma

Magic 0%

Medicine Mind

Melee Body + Dex

Perception Mind x 3

Perform Charisma

Piloting 0%

Ranged Combat Dex x 2

Repair Mind + Dex

Research Mind

Resilience Body x 3

Science Mind

Socialise Charisma x 3

Social Status 0%

Specialist Knowledge 0% (Choose Field)

Stealth Dex x 3

Streetwise Mind + Charisma

Technology Mind x2 or 0%

Tracking 0%

Edited May 31, 2011 by AikiGhost

[tedopon]

I'm doing almost the exact same thing right now. Looks good to me, but why is DEX 2d6?

[Atgxtg]

One suggestion.

You could simplify the skills a little by using skill categories. Just make the Skill Category the base % for all skills under that category.

For example, you could have a Mental Skill Category at Mind x3%, and it could incude Education, Perception and so on.

You could even add Medicine and other skills with alower base %, if you want, just assume that they are difficult/hard skills.

I suspect you could combine most of your skills into a half dozen categories (physical, Mental, Social, Technical, etc.), and reduce stat blocks.

Just an idea.

[Al.]

Simple = good

I can't fault your philosophy in creating these rules.

I don't agree with all of the actual decisons, but I suspect that my alternatives would muddy rather than clarify so I'll keep them to myself.

[Kairos]

OpenQuest/Age of Shadow has a nice, tight skill list. I suggest having a look thither for some inspiration: http://ageofshadow.freehostia.com/

[famouswolf]

I've done similar too. I kept the seven stats, have a skill list of 20 or so skills, use a stat formula for the base (instead of the bonus system), and use the rules from SB1/Hawkmoon for play. Works very well and brings some joy back to running a game...

Oh, and I use some of the rules from Elric! like the tandem parry/dodge rule.

Your skill list looks good, maybe it could be shortened a bit by melding some of the skills together (streetwise and larceny?). How are you handling crafts? How about survival?

[AikiGhost]

I'm doing almost the exact same thing right now. Looks good to me, but why is DEX 2d6?

Typo

Fixed now.

[Mankcam]

It looks good to me.

Although I'ld certainly go with Atgxtg's idea of using Skill Categories for all actions that are relevant to that category, it's a nice clean way to dispense with endless skill lists.

Perhaps you could grant certain % bonuses depending upon a character's background, such as a Thief receiving +20% for his Physical rolls when attempting Climbing, Hiding, Sneaking, and +20% to Manipulation Rolls when attempting Pickpockets/Sleight of Hand, Devise, etc. Obiviously a Warrior would have more combat bonuses, a Mage more Magic bonuses etc etc.

Not sure how you'ld progress with Skill Checks though, but it could be amended to fit this system.

[Guest Vile Traveller]

I would consider ... dropping stats altogether!

[rust]

At least the stats could easily be reduced to one Physical stat and one Mental

stat, and all other really necessary values based upon them. The only real prob-

lem I would see is that the characters could become too much alike.

[Guest Vile Traveller]

What I mean is characters defined purely by skills. The skills provide the picture of what each is like. One might be a fast shooter, but a lousy acrobat. Another might be a good wrestler, but not necessarily a powerlifter.

The stats are a starting point for characters, but they are not really that important compared to skill level. Skills could work without stats.

[rust]

The stats are a starting point for characters, but they are not really that important compared to skill level. Skills could work without stats.

True, but then you would either have to replace the stats with other values used

for all tasks which are not covered by skills (e.g. lifting things, etc.), or your skill

list would have to become a bit longer because of additional skills required to co-

ver such tasks. I am not sure whether this would be much of an improvement.

[famouswolf]

You might get some ideas from Advanced Fighting Fantasy 2, just published at Cubicle 7, which uses skill, stamina, and luck. Characters are given flavor and individuality with 'special skills' (skills, to me and you) and talents (stronger, faster, smarter, better at this or that). Just convert to percentiles.

[AikiGhost]

I would consider ... dropping stats altogether!

Its an interesting idea, how would you do weapon damage? Roll vs a resilience skill? Have each successful weapon hit put a negative modifier on the Resilience roll?

[AikiGhost]

You might get some ideas from Advanced Fighting Fantasy 2, just published at Cubicle 7, which uses skill, stamina, and luck. Characters are given flavor and individuality with 'special skills' (skills, to me and you) and talents (stronger, faster, smarter, better at this or that). Just convert to percentiles.

So say define a character with 3 or 4 Keywords (like FATES aspects) and each keyword gives you +30% or similar on related skill rolls? Interesting idea but I'm not really sure its BRP based any more at that stage.

[famouswolf]

No, they are actually skills. You use the Skill stat for a base and add the skill rating. The mechanic is, in part, similar to Barbarians of Lemuria. For combat, 2d6+Skill vs. opponent (instead of a static target number), high score wins. Easily changed to attack/defend. Or the BoL mechanic, even. The game is so simple and transparent it could be worked many different ways, and looks very playable as it is.

The Skill stat could be divided up between mental, physical, etc. (or make a separate score for each type of them). Multiply the stat score plus skill x5 and voila, instant BRP. Pick and choose mechanics, good to go. One advantage is the beastiary, Out of the Pit. It uses just two stats, skill and stamina. Shortest stat lines you ever saw. Good descriptions and misc. info like habitat and temperament. The skill list is fairly complete, and short. Talents are just things like 'Strong arm', gives a damage bonus. Over all it could be a shortcut to a very fast, basic percentile rpg with just minimal trouble. Out of the Pit is certainly worth looking at. There is a third book, Titan, which is a nice setting. If I had a group right now I'd be trying to sell this as it comes OR translated to percentile with BRP mechanics.

You are a Brit, did you not ever see the Fighting Fantasy books?

[AikiGhost]

You are a Brit, did you not ever see the Fighting Fantasy books?

Actually I'm Irish, just live in the UK. But yes I have seen and played the FF books in my youth.

[famouswolf]

Fightin' words?

Sorry about that. I'm Welsh/English/Irish.

Anyway, AFF2 is a republished version of AFF, just last month. A real blast from the past.

[samwise7]

Another thing that I did with skills was combine two BRP skills with an "&" between both skill names. The skill accomplishes both of the individual skills as per the rules, but they are a combined skill on the character sheet.

The idea of getting rid of stats is an interesting one. I may have to do that.

[seneschal]

If you get rid of stats, you're almost into Risus or PDQ territory, where a character would lose competency in skills as he took damage instead of losing hit points. It's a workable mechanic, but at that point is it still BRP?

[Al.]

An interesting couple of points there old thing.

1. What is core BRP? What makes BRP? I know what I think but I'm blinkin sure that others would disagree. I suspect (and 'tis only suspiscion) that we are formed/doomed according to which flavour was our first. For example it was Stormbringer III for me so Criticals as 1/10th skill, no specials, bows get a damage bonus is my go to default; such things are anathema to some (probably on these very boards) who started with RQII (as opposed to TRPGFKARQ2NWUMCIM)

2. Dominion (I think) has an interesting damage mechanic where you start at 0 wounds and as you (well one's character) takes damage the wound score increases. This score acts as a penalty to (all/most) skill rolls and once a character has such a high penalty that all of their skills are effectively zero then they are incapacitated.

As to the AFF idea I think that could be BRPd pretty simply

Stamina is the name for the BRP Con x5 roll

Luck Pow x5

Skill could be Dex x5

Then what?

Idea for knowing and perceiving?

Charisma or subsume that into Luck?

Roll on 1-20 scale or jump straight in at percentiles?

Give Special Skill points to each characteristic roll or just a pool or even the Fudge skill ladder or not bother?

[Dredj]

Outbreak: Undead uses the most rules light, yet complete version of a percentile system I've ever seen. However, it's definitely not BRP. Check out the quick start guide and the Gen Con Premiere Pack.

http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=3439

You have 5 stats: Strength, Perception, Empathy, and Will. And everything else is a stat such as skills and weapon range/damage. How well you do (and how much damage you do) is based on how well you roll (roll under your stat+skill+weapon lethality+/- modifiers). Every 10% you roll under is a level of success/damage. 5 levels is considered a "head shot" (critical). Levels of failure are each 10% above your percentage you roll with 5 levels being a critical miss/botch. That's for missile weapons and firearms.

For hand-to-hand and melee combat, you add your stats+skill+weapon lethality+/-modifiers to a percentile roll. The opponent does the same. Whoever rolls highest and by degrees of success wins.

And you can even make yourself as a character!

Another game that revolves around zombies but happens to be more similar to BRP despite using a D20 mechanic is Zombie Cataclysm. http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=85039 You could make yourself as a character. You can also very easily put your existing BRP character into this game. But it is surprisingly rules light. You could probably even convert the entire system into a percentile system with a little work. And Zombie Cataclysm seems to be just about as customizable to any genre as BRP. If you know about the Flashing Blades system http://www.rpgnow.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Flashing+blades&x=0&y=0&quicksearch=1&search_filter=&filters=&search_free=&search_in_description=1&search_in_author=1&search_in_artist=1 and how easy that is to convert to BRP, then you have a rough idea of what Zombie Cataclysm is like.

Edited June 9, 2011 by Dredj

[famouswolf]

Hey, Al., I was beginning to think no one liked the idea. I got it from an old thread somewhere in which someone had done a 'mashup' of AFF and Swords and Wizardry, when I was looking for info about AFF to help decide if I wanted to order it (AFF2).

Yes, to what you said about AFF, with Special Skills divided into INT, DEX, or CHA based. Separate the Skill stat or give a base of points somehow (or just use Skill for all three, as thats essentially what AFF2 does anyway). For resolution just multiply stat plus skill x5, and you are good to go with simpler BRP rulesets like SB1 or Magic World. For instance, for a goblin with a club add club skill 1 to base skill 4, x5= 25%. The advantage would be quick conversion of OotP and Titan to BRP, for those of us who love the system...both of them. If I had a group right now I would already be doing it.

I agree about 'flavors' of BRP. Mine is Stormbringer 1-3, so much so I tend to convert every other game to it. It's like a hobby/obsession.