Would Magic World Annoy Me?

[soltakss]

I have got all the versions of RQ in either book form or as PDFs, Legend in both, OpenQuest as PDF and BRP in both formats, so I have a fair number of D100-style games. I don't really need any more, but that was the case before RQ6 and before Legend and before MRQ2, so that won't stop me.

Given that I wasn't particularly impressed by Stormbringer and its extended family (I like Hit Locations, prefer RQ-Style combat/skills, am not keen on Stormbringer's Demon rules) and the fact that the Magic World PDF costs more than the paperback and PDF of Legend combined, if I bought the PDF of Magic World, would it really annoy me?

I don't want to say anything bad against Magic World, in fact a reskinning of BRP without the options and in a coherent form is good, and by all accounts it is an excellent job. However, if I bought it and it just seemed like another version of Stormbringer, then I wouldn't be very pleased at all.

So, should I buy it?

By the way, saying yes just to annoy me would be a legitimate reply - please say what you are doing if that is the case.

[Chaot]

Sadly, I think it would. The caveat is, what version of Stormbringer bothers you? Elroc!/Stormbringer 5 is a much different beast than Stormbringer 1-3.

Personally, I love the pdf and just kicked off a Ravenloft game based around it.

[frogspawner]

Given that I wasn't particularly impressed by Stormbringer and its extended family (I like Hit Locations, prefer RQ-Style combat/skills, am not keen on Stormbringer's Demon rules)... would it really annoy me? ...if I bought it and it just seemed like another version of Stormbringer, then I wouldn't be very pleased at all.

And given that you are even asking this question, it seems a fair bet that the answer is "Yes".

So, should I buy it?

If you are a BRP Completist, with more money than sense - then also "Yes". The annoyance factor will fade in time - leaving that satisfaction of having it ALL.

[smiorgan]

If you were annoyed mostly by the Stormbringer setting, MW might be OK.

If you were annoyed by Stormbringer 1-3 or Stormbringer 4 rules, there is a 75% chance that MW will somewhat annoy you, and a 90% chance that Advanced Sorcery will annoy you.

If you were annoyed by Stormbringer 5 or Elric! rules, there is a 95% that MW will annoy you and 100% that Advanced Sorcery will annoy you severely.

Rules-wise MW is 95% Stormbringer 5, with added skill category bonuses, cultural skills and tweaked success levels. Magic system is Elric!/BRP sorcery, with minimal tweaks. Monsters are converted mostly from RQ3.

[1d8+DB]

Match your Magic Points vs. Magic World's MP total of 17 to avoid being annoyed.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[1000buffalo]

I have a tough time figuring out if it's the rules configuration or the Young Kindoms / Elric-y stuff that is the key to your annoyance. If the second, then I doubt you'd be annoyed with MW. If more the first, then I'm not sure it makes sense for you to acquire it.

[NickMiddleton]

...Given that I wasn't particularly impressed by Stormbringer and its extended family (I like Hit Locations, prefer RQ-Style combat/skills, am not keen on Stormbringer's Demon rules) and the fact that the Magic World PDF costs more than the paperback and PDF of Legend combined, if I bought the PDF of Magic World, would it really annoy me?...

Magic World is based on Elric!. It has a few RQ-ish features added (skill categories; cultural backgrounds) and has removed the detailed Demon rules to the Advanced Sorcery supplement, but it remains recognisably a revision of Elric!.

Quite why that would "annoy" you I'm not sure, but if you didn't like Elric! or Stormbringer 5th edition, you almost certainly won't get on with Magic World. It bears far less resemblance to the earlier editions of Stormbringer however, so if it was those you weren't keen on, MW might be worth a look.

Cheers,

Nick

[Mankcam]

I'm a little like you Simon, I prefer my BRP with more of the mechanics from RQ3 than Stormbringer. Combat just works much better with hit locations and static AP for me.

I did however buy the PDF of Magic World for brand support, and I'm happy I did. I'll never use it as written, but there are some parts I can use in my games, and I'm looking forward to Advanced Sorcery as well.

You may not like it if you want a re-skinned RQ3, but its worth the price of the PDF if it keeps Chaosium in action I think. Ben did a nice job.

Edited April 2, 2013 by Mankcam

[Conrad]

Given that I wasn't particularly impressed by Stormbringer and its extended family (I like Hit Locations, prefer RQ-Style combat/skills, am not keen on Stormbringer's Demon rules) and the fact that the Magic World PDF costs more than the paperback and PDF of Legend combined, if I bought the PDF of Magic World, would it really annoy me?

I don't want to say anything bad against Magic World, in fact a reskinning of BRP without the options and in a coherent form is good, and by all accounts it is an excellent job. However, if I bought it and it just seemed like another version of Stormbringer, then I wouldn't be very pleased at all.

So, should I buy it?

Yes you should buy it. Then you can post on this site whining about how much you hate it. Then I can mercilessly mock you for being a whining prat. But at least you'll have supported Chaosium by buying a copy of Magic World, so don't feel so bad about the mockery, since you'll be on the moral high ground.

By the way, saying yes just to annoy me would be a legitimate reply - please say what you are doing if that is the case.

Do you really need me to tell you that I'm doing this? Are you really so dense that you can't tell what a sarcastic reply is?

Edited April 2, 2013 by Conrad

[Mankcam]

This is kinda like stirring up a hornets nest. Makes me wonder if this is an April Fools Joke that I have just fallen for ....!

Edited April 2, 2013 by Mankcam

[1000buffalo]

This is kinda like stirring up a hornets nest. Makes me wonder if this is an April Fools Joke that I have just fallen for ....!

I hadn't even considered ... Sigh.

[Chaot]

solstak probably could have worded it better. If memory serves, he actually enjoys high powered gaming, which really fits MW to a t. Guidelines as stated though suggest that he might want to focus in other directions for his BRP fix.

[Mankcam]

Given that Soltakss is actually Simon Phipp, author of Merrie England, its plain to see his RQ3 leanings with the included hit locations etc in his own books. Given that Soltakss is a self-confessed 'RQ Fogey' then it comes as no surprise that Simon would flame up the old RQ vs SB war on April Fools Day. I'm sure Simon is well aware of what Magic World is about, and I'ld be surprised if he hasn't already purchased the pdf of it when it was released. All good fun, heh Simon?

[frogspawner]

... surprised if he hasn't already purchased the pdf of it when it was released.

Nice. The gauntlet is down, Mr P - deny it if you can!

[soltakss]

Nope, not an April Fool and no, I haven't bought MW.

I love the Young Kingdoms and Tragic Millennium settings and have a couple of shelves of Michael Moorcock's works, so that wouldn't be a problem for me.

But, being an RQ Fogey, as has been pointed out, and having used all the RQ-style optional rules for Merrie England, I do have a hankering for RQ3+.

Things I never really liked about Elric/Stormbringer - Variable Armour (OK, I thought it was cool for about 10 minutes, then used it in play and changed my mind), Major Wounds/No Hit Locations (So, I have to know how much damage I have taken before I decide whether it is worth finding out where I have been hit - that never made sense to me), Initiative (I think, but it has been a while since I played), D8s for chaotic creature characteristics (I know why it was done, but didn't like it), the rules for extra parries, even ripostes didn't feel right to me.

I liked RQ2, RQ3, Ringworld and Thieves World as systems. I also liked Stormbringer and Hawkmoon as settings, but found the rules themselves to be not really my cup of tea.

So, all I was asking is, given my BRP/RQ preferences, would spending a fair amount on a Magic World PDF make me feel that I have wasted my money?

From the answers, it would seem that it would, so that has possibly saved me from getting grumpy, or grumpier.

And now that I know who Conrad really is, so much suddenly makes sense.

[soltakss]

By the way, this is definitely not an Anti-Magic World thread - I know that it is a well written, good supplement and that Ben has done an excellent job.

Whilst I would love to support Chaosium by buying everything, I just cannot afford to, so I have to be choosier about what I can buy. After all, with Legend, RQ6, HeroQuest, BRP and Magic World to support, things get very expensikve very quickly.

But, if the best chef in the world made the best coconut in liquorice sauce, there is nothing that would make me try it.

[soltakss]

Remind me not to ask for advice again - twice burned ...

[smiorgan]

Initiative (I think, but it has been a while since I played),

Stormbringer initiative is plain DEX order. Same goes for MW.

[Rich Tom]

I wasn't aware that it was a question of RQ verses MW! Personally I just love the Stormbringer combat system. It's just so fluid without those blocky hit tables to slow down the game, and at least we’ve got proper hit points and weapons that can do more damage than the armour points of our adversaries. Otherwise it could all get really annoying couldn’t it, (ha, ha, ha).

Actually I also love RQ, but couldn't resist a dig.

[Al.]

Why would it annoy you?

One of the charms of our beloved d100 extended family is modularity. It is easyasaurus Rex to plop in a rule one likes from one game into another without (too much) fear that the algorithms will all suddenly stop working.

I liked the critical s on 01 to 05 in MW (and originally CoC I think) when it got changed in errata in didn't in my game

Likewise I really like RQ6 combat styles* and slotted those in to MW without any drama

I like Elric 1 spell takes 1 slot in memory more than RQ3 1 point of spell takes 1 slot changing that was easy ( really easy since the three games I ve played with MW are all with ex Elric buddies who tend to assume that the rules are same as in 93 unless explicitly told otherwise)

If you like hit locations it is easy to put them in MW, all of the tools which you use (let's be honest after this long running RQ3 you probably have them internalised and can pluck the numbers from no where without reference to a book anyway) will still work with MW

* I do like to fiddle though so allow the option of characters concentrating on one weapon in a style at the expense of overall competency. That has not broken anything either

[soltakss]

Why would it annoy you?

Just the idea of spending a fair bit of money on something that is very Stormbringerish, when I know that is something that I don't really want.

I get annoyed quite easily these days - I'm turning into a miserable old man.

This isn't a RQ vs Stormbringer issue, it's just my "Needing to spend my limited resources in a way that I'd enjoy" issue.

It looks from the answers that it probably would annoy me, so I'll try and saty noy annoyed for a while.

Thanks for the comments and advice and chuckling brothers.

[seneschal]

I'm annoyed that zomben devoted his considerable talents to create Yet Another BRP Fantasy Setting instead of a desperately needed science fiction masterpiece. As they say in the taco commercial, "Think outside the wand, er, bun."

We've had Rune Quest, The Book of Quests, assorted Cthulhu Quests. We need a Galaxy Quest. Oh, wait, can we use that?

Next: GURPS: Glorantha

Edited April 10, 2013 by seneschal

[Kaleb7]

I'm annoyed that this didn't come out last year and I will need to wait awhile to get it into our group's play rotation.

[BMonroe]

I'm annoyed that zomben devoted his considerable talents to create Yet Another BRP Fantasy Setting instead of a desperately needed science fiction masterpiece. As they say in the taco commercial, "Think outside the wand, er, bun."

We've had Rune Quest, The Book of Quests, assorted Cthulhu Quests. We need a Galaxy Quest. Oh, wait, can we use that?

Next: GURPS: Glorantha

I would -love- to see someone do a BRP Scifi game. Sadly, I'm not the guy to tackle that. I'm more of a fantasy/horror guy, and don't think I'd be able to give a scifi BRP game the attention it would deserve.

I'm annoyed that this didn't come out last year and I will need to wait awhile to get it into our group's play rotation.

Stage a coup!

[1000buffalo]

I would -love- to see someone do a BRP Scifi game. Sadly, I'm not the guy to tackle that. I'm more of a fantasy/horror guy, and don't think I'd be able to give a scifi BRP game the attention it would deserve.

I think a Magic World-based SF game would be hip. There's definitely a niche for it - BRP is under represented on this front. I think the Magic World style in chargen would be a nice feature.

Hmmmm ...