New BRP game

[Trifletraxor]

Sounds like you had a blast!

For magic do you use the sorcery mechanic (or is it magic now?) where you start at a low % and then slowly get more experienced with each single spell? What about using the old POW x5 (or INT x5 if it's more intellectual formula type of spell). I like some sort of rolling in conjunction with magic, though the old sorcery way is usually a bit too difficult.

SGL.

[sladethesniper]

Sounds like you had a blast!

For magic do you use the sorcery mechanic (or is it magic now?) where you start at a low % and then slowly get more experienced with each single spell? What about using the old POW x5 (or INT x5 if it's more intellectual formula type of spell). I like some sort of rolling in conjunction with magic, though the old sorcery way is usually a bit too difficult.

SGL.

The spells were starting between 5% and 40%...and they are supposed to increase in % with each scenario that they are used successfully...but it was really hard to get any of them to succeed

-STS

[Mugen]

The spells were starting between 5% and 40%...and they are supposed to increase in % with each scenario that they are used successfully...but it was really hard to get any of them to succeed

-STS

You could use a smaller number of skills instead of 1 skill for each spell.

For instance, you could have the following list of skills (to be modified according to your game world):

*Dark magic

*Elemental magic

*Life magic

*Mental magic

*Spirit magic

*Enchanting

Once you've learnt an spell of a specific type, you will roll under the corresponding magic skill to cast it.

[sladethesniper]

That was my goal actually, to have a type of magic and use that as a skill...but the powergamers I had test it (to try and break it) certainly loved that idea. They simply bought every type of magic...I had guys that couldn't swim, but they sure could cast Elemental,Abyssal and Spirit magic, had Psionic powers...the whole bit.

I modified the rules and tried again, and they still managed to abuse the rules.

Finally, I went with what I have now, and the players have come back with an interesting comment...they are saying now that the character concept is the most important part of character creation...

If you have a concept, then making the character is actually fairly easy, but starting from scratch...not so much...

So, my tasks are to make some rules revisions (nothing major, but it is the third iteration of playtesting) and really try and find some way to press home the importance of Character Concept....since without it, players sort of flail around and pick a random selection of skills and powers which makes them very...non-viable (as far as concepts goes) as well as non-successful in play (by spreading their skills across huge streches and ending up with 5%-40%).

Oh, well that is the status report of my games so far. I've got another adventure set up for this weekend, so I'll post more then.

Does anyone have any idea for how to make players "get it" when it comes to character concept. It is vitally important in my game and I'm not doing a good enough job of writing "hey, this is really important"...I know that a lot of games say that concept is the most important part of character creation, but I am at a loss as to how to say "no, really...you have to have a concept first."

I am really trying very hard to stay away from "classes" and "professions" (since each culture will have very different skills as they pertain to each profession and need to work on keeping the page count down).

-STS

[soltakss]

I modified the rules and tried again, and they still managed to abuse the rules.

If you have rules then they are open to abuse and powergamers will abuse them.

I count myself as one of the rules abusers when it suits me.

If you approach any game rules-first then there will be abuse.

If you approach the game from the character background first, as you have done, then the rules aren't as important and won't be abused as much.

But a bad rule will always be abused.

[sladethesniper]

I think that I may continue using the system as it is, and just push the character concept idea. It makes it difficult for powergamers become such since there are too many things available for them to be good at all of them.

I added in Experience Points (though I may change it to Karma or Fate Points or something else, word wise) to let characters save up experience points to put into skills as needed, add to rolls, learn new skills (since I have no skills with "base chances", it lets them save up to learn a skill at say 39% instead of a mighty 01%)

As for rules abusers, there really isn't a way to make a game free of loopholes and still be fun and rules light, I suspect. I admit I have abused the hell out of some games, but oddly enough, those characters never became anything to me but a collection of stats and powers. The best characters I have ever had were usually fairly low powered, standard roll characters with a really good back story and good adventures they went on.

I am fairly happy with how things have gone so far. Will try to play some more tonight...we'll see.

-STS

[sladethesniper]

Finally revisiting this setting. It is now complete, playtesting is done and now just need people to check it out.

It is posted in the downloads section.

BRP Central - Downloads - Vhraeden Sample

If you do download it, let me know what you think, good or bad.

Be advised it is only the sample. That means it has chapters on the world, a story, three races, 2 nations, 7 locations, complete rules and character creation.

If you download it, like it and want the full pdf (sans artwork) email me at sladethesniper@sbcglobal.net

-STS