BRP back from the beach ...

[rust]

Well, I am back from Lanzarote, and my BRP Edition Zero copy (thank you for

all the good tips !) and I are still in a comparatively good condition.

I did some real world research for my science fiction water world setting (e.g.

Aquarium, Whale and Dolphin Museum, Submarine Trip, etc.), and while my

girlfriend made her various shopping expeditions (she should have used the

Encumbrance and Fatigue Points options ...), I spent some time figuring out

how to adapt the new BRP to my favourite setting.

With the Point-Based Character Creation option, the Education option and the

Cultural Skills option this will not be difficult at all, although there are some

minor problems with skills.

Right now it seems that I will have to introduce only two new skills, Animal

Handling (Communication) and Astrogation (Mental). All other typical skills

of my setting can be handled as skill specialties, for example Aquaculture as

a specialty of the Craft skill, or Diving Suit as a specialty of the Technical

Skill.

However, I have some problems with the high number of Cultural Skills my

setting requires.

Of course, all the human colonists on the water world are rather good swim-

mers (Swim 50 %), they all can Pilot a Skimmer/Grav Car (20 %) as well as a

Boat (20 %), and they know at least the basics to Pilot a Submarine (10 %)

or use a Diving Suit (10 %).

Moreover, all colonists learn the basics of their world's main Craft Aquaculture

(10 %) and some of the Animal Handling (10 %) required for it, as well as the

basic understanding of the sign Language Avalese (10 %) that is used by di-

vers and to command the trained sea mammals introduced to the water world

by the colonists.

All the other general knowledge (basic computer use, marine biology, oceano-

graphy, survival, etc.) necessary for humans on a water world is covered by

the Know Roll, which will be at least 55 % because the education system of

the colony will give each of the characters born there an Education of 11 or

more.

But all those Cultural Skills base chances add up to a rather high number of

skill points.

This could become a problem, because there are immigrants (and also other

characters) from other worlds, and they should have at least a similar number

of Cultural Skills base chances, tailored to their homeworlds. I am still looking

for a good idea how to handle this problem.

Otherwise, there are no problems with the new BRP. I have used the techno-

logy rules of GURPS and the economy and trade rules of GURPS Traveller to

create my setting's technology and economy, so the lack of generic systems

for technology and economics in the new BRP does not cause me any trouble

- I will just continue to use the systems I had started with, although it would

of course be very nice to see BRP-based systems for technology and trade.

All in all, the new BRP is almost exactly the system I was looking for. It can

be modified to fit my setting almost perfectly well, without forcing me to

change any part of my setting. It even has some ideas that enrich my set-

ting, for example the very interesting Status skill.

And, most important: It was both easy and much fun to work with the new

BRP, on and off the beach.

I would therefore give it at least nine and a half out of ten alien octopoids.

[Puck]

Good to have you back.

All in all, the new BRP is almost exactly the system I was looking for. It canbe modified to fit my setting almost perfectly well, without forcing me to

change any part of my setting. It even has some ideas that enrich my set-

ting, for example the very interesting Status skill.

I too have found the new rules a joy to work with. They seem to flow pretty seemlessly into any setting. Quite an accomplishment :thumb: