Magic World or OpenQuest?

[Diego Barretta]

Hello. I like rules-lite systems and I would like to start reading a d100 fantasy coreboook, but I'm torn between Magic World and OpenQuest. What are the major differences? And which of the two is more streamlined to run for a Master?

[svensson]

I'm of two minds about both of them.

I'm trying to 'convert' some DnD fans I know to BRP/RQ/d100 systems and I haven't found BRP or OpenQuest or Magic World to be just right for what I'm trying to do.

If I had to pick between the two you mention, I think I'd go with Magic World because almost everything you need is in one spot. There's even a bestiary in the book so you don't have to get too RuneQuest or CoC with your monster selections.

Edited March 20, 2019 by svensson

[kross]

I'd also recommend Magic World, for many of the same reasons as svensson. I also find the Major Wounds rules to be preferable and simpler than separate hit locations used by other D100 systems (plus I think it kinda covers the same ground as specific locations, albeit in more of a shorthand manner). I think you'll also find Magic World's character creation is quicker, since skills are distributed in specified chunks. You can always supplement creatures, spells, and spot rules with elements from the BRP rules or CoC, RQ, or whatever else you have at hand.

[svensson]

4 hours ago, kross said:

I'd also recommend Magic World, for many of the same reasons as svensson. I also find the Major Wounds rules to be preferable and simpler than separate hit locations used by other D100 systems (plus I think it kinda covers the same ground as specific locations, albeit in more of a shorthand manner). I think you'll also find Magic World's character creation is quicker, since skills are distributed in specified chunks. You can always supplement creatures, spells, and spot rules with elements from the BRP rules or CoC, RQ, or whatever else you have at hand.

See, and that's a couple of the things I'm dissatisfied about with Magic World

See, I like the hit location tables a lot. To my mind it gives players the idea that combat is far, far deadlier than DnD and similar systems. Yes, it's an extra layer of detail and you don't always want that, but one of the important differences between RQ/BRP/d100 and other FRPG mechanics is the very deadliness I'm describing. There is no such thing as 'a warm up fight' in RQ. Even if you're being attacked by band of trollkin [Glorantha's answer to DnD's goblins], characters can't just trivialize it. Every time you pull your blade out in RQ, it's a matter of life and death and a desperate trollkin with a spear can kill you faster than than the time it takes to talk about it.

[Jakob]

5 hours ago, kross said:

I'd also recommend Magic World, for many of the same reasons as svensson. I also find the Major Wounds rules to be preferable and simpler than separate hit locations used by other D100 systems (plus I think it kinda covers the same ground as specific locations, albeit in more of a shorthand manner). I think you'll also find Magic World's character creation is quicker, since skills are distributed in specified chunks. You can always supplement creatures, spells, and spot rules with elements from the BRP rules or CoC, RQ, or whatever else you have at hand.

Well, since the question was "Magic World or OpenQuest"; it must be said that OQ doesn't use hit locations, either, and makes major wounds an optional rule. Also, Combat in OQ is probably a little simpler (there are no armor rolls, for example). Finally, OQ's character creation rules are definitely simpler than Magic World's, doing away with occupations. OQ's skill list is shorter, there are no separate weapon's skill (as opposed to MW). Overall, I'd say OQ is much simpler (in parts a little too simple for my taste). The one thing that seems to be less complex in MW is the magic system, which is very straightforward.

[Mugen]

5 hours ago, Jakob said:

Finally, OQ's character creation rules are definitely simpler than Magic World's, doing away with occupations.

Character creation rules in OQ are definitely a weak point for me.

As every one gets the same number of points in each category, it's not possible to differentiate a soldier from a scholar by its weapon skills.

The only area where characters get a real choice to make is the "Practical" category.

Edited March 20, 2019 by Mugen

[Vexthug]

And if you want an even simpler take on OQ then I would recommend Age of Shadows http://ageofshadow.freehostia.com/

This game just has battle magic and sorcery, and sorcery causes corruption. I ran this game for a while and thought it played very well at the table, plus I was able to buy at the table the're own book.Because the book is so short they actually read it, which most of my players never do. 

 

Miles

[Atgxtg]

On 3/19/2019 at 3:34 PM, Diego Barretta said:

Hello. I like rules-lite systems and I would like to start reading a d100 fantasy coreboook, but I'm torn between Magic World and OpenQuest. What are the major differences? And which of the two is more streamlined to run for a Master?

Probavbly MAgic World. It has more tools out of the box and gives you a decent start for a fantasy game. Plus as a Chasoium BRP product you have a high degree of comaptibility with all the other Chasoium games. So you can raid them for more stats, weapons, and the like. 

It would help if we know what sort of campaign you had in mind and just how rules-litea game  you are looking for. 

 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2019 by Atgxtg

[Diego Barretta]

5 hours ago, Atgxtg said:

Probavbly MAgic World. It has more tools out of the box and gives you a decent start for a fantasy game. Plus as a Chasoium BRP product you have a high degree of comaptibility with all the other Chasoium games. So you can raid them for more stats, weapons, and the like. 

It would help if we know what sort of campaign you had in mind and just how rules-litea game  you are looking for. 

 

 

 

At moment I was looking for a very classic fantasy campaign to run: from the epic Dragonlance-style fantasy to the less heroic, but very suggestive, Warhammer tone. The level of crunch I want is certainly within the limits of "middle-weight" rpgs (like D&D 5e or Warhammer Fantasy). Even better... I prefer light systems like Cypher System or Barbarians of Lemuria, and I was hoping to find that in the wide familily of d100-system rpgs, just to try a campaign with a more “simulationist” playstyle (type of games that I loved when I was younger).

Edited March 21, 2019 by Diego Barretta

[Atgxtg]

2 hours ago, Diego Barretta said:

At moment I was looking for a very classic fantasy campaign to run: from the epic Dragonlance-style fantasy to the less heroic, but very suggestive, Warhammer tone. The level of crunch I want is certainly within the limits of "middle-weight" rpgs (like D&D 5e or Warhammer Fantasy). Even better... I prefer light systems like Cypher System or Barbarians of Lemuria, and I was hoping to find that in the wide familily of d100-system rpgs, just to try a campaign with a more “simulationist” playstyle (type of games that I loved when I was younger).

Okay. That gives us a bit more to work with.

• First off d100 games can handle a classic fantasy game, in fact there is a d100 game called just that. Generally the magic in d100 games tends to be somewhat less powerful than in a typical FRPG. There are powerful spells but not the wipe out a room full of baddies type spells. A powerful spellcaster can almost certainly take out an opponent with magic, but probably not a group. And it takes time for the caster to regain the Magic points he used to power the spell.
• Crunch wise, it's probably more towards the medium end. Probably low medium. It does vary from game to game though. Something like RuneQuest is probably at the top end of the d100 complexity scale, while something like the original Basic Role Player or the original Worlds of Wonder are at the bottom end of Complexity. Most of the complexity actually comes from varaint rules, or added stuff, and so won't only apply to campaigns hat  use them. But one of the things that make the rules easier is that there is (or at least was) an underlying structure and logic to how things worked. GM doesn't have to worry about things like spell compatibility and stacking. There are really only a couple of special cases, and most of those are common sense stuff. In fact common sense is kinda the watchword for handling the system.
• The game is definitely "simulationist". In fact it tends to be a dark & gritty sort of RPG. Characters only have about a dozen hit points and one or two good hits will end a fight. Character do get to defend themselves with their weapons and armor and sometimes magic can soak some damage, but big monsters are deadly, tactics important and superior numbers is a huge advantage. Just about anything can get lucky, roll a critical and potentially kill a powerful character. A typical  D&D style encounter would probably wipe out a d100 group.   
• If you want something with more of a D&D feel then Classic Fantasy might be the version of d100 for you. The author designed the game (both versions) to ty and capture the feel of Classic D&D .

 

Hope that helps, good luck. 

[SDLeary]

3 hours ago, Atgxtg said:

The game is definitely "simulationist". In fact it tends to be a dark & gritty sort of RPG. Characters only have about a dozen hit points and one or two good hits will end a fight. Character do get to defend themselves with their weapons and armor and sometimes magic can soak some damage, but big monsters are deadly, tactics important and superior numbers is a huge advantage. Just about anything can get lucky, roll a critical and potentially kill a powerful character. A typical  D&D style encounter would probably wipe out a d100 group.   

MagicWorld also has the option for "Heroic Hit-Points", and thus can mitigate the one-or-two hits issue a little.

SDLeary

[Atgxtg]

59 minutes ago, SDLeary said:

MagicWorld also has the option for "Heroic Hit-Points", and thus can mitigate the one-or-two hits issue a little.

SDLeary

Yeah, it does, but even so it won't be like D&D where PCs can have over 100 hit points. Monsters in BRP do a lot more damage than their D&D counterparts. A bear or worse a dragon, can drop an experienced d100 character in one hit, but that's not so likely in D&D.

[Vexthug]

I never liked the double hit point option, it never made sense to me. In my Age of Shadows campaign I used hero points that players used do a re-rolls or mitigate a major wound.

This helped give a more heroic feel without adding much complexity or hit point bloat. I weened my players off of D&D4e with this game, and with liberal use of the hero points the players started to prefer it over D&D. Hero/luck points can be added to any game system and it won't turn it into a Fate game, it just takes the edge off the lethality of a d100 game.

Miles

[Diego Barretta]

2 hours ago, Vexthug said:

I never liked the double hit point option, it never made sense to me. In my Age of Shadows campaign I used hero points that players used do a re-rolls or mitigate a major wound.

This helped give a more heroic feel without adding much complexity or hit point bloat. I weened my players off of D&D4e with this game, and with liberal use of the hero points the players started to prefer it over D&D. Hero/luck points can be added to any game system and it won't turn it into a Fate game, it just takes the edge off the lethality of a d100 game.

Miles

Exception for the divine magic implementation, what are the main differences between OpenQuest (full version) and the more streamlined "The Age of Shadow" that you recommended to me?

Edited March 21, 2019 by Diego Barretta

[Sean_RDP]

I think for a D&D feel, either OpenQuest or (Mythras) Classic Fantasy would fit the bill slightly better than Magic World. But all of them are good and worth giving a shot. Magic World, despite it's name, is actually a bit more low magic because sorcery requires high POW and a high INT is good to have as well. Where in the others, magic is a bit more accessible IMHO. 

I have not played Age of Shadows though I have looked through it. 

[Questbird]

Don't forget one major difference between Magic World and OpenQuest: the latter is still in print. (Although the former is not too hard to find.)

[Newt]

On 3/19/2019 at 7:34 PM, Diego Barretta said:

Hello. I like rules-lite systems and I would like to start reading a d100 fantasy coreboook, but I'm torn between Magic World and OpenQuest. What are the major differences? And which of the two is more streamlined to run for a Master?

Ha, Ha

You'll be able to tell directly because you won the D101 Newsletter monthly prize draw for March and you asked for OpenQuest Deluxe as your prize

The main difference is that Magic World is the old venerable Chaosium Basic Roleplaying system in its Fantasy form based on the Stormbringer rules of the 90s. Its a complete game, with a small bestiary and setting.

OpenQuest is based upon Mongoose's take on Runequest from the 2000s, using the MRQ 1 SRD, with bits inspired by RQ2/RQ3 and Stormbringer and my own preferences with d100 gaming, some of which are informed by modern rules standards. The Deluxe version, which is the big 260+ page version, is a slightly less crunchy d100 system, with a bestiary.  

Edited March 22, 2019 by Newt

[Diego Barretta]

44 minutes ago, Newt said:

Ha, Ha

You'll be able to tell directly because you won the D101 Newsletter monthly prize draw for March and you asked for OpenQuest Deluxe as your prize

 

Hahaha! Exactly Mr. Newt. Thanks to you and D101 Games for this wonderful surprise I am now totally IN with OpenQuest and related games

[soltakss]

On 3/19/2019 at 7:34 PM, Diego Barretta said:

Hello. I like rules-lite systems and I would like to start reading a d100 fantasy coreboook, but I'm torn between Magic World and OpenQuest. What are the major differences? And which of the two is more streamlined to run for a Master?

Given a choice between the two, I'd say OpenQuest.

However, I prefer Legend, Mythras or Revolution D100 to OpenQuest/Magic World.

[Diego Barretta]

8 minutes ago, soltakss said:

Given a choice between the two, I'd say OpenQuest.

However, I prefer Legend, Mythras or Revolution D100 to OpenQuest/Magic World.

Thanks  I believe I will stay on OpenQuest amd The Age of Shadow books. I don't like hit locations or strike ranks 😞

My only regret is not having a light Glorathan game with the d100 system too (I'm reading HeroQuest Glorantha for this reason).

Edited March 22, 2019 by Diego Barretta

[Diego Barretta]

On 3/22/2019 at 10:26 AM, Newt said:

Ha, Ha

You'll be able to tell directly because you won the D101 Newsletter monthly prize draw for March and you asked for OpenQuest Deluxe as your prize

The main difference is that Magic World is the old venerable Chaosium Basic Roleplaying system in its Fantasy form based on the Stormbringer rules of the 90s. Its a complete game, with a small bestiary and setting.

OpenQuest is based upon Mongoose's take on Runequest from the 2000s, using the MRQ 1 SRD, with bits inspired by RQ2/RQ3 and Stormbringer and my own preferences with d100 gaming, some of which are informed by modern rules standards. The Deluxe version, which is the big 260+ page version, is a slightly less crunchy d100 system, with a bestiary.  

Hi Newt.  Thanks again for the beautiful OpenQuest PDF you gave me for free.  Unfortunately, the printed book never came to me. Just to let you know.  Good job for the next OQ3 kickstarter!

[ThornPlutonius]

You might also consider Zweihander Grim & Perilous.  It is a Warhammer Fantasy 2nd edition retro-clone.  PDFs at DTRPG and physical books (possibly the best produced books on the market) available at major book outlets.  I would not call it "rules-lite", however.  So, maybe not...

[Diego Barretta]

40 minutes ago, ThornPlutonius said:

You might also consider Zweihander Grim & Perilous.  It is a Warhammer Fantasy 2nd edition retro-clone.  PDFs at DTRPG and physical books (possibly the best produced books on the market) available at major book outlets.  I would not call it "rules-lite", however.  So, maybe not...

I have it in pdf, but I prefer OQ.