Advice Needed for a Newbie

[GrayPumpkin]

Over the years I have bought a fair amount of Chaosium products, mostly Cthulhu, but also some Stormbringer, Runequest and Superworld, but despite having acquired some sizable stacks, I never really, except for a few sessions of Superworld way back when, run or even played a game using the BRP rules, though I’ve often meant to, instead I’ve used the books as source material for other game engines.

Having recently purchased the new BRP book, I find myself liking much of what I’ve read, the rules seem simple, direct and the spell system really appeals to me, especially when augmented with Stormbringer and the Bronze Grimoire which I already own.

So after all these years I find myself finally deciding to run something using these rules. To this end I’ve begun to put together some ideas for a fantasy based campaign. My main concern is the apparent deadliness of the game. I’m not one to shy away from character deaths, but too many deaths just tend to bog things down and my games do have their share of violence.

I’m wondering if any here have used the Str + Con as hit points option and how it has worked out. I want sturdy adventurers but I don’t want supermen.

As an alternative I’m also considering the Fate Points system. Truthfully as a GM I’ve always had some reservations about Fate Points, it sometimes leads to situations where players are cocky when they have some at hand but cautious when they don’t, even if the latter threat is a lesser one than the one they were previously more cocky about. That said, I haven’t completely ruled this option out and players do seem to like them. Has anyone used the Fate Point system and have any feedback? One other question here, if Fate Points run off Pow does that mean a spell caster draws from the same pool that they cast from?

Lastly since all of you have more experience than me, am I overly worrying over the deadliness? Those of you that have run strait out BRP games, have you found the amount of death a problem?

[MrJealousy]

Don't know about the Fate points in BRP but Shadowrun has something similar and it worked well in that system.

Personally, I've always run this system with SIZ+CON/2 and hit point locations. Its probably the sadist in me, but combat with hit locations result in lots of decapitated people and that makes me chuckle.

[Jason D]

I’m wondering if any here have used the Str + Con as hit points option and how it has worked out. I want sturdy adventurers but I don’t want supermen.

I use the STR+CON rule option exclusively in my heroic fantasy games, and it's worked well. It does give the players a feeling of superiority over normal characters, but then since it's not too difficult for a critical or special success to overcome their major wound total, it's not a huge problem.

One other question here, if Fate Points run off Pow does that mean a spell caster draws from the same pool that they cast from?

Yes. It's a deliberate power balancer, and gives non-powered characters something to do with those power points. In a way, fate points are a generic universal multi-faceted "power" available to everyone.

[bobapple]

Also, the availability of healing magic can help keep the death toll down a little bit.

[frogspawner]

I’m wondering if any here have used the Str + Con as hit points option and how it has worked out.

I use the STR+CON rule option exclusively in my heroic fantasy games, and it's worked well. It does give the players a feeling of superiority over normal characters, but then since it's not too difficult for a critical or special success to overcome their major wound total, it's not a huge problem.

I use a variant system of SIZ/2 for HPs, but death only occurs at -CON. This makes the players feel very vulnerable, and some are always complaining about it, though in effect they have 50% more hps than straight BRP!

(I also think it aids survival because it is somehow acceptable for even heroes to run away or play dead when they reach 0hp (which, incidentally, makes a more natural/acceptable Major Wound threshold).

I don't use Fate Points, but have a kind of "Super Dodge" which can always be used to avoid damage, in addition to parries (built up by scoring points for good roleplaying).

[AndrewMorton]

I've not run a straight BRP game yet - I'm working on a post apocalypse setting - but I've run plenty of Call of Cthulhu and played RQ in the past. COC can have an incredibly high body count - one player lost 3 investigators during one scenario! When I run the BRP post-apoc I'm going to use hit locations and con+size for hit points. I like the idea of characters potentially being disabled by combat but not necessarily killed out-right. I will not be using Fate Points.

[Chaot]

Elric!/Stormbringer does this well. Peg your PCs at the above 100% mark for fighting skills and your goons in the 30%-50% range. I also use the -CON before dead rule.

Handing out situational modifiers can not only greatly benefit the PCs but get them thinking. It makes combat interesting as you watch what the PCs come up with.

There are also Charles Green's excellent mook rules, published in the now sadly out of print 'Gods of Law.' I've posted them before, so I'm sure Charles won't mind if I post them again.

A Mook gets an attack but no defense roll and no Hit Points. If a PC hits them once, they're dead. A more powerful Mook is the same except it takes two hits to put him down. Simple, elegant, and it blends right into the system.

I've played around with it too. You've got a bruiser? Give him 60% and 1d6+1d4 and three hits to go down. You got a light but nimble thief? 30% to hit with 1d4 but four hits to go down (because he's tumbling and dodging and such).

Now here's my favorite part of the system, and I don't know whether it's intentional or not. Once your players see you rolling defense dice, they know they're up against a major opponent. It adds a nice bit of drama.

So BRP Mooks, 1) cut's down your notes tracking, 2) provides a simple mechanic to let your PCs be heros, 3) provides meta-game information to your PCs to help keep them alive, 4) is easy.

That being said, I'm sure there are at least two people on this board who will call me a blasphemer.

[NickMiddleton]

My main concern is the apparent deadliness of the game. I’m not one to shy away from character deaths, but too many deaths just tend to bog things down and my games do have their share of violence.

BRP's "centre of gravity" (the feel and style it handles most naturally in it's typical baseline configuration) is gritty - violence is always a gamble that rational characters should avoid, or try to enter in to only when they've stacked the odds heavily in their favour, and even then things can go brutally, horribly wrong.

BRP is, however, far more adaptable than many give it credit for and can quite easily be tuned for more heroic styles of play.

I’m wondering if any here have used the Str + Con as hit points option and how it has worked out. I want sturdy adventurers but I don’t want supermen.

I often use this, because against "human scale" opponents (especially if spear carries are left at SIZ+CON/2) it gives the PC"s just enough edge to work, without making some large creatures less threatening.

I also usually operate that instant death is -CON - 0 or lower THP the PC is bleeding out etc. (possible very quickly), but the rapid application of suitable emergency first aid (powerful Healing magic, high tech paramedics etc.) MAY be able to stabilise the PC.

Mook rules may help - I find they often make things a little TOO heroic for my tastes - if I'm going to bother having fight scenes then I'm not happy for faceless extra's to just drop like cardboard cut outs, but that's a personal preference and Charles Green's Mook rules as quoted and adapted by Chaot will serve you well if that approach to combat suits you (and it really does save a huge amount of book keeping).

As an alternative I’m also considering the Fate Points system. Truthfully as a GM I’ve always had some reservations about Fate Points, it sometimes leads to situations where players are cocky when they have some at hand but cautious when they don’t, even if the latter threat is a lesser one than the one they were previously more cocky about.

I am traditionally HUGELY sceptical of Fate Point type systems, for similar reasons to yourself... but I'm going to use them in an upcoming swashbuckling fantasy campaign, as after reading Jason's proposed system for BRP I'm prepared to be convinced, and I liek the way I think it will interact in the setting with teh two sorts of "magic" I'm including.

That said, I haven’t completely ruled this option out and players do seem to like them. Has anyone used the Fate Point system and have any feedback? One other question here, if Fate Points run off Pow does that mean a spell caster draws from the same pool that they cast from?

That's my understanding - and as I say, I like the idea that "Wizards make their own luck", "Fate despises a Sorcerer" and so on that it suggests for my setting.

Lastly since all of you have more experience than me, am I overly worrying over the deadliness? Those of you that have run strait out BRP games, have you found the amount of death a problem?

Generate several typical starting PC's and run several mock combats with your players so they understand the combat system - for gamers coming from other systems they will need to understand the difference BEFORE they start playing. It will also give you a chance to see the various sub-systems in operation and get a feel for things from your side of the screen.

Cheers,

Nick

[Chaot]

Generate several typical starting PC's and run several mock combats with your players so they understand the combat system - for gamers coming from other systems they will need to understand the difference BEFORE they start playing.

Excellent advice. Once you have combat down and character generation down, the rest of the system kind of falls into place. One nice thing about BRP is that there are so many ways to resolve a conflict. You've got the Active/Defensive Matrix, you've got Stat:Stat, you've got straight skill rolls, and you've got Characteristic Rolls. So, if a situation comes up it is easy to wing it without breaking the momentum of the game by looking up rules.

My player's were fine with running fast and loose (way back at Stormbringer3) while we learned the rules. BRP has many more options and it may take a while for you to decide how those options affect the game you'd like to run.

Anyway, have fun! I'd be interested in what you decide to do.

[GrayPumpkin]

My thanks to everyone for all the advice and responses.

It'll be awhile before this gets off the ground, and doubtless I'll have more questions in the offing. As to what I'll do? I'm leaning towards the Str + Con as hit points option, and no Fate Points, but I'm going to follow the advise about mock combats and run it several ways to see what works best for our group.

Thanks again.