Is Chaosium going to support BRP anymore?

[ORtrail]

As much as I love the smell of dead trees and ink in the morning, I'd be OK with seeing Chaosium have a broad selection of PDFs to support the BRP book on their website.

With the mongraphs being pretty much ready to go when Chaosium gets them, how hard could this be to accomplish?

[sdavies2720]

I just hope they're using that income to diversify their line.

Yeah, 'cause when Cthulhu actually appears during this crisis, suddenly no one will want to play CoC any more. It won't be escapist enough.

Steve

[Thalaba]

My feeling on this whole matter is that the BRP book doesn't need constant new books and supplements month on month and I find it odd that people declare the game dead because Chaosium isn't churning out supplements to 'support' the game.

While I personally would not us the 'D' word (for me RQ3 is very much alive!), I think this thread illustrates why Savage Worlds appears to be thriving but BRP does not:

Savage Worlds: The AD&D2 of generic systems? - RPGnet Forums

Thalaba

[Jason D]

While I personally would not us the 'D' word (for me RQ3 is very much alive!), I think this thread illustrates why Savage Worlds appears to be thriving but BRP does not:

Savage Worlds: The AD&D2 of generic systems? - RPGnet Forums

Thalaba

To be fair, Savage Worlds has been in print as a generic system since 2003 or 2004. It's a solid system, but it's also supported by a much larger company.

I certainly wish Chaosium were doing more with BRP, but they are entirely reliant on outside freelancers for submissions, and honestly, Call of Cthulhu is their bread and butter. Heck, it's not just their bread and butter, it's their cutting board, their knife, the oven the bread was baked in, the cow that produced the milk, and the churn the butter was made in, as well as being the plate the bread is served on.

[vagabond]

To be fair, Savage Worlds has been in print as a generic system since 2003 or 2004. It's a solid system, but it's also supported by a much larger company.

I certainly wish Chaosium were doing more with BRP, but they are entirely reliant on outside freelancers for submissions

Which has been the case almost since day one. Just about the entire

Stormbringer/Elric! line has, as well as Nephilim, Ringworld, Elfquest, etc.

Only CoC and RQ saw a major chunk developed in house. Sure, Lynn

took over the Elric! core (and, thusly SB5), but that was more of an

editing job as well as updating the system to fit more with CoC 5+.

, and honestly, Call of Cthulhu is their bread and butter. Heck, it's not just their bread and butter, it's their cutting board, their knife, the oven the bread was baked in, the cow that produced the milk, and the churn the butter was made in, as well as being the plate the bread is served on.

And that needs to be quoted for truth !

-V

[Simlasa]

I think a big part of why Savage Worlds is such a popular generic system is because its default play style is more cinematic... it's heroic and is probably a better fit for what a lot of people are looking for when they move on from their 'entry' games of AD&D...

That compared to GURPS and BRP which both default to a more deadly style of game where the PCs aren't necessarily action-movie heroes.

I prefer the grittier street-level stuff... but I can see by a LOT of the rpg.net threads that mine is more of a 'niche' taste compared to the majority of players who wanna be 'The Awsome' in their games.

[seneschal]

"After taking a look at some of the settings I am pretty sold on Savage Worlds, but I admit if it wasn't for the game settings themselves I wouldn't have given SW a second look."

Yep, the rpg.net discussion pretty much reiterates what I said earlier: Players are drawn to a setting or a genre and only learn to appreciate (or endure) the game mechanics later. To grow and prosper, BRP needs a variety of captivating, playable settings and campaign books quite apart from the Cthulhu franchise.

[PK Games]

"After taking a look at some of the settings I am pretty sold on Savage Worlds, but I admit if it wasn't for the game settings themselves I wouldn't have given SW a second look."

Yep, the rpg.net discussion pretty much reiterates what I said earlier: Players are drawn to a setting or a genre and only learn to appreciate (or endure) the game mechanics later. To grow and prosper, BRP needs a variety of captivating, playable settings and campaign books quite apart from the Cthulhu franchise.

That is very much true, I remember as a young lad suffering through Palladium's system for years mainly because my FLGS carried their products, they had a wide range of settings and the rules were essentially all the same. Now I look at some cool D20 3E settings (Fading Suns, Dragonstar) and want to play them with BRP, and I look at Dark Heresy stuff and think "These rules are very BRP related, but different enough to have a different feel. But similar enough that I can merge certain aspects of the games together."

However, hearing that Chaosium wants submissions gets my "I want to write RPGS too" juices flowing. If I only had the time.

Maybe its time to dust off my old Pantheon Transcripts from college!

[PK Games]

Im not a big savage worlds fan, but did get the Solomon Kane game last year at Origins and must say its a much better game/setting then Paradigm's Witch Hunter is.

I also enjoy the setting for Hollow Earth Expedition, but think both games would be better BRP.

I would put BRP as my third favorite system currently.

1. DC Heroes/MEGS

2. Dark Hereys/WFRP

3. BRP

4. D6

[Mike844]

Systems can be interesting, but I'll wager an interesting setting will sell more books.

[PK Games]

Chaosium already has a fine system, its new settings were waiting for!

[Nightshade]

I think a big part of why Savage Worlds is such a popular generic system is because its default play style is more cinematic... it's heroic and is probably a better fit for what a lot of people are looking for when they move on from their 'entry' games of AD&D...

That compared to GURPS and BRP which both default to a more deadly style of game where the PCs aren't necessarily action-movie heroes.

I prefer the grittier street-level stuff... but I can see by a LOT of the rpg.net threads that mine is more of a 'niche' taste compared to the majority of players who wanna be 'The Awsome' in their games.

This is something that gets ignored on here more often than I think it should; BRP fans are biased toward a gritty/simulationist view of games that is, as far as I can tell, not particularly typical for the hobby.

[rust]

To quote Ron Edwards, in a Forge article on Simulationism:

Pound for pound, Basic Role-Playing from The Chaosium is perhaps the most

important system, publishing tradition, and intellectual engine in the hobby -

yes, even more than D&D. It represents the first and arguably the most

lasting, influential form of uncompromising Simulationist design.

[Harshax]

I think a big part of why Savage Worlds is such a popular generic system is because its default play style is more cinematic... it's heroic and is probably a better fit for what a lot of people are looking for when they move on from their 'entry' games of AD&D...

That compared to GURPS and BRP which both default to a more deadly style of game where the PCs aren't necessarily action-movie heroes.

I prefer the grittier street-level stuff... but I can see by a LOT of the rpg.net threads that mine is more of a 'niche' taste compared to the majority of players who wanna be 'The Awsome' in their games.

Additionally, Savage Worlds has great production values. It knows what it does best, and delivers it with precision. I got into it with 1st Edition and 50 Fathoms. Packed with adventures, I consider 50F one of my top 10 favorite campaign books.

Savage Worlds can be gritty too. Just remove Soak Rolls.

[Simlasa]

Savage Worlds can be gritty too. Just remove Soak Rolls.

Yeah... and you can scoot BRP towards heroic/cinematic with various tweaks... I was just referring to what seem to be the default assumptions... design goals... whatever.

I'm in a bi-weekly Deadlands game these days and it's quite enjoyable... but the rules definitely push a more 'gonzo' style of play than I usually go for. As usual though, in the end the most important factor is who you are playing with... (and I don't stand a chance of EVER getting these guys to play BRP... it just doesn't have enough 'cool' game mechanics for their tastes).

[alairduk]

Most dissapointing for me has been the lack of publsihed support material for BRP. You would think that the release of an much anticipated core rule book would have been followed by a brand new setting to grasp the opportunity provided by the release of said core rulebook. Instead we've had the usual Chaosium follow up of sfa. It's very dissapointing as it seems like nothing has changed at Chaosium.

[threedeesix]

... (and I don't stand a chance of EVER getting these guys to play BRP... it just doesn't have enough 'cool' game mechanics for their tastes).

While I appreciate your groups opinion, I think the irony here is that I believe BRP has the coolest game mechanic there is.

D&D player: How does my thief get better at climbing walls?

D&D DM: Go out and kill 17.5 orcs.

BRP Player: How does my thief get better at climbing walls?

BRP GM: Go climb some walls.

I LOVE the BRP skill mechanic, to me the most original rule in role playing games. Skills go up fast when there low and slow down when they get higher, without a single experience point to be tracked.

Rod

Edited March 5, 2009 by threedeesix

[rust]

Well, you see, a certain kind of player loves to kill Orcs and hates to climb

walls - for them, killing Orcs is always "cool" (no matter the reason, or the

absence of a reason), while climbing walls is not.

[vagabond]

Yeah... and you can scoot BRP towards heroic/cinematic with various tweaks... I was just referring to what seem to be the default assumptions... design goals... whatever.

I'm in a bi-weekly Deadlands game these days and it's quite enjoyable... but the rules definitely push a more 'gonzo' style of play than I usually go for. As usual though, in the end the most important factor is who you are playing with... (and I don't stand a chance of EVER getting these guys to play BRP... it just doesn't have enough 'cool' game mechanics for their tastes).

Out of curiosity, what kinds of "cool" mechanics does it lack in your

experience?

-V

[Thalaba]

Out of curiosity, what kinds of "cool" mechanics does it lack in your

experience?

-V

I thought he meant "Cool Powers" like feats rather than "cool mechanics" - you know, stuff like that feat that lets you take a second attack in a round if the first one is successful - can't remember what it's called.

I think everyone can agree that BRP's actual 'mechanics' are actually way-hay-hay cooler. N'est pas?

Thalaba

[vagabond]

I thought he meant "Cool Powers" like feats rather than "cool mechanics" - you know, stuff like that feat that lets you take a second attack in a round if the first one is successful - can't remember what it's called.

I think everyone can agree that BRP's actual 'mechanics' are actually way-hay-hay cooler. N'est pas?

Thalaba

Well, that and BRP had "feats" before D&D/d20 did. RQ's Land of the Ninja

had Ki Powers which are basically the same as feats. And, MRQ has Legendary

Abilities, which are basically feats. And, original RQ, RuneLords gained special

"feat"like abilities. And, Elric! and SB gave Agents/Champions special powers

as well.

How about Stormbringer 1 - 4 where an "Expert" swordsman (greater than

90% in attack and parry) can turn a successful Parry into a Riposte (free

attack), not only once in a round, but with every successful Parry - which

could yield four or more attacks a round.

So, the whole "lack of feats or feat-like abilities" doesn't wash.

-V

[Aycorn]

I thought he meant "Cool Powers" like feats rather than "cool mechanics" - you know, stuff like that feat that lets you take a second attack in a round if the first one is successful - can't remember what it's called.

I think everyone can agree that BRP's actual 'mechanics' are actually way-hay-hay cooler. N'est pas?

Thalaba

I confess, I'm a complete zealot for BRP. I'm really not interested in playing any other kind of system. As said, it can be tweaked to be more "gonzo" if that's what's desired.

Also it's so flexible and easy to add/subtract things from it, making it endlessly adaptable.

I think maybe part of the charm for me is - hey, I've got the system nailed down, so now I can focus on the other aspects of the game.

I'm fortunate in that I can play with people who like BRP, even if they're not as single-mindedly devoted to it as I am.

[cjbowser]

Well, back on to the original topic. I received a contract yesterday to produce a setting for BRP.

It's due in September. I should have it done before then.

[Thalaba]

Well, back on to the original topic. I received a contract yesterday to produce a setting for BRP.

It's due in September. I should have it done before then.

Cool. What kind of setting? Monograph or actual Book (or whatever they call non-monographs)? Are you allowed to discuss it?

Thalaba

[Simlasa]

Out of curiosity, what kinds of "cool" mechanics does it lack in your

experience?

-V

I don't think BRP lacks ANY cool mechanics...

It's just this group I'm playing with, they seem to like rolling LOTS of dice and redundancy... and mostly the GM of the alternating Earthdawn game we play...

He went on at one point about how much he disliked Runequests XP... how it encouraged everyone to use all their skills in an attempt to raise them (he used an example of an assassin trying to practice his French on a victim he's about to garrote...).

Meanwhile his homebrew version of Earthdawn's rules makes me kind of nuts... they seems complex for the sake of complexity... and I can tell he's a bit miffed because I'm still unclear on them. I suspect it's really D&D 4e with alterations (he's a very active WOW player as well).

Luckily I get my BRP fix with my intermittent Cthulhu group.

Well, back on to the original topic. I received a contract yesterday to produce a setting for BRP.

It's due in September. I should have it done before then.

Yay!... and congratulations!

Edited March 5, 2009 by Simlasa