Hey all,

Has anyone played using Chaosium's basic roleplaying system?  I've been looking around on their website and it looks like it could be promising.  I like the idea of a generic system that could be used for anything (I know GURPS is out there but could never really get into that system's mechanics) and some of the campaign settings they have are pretty sweet sounding.  Anyway, just asking for yall's thoughts or experiences with the system.

I've used the system WAYYY back when running ElfQuest and 1st Ed Stormbringer.  I have recently gotten interested in BRP again and bought the core book from amazon.  Reading through that and Call of Cthulhu 6ed (also BRP) right now.

If we are gaming this weekend and you are there I'll bring the BRP core book so you can take a look, if your interested.

Thanks for the offer.  I'd like to take a look at it if you don't mind.  I'm interested in the idea of not having set levels and that skills advance as you use them (which is something I really liked about the Morrowind game if you've ever played it).  I'm gonna be out of town this weekend but I plan on making it to next week's game.

Speaking of Morrowind and Elderscrolls in general.  Has any company attempted to turn that setting into a tabletop RPG?  I didn't particularly like Oblivion but I thought the Morrowind setting was pretty cool and could be used as a good setting for a game.

Kebb wrote on Jul 14^th, 2010 at 4:52pm:

Speaking of Morrowind and Elderscrolls in general.  Has any company attempted to turn that setting into a tabletop RPG?  I didn't particularly like Oblivion but I thought the Morrowind setting was pretty cool and could be used as a good setting for a game.

Yeah, I've played all 4 of the main Elder Scrolls games, but none of the off shoots like Redguard or Blackspire (I think).

Not sure about actual published material, but I am sure there is fan created stuff.  I guess the best thing to try is do a google search for your system of choice and elder scrolls.

gurps elder scrolls
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Lots of fan conversion and questions and stuff.

BRP elder scrolls
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From what I have seen with a quick scan of a couple of these links is the BRP is the way to go to closely match the skill system used in the computer games.

I think the original Runequest system by Chaosium would be right up your alley.

hewhorocks wrote on Jul 14^th, 2010 at 6:52pm:

I think the original Runequest system by Chaosium would be right up your alley.

mmmmmmm......RuneQuest......drool  Been a damn long time for that one.  Some of the most fun in middle and high school playing that.

Picked up Mongoose's RuneQuest II Core Rulebook last week or so, have not had a chance to read it yet, but thumbing through it looks like they kept the system for the most part intact.  Deeper reading when I get the time will let me decide if it is any good.

IMO, BRP rates right up there with 1st ed. AD&D as an all-time great RPG.  I was part of the playtesting leading up to the most recent release, and was very happy that everyone (at Chaosium & playtesters) were on the same page about making the new version compatible with the previous editions.

The new BRP incorporates just about all of the subsystems from their various games.  For instance, insanity is now a basic function in BRP, not just Call of Cthulhu, and allegiances (or cults) are now basic as well, not just subsystems from RQ or Elric/Stormbringer.  Of course, it's all modular, so you can include in your game what you see fit, and disregard the rest without leaving any holes.

New to the boards here, Hi everyone........ but I have been playing with BRP in the form of Runequest /CoC for over 20 years and still believe it's the most versatile system out there.

To a new player I would describe some of the Pro's as:-

1. Very intuitive % based system, no cryptic THAC0's or dots to count.

2. Scaleable villains. A single trollkin (goblin equivalent) can still be deadly to high level characters as a dragon.

3. Very rich campaign backgrounds available from Glorantha, and Cthulhu to Ancient Rome, Ringworld and Superheroes. Many still available OOP or via ebay etc.

4. Various types of magic systems available

5. Much cheaper than 4e, WFRP/40K or White Wolf to collect.


Cons would include:-

1. Little sparse on detail in some areas that gamers want detail such as exhaustive fatigue rules or psionics

2. Large combats can bog down when you're not familiar with the rules, but with practice they can be as fluid as nay system and have a host of extra details in optional rules.

3. PC's can die easily. As mentioned as a pro even apparently  minor enemies can deliver deadly critical blows.

4. Some of the depth of background materials can be intimidating. Don't worry about it, it's your game use what you want.


I could go on but you get the idea....highly recommended.

I used to have tons of Runequest stuff. Time was it was one of the big 3 "D&D, traveller, Runequest." (yeah petal throne wasnt ever that hot...at least in my neck of the woods) Lots of the system crept into many games later on.  I got the feeling though that it tried to hard in the early years to be Chocolate chip to ODnD's vanilla. We did though really enjoy CoC in the mid 80's. I remember converting and modifying "gangbusters" scenarios to CoC.


Edited to add the link to CoC quick-start rules:

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Just to add to Hew's linky.  Here is the quick-start for the base BRP system.

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Ok, so here's a question for those of you in the know.

I looked at the quickstart guide and I definitely think its something that I can get into.  So I'm thinking of buying.  Now, I can purchase this stuff online at either paizo.com or the chaosium website. 

So here's my question.  The BRP corerule book on the chaosium website appears to be a rule book only (no setting) that brings together all the different rule sets from CoC, RuneQuest, etc.  Which in theory sounds really cool.

However, for those of you who know me, you know that I am ALL about the setting.  If a setting is really cool then I'll deal with a crappy rule mechanic, I'm more of a story guy than a rolling dice guy. 

So that being said, should I instead purchase the RuneQuest II book available on paizo.com?  It has the majority of the BRP rules in it (especially the magic system, which I think could be really cool) AND it has a setting.  Now, I've never played RuneQuest (either on paper or on video game) so my question is to yall, is the setting worth it?

Thanks.

If you want to wait a few days I'll bring both the BRP Core book and the RuneQuest II (Mongoose) to the game so you can give them a once over and see what you like before you decide. 

Yes, the BRP is just rules, but if you look on the Chaosium website there are alot of monographs that will cover a variety of settings.  From Fantasy and Rome, to Sci-Fi and Apocalyptic, and a bit in between.  It would also not be that hard to use another setting from another game.

RuneQuest II is, for the most part, stand alone fantasy but the defacto setting for it is Glorantha.  There is also Lankhmar and soon to be released the Elric (Stormbringer) world.  While the introduction to MRQ2 stated the rule set can be used for any setting and genre, it does focus on gritty fantasy.  The thing to keep in mind is although this game was originally a BRP game when produced my Chaosium, Mongoose has changed the system a bit.  It is still d100 but there are a few significant changes, at least that is what I see from the little I have read of the RQ2 Core book and seen on the BRP forums, that may not be fully compatible with BRP.

Let me know about the books and I'll bring them on Saturday.

Please do. 

You could make any rules set work for you if you dont mind a little elbow grease. Not having a setting married to the rules allows you to beg, borrow and steal to get you own setting how you envision it. Sounds like a bit of work but computers really help cut the workload down. BRP will make you set the core assumptions for your game (by making you determine which mechanics you incorporate) This will help you in conveying your setting to your players though its a little more work on the front end.

What I mean is if your using a sanity mechanic then we automaticly know something about the game world. Its like determining keywords for the setting.

I think the settings available are all probably pretty good though you will run into players expectations by using them. "A Tie fighter's core can be used to power an independant shield generator didnt you read rouge squadron 44?" If your going to pull together something unique and put in the effort in the front end then BRP may be up your alley.

The thing is with any homebrew campaign though is you have to enjoy the building process. The game can suffer if you try to build railroad tracks to your coolest creations.

Runequest has a very cool setting (in my opinion) and it has the benefit of not being as widely known as say Forgotten realms etc. Mongoose does seem to do a good job of breathing new life into vintage games. (Their travelller stuff get a thumbs up from me.) But unless you are looking to go right out of the box into the Runequest world I might lean towards BRP.

Just my .02

Cool. Thanks for the thoughts. Someone said in a different thread that they loved just sitting and reading different rule systems, I'm kinda like that but I love reading different settings. I will forgive a really horrible system if the setting os really cool and fleshed out. I wanna read the runequest setting primarily because a lot of people like it and it's a game I've never read before.

That being said, did anyone but me completely love the Elric setting? I don't think moorcock is that great of a writer but I read a couple of the novels then played the d20 version of the game. Awesome.

I ran a couple sessions of Stormbringer 1st ed back in mid 80's and I still have the book in storage.  I like the setting itself although I have not read much in the way of the stories.  I have read a few and I liked them well enough.

I think that was me that said he enjoyed sitting and reading different rule systems.  It's true!  Though FWIW, I do enjoy a handful of campaign settings - Dark Sun and Eberron, in particular.

I've always heard Elric/Stormbringer described as a classic.  Another one that I've heard is great is Wilderlands of High Fantasy, though I've never played it myself. 

I'll have to check out some of the Elric fiction - where should I start?

Many might hate me for saying this but I think Michael Moorcock is a terrible author when it comes to prose.  He has some fantastic ideas and great story lines (Elric is probably the best in my opinion), I just never could get in to his way of writing.

In regards to Elric, looking at Amazon.com right now, the place to start would be The Elric Saga, Part 1, which is the first three or four books put together.  If you know of a really good second hand store, Elric of Melnibone is the first book in the series I think.  There was a progression of novels following a set timeline, then Moorcock went back and wrote some other ones along with some anthologies of Elric shortstories, which makes it a little diffficult to figure out what books to start with.

Elric is held up as an iconic (and maybe really the first) example of the classic Anti-hero.  He's a tragic figure but not really one thats tragic because he tries to do good and the universe it out to get him.  Its a really nice spin on the heroic fantasy genre. 

Here is a review of one of the newer runequest suppliments. It does touch on an overview of the setting though to give you an idea of what the feel of the runequest setting. (The book in question address a period which leads up to the classic setting but many of the observations seem to ring true.)

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Booo @ Kebb! I love Moorcock's books, but I guess it's all person preference. I know people that ador the wheel of time books and I couldn't finish reading the first book. As far as the Elric collection, there have been so many reprints in various formats, but I recommend buying the Eternal Champion line since it is the most current omnibus with Mr. Moorcock's latest forewards and notes.

My best friend in Highschool couldnt put the Elric stuff down. I was into Harry Harrison at the time so never gave the Moorcock much of a chance. Then again I couldnt get through the wheel of time...it just lost me. Dune? Wielder of white gold? Ate those up like kiddie crack. No accounting for taste maybe.

Just for the record, I really liked The Wheel of Time series... for the first four books.  I'll argue till I'm blue in the face that the first four books are completely awesome, the rest of the series just went down hill incredibly quickly.  I read all the Elric, Hawkmoon and Corum books.  Mainly because I thought the concept was really cool, however, I'll stand by my statement that I think Moorcock may be a wonderful idea man, he just can't string a series of words together in an interesting fashion. 
Who is Harry Harrison?  never heard of him before.

Ok, so here's the new question.  High fantasy setting, which one do you like?  Don't care about the rules system. 

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High fantasy? Hmmm. Tolkien.
Sword and sorcery? Hyborian Age

Sorry, I meant, which fantasy (high fantasy, sword and sorcery, whatever) do you like to roleplay in.  I don't really care about the rules system, I'm just trying to find something new thats worth my time and money.

Sci-Fi Fantasy FTW

The weirder the better

If your going to throw down cash either enjoy the reading or figure out who is playing what. If your buying a game to read, and look at the setting as sort of a sociological case-study then recomendations will be all over the map. If however your looking to buy a game to play, I think you need to find a group and work from there. The larger following of the most popular game systems means you will have less trouble pulling a group to play togther. It took me 6 months to assemble the Wyverndale group...and we play 4th ed DnD. Pathfinder is fairly popular (though maybe has the highest entry cost) Basic D&D (Came with B2 "keep on the border lands") is low entry cost (10 bucks on ebay?), a hoot to play and has a decent chance of getting players for an afternoon..no experience required.

Just to point out that the RQII rules for sale at many dealers currently is produced by Mongoose and is not the same RQII that uses BRP produced in the eighties by Chaosium. The Mongoose version while similar is not BRP and to use older setting supplements will require conversion work particularly of the magic system... not dfficult just time consuming.

beyonder wrote on Jul 22^nd, 2010 at 2:20pm:

Sci-Fi Fantasy FTW The weirder the better

I agree with beyonder here. Something akin to Final Fantasy III where there are machines, lights, and vehicles. But instead of electricity the power source is derived from magical energy. Super cool!

The Ebberon setting for 3rd/4th ed D&D is almost exactly what Adam describes. Privateer Press has a war-machine setting (and rules) out there as well. 

I like the Sword and Sorecery, always made more sense to me. For science fiction I liked the idea of the traveller universe. Because there is Faster than light travel but not communication it always had the feel of the age of the high seas but in space.

I love Eberron and the last two campaigns I've run have been it.  I always end up running Eberron with a lot more magi-tech (like Final Fantasy) than they have it written as.  Never played Traveller, would love to take a look at it. 

Yeah, Eberron has always reminded me a lot of Final Fantasy.  Traveller is strict sci-fi stuff - spaceships, aliens, laser pistols, exotic faraway planets, et cetera.

Both are rad