Quote:
Originally Posted by fmitchell
What I would like to see is not a "monster book" but a "monster construction book". More than just a "one from column A, two from column B" approach, it would analyze how creatures fit into an ecology, or unique monsters fit into a narrative. It would then give tips on how to balance a creature against the the PCs. From what I hear A Magical Society: Beast Builder takes this approach for d20, but in the BRP we have to guess how characteristics and special attacks affect the deadliness of a creature.
Such a book could have wide applicability. Fantasy GMs could create whole new encounters to surprise their players. Science fiction GMs could create plausible alien flora and fauna. Horror GMs could move beyond standard Cthulhoid monstrosities to create their own terrors.
Then again, in games as in real life, I believe the deadliest creature is man, so I think a GM can do pretty well by pitting human(oid) societies, kingdoms, and organizations against the PCs.
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Yuk. I hate it when TSR tried to give fantastic monsters an ecological niche. For BRP I think such a tactic would be disasterous.
For starters, in BRP, unlike D&D, not all worlds are the same (i.e a fantasy world with a climate like feudal Europe), not are the populated with the same species (elves, dwarves, orcs), and critters. So an ecology book would either be useful for one setting, or force all BRP setting to be alike. Once you work out what fantasy critter eats another fantasy critter, you need the second critter for the ecology to hold up.
Plus, the "balanced" approach of D&D doesn't hold true. The "this creature is a challenge for X characters of Y level" thing is only a very rough guideline. In truth, a GM has to look over the characters and the opposition and figure it all out on a case by case basis. There are simply too many variables for the guidelines to be worth much.
In D&D terms, things like PC attribute scores and equipment carried are not factored into the equations, and they are very important factors.
Likewise in BRP, creatures stats don't tell the whole story. A grizzly bear is bigger and stronger than a brown bear, but isn't really much more of a threat to a group that can hit it with massed missile fire, especially if they have access to modern firearms.
Even very high STR scores sort of cap out as a contributor to threat level. Once you hit 6d6 damage or so, the actual damages becomes irrelevant, a hit means dead or incapacitated. At that point skill is the big factor (skill usually is the major factor in BRP, along with brains).
Technically, a GM could make custom monsters in BRP with the Superpower, or Mutant rules anyway. Buy any sort of hard & fast power measurements are wishful thinking.
As for a creatures book.
I think it would either have to be a mix of mundane, mythic, alien, or else separate books by genre (BRP Animals, BRP Mythical Creatures, BRP Space Creatures, BRP Aliens, BRP Mythic Races, etc).
I think the best approach would be to start with an all-in-one book and then do the rest in setting books, or as supplements to the settings if & when they are needed (the way we are handle multiple forums here).