Q&A's with the new BRP author version 2.0

[Kloster]

Hello Jason,

What is the benefit of skills over 100%
What is the rule to be able to progress over 100%

Runequestement votre,

Kloster

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by Kloster

What is the benefit of skills over 100%

"Skill Ratings over 100%" is an optional rule, but one I imagine will be used frequently.

As you can guess, at 101+% you're seeing (some of) the following benefits:

- You can split your skill and make multiple attacks
- As multiple parries in a round lower your percentage for each use after the first, the benefits are obvious
- Situational modifiers (ranging from -10-30%) are less onerous if your skill is over 100%
- When skill uses are Difficult (1/2 normal chance), the higher the skill the better
- The chance of specials (1/5 normal chance) increases
- The chance of criticals (1/20 normal chance increases
- Etc.

Originally Posted by Kloster

What is the rule to be able to progress over 100%

See the section on experience (though it follows the rules from Elric!/Stormbringer).

[Atgxtg]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

- As multiple parries in a round lower your percentage for each use after the first, the benefits are obvious

What is the penalty for mutiple parries? It is a fixed values like the -20% in SB1? Or it it based by weapon type.? I could see a light responsive weapon like a rapier being -10% and something heavier like an axe -30%.

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

What is the penalty for mutiple parries? It is a fixed values like the -20% in SB1?

Fixed value.

Making it based on weapon type would lead to (in my mind) a significant jump in complexity.

[Atgxtg]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

Fixed value.

Ah, thanks.

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

Making it based on weapon type would lead to (in my mind) a significant jump in complexity.

Some complexity. How significant a jump would depend on how on how fine a grade. Light (-10%)/Medium (-20%)/Heavy (-30%) wouldn't be as complex as a differernt values for each weapon, in 1% increments ().

[badcat]

Any number of small adjustments like that would add up, fast, though. It is one my major complaints about D&D 3rd+ edition.

I don't even particularly like the 5%/20% critical/special structure, for the same reason. Usually I go with a straight 10% or 20%. Critical. And hold the +100% skill levels down, if not completely disallowed. It has worked well for a long time. Makes for fast, plot driven games.

[Simlasa]

Originally Posted by badcat

Any number of small adjustments like that would add up, fast, though. It is one my major complaints about D&D 3rd+ edition.

Agreed!
It's a fine line between a reasonable combat system that moves the story forward and one that takes over the story and slows all progress to a halt.

[badcat]

About the only thing keeping me interested in this new version of BRP right now is the continued use of the word 'optional', although I am beginning to wonder if there may not be too much 'optional'. Trying to please everyone often ends with pleasing no one, and leading to groups splitting up.

[Nightshade]

Originally Posted by badcat

About the only thing keeping me interested in this new version of BRP right now is the continued use of the word 'optional', although I am beginning to wonder if there may not be too much 'optional'. Trying to please everyone often ends with pleasing no one, and leading to groups splitting up.

If you don't put in enough to please at least the majority, putting the book out is a waste of time. Its not like there was exactly an enormous amount of consistency amidst extent BRP games outside of the attributes, percentile skills and rolling low.

[frogspawner]

Maybe Chaosium are hoping one set of options will emerge as generally accepted, so they'll get a "generic, universal" system to build on...