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

[Lord Twig]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

I believe that Control has had some feedback to be integrated into the final print copy.

Great! Thanks!

[Enpeze]

Originally Posted by Lord Twig

Looking at my copy, I am concerned about the Control spell. Am I reading this right?

One level cost one Power Point and allows you to take control of one person with a POW vs. POW roll. If successful "This control is total - the target cannot speak or perform any voluntary action other than those specified by your character."

It says nothing about actions that the character might be violently opposed to, such as drawing his own dagger and slitting his own throat, or forcing a mother to toss her baby in front of a speeding carriage. This seems pretty harsh for just one power point!

Add more levels and it just gets worse! 5 power points and you can have 5 people commit suicide simultaneously!

In the hands of a villain with a high POW this can be a total party kill in one round.

Is this being changed in the final draft? I was thinking maybe the spell could only effect one person and each level of the spell allowed you to effect 3 POW. So in order to effect a person with 14 POW you would need to put 5 points into the spell AND overcome his POW with a resistance test.

Oh, also I was thinking of allowing a resistance roll every round to break out. Plus another one if you wanted to force someone to do something really horrible. So it would take three rolls to get someone to commit suicide. First roll to get him under control, then next round he would try to break free (subconsciously of course) then you would command him to kill himself. He would make a final resistance roll, if he failed that, he's dead.

Well that spell sounds "overpowered". But with your multiple resistance rolls, I think you found a good solution to counter this.

[Lord Twig]

Originally Posted by Enpeze

Well that spell sounds "overpowered". But with your multiple resistance rolls, I think you found a good solution to counter this.

Well we will see what Jason comes up with in the final draft. There are many ways that it could be done to make it less deadly.

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by Lord Twig

Well we will see what Jason comes up with in the final draft. There are many ways that it could be done to make it less deadly.

The edits I'm sending Charlie are something like this (I don't have the book on hand);

Power Point Cost = 3 per level

The revised text notes that if the target is ordered to do something that it would normally never agree to (killing an ally, something that would result in its own death, etc.) it is allowed an Idea roll. If successful, it will balk and refuse the order (but will still remain under Control). Failure means it will do the action.

If ordered once more to do the action it has previously balked at, it is allowed a second Idea roll. Failure means it will perform the action. Success means it breaks free from the Control.

[Atgxtg]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

The edits I'm sending Charlie are something like this (I don't have the book on hand);

Power Point Cost = 3 per level

The revised text notes that if the target is ordered to do something that it would normally never agree to (killing an ally, something that would result in its own death, etc.) it is allowed an Idea roll. If successful, it will balk and refuse the order (but will still remain under Control). Failure means it will do the action.

If ordered once more to do the action it has previously balked at, it is allowed a second Idea roll. Failure means it will perform the action. Success means it breaks free from the Control.

Reminds me of a scene in "Abbot & Costello Meet the Killer". Lou is under hypnosis and being ordered to commit suicide yet consistently manages to thwart the command.


"Perhaps you would like to choose your own manner of death? Very well, how would you like to die?"

"Old age."

[drohem]

Hi Jason,

I have a question about the MOV attribute. A normal human has a MOV of 10 and a chariot has a MOV of 4 (according to the vehicle chart).

Does this mean that a human can outrun a chariot?

Also, the vehicle chart shows that a horse has a MOV of 4, but in the bestiary section a horse has a Move of 12.

Could you please briefly clarify this for me?

Thank you!

[Anunnaki]

Hi Drohem,

I suspect it's because of the sliding MOV scale (1-5), mentioned in Vehicles, p.265.

For Humans (and Horses), they have a "normal" combat round MOV of 10 and 12, respectively. The Vehicle Table assumes a scale of 3 which means your Horse (MOV 4 in the Vehicle Table) ends up with an equivalent combat round MOV of 12 (4 x 3 = 12). Same with Chariots.

I'm not 100% sure how this all works or why the scale, to be honest, but I'm sure Jason will jump in and explain better. (I haven't read the whole book yet, sorry.) Presumably this keys into vehicles being so much faster and is a mechanism for scaling large distances in game play down to manageable values?

Kind regards, James

[drohem]

Well, under the Derived Characteristics section on p.31, it states same thing for a human's MOV attribute: the unit can range from 1-5 meters, with an average of 3 meters per unit, which means 30 meters per combat round.

This is exactly the same under the MOV score for vehicles on p. 265: Mov has a sliding scale of 1-5 meters; this assumes a median value of 3.

Hence my confusion.

[drohem]

On another note related to vehicles: what is the relationship between Maneuver and Handling?

So with the chariot example: would the net bonus/penalty to the Drive skill check be +10% (Maneuver = -5% and Handling = 15)?

On p.216 it says to add/subtract the Handling modifer for the vehicle from the character's appropriate skill.

On p. 265, it says that this modifier is applied to your character's skill.

Why is Maneuver expressed as a percentage and Handling just a number?

Why have two vehicle attributes that serve the same function?

I am confuzzled

I would surely appreciate some incite into these vehicle attributes and there applications.

I know that I am probably missing something simple with this and the MOV attrubute for creatures and vehicles. I will probably look like an idiot when someone points out the simple and obvious answer.

But, let's assume I am an idiot and use me as measuring stick for a newbie picking their first RPG book, and it happens to be the new BRP.

[Anunnaki]

Hiya,

Well, you and me idiots both then, Drohem. I've had a good read now and I am also "confuzzled" about what's intended here. (Please ignore my earlier post -- I think I am way wrong...)

Regards, James