Playtest Questions

[Fear of the Duck]

Originally Posted by badcat

It seems to me that most of this is dissatisfaction with the authors' choices. Otherwise, since you have already stated your problems to the Chaosium guys, I think we should just wait and see the finalized book before we talk about these issues, if such they are.

I would be fair to say that I fundamentally disagree with the approach this has been taken with this product; however I have received no feedback or even acknowledgment on the information I sent back to Chaosium, and these are points that we would like answers to.

As a long time supporter of Chaosium I would be very disappointed to see this book tank, especially as they are just of the verge of really getting things back together again; however I had serious reservations after the playtesting and have felt nothing but relief each time I have seen the release date push back.

I would very much like to see BRP out there as a unified system, but remain to be convinved that this it.

[Fear of the Duck]

Originally Posted by frogspawner

Fear of the Duck, how do you feel about the Mongoose?

I think that Mongoose produce great looking books, and while I've not rushed out to buy the new Runequest I'll get the Elric book at some point as Loz has done a really good job on it.

[Enpeze]

Originally Posted by Trifletraxor

But isn't that a rather bad idea? If they want to front Basic Roleplaying as a generic system, it should be a streamlined new edition, not just a compilation.

SGL.

A compilation is not a bad idea from my PoV. New editions and streamlinig come often hand in hand with rule changes and "improvements". I dont like changes anymore after the Mongoose debacle. If they change anything they can do it the next edition. (or not at all) BRP is good as it is.

But is a compilation good from the chaosium PoV? I dont know because I dont know what they are planning in the future. (if there are plans for the future of BRP at all)

[Trifletraxor]

Originally Posted by Enpeze

A compilation is not a bad idea from my PoV. New editions and streamlinig come often hand in hand with rule changes and "improvements". I dont like changes anymore after the Mongoose debacle. If they change anything they can do it the next edition. (or not at all) BRP is good as it is.

BRP have a lot of different incarnations, and they do have different rules. All those rules can't be default rules. A "unified" BRP system is needed if Basic Roleplaying is supposed to work as a generic system. For us oldtimers, a compilation of BRPs "greatest hits" might be a nice addition to the book shelf, but I can't see it would be much attractive to newbies.

SGL.

[NickMiddleton]

Originally Posted by Trifletraxor

But isn't that a rather bad idea? If they want to front Basic Roleplaying as a generic system, it should be a streamlined new edition, not just a compilation.

SGL.

The new BRP has always been explicitly described by Jason as (to put it in my own words) a collation and synthesis of "best practice" from previous BRP games, with optional subsystems from many of those games, but presenting the underlying system on it's own as a complete system, free of any specific setting, for the first time.

I have been using "BRP" to do exactly what GURPS does (let me design settings as I see fit) for decades - but the underpinning rules have always been a pain because I've had to pick between which rule I'm using in each specific incident: Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest (2 or 3?), RIngworld, Worlds of Wonder, ElfQuest etc.

The new BRP during play testing gave me a single coherent statement of the BRP rules on which to base my games, whilst at the same time addressing a bunch or irritating issues in and between the previous versions (opposed skill resolution, skill definitions and success levels to name but two) and smoothly handling a number of common options (hit locations or not? EDU characteristic or not?).

Whilst we didn't really push the Super Powers, we encountered no real issues with the powers chapter in testing, beyond the obvious that (as it says in the text) just because they are all in the same book does NOT mean they should all be in every game, and the GM will have to adjudicate interactions between different Powers types. The only substantive omissions from the play test drafts I saw were the tables from Chapter 8 and we didn't originally get to see the Bestiary/Creatures chapter.

I'd very much like to know when the play test version Fear of Duck saw dates from, as that might illuminate his questions some what - if it was from this time last year we know Jason and Chaosium have done a fair amount of fine tuning and revising since then; if it was from October this year, that's more concerning... And I hope that specific questions / problems have been addressed (e.g. post #6 - albeit I'm sure we raised that in the Yahoo Play Test Group).

Cheers,

Nick Middleton

[frogspawner]

Originally Posted by Fear of the Duck

I think that Mongoose produce great looking books, and while I've not rushed out to buy the new Runequest I'll get the Elric book at some point as Loz has done a really good job on it.

After 3+ pages of quibbles with Chaosium/BRP, I'm surprised you're not more critical of Mongoose/MRQ. Their attempt at d100 is out there as the SRD, so you can see without buying anything that their system is a steaming pile of worthless crud.

[Fear of the Duck]

Originally Posted by NickMiddleton

Whilst we didn't really push the Super Powers, we encountered no real issues with the powers chapter in testing, beyond the obvious that (as it says in the text) just because they are all in the same book does NOT mean they should all be in every game, and the GM will have to adjudicate interactions between different Powers types. The only substantive omissions from the play test drafts I saw were the tables from Chapter 8 and we didn't originally get to see the Bestiary/Creatures chapter.

I'd very much like to know when the play test version Fear of Duck saw dates from, as that might illuminate his questions some what - if it was from this time last year we know Jason and Chaosium have done a fair amount of fine tuning and revising since then; if it was from October this year, that's more concerning... And I hope that specific questions / problems have been addressed (e.g. post #6 - albeit I'm sure we raised that in the Yahoo Play Test Group).

Charlie have it to me at Tentacles this year - I'm afraid that I can't give you further details then that.

We really did push the Super Powers as there is nothing like playing something at the high end to see how it breaks - all I can say is *SNAP*!

Still, I'd be delighted for Jason to come back and tell me all of the things that we found didn't work now do.

[Enpeze]

Originally Posted by Fear of the Duck

Charlie have it to me at Tentacles this year - I'm afraid that I can't give you further details then that.

We really did push the Super Powers as there is nothing like playing something at the high end to see how it breaks - all I can say is *SNAP*!

And what do you mean with "snap"? Please elaborate.

[Fear of the Duck]

Originally Posted by Enpeze

And what do you mean with "snap"? Please elaborate.

The way the rules work is that you have several sets of different powers: Magic, Sorcery, Psionics, Mutations, & Superpowers – the system can be played at a number of different levels, and the level you choose defines just how much you can mix ‘n match. Where we really broke the system was in an anything goes Superhero setting as using the Superworld rules you can buy both your Stats and Skills up to hideous levels – as I’ve said elsewhere here I designed a Super-Elric with a POW of 21 (later 18 to bind a demon sword) and Power Points of 50, meaning that when it come to resist many to the Sorcery Spells on the resistance table (which tops out at 30 anyway) unless you had an equally high number there was little or no chance of preventing it. Likewise Psionics also takes Power Points for the resistance roll, so a Superworld Psi can be virtually unstoppable.

[Enpeze]

Originally Posted by Fear of the Duck

The way the rules work is that you have several sets of different powers: Magic, Sorcery, Psionics, Mutations, & Superpowers – the system can be played at a number of different levels, and the level you choose defines just how much you can mix ‘n match. Where we really broke the system was in an anything goes Superhero setting as using the Superworld rules you can buy both your Stats and Skills up to hideous levels – as I’ve said elsewhere here I designed a Super-Elric with a POW of 21 (later 18 to bind a demon sword) and Power Points of 50, meaning that when it come to resist many to the Sorcery Spells on the resistance table (which tops out at 30 anyway) unless you had an equally high number there was little or no chance of preventing it. Likewise Psionics also takes Power Points for the resistance roll, so a Superworld Psi can be virtually unstoppable.

Well why do you think that Elric should be designed wih superpowers in the background? Elric is no Superhero and he should not receive Power Points. He is a mortal with a destiny, good skills and the favor of some gods.
DBRP is not a system where you should use all rules in every setting. If you use superpowers in your game, then the whole setting should be "superpowered". There is not much sense to apply it on other settings and is probably not the designers intent. With some tricks you can break every system. But bear in mind that DBRP is a compilation of very different older BRP systems and not a streamlined homogeneous new edition of BRP.