Typos, Errata , Corrections, and Clarifications

[Atgxtg]

Originally Posted by sdavies2720

I understand, but the text should be consistent for clarity.

Steve

True. I took your statement the wrong way.

[randallorndorff]

This is minor and maybe completely intentional, but the Medium (9mm) Pistol is much less powerful in BRP than in CoC (1d8 as opposed to 1d10, 2 attacks per round as opposed to 3).

The only real time this is jarring to me is that the SMG does the old 9mm damage but the medium pistol does not.

Could these changes be due to introducing the "Major Wound" rules by default?

[SDLeary]

Armor: AP (p258)

States that there are two armor values separated by a slash; first is fixed AP, second is Variable.

The chart on p257 has separate columns for each, not one with two values as described.

SDLeary

[SDLeary]

Shield Table (p261)

I don't know if this is a range of typos or not....

Why are the AP/HP values so high? Based on what's stated in the combat chapter, they can loose a lot of defensive value on a special or better, rather than the one point when value is exceeded as in RQ, or points over value in SB.

These high values and the ability to damage them on a special or greater, make anyone with a shield and even pretty moderate amour pretty indestructible.

A typo??

SDLeary

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by randallorndorff

This is minor and maybe completely intentional, but the Medium (9mm) Pistol is much less powerful in BRP than in CoC (1d8 as opposed to 1d10, 2 attacks per round as opposed to 3).

It was specifically balanced to be a mid-ground between the low damage, high rate-of-fire light pistol and the high-damage, slow rate-of-fire heavy pistol.

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by SDLeary

Powers: Super Powers Summary (p147)

Omits the Resistance Power from p160

Noted. Thanks!

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by SDLeary

Armor: AP (p258)

States that there are two armor values separated by a slash; first is fixed AP, second is Variable.

The chart on p257 has separate columns for each, not one with two values as described.

I'll fix that - it was a change in the table layout.

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by SDLeary

Shield Table (p261)

I don't know if this is a range of typos or not....

Why are the AP/HP values so high? Based on what's stated in the combat chapter, they can loose a lot of defensive value on a special or better, rather than the one point when value is exceeded as in RQ, or points over value in SB.

These high values and the ability to damage them on a special or greater, make anyone with a shield and even pretty moderate amour pretty indestructible.

A typo??

SDLeary

I think you're contradicting yourself, or I'm missing something in your statement.

If a shield is (relatively) easy to damage, then wouldn't someone using one become easier to eventually kill?

Since shields are designed to be able to soak up a lot of damage, they're pretty tough. However, since they can be damaged by specials and criticals, they're hypothetically vulnerable.

[SDLeary]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

I think you're contradicting yourself, or I'm missing something in your statement.

If a shield is (relatively) easy to damage, then wouldn't someone using one become easier to eventually kill?

Since shields are designed to be able to soak up a lot of damage, they're pretty tough. However, since they can be damaged by specials and criticals, they're hypothetically vulnerable.

In RQ for example, AP values on the shields is much lower, 8 points lower in the case of a hoplite shield (18 in RQ vs 26 in the table on p261). In RQ, Javelins did 1D10 damage (I believe they based this on a Pilum), in BRP its 1D6+1/2DB. Even using the higher damage rating from RQ, the hoplite shield in BRP cannot be penetrated, even on a critical. Even a BRP Buckler or Half Shield will stop a BRP javelin, most of the time on a crit.

In RQ and Stormbringer, a shield is damaged if its AP are exceeded. In RQ, the shield is reduced by one AP, in Stormbringer by the difference (thus 28 points done to a 26 point shield do 2 points of damage to the shield). In BRP, its listed as requiring a special, and then only inflicting one or two points of damage to the shield, depending on the parry success level.*

By increasing the AP/HP value of the shields, and by increasing the threshold required to damage the shield, the fighter with the shield has become much more a tank than they were before. Fine in a Stormbringer (Epic?) level game or higher, but a bit high for a normal or heroic level game.

I know all this can be changed based on genre and house rules. It just seems like these changes will prolong combat a bit more for those who choose only to use the core, or in pick-up games.

Thanks!

SDLeary

* Another change just noted... The "Attack and Parry Matrix" on p 193 shows shields taking damage (up to 4 points) depending on the level of success of the attacker. This is another change over the old "core" rules. Intentional??


SDLeary

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by SDLeary

In RQ for example, AP values on the shields is much lower, 8 points lower in the case of a hoplite shield (18 in RQ vs 26 in the table on p261). In RQ, Javelins did 1D10 damage (I believe they based this on a Pilum), in BRP its 1D6+1/2DB. Even using the higher damage rating from RQ, the hoplite shield in BRP cannot be penetrated, even on a critical. Even a BRP Buckler or Half Shield will stop a BRP javelin, most of the time on a crit.

In RQ and Stormbringer, a shield is damaged if its AP are exceeded. In RQ, the shield is reduced by one AP, in Stormbringer by the difference (thus 28 points done to a 26 point shield do 2 points of damage to the shield). In BRP, its listed as requiring a special, and then only inflicting one or two points of damage to the shield, depending on the parry success level.*

By increasing the AP/HP value of the shields, and by increasing the threshold required to damage the shield, the fighter with the shield has become much more a tank than they were before. Fine in a Stormbringer (Epic?) level game or higher, but a bit high for a normal or heroic level game.

I know all this can be changed based on genre and house rules. It just seems like these changes will prolong combat a bit more for those who choose only to use the core, or in pick-up games.

Thanks!

SDLeary

* Another change just noted... The "Attack and Parry Matrix" on p 193 shows shields taking damage (up to 4 points) depending on the level of success of the attacker. This is another change over the old "core" rules. Intentional??


SDLeary

I think I see the confusion here, and I'll make sure it's clear(er) in the BRP book.

For normal use, shields shouldn't have their armor values applied twice, which is essentially what you're doing here (once as a armor value, once as HP).

Generally, it's only when you're dealing with specials and criticals that the shield's AP or HP are even an issue. These are ablative, as well, so a damaged shield has a lower AP for subsequent attacks.

The HP for shields came from Stormbringer, or were extrapolated using those values as a benchmark. And for clarification, RQ was the third tier of reference for this book. In order, the first source was Elric!/Stormbringer, then Call of Cthulhu, then RQ was utilized where those works didn't suffice. Then came Elfquest, Ringworld, Superworld, etc. So things aren't supposed to work exactly the way they do in RQ.

I must confess to a bit of frustration that, due to factors beyond my control (the release of the old RQ3 stuff as the BRP monographs, for example) it's been assumed that this work is somehow meant to fill the same role of RQ. If you'll note, many of the optional systems are those from RQ, while the default is a gameplay style more inspired by Stormbringer and Call of Cthulhu.