Question about New BRP (Zero Edition and 1st)

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by Tywyll

Are there any rules for 'special abilities' outside of standard skills (like the old Ki Abilities, or anything similar)?

No, as those are more setting-specific. I'm hoping that any setting books include these.

Originally Posted by Tywyll

Oh, is there a 'point buy' system for attributes?

As an optional rule, yes.

Originally Posted by Tywyll

When you say they are malleable, do you mean that there are rules and options for 'making them your own'? For example, if the base magic requires every spell to be a skill, and you couldn't wear armor while casting (just as an example) but someone wanted a 'high magic' world where-in all casting was tied to a single (or small number) of skills, and armor could be worn while casting, could these kind of changes be made without the system choking?

Yes. A GM can easily come up with modifiers to make these systems idiosyncratic to a setting. How much "choking" would occur is mostly a matter of opinion and how severe the changes are.

Originally Posted by Tywyll

How is Sorcery different from Magic?

Magic is percentile based. Spend the power points and roll to see if the spell works. Sorcery always works (unless it calls for a resistance roll) once points are spent.

Originally Posted by Tywyll

I noticed there is nothing that seems to include 'divine' magic. Can this sort of magic be handled by 'magic' or 'sorcery'? Would their fx change the mechanics at all?

You could call either one of them divine if you'd like. You could add an Allegiance requirement to spellcasting. Similarly, the psychic powers could be handled in the same fashion. If I recall correctly, an example of play for psychic powers spotlights a priest.

Originally Posted by Tywyll

Speaking of which-how are multiple attacks handled? Is it dex based, or do they come at certain levels of skill?

Skill-based, with DEX as a modifier.

You can also use the strike rank optional system, which allows more multiple attacks.

Originally Posted by Tywyll

Which attribute experience model is used? Are there rules for training att/skills?

If you test a characteristic successfully in a resistance roll in a challenging situation where your chance of success is less than 50%, you can check to see if it improves. Or you could train it up.

Full rules for study and training.

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by Tywyll

Hum, I'm disappointed with the lack of difficulty modifiers. I disagree that they are arbitrary or messy, and find such much more easy to use (and providing a greater breadth of scope) than simply having 3 categories for all levels of complexity. That seems arbitrary to me personally. I think the environment and circumstances (not to mention equipment) should have more impact on the success and failure of a task.

They're there.

Difficulty modifiers are applied after the the skill rating is modified (x2 for Easy, x.5 if Difficult).

So, for example, if a doctor is in the hospital with all of his medical paraphernalia, handling a routine task will be Easy (x2 skill), and at +20% for the gear. Treating a rare condition might be a normal roll with some (but not ideal) gear might be a normal roll, with no modifier. If he's treating a rare condition on a muddy, rainy battlefield with no gear, it would be Difficult (x.5 skill) and -20% for no gear.

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by Tywyll

1) How is armor handled (set value, or rolled)?

To be specific, fixed armor value is the default, and rolled is an option.

Originally Posted by Tywyll

3) Could a campaign work with the different power systems combined (a super next to a mutant or Wizard, for example) or are they too different in power?

It could work, but the GM should proceed cautiously. The powers are (as stated in the rules) not balanced against one another.

They can be made to play nicely with one another in many regards, but you're also running the risk of ending up with many arguments and conundrums of the "Do Superman's invulnerable skin and vulnerability to magic cancel each other out against Thor's enchanted hammer and super-strength?*" variety.

And that way lies madness...



* Even though the answer is obviously that Thor kills Superman in one hit.

[Skunkape]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

It could work, but the GM should proceed cautiously. The powers are (as stated in the rules) not balanced against one another.

They can be made to play nicely with one another in many regards, but you're also running the risk of ending up with many arguments and conundrums of the "Do Superman's invulnerable skin and vulnerability to magic cancel each other out against Thor's enchanted hammer and super-strength?*" variety.

And that way lies madness...

But as GM, you can always make a ruling for the sake of the story!

[Tywyll]

Jason (et al)

Thanks for all the information! I really appreciate it! It just makes me want the book all that much more. I have a few more questions, but its quite late. My main one is about the Allegiance rules, they are optional rules in the book, correct? Are these like the rules in Elric!?

Again, thanks everyone!

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by Tywyll

Are these like the rules in Elric!?

Yes, but devoid of the setting connotations.

They're generic enough so that you could use "Ǽsir/Christ" (for a Norse historical game), "God/Lucifer" (for a Christianity-based historical game), "The Light Side/The Dark Side" (Star Wars), "Windows/Mac" (the ultimate cyberpunk dystopia), or even "Flying Spaghetti Monster/Cthulhu" (the real world, of course).

[Tywyll]

One more question then I am off to bed...

The superpower section, is it like Superworld in that it has Flaws that give more power points?

[Tywyll]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

Yes, but devoid of the setting connotations.

They're generic enough so that you could use "Ǽsir/Christ" (for a Norse historical game), "God/Lucifer" (for a Christianity-based historical game), "The Light Side/The Dark Side" (Star Wars), "Windows/Mac" (the ultimate cyberpunk dystopia), or even "Flying Spaghetti Monster/Cthulhu" (the real world, of course).

LOL!

Thanks for the details, your responses are both enlightening and very entertaining . Do they work similar to Elric! as far as the bonuses they provide are concerned(hp, mp, or skills)? Or do they have other options?

[Tywyll]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

They're there.

Difficulty modifiers are applied after the the skill rating is modified (x2 for Easy, x.5 if Difficult).

So, for example, if a doctor is in the hospital with all of his medical paraphernalia, handling a routine task will be Easy (x2 skill), and at +20% for the gear. Treating a rare condition might be a normal roll with some (but not ideal) gear might be a normal roll, with no modifier. If he's treating a rare condition on a muddy, rainy battlefield with no gear, it would be Difficult (x.5 skill) and -20% for no gear.

Ok, that sounds really good. Glad to hear it.

[badcat]

Another question. Are there rules for adjusting the level of lethality for weapons? If the default weapon damages are as Stormbringer 5 (my understanding right now) is there any allowance for adjusting the missile weapon damages to be more in line with Stormbringer 1, for instance?