BRP + Spirit of the Century?

[Zane]

A couple weekends ago I stopped in at my FLGS looking for the new Mongoose Traveller (in spite of my dislike of Mongoose, I was really curious). It has been *months* since I was in, and in that time they've started carrying various Indie titles. In fact they have a whole shelf dedicated to them! After thinking about it, the next day I went back and bought "Spirit of the Century" and "Trail of Cthulhu".

After reading through a lot of the new Traveller book (I am surprised to say that I really like what I see with the exception of space combat), and some of "Trail of Cthulhu", I finally started in on "Spirit of the Century". While I'm having trouble finding time to read it, but I've read enough to decide that I rather the looks of the book, and it looks like a lot of fun. The FATE system seems easy enough, yet I'm wondering if anyone has tried to rip out Fudge/FATE and merge BRP with the Aspects and Stunts? I need to give this some more thought, and find time to do some more reading, but have wondering what others think.

Of course what I really want is to get my hands on "Pulp Cthulhu"... What can I say, I love BRP, but think it needs a little something extra for a "Pulp" game.

Zane

[Dredj]

A couple weekends ago I stopped in at my FLGS looking for the new Mongoose Traveller (in spite of my dislike of Mongoose, I was really curious). It has been *months* since I was in, and in that time they've started carrying various Indie titles. In fact they have a whole shelf dedicated to them! After thinking about it, the next day I went back and bought "Spirit of the Century" and "Trail of Cthulhu".

After reading through a lot of the new Traveller book (I am surprised to say that I really like what I see with the exception of space combat), and some of "Trail of Cthulhu", I finally started in on "Spirit of the Century". While I'm having trouble finding time to read it, but I've read enough to decide that I rather the looks of the book, and it looks like a lot of fun. The FATE system seems easy enough, yet I'm wondering if anyone has tried to rip out Fudge/FATE and merge BRP with the Aspects and Stunts? I need to give this some more thought, and find time to do some more reading, but have wondering what others think.

Of course what I really want is to get my hands on "Pulp Cthulhu"... What can I say, I love BRP, but think it needs a little something extra for a "Pulp" game.

Zane

I used to be really big on the FUDGE/Fate system, but it can't do realistic stuff very well. But it does do things like pulp very well. Maybe making the BRP characters with more hit points or something like "armor" that would make it more difficult for the PCs to get hurt would be what you need to make pulp heroes. Pulp Cthulhu seems to be coming out, soon however.

[Zane]

I used to be really big on the FUDGE/Fate system, but it can't do realistic stuff very well. But it does do things like pulp very well. Maybe making the BRP characters with more hit points or something like "armor" that would make it more difficult for the PCs to get hurt would be what you need to make pulp heroes. Pulp Cthulhu seems to be coming out, soon however.

The FUDGE/Fate system seems to have some serious shortcomings, yet I also see things I like about it. I'd probably like it better I'd taken the time to read any of it prior to reading CoC. In fact I was first aware of the FUDGE system over 15 years ago.

The whole Aspect/Fate point bit seems interesting, as it gives the players a bit more control over bad dice rolls. It is the Stunts however, that really interests me, and they seem a bit like what "traits" in Pulp Cthulhu seem to be. One thing about a lot of Heroes in the Pulps is that they have a few extraordinary abilities or gimicks. At first look, the why they're handling this in "Spirit of the Century" seems to make a lot of sense.

In any case I think I'll spend some more time reading up on the rules. I have at least a few months before it's time to start in on the new campaign, and I'm not above heavily tweaking the rules to suit my own style of GMing. Of course if I'm lucky, Pulp Cthulhu will be out prior to that time.

[Simlasa]

I read a copy of SOTC way back when it was the darling of RPG.net (maybe it still is)... and I can see that it's well written... a good read... had some good gaming advice. But it really left me cold... and a good chunk of it stands as a perfect example of what I DON'T want in my BRP games. I mean to avoid 'stunts' or whatever... and 'fate points' or whatever... and any other mechanisms to make the game 'cinematic'.

That being said, I'm sure it's the cat's pajamas to lots of other folks.

[SDLeary]

SotC is a fun game, but its much closer to HeroQuest than BRP in flavor. I'm playing in a game now that is an adaption of DnD... introducing the child of a friend into role playing. Its working very well. If you look at Evil Hats wiki, there is even a fan group that is working on a LotR adaption.

Other than the advice given on how to run things, I'm not certain how things could be adapted, even for feats, etc. Unless you want to incorporate fudge dice into your game.

I still maintain that Ki skills from LoN are the best bet for "feats".

SDLeary

[Shaira]

Just resurrecting an old thread... :innocent:

I've been reading SotC too, and been quite taken with the "Aspect" rules, which provide something "ruleable" without being arbitrary. Bearing in mind I'm already using several of the BRP optional rules, including Personality Traits, Complimentary Skills, and Opposed Rolls, and trying out some "HeroQuest"-inspired gameplay ideas with them, I've also been toying with the following loose adaptation of SotC Aspects into a BRPified equivalent. In other words, winkling out different *ways* of playing BRP from ideas implied in the BRP rulesbook optional rules, building on the existing "core system" base without creating a wildly divergent variant.

One of the things I'm undecided about at the moment is whether (and how) to use the BRP "Fate Points" rules (ie PP or something else). I like the idea of spending a Fate Point to avoid penalties from a "Fearsome" location trait, but am less sure about having to spend a Fate Point to gain a bonus from the "Dark" location trait when trying to Hide - maybe that should just be free? Or could you pay a Fate Point when it's a *second* Compliment (ie above the usual 1 which you're allowed)?

Comments are very much appreciated. I'm going to playtest it myself in my games going forwards, too.

*****

BRP OPTIONAL RULE: LOCATION TRAITS

Gamemasters may wish to have special locations in their games which provide special effects on skills used in their vicinity. “Location Traits” uses the “Personality Traits”, “Complimentary Skills”, and “Fate Points” rules from the Basic Roleplaying core book to allow this.

Examples:

Temple of the Black Toad: Fearsome 75%; Dark 75%

Temple of the Sky God: Too Bright to Hide 50%

Location Traits provide situational or circumstantial modifiers to skills being used in that environment. This modifier may be a bonus or penalty. The modifier is equal to the Location Trait score divided by 5, ie it is treated just as a Complimentary Skill modifier.

Thus, Dark 75% provides a +15% bonus to Hide, Sneak, and Ambush attempts in the Temple of the Black Toad; Fearsome 75% provides a -15% penalty to attacks or similar actions; Too Bright to Hide 50% provides a -10% penalty to Hide, Sneak, and Ambush attempts in the Temple of the Sky God.

Gamemasters should allow the above Location Traits to be resisted or countered, if desired. Thus:

• Allow the PCs to use their own Personality Traits. Thus, a character with Brave 75% (+15% Complimentary bonus) can use it to counter Fearsome 75%.
  
• Allow the PCs to use Fate Points to ignore Location Trait penalties. Costs 1 Fate.
  
• [NOT SURE ABOUT THIS] Gamemasters using Fate Points may also decide it costs 1 Fate to use a Location Trait to gain a Complimentary modifier.
  

Other examples:

A candlelit restaurant could have Romantic Location 75% (giving a +15% to attempts to woo someone); haunted graveyard could have Mighty Possession 50% (giving a +10% to ghostly attempts to possess a target).

*****

Cheers!

Sarah

[Tywyll]

I still maintain that Ki skills from LoN are the best bet for "feats".

SDLeary

As written though, that leaves them solely in the hands of masters and no starting character can have anything 'special'. That seems a bit limited.