Firearm-rules in BRP

[badcat]

That sounds a bit like Savage Worlds, as well. You roll damage and it takes a certain amount compared to the targets 'toughness' to wound or kill, usually one or two 'raises'...each +4 over the target number, using 'exploding' dice. The new version of the rules use full dice for weapons so the deadliness (for the ordinary npcs, at least) looks like it is getting up in BRP territory. There are several rules for keeping the hides of PCs intact, however. I recommend the newest Savage Worlds books, Pirates and Solomon Kane, unreservedly to any BRP fan. They are loaded with good stuff and have a very agreeable level of detail vs. playability. There is a definite air about the books that reminds me of the best BRP stuff even though the mechanics are essentially quite different.

[Atgxtg]

Some similarities, at least with the basic task resolution system, but UY has a lot more.

Damage in UY works as follows:
Roll weapon damage dice (from 1-3 dice, always in d20s), plus any critical effects against the target's soak number. Each die that isn't soaked inflicts a wound level. There are four wound levels (something like wounded, injured, incapacitated, and devastated/killed). Wounds don't accumulate (so four wounds don't kill you), but being wounded means you roll an extra damage die when hit.

Critical effects modify damage. For example a slash critical adds 2d20 damage, but a stab crtical automatically inflicts a wound level UNLESS the target retreats.

Where things get interesting is that characters have abilities called Gifts that give them more options. For instance anyone in the game can do an unarmed attack with the Empty Hand skill (or even without it, relying on their default ability),, but someone with the Empty Hand Master gift gets a couple more critical types (such as Trip), and can treat thier hands as weapons, allowing them to use Gifts that work for weapons (like Improved Parry) with their hands.


I figured that some of the "mastery" gifts would translate well to an RQ/BRP format.

[badcat]

It may be more comparable now. There are many more options in Pirates and Solomon Kane than previously (and I assume the same for the new Explorer edition). Also of interest, the magic system in Solomon Kane is just about a perfect match for a Conan game. Like UY, if someone wanted to go to the trouble of conversion, SK has much to offer a REH/BRP fan.

[Atgxtg]

Originally Posted by badcat

It may be more comparable now. There are many more options in Pirates and Solomon Kane than previously (and I assume the same for the new Explorer edition). Also of interest, the magic system in Solomon Kane is just about a perfect match for a Conan game. Like UY, if someone wanted to go to the trouble of conversion, SK has much to offer a REH/BRP fan.

Perhaps, I'm not too familiar with SW.

I adapted the crit rules from UY for a few of reasons:

1) Giving weapons different critical choices helps to make all the different weapon types useful.

2)Adding another crit for mastery seemed neat

3) By allowing things like disarms in as critical options that get picked after the roll, it makes combat much more dynamic. Many RPGs have all sorts of special maneuvers that rarely get used ecuase of the difficulty in pulling them off. If it is easier to kill someone that to give them a crippling inury or disarm them, then those maneuver become sort of pointless. With Usagi, it is a lot more fun and common. If someone is wielding a sai, they are going to get the option of a disarm as a critical, making the maneuver more common.

[badcat]

Reading through Solomon Kane, I'd say it has that in common, yes. Easy to play and understand, very rich in tactical options.

And very deadly to the mooks...

[Atgxtg]

Originally Posted by badcat

Reading through Solomon Kane, I'd say it has that in common, yes. Easy to play and understand, very rich in tactical options.

And very deadly to the mooks...

Yeah, UY is deadly to the mooks, too, since damage is somewhat skill based (mooks take more criticals).

I wish I could swipe UY7s wackly focus system for initiative. It is a bit counterintuitive for experienced gamers. Basically the side that attacks goes first, otherwise roll off. It works though because there are rules that let character do things like interrupt the acting character or counterattack, so having the first attack ins't quite so significant.