Quote from: The_Shadow;781682Or if you are not totally burned on ICE systems, and just want to simplify, you could check out HARP (High Adventure Roleplaying). RQ6 or another BRP game does also seem like it would suit the group.

I ran HARP when it first came out and yes, it's actually very good.
I did get hit by the rules bloat thing over time, but it's my understanding there's a new edition.
It does feel like RM lite actually and in a good way.

Quote from: The_Shadow;781682You've been using a big incoherent mashup of MERP/RM/houserules? For a moment I thought it must still be 1988...

Yes, and the homebrewed campaign setting is probably as old as that, mostly written when the three old wise men (TM) of our group were back in school. I only joined the group two years ago, well into the second decade of its existance.

Quote from: The_Shadow;781682Or if you are not totally burned on ICE systems, and just want to simplify, you could check out HARP (High Adventure Roleplaying). RQ6 or another BRP game does also seem like it would suit the group.

Right. I forgot about HARP. That could be another good option.

Is there a game in my sig?  Why yes there is!  I'm a Rolemaster refugee myself.  Actually the new edition has some good fixes.

Quote from: David Johansen;781734Is there a game in my sig?  Why yes there is!  I'm a Rolemaster refugee myself.  Actually the new edition has some good fixes.

how is the new edition of RM coming along anyway?
Is it done yet?
Is it in print?
I had the playtest PDF a year or so back and it looked interesting.

Quote from: Simlasa;781663RQ6 is great but a bit at the crunchy end for my preferences.
Openquest or Magic World are lighter fare which bring most of the same advantages (and seeing as how closely they're all related it's a doddle to interbreed between them)... and pull in additional powers/magics from the BRP toolbox.

Out of curiosity, what are the differences between OpenQuest 2 and Magic World?

Another vote for RQ6. Hands down a solid, fun system.

Quote from: danskmacabre;781737how is the new edition of RM coming along anyway?
Is it done yet?
Is it in print?
I had the playtest PDF a year or so back and it looked interesting.

They're still banging away at it.  I left and really haven't looked back much, honestly.  My big issue is that I feel they refused to try and make some of RMSS's features supported options.  So while some of the cleaning up like three additive stat bonuses for skills or ranks in a list as the level of spell you can cast are in, skill category ranks and training packages are right out.  I'm not really fond of the new stat generation either.

What about GURPS? You can play it simply or with lots of options. It well designed. The only downside that it is primarily a toolkit.

Gurps is great and all, and Gurps Dungeon Fantasy was another system I had in mind as an alternative to the current rules, even though that would require a rather rigid set of filters to stop the sheer amount of options leading to a dillemma of choice.

Quote from: Beagle;781897Gurps is great and all, and Gurps Dungeon Fantasy was another system I had in mind as an alternative to the current rules, even though that would require a rather rigid set of filters to stop the sheer amount of options leading to a dillemma of choice.

Dungeon Fantasy is a little over the top, I personally go with 100 to 150 pt fantasy campaign and use DF as a resource.

As for the number of options, the general ideas is define what in your GURPS campaign first and then unleash the players. Otherwise it is a mess as you can literally be or do anything with the system.

The same is true of Hero System except that powers systems seems to work out better for defining the mundane and fantastic elements of the campaign. The main difference between the two is that GURPS centers on realistic character while Hero System centers on super heroes. But the both system have matured to the point that today that point is pretty much of a wash.

One thing that gives Hero System a slight edge over GURPS is the fact they are coming out with all in one rulebooks. They have Champions out now and Fantasy Hero will be out this fall. It the same system but formatted and presented as a complete RPG for the target genre.

GURPS sort of has it with lines like Dungeon Fantasy but there are more stuff to buy.

BUt GURPS has GURPS Lite in German so there is that.

RQ6 is the best choice IMO. Or Legend, MRQII, or OpenQuest if you prefer a more streamlined BRP.

Harnmaster would be great but alas...

Quote from: estar;781884What about GURPS?[...] The only downside that it is primarily a toolkit.

I find the same thing about RQ6, actually.  There's a surprising amount of work the GM has to do before character creation can start, and although the intent of the game is that characters should be tightly integrated into their society and setting, I think that actually gets in the way of most heroic fantasy tropes.

Per the OP, points 3 and 4: RQ6 uses binary pass/fail skill rolls.  The skill list isn't huge, but it's pretty much up to the GM to interpret what success and failure mean.  It's not like PF where there's explicit mechanics for each skill.

Point 5: most of the bookkeeping takes place in combat.  Fights are involved and detailed, but they're dangerous and deadly so they tend not to last that long in game rounds.  OpenQuest or Magic World (nee Stormbringer) uses a simpler combat system with less bookkeeping.

Point 6: Absent different schools of magic, there isn't a whole lot of mechanical distinction between characters.  Characters with different fighting styles will play differently in combat, but distinguishing two sword-and-board fighters has to be done in the roleplaying and the fiction.

Point 7: You can (and are expected to) randomly generate your base stats, but actual character creation involves apportioning out over 250 percentage points across your skills, limited by your Culture, social class and occupation.  It's not fast or, IMHO, simple.

That said, RQ6 hammers most of your points, especially for a combat-heavy game, and definitely look at the Age of Shadow supplement.

Quote from: Celestial;781861Out of curiosity, what are the differences between OpenQuest 2 and Magic World?

Someone else may step in but I'll give this a shot. I'm more familiar with MW. What I think I know about OQ is that it is (originally?) a clone of Chaosium Runequest II by way of GORE, which was a clone of CoC, and GORE in turn used the original Mongoose RQ srd as its basis. I read some of OQ (1e I think) but I know Chaosium RQ II better, so much of my comment will be based on that.

Just to complete the summary of the genetic heritage, MW is based on Chaosium BRP, which mostly took Elric! as its standard, and MW made it even closer to Elric!, though without bringing back the Moorcock details (since the license was gone).

General system-wise, the major difference I can think of is that OQ uses a simple bonus/penalty based on GM judgment in increments of 25 percent while MW is less explicit. I think this hardly matters since you can choose to use either approach regardless of the game.

More significantly, while neither game uses hit locations (a major deviation from RQ II to OQ), I believe OQ still uses fixed armor absorption while MW makes armor variable, which kinda subs for hit location. MW also has, if I am not mistaken, a more detailed/graphic approach to critical hits.

Character generation in MW uses cultural background + profession to shape your starting skills and possessions, while I think OQ follows RQ II and so is "flatter".

Magic in OQ also follows RQ II so it has a very Gloranthan feel--basically everyone will have some battle magic. MW's basic magic system is similar but the spells are more varied, it's harder to have access to magic, and many spells are very limited in reach by-the-book--i.e. casting range is often touch even for attack spells. Compare disrupt or befuddle in RQ, which have a range. Then there's the biggie: MW includes demon-summoning. In the basic book, it's not as detailed as in Elric! or Stormbringer--for that you'll need Advanced Sorcery, which also adds some more magic systems.

I would welcome corrections, by the way. If OQ 2 has incorporated some of the magic and cultural background stuff from Runequest III, then it becomes more general-purpose and less focused on Glotantha/Dragon Pass (or settings with similar feel).

Another vote for RQ6.

OQ2 or BRP/MW also would be good options.

Heroes & Other Worlds is basically a streamlined moderned-up version of The Fantasy Trip, and the Christopher Brandon has put out several supplements for it (including versions of Blackmarsh and Morgansfort adapted to its rules).  It hits all your points and is pretty easy to pick up.