Lately I have been thinking how great it is to be a fan of the BRP system nowadays. BRP was in its heyday a very loved and successful system, games like RuneQuest, Call of Cthulhu or Stormbringer come to the mind.
Unfortunately it went through difficult times, due to several circumstances, there was a time when Call of Cthulhu was the only in print BRP game, and I was convinced I would never see RuneQuest in print again.
This is why I'm so surprised at the BRP Renaissance*, today we have the BRP golden book, Mongoose RuneQuest 2, Openquest (I don't have it but heard good things about it), and a new edition of Aquelarre (the system is a BRP rip off) has just been released. And not only the corebooks, it seems they are getting some high quality support, take a look at BRP Rome, Crusaders of the Amber Coast, MRQ Vikings, MRQ Elric, etc.
What do you think? Is there a BRP Renaissance?
*= I borrowed the name of this post from a post in Akrasia's blog (http://akraticwizardry.blogspot.com/2010/10/old-school-renaissance-at-least-with.html). Akrasia, I hope you don't mind! :)
You know, just one mention that BRP is short for "Basic Role Playing" would be cool.
Yes, I think so. A very interesting element is the support/solicitation by the various rules-publishers for original setting books. Mongoose had done a few of these for their first RQ attempt (e.g. they had a Pirates and a Japan book) but I don't think they generated much interest. The new round, which seems to come largely from 3rd-party initiatives (even if they end up being published by Mongoose or Chaosium) seems more inspired.
Not all of the offerings grab me. I don't get the point of Wraith Recon, and Deus Vult seems like a waste of a good title. Clockwork & Chivalry strikes me as a clumsy mashup. But in addition to the ones you mentioned, Chronicles of Future Earth and Celestial Empire (semi-historical China) at least have gotten my attention. There's also the forthcoming Age of Treason for MRQ.
Not sure what to make of the fragmentation of the core rules across 2-3 companies. It seems it can have both positive and negative effects. But the overall effect is a little like what GURPS promised, but with a set of mechanics that I think may be a bit more accessible, and--I suspect--greater room for customization so that the resulting books have more individualized flavor instead of seeming like reskinned versions of a generic rules set. The downside of this, though, is that there's no "central repository" of major rules options.
Quote from: Doom;452311You know, just one mention that BRP is short for "Basic Role Playing" would be cool.
D&D is short for "Dungeons and Dragons".
Claudius>
Yeah, there is. I don't think there's any one cause that you can thank, but it's a lot of little things:
The OSR and the coverage RQ products get from them;
A bunch of different products in different genres being widely available and in print;
The cleaned up layout of the new products compared to older editions (RQ3 is a great game, but it's got a very cramped and dense layout);
Some great new innovations (the big bonus rule in OQ, combat maneuvers in MRQ2, versions without a resistance table);
Universal resolution mechanics now being considered normal and even ideal;
And the Mongoose RQ SRD, which means you can published easily compatible products.
There's probably a couple of other factors that I'm missing. It's kind of a perfect storm for BRP.
If you start calling it a Renaissance soon people on this site will say that BRP fandom is a sect where you're either "in" or "out", and you're a hypocrite and a liar for pointing out it is a diverse crowd with a lot of variety in styles in its player base. So I'd just dump the term altogether.
Is there a renewed interest in the system, its worlds and variants, and more exploration into the things it can do for different people out there? Sure. It's totally awesome. It's really a classic of role-playing, and deservedly so.
Quote from: Elliot Wilen;452314Chronicles of Future Earth
I've got a copy of this one in my "to be reviewed" stack, for what it's worth.
The Hardback edition of the Brp rules has also just been released in the past couple of week i believe which is pretty cool.
I may have to give chronicles of future earth a read along with celestial empire just as soon as i can find copies.
I just wish they'd call it BuRPs.
I don't know. It's great that all this stuff is coming out. But it doesn't surprise me. It's a great, great game. A great game getting some recognition and support shouldn't be too surprising.
Yep, it an exciting time for us BRP fans.
My list of 'must get that' stuff for BRP went from a handful of CoC monographs to a big list of cool new settings and variants... with more on the way.
Looks like the perfect opportunity to ask around for some input.
What are the best monographs? Toolkits, settings, adventures, whatever, you name it.
I picked up the BRP Rome book the other day at my FLGS. It is awesome sauce.
I've never even run BRP. The book is just great.
Quote from: The Butcher;452362Looks like the perfect opportunity to ask around for some input.
What are the best monographs? Toolkits, settings, adventures, whatever, you name it.
Holy shit! I want to ask too. Deserves its own thread, amigo!
I really should look at some of the BRP-based SRDs.
The system isn't terribly far from what I was trying to do with my original game, and it would save me a lot of development time to just scrap it and go with BRP if I like it enough.
Done. (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?p=452371)
Quote from: Pseudoephedrine;452315D&D is short for "Dungeons and Dragons".
.
Yes, IHOTO.
Quote from: Claudius;452306*= I borrowed the name of this post from a post in Akrasia's blog (http://akraticwizardry.blogspot.com/2010/10/old-school-renaissance-at-least-with.html). Akrasia, I hope you don't mind! :)
I'm outraged!
;)
Quote from: PaladinCA;452363I picked up the BRP Rome book the other day at my FLGS. It is awesome sauce.
I've never even run BRP. The book is just great.
Yeah, it's the best single book on 'Rome' for RPGs ever written.
Quote from: Doom;452392...IHOTO.
What does "IHOTO" mean? :confused:
Quote from: Doom;452311You know, just one mention that BRP is short for "Basic Role Playing" would be cool.
Sorry, I took it for granted.
Quote from: Claudius;452306Lately I have been thinking how great it is to be a fan of the BRP system nowadays. BRP was in its heyday a very loved and successful system, games like RuneQuest, Call of Cthulhu or Stormbringer come to the mind.[...]
What do you think? Is there a BRP Renaissance?
There is a Renaissance of manliness. BRP is the system Real Men(TM) use. So, BRP is on the rise. It's obvious. :D
Quote from: Imperator;452427There is a Renaissance of manliness. BRP is the system Real Men(TM) use. So, BRP is on the rise. It's obvious. :D
Check Ramon's manliness (http://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=fr&v=AO43p2Wqc08) (he's got a construction hard hat)
Quote from: boulet;452437Check Ramon's manliness (http://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=fr&v=AO43p2Wqc08) (he's got a construction hard hat)
Classic :D I'm more prone to sport a beard than a moustache, though. :D
On the subject of Mongoose Runequest.
Does anybody know why the MRQ2 "Monster Island" book has been taken off the release schedule?
Mongoose has no Runequest books officially listed on the release schedule (http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/series.php?qsSeries=39) for rest of the year, other than a MRQ2 adventures compilation book. (Nothing new is even listed on amazon.com).
There's no mention of any upcoming titles like Hawkmoon, Corum, land of samurai, etc ... which were mentioned in the "State of Mongoose 2010 (http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45806)".
Wasn't Ringworld BRP?
Quote from: Werekoala;452455Wasn't Ringworld BRP?
Yes! :)
Quote from: Elliot Wilen;452314Not all of the offerings grab me. I don't get the point of Wraith Recon, and Deus Vult seems like a waste of a good title. Clockwork & Chivalry strikes me as a clumsy mashup. But in addition to the ones you mentioned, Chronicles of Future Earth and Celestial Empire (semi-historical China) at least have gotten my attention. There's also the forthcoming Age of Treason for MRQ.
So far, I'm not interested in Deus Vult and Wraith Recon, although maybe I should, I just saw Pete Nash's name in Wraith Recon.
What I would like to see, is MRQ Greece, and Corum and Hawkmoon. And if they ever get the rights to Conan, that would be glorious.
QuoteNot sure what to make of the fragmentation of the core rules across 2-3 companies. It seems it can have both positive and negative effects. But the overall effect is a little like what GURPS promised, but with a set of mechanics that I think may be a bit more accessible, and--I suspect--greater room for customization so that the resulting books have more individualized flavor instead of seeming like reskinned versions of a generic rules set. The downside of this, though, is that there's no "central repository" of major rules options.
For me it's great. Having several companies means every one will expand the system in different directions. The greatest strength of the BRP system is its different subsystems, things like Sanity, or the Cult Rules, or the Demon Summoning rules. The more companies, the more subsystems we will get.
Quote from: Claudius;452469And if they ever get the rights to Conan, that would be glorious.
Probably not likely, considering Mongoose literally threw the Conan rights/trademark holders under the bus in a very public manner last year.
Quote from: ggroy;452453On the subject of Mongoose Runequest.
Does anybody know why the MRQ2 "Monster Island" book has been taken off the release schedule?
Mongoose has no Runequest books officially listed on the release schedule (http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/series.php?qsSeries=39) for rest of the year, other than a MRQ2 adventures compilation book. (Nothing new is even listed on amazon.com).
There's no mention of any upcoming titles like Hawkmoon, Corum, land of samurai, etc ... which were mentioned in the "State of Mongoose 2010 (http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45806)".
My impression is that MRQII isn't selling as well as Matt Sprange had hoped. I think it's selling 'okay', but not nearly as well as Mongoose's
Traveller stuff. And Mongoose, of course, is all about moving product.
(If MRQII had been produced by Chaosium, in contrast, we would have seen only one-third as many products, but the quality of each would have been much higher. And Chaosium, obviously, does not care about maximizing their profits, Arioch bless them.)
So it may be that Mongoose is keeping further products in Limbo for now (although
Cities of the Young Kingdoms was just released, so the line isn't completely frozen).
I wouldn't be surprised if Pete Nash quit in the near future (this is just speculation on my part, but he's been absent from all relevant MRQII fora for some time now). That would leave the MRQII line without either of the two people who made the game so good (Lawrence Whitaker and Nash).
Even if Mongoose does drop MRQII, though, I am confident that the game will reappear in the hands of people who care far more about quality than Mongoose does.
Ultimately, Mongoose have only themselves to blame for RQ not being more popular, as they did such a crap job with MRQI (and have a reputation for producing a lot of crap more generally). :mad:
Quote from: ggroy;452453On the subject of Mongoose Runequest.
Does anybody know why the MRQ2 "Monster Island" book has been taken off the release schedule?
Mongoose has no Runequest books officially listed on the release schedule (http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/series.php?qsSeries=39) for rest of the year, other than a MRQ2 adventures compilation book. (Nothing new is even listed on amazon.com).
There's no mention of any upcoming titles like Hawkmoon, Corum, land of samurai, etc ... which were mentioned in the "State of Mongoose 2010 (http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45806)".
I'll highlight the most relevant bits.
Quoteand we will also be bringing Hawkmoon back with a scattering of supplements.
Certainly interested. Maybe they will delay it to 2012.
QuoteCorum, regrettably, will have to wait for another year, as will likely the Multiverse book as well.
Very interested! I like Corum more than Elric. Well, at least I'll get some time to save money.
QuoteWe will also be releasing new titles in the 'core' RuneQuest range, starting with Monster Island. Like Monster Coliseum, this is a monster book but one with an added twist. Whereas Coliseum had arena rules, Island will provide a complete location for you to encounter, oh, weird things! This one will be pretty early in the 2011 line up.
Not interested, although I might end up getting it.
QuoteWe are also expanding the 'historical' range of RuneQuest books, starting with an updated Land of the Samurai, combined with the Price of Honour campaign, giving you everything you need to start playing in mythical Japan. Pete also has a hankering to cover mythical Greece and after his sterling work on Vikings, how could we say no?
Land of Samurai and Mythical Greece for MRQ2? I want them!!
Quote from: ggroy;452472Probably not likely, considering Mongoose literally threw the Conan rights/trademark holders under the bus in a very public manner last year.
I wish I could say you're wrong, alas...
Quote from: Doom;452311You know, just one mention that BRP is short for "Basic Role Playing" would be cool.
Where have you been for the last twenty plus years?
Quote from: Akrasia;452474I wouldn't be surprised if Pete Nash quit in the near future (this is just speculation on my part, but he's been absent from all relevant MRQII fora for some time now).
Hmmm ... Long vacation? Deceased? Fired? :hmm:
Quote from: ggroy;452481Hmmm ... Long vacation? Deceased? :hmm:
Neither, but I cannot say anything more (and what I do 'know' is hearsay). ;)
As far as I can tell, MRQ is completely missing at two out of the three big RPG stores in my area. Maybe it's not selling well at all, or there's some kind of problem with distribution. Or maybe Mongoose is deliberately retrenching because of the problems they had with several of their books. (Necromantic Arts, Lankhmar Unleashed, and Arms and Equipment came in for a lot of criticism for containing a mishmash of MRQ I and MRQ II rules.)
If anyone's looking for a cheap copy of the core rules, this seller (http://cgi.ebay.com/RUNE-QUEST-2-HARDCOVER-CORE-RULE-BOOK-HC-NEW-/380328801091?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588d5cf343#ht_1153wt_1141) has a few. I ordered one a week or so ago and just received it yesterday, no complaints.
EDIT: I didn't mention before, because I thought they were all out, but the same seller has Necromantic Arts (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360357236360&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_828wt_1141); he may have the GM shield as well. When I combined shipping, he actually charged less than the posted shipping for RQ Core alone, so the marginal cost of Necromantic Arts (warts & all) was < $5. Check with the seller before committing.
Quote from: Elliot Wilen;452490As far as I can tell, MRQ is completely missing at two out of the three big RPG stores in my area. Maybe it's not selling well at all, or there's some kind of problem with distribution.
Same here.
Only one gaming store within a 100 miles distance, bothered to carry any Mongoose Runequest books. (Both MRQ1 and MRQ2).
Quote from: stu2000;452344I just wish they'd call it BuRPs.
BURPS is an altogether different product.
http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/Roleplayer/Roleplayer23/BURPS.html
Quote from: Akrasia;452413What does "IHOTO" mean? :confused:
"I've heard of that one." ;)
Quote from: Akrasia;452474My impression is that MRQII isn't selling as well as Matt Sprange had hoped. I think it's selling 'okay', but not nearly as well as Mongoose's Traveller stuff. And Mongoose, of course, is all about moving product.
Wonder if Paranoia is also having the similar problems as MRQII.
Hardly anything is being released for Paranoia this year, other than two large hardcover compilations of older modules.
Quote from: Akrasia;452483Neither, but I cannot say anything more (and what I do 'know' is hearsay). ;)
Hmm, Pete hasn't posted in a month. Since Akrasia games at Loz's table, pretty sure his "hearsay" is better then most. ;)
Meanwhile, I'm happy to say there's at least one copy of the Big Gold Book on the shelf at our 'local' hobby shop.
Quote from: ggroy;452481Hmmm ... Long vacation? Deceased?
Well I'm not dead yet (despite best efforts), but I have been absent for a while.
Just to let you know, Monster Island will be going into production very soon and apparently Blood Magic is being edited/laid out right now.
So has anyone here actually developed anything with BRP? Made a game, done a sourcebook, anything like that?
Quote from: Pete Nash;452574Well I'm not dead yet (despite best efforts), but I have been absent for a while.
Glad to hear that! ;)
Quote from: J Arcane;452575So has anyone here actually developed anything with BRP? Made a game, done a sourcebook, anything like that?
What do you mean? Anyone who posts on therpgsite?
Quote from: Claudius;452577What do you mean? Anyone who posts on therpgsite?
Yeah, sorry, of course people are making stuff for it, I meant anyone here. I'd love it if they could offer some perspective as to working with the system at the level of a commercial project.
Quote from: J Arcane;452578Yeah, sorry, of course people are making stuff for it, I meant anyone here. I'd love it if they could offer some perspective as to working with the system at the level of a commercial project.
I wrote the BRP Rome book if that counts. Is there something specific you want to know about?
Quote from: Pete Nash;452574Just to let you know, Monster Island will be going into production very soon and apparently Blood Magic is being edited/laid out right now.
Great news!
For a moment there I was worried about the future of Mongoose in general, and MRQII in particular.
Any chances we'll be seeing previews on the Mongoose website?
Quote from: Pete Nash;452574Well I'm not dead yet (despite best efforts), but I have been absent for a while.
Just to let you know, Monster Island will be going into production very soon and apparently Blood Magic is being edited/laid out right now.
Excellent news! :D
Quote from: Pete Nash;452574Well I'm not dead yet (despite best efforts), but I have been absent for a while.
Just to let you know, Monster Island will be going into production very soon and apparently Blood Magic is being edited/laid out right now.
What is Monster Island? A kaiju supplement?
Quote from: Dan Davenport;452600What is Monster Island? A kaiju supplement?
Its a combination of micro-setting, epic kaiju and general monster compendium.
Quote from: Pete Nash;452604Its a combination of micro-setting, epic kaiju and general monster compendium.
Sounds awesome.
Let me know if you want it reviewed. ;)
Quote from: The Butcher;452582Any chances we'll be seeing previews on the Mongoose website?
Sorry Butcher, I've no idea if and when any previews may be posted. They are often a bit random about such things...
I received a copy of the BLOOD & BADGES monograph from an old friend who wrote the title adventure. (it was a compilation of BRP adventure submissions to Chaosium) While I'm too biased to review directly, I will say that the BRP monographs are the same quality as the original softcover, as opposed to the black & white photocopied ones of old. So if that's a selling point for anyone, they seem well made.
Quote from: Pete Nash;452574...
Just to let you know, Monster Island will be going into production very soon and apparently Blood Magic is being edited/laid out right now.
What is
Blood Magic about, by the way?
Would you perhaps have a link to more information?
Quote from: Akrasia;452845What is Blood Magic about, by the way?
Would you perhaps have a link to more information?
There is no link as Mongoose has not provided a forthcoming product page for it as yet.
In light of this, here's a feeble attempt at some shameless self promotion.
Blood Magic is a collective upgrading of RQ Magic based on various alternative methods of creating or harvesting Magic Points (rather than naturally producing your own) via sacrifice, blood letting, cannibalism and the like. It demonstrates how to use these alternative rules with each of the core magic systems, and also presents the
full Spirit Magic system as originally conceived. Each of these chapters has additional spells and spirits of various potencies.
In addition there are some completely new forms of magic: Assimilation – The consumption of the flesh of other creatures to gain their powers; Headhunting – The taking of enemy's heads to enslave their spirits within; Inheritance – The gaining of powers via bloodline and birthright; Totemism – The development of a mystical bond of brotherhood with an animal species; and Soul Sucking – The stealing of life-force by thaumaturgists, supernatural beings or undead creatures to empower their own magical abilities.
Furthermore there are new magical skills and mechanics for Concert (multi participant) Casting, Enchantments and Demonology - but these are a reprisal of the same rules which were presented in SpellCom, for those people with no interest in fantasy special forces.
Last but not least there is a chapter on using the presented material in different styles of campaign, how to maintain game balance, cultural attitudes, inspirational sources and so on.
To ensure its not just a collation of boring rules, I've dropped in dozens of (hopefully) entertaining historical quotes and rules examples, the latter based around three different cultures - historical Aztecs, S&S Stygian sorcerers and a high fantasy group of shaman/mystics.
In essence Blood Magic shows you how to mimick real-world historical practices in your game, permit dark and evil S&S, or produce OTT high fantasy styles of worship and magic.
For those with any interest, here's the opening three quotes from the Introduction, which should set the tone and flavour of the book...
'
When I had prayed sufficiently to the dead, I cut the throats of the two sheep and let the blood run into the trench, whereupon the ghosts came trooping up from Erebus – brides, young bachelors, old men worn out with toil, maids who had been crossed in love, and brave men who had been killed in battle, with their armour still smirched with blood; they came from every quarter and flitted round the trench with a strange kind of screaming sound that made me turn pale with fear. When I saw them coming I told the men to be quick and flay the carcasses of the two dead sheep and make burnt offerings of them, and at the same time to repeat prayers to Hades and to Proserpine; but I sat where I was with my sword drawn and would not let the poor feckless ghosts come near the blood till Teiresias should have answered my questions.'
The Odyssey, Book XI
'
It was very usual for them to sacrifice to the idols that they found on the roads, anointing the faces of the idol with blood they drew right there from their ears, piercing them, or from their nostrils or tongue, and even from their private parts, according to what others say, so that anyone who passed by an idol and did not offer him any portion of blood drawn there from his own body was not considered devout or good.'
Diego de Landa 16th C
'
But the potency of this great fetish apparently soon evaporated. Owners of the Borfima found that their riches did not increase as rapidly as they anticipated, they lost cases in the Courts, expectations were not realized with respect to adverse witnesses upon whose hearts and livers and kidneys imprecations had been showered; all this showed that the Borfima had become weak and needed resuscitation with fresh human fat and blood and to obtain this human fat and blood was the primary object of the Human Leopard Society.'
K. J. Beatty, An Account Of The Trials Of Human Leopards Before The Special Commission Court 1915
Hope that helps.
Are there any good forums for BRP and MRQII, aside from the official Mongoose site?
Thanks for the mini-preview!
I think I'll really, really like this book.
Quote from: two_fishes;452930Are there any good forums for BRP and MRQII, aside from the official Mongoose site?
This one? :D
Quote from: The Butcher;452933This one? :D
Yeah, pretty much.
63.5% of everyone who plays MRQ2 posts here. If you wanna talk about anything, might as well do it here.
Blood Magic's looking cool based on Pete's description.
Quote from: two_fishes;452930Are there any good forums for BRP and MRQII, aside from the official Mongoose site?
http://basicroleplaying.com/
Well, Blood Magic[/b] looks like a must-buy. :)
Thanks for the overview, Pete.
Quote from: Pete Nash;452923Furthermore there are new magical skills and mechanics for Concert (multi participant) Casting
That bit interests me... I'd been thinking about such a thing so I'd have an excuse to put Bollywood dance numbers into a revamp of my Barbarella/Indrachan campaign.
"Blood Magic" sounds interesting.
I'll check it out when it is released. (Whenever that is).
Quote from: Claudius;452306What do you think? Is there a BRP Renaissance?
There's definitely a lot of good stuff happening with BRP, right now. And I'd also say that my interest in BRP is way up. I've always liked BRP, and
Call of Cthulhu has been one of my gaming "constants" over the years. Since I picked up the gold book, though, I've been thinking a lot about different BRP-based games I could run. I also picked up MRQII, and I think I'd use it for any fantasy-type BRP game where combat was important, and use the gold book for other genres and approaches.
Edit: I'll also say that almost all the gaming products I've purchased, recently, are BRP products.
Quote from: Pete Nash;452923Blood Magic is a... snip
Wow. I'm sold. I insist, it's a great time to be a fan of the d100 system.
Quote from: Pete Nash;452923Blood Magic is...sacrifice, blood letting, cannibalism and the like. ...Assimilation...Headhunting ...Totemism ...Soul Sucking ...Concert (multi participant) Casting, Enchantments and Demonology
Damn. This sounds like it would also work well for a CoC game that focuses more cultists than monsters or any BRP game with evil sorcerers.
I'll probably get this even though I don't play MRQII.
Quote from: Nicephorus;453055Damn. This sounds like it would also work well for a CoC game that focuses more cultists than monsters or any BRP game with evil sorcerers.
I'll probably get this even though I don't play MRQII.
Just to be clear, the book is more focussed on modelling mechanics and less a dissertation on cult psychology and cultists... although I suppose a lot of the rules could easily be ported over to any d100 system, plug and play style.
Its just that many of the explanations and examples show that these sorts of things were prevalent in human history, and indeed are still practised today.
Quote from: Pete Nash;453057Just to be clear, the book is more focussed on modelling mechanics and less a dissertation on cult psychology and cultists... although I suppose a lot of the rules could easily be ported over to any d100 system, plug and play style.
That's what I'd want. Like many experienced GMs, I can spin fluff quickly. Good, solid mechanics take time to formulate so I'm often better off grabbing something already done well instead of trying to reinvent it.
I'm tempted to put together something inspired by The Red God by Jack London. I'd base if off of CoC as it's the easiest BRP game to find players for. But I'd give tribes powers based on head hunting and sacrifices and not include much Mythos.
Wow Pete, that books has way more stuff in it then I thought, it just shot to the top of my "must have at all costs" list. :D
Same here. I now have to put my Birthright -> MRQ2 conversion on hold because the Inheritance magic stuff looks like exactly what I need for this. Definitely a must buy for me.
Quote from: Sigmund;453137Same here. I now have to put my Birthright -> MRQ2 conversion on hold because the Inheritance magic stuff looks like exactly what I need for this. Definitely a must buy for me.
This is really what I hoped MRQII would do - get Runequest the hell out of Glorantha, just like they got Traveller the hell out of the OTU, while still releasing lots of OTU-specific material.
BRP is a toolkit like GURPS or SW and while I like it the best of the toolkits, I think it works best when tailored or modified to fit specific settings or concepts like Mongoose is doing with MRQII.
Quote from: CRKrueger;453144This is really what I hoped MRQII would do - get Runequest the hell out of Glorantha, just like they got Traveller the hell out of the OTU, while still releasing lots of OTU-specific material.
BRP is a toolkit like GURPS or SW and while I like it the best of the toolkits, I think it works best when tailored or modified to fit specific settings or concepts like Mongoose is doing with MRQII.
I agree, and it really seems from Pete's description that Blood Magic will be very helpful in this regard.
Quote from: J Arcane;452575So has anyone here actually developed anything with BRP? Made a game, done a sourcebook, anything like that?
I wrote the big gold book, and am working on
Interplanetary. I also did the system work for
The Laundry and am doing some more stuff for
The Laundry Agent's Handbook.
Quote from: two_fishes;452930Are there any good forums for BRP and MRQII, aside from the official Mongoose site?
Quote from: Akrasia;452945http://basicroleplaying.com/
basicroleplaying.com is, no offense to this site intended, the best location for discussing BRP-related matters and content. The posters range from people involved with the first iteration of
RuneQuest to brand-new players. There is a wealth of material free for download, as well.
Quote from: CRKrueger;453144This is really what I hoped MRQII would do - get Runequest the hell out of Glorantha
(Maybe Loz or Pete Nash can comment on this).
Was MRQII designed from the start to be completely independent of Glorantha?
Quote from: ggroy;453232(Maybe Loz or Pete Nash can comment on this).
Was MRQII designed from the start to be completely independent of Glorantha?
No, it was designed to support both Glorantha and generic play. If you note the various examples in the book, they're all Gloranthan set, but this doesn't mean the rule system is
exclusively aimed at it.
The rules are flexible enough for Glorantha to be freely ignored and should be able to cater for most versions of fantasy.
Quote from: Loz;453241No, it was designed to support both Glorantha and generic play. If you note the various examples in the book, they're all Gloranthan set, but this doesn't mean the rule system is exclusively aimed at it.
The rules are flexible enough for Glorantha to be freely ignored and should be able to cater for most versions of fantasy.
Understood.
Btw, I picked up the MRQII "Abiding Book" and "Cities of the Young Kingdoms: The South" books a few days ago. I'm slowly making my way through them. Great reads so far.
Quote from: ggroy;453242Btw, I picked up the MRQII "Abiding Book" and "Cities of the Young Kingdoms: The South" books a few days ago. I'm slowly making my way through them. Great reads so far.
I'm definitely picking up the latter, and undecided on the former.
The world needs more MRQII book reviews. I was miffed that I couldn't find one of MRQII Elric, which I ended up picking up anyway, and it's an absolutely stellar book. Even though it's been out for a while, I've been thinking of writing a review myself, because it's such a great book.
Quote from: CRKrueger;453144This is really what I hoped MRQII would do - get Runequest the hell out of Glorantha, just like they got Traveller the hell out of the OTU, while still releasing lots of OTU-specific material.
Well supplements like Vikings bring a lot to my table in that regard. I'm a big fan of Glorantha as a game setting (read: not canon-anal BS, but actual living game play and organic campaigning where you build your own Glorantha from the game books), but at the same time, I completely agree RuneQuest can do so much more it'd be kind of a shame to not explore other possibilities with it.
QuoteThe world needs more MRQII book reviews. I was miffed that I couldn't find one of MRQII Elric, which I ended up picking up anyway, and it's an absolutely stellar book. Even though it's been out for a while, I've been thinking of writing a review myself, because it's such a great book.
I'm really glad you like it, and a review would be most welcome. For some reason there is a dearth of RQII reviews, save for a few capsule reviews on Drivethru and reviews on personal blogs, but very little on the main traffic sites.
I just came out of the woodwork and registered on theRPGSite - I've authored an MRQ2 book called Age of Treason: The Iron Simulacrum which should be out later in the summer. And happy to say Loz and Pete's MRQ2 is a pleasure to work with. I was an RQ3 diehard...
Quote from: Iron Simulacrum;453761I just came out of the woodwork and registered on theRPGSite - I've authored an MRQ2 book called Age of Treason: The Iron Simulacrum which should be out later in the summer. And happy to say Loz and Pete's MRQ2 is a pleasure to work with. I was an RQ3 diehard...
From what little I've heard about it, sounds interesting with inspirations in antiquity combined with the title (a pun on Age of Reason perhaps?)
Anything you'd like to tell us about the setting or what we can expect with the MRQ book?
Welcome, IT! I'm curious about the book as well. Why "Age of Treason"? What is the book about?
Thanks!
Quote from: Cole;453762From what little I've heard about it, sounds interesting with inspirations in antiquity combined with the title (a pun on Age of Reason perhaps?)
Anything you'd like to tell us about the setting or what we can expect with the MRQ book?
A lot of inspiration from antiquity - I can't help that, that's what I studied back in the day and it is still my reading of preference - and as they say, write about what you know...
Age of Treason - because I like a plot. Once you get under the skin of a culture, you just keep finding great reasons why people are trying to tear it apart from inside and out - and why others are desperately trying to patch it up. The core book deals with the leading civilisation of the day, ruled by an immortal emperor who nobody has seen for a couple of centuries, via his regent, the Iron Simulacrum - who is both a golem and a sorcerer's familiar (cue some rules about how to create both of these things). Who is a tough but fair ruler, and the patriarch of an "emperor cult" keen to add new worshippers (aka citizens), but worried that his own maker may cease to have a use for him at some point in the not too distant future. So treason starts right at the top.
AoT is somewhere to find a complex plot that might be driven by ideological, religious or downright venal motives, whether in the corridors of power or the dirty streets of a major city, and beneath which lies some straight forward adventuring fun. Beyond the scope of the book but certainly outlined are those lands beyond where humanity, or at least civilisation, has a tenuous hold - so the future offers the opportunity for seafaring adventures, jungle exploration and magical landscapes for those citizens for whom exile is a matter of choice or necessity...
A significant portion of the book is dedicated to an extended campaign in which shiny young citizens get called up to serve in the militia, and are sent to the southern frontier..where things start going quite wrong quite quickly. At the end of those, it will be clear who is suited for a future life of adventure!
There is extended Chargen for the setting, with over 50 civilised professions to choose from, plenty of rules tweaks and options - a different take on religion and cults, and bespoke rules for creating completely customised enchantments as well as useful alchemical potions. Plus the setting is a great one for porting in ideas from Pete's Blood Magic.
I hope that helps!
IS
Quote from: Iron Simulacrum;453777I hope that helps!
IS
Sounds good. Will the book include any advice or charts to help GMs come up with factions and conspiracies?
Sounds pretty dang rockin. Looks like I'm gonna be a BRP fanatic for the foreseeable future.
Quote from: Cole;453778Sounds good. Will the book include any advice or charts to help GMs come up with factions and conspiracies?
Well to start with the "fluff" is laced with many hooks a GM can use, as are some of the cults and associations detailed. To give one example, Vampires. These are a recent innovation, the oldest and first vampire is perhaps 120 years old. Ordinary folk don't like vampires because they resort to unpleasantness such as kidnap, murder and simple assault to feed their habit. So a suspected vampire may be hunted by a mob of concerned citizens and if lucky hauled before the courts - where he may get off if evidence is lacking or he has a good advocate (you'll find rules on oratory and court cases, of course). Failing that there is a foreign cult of spirit worshipper fanatics who may deal with the matter quietly because they are self-appointed policemen of the boundaries between life and death. Then of course if the suspected vampire is brought to the attention of the state an emperor cult inquisitor will turn up, who has the power to short circult due process, generally with bad consequences for the vampire - not because vampires are dangerous, but because immortality is treason. But beneath it all is a world in which immortality is possible - not only through vampirism - and whether or not the state allows it some people will attempt to achieve it.
I've started work on an article for Signs and Portents giving more detail on some of the top conspiracies that characters may encounter, or that may just touch their lives in unexpected ways - and such things are a great tool for a GM to bring NPC motivations to life as well as keeping players guessing about what is actually going on.
Actually - don't want to thread hijack here - if there are any other questions maybe post another thread, I'll be happy to respond to interested enquirers!
EDIT - just saw that last sentence. Will create a specific thread for that. :)
Count me in as someone else who considers Blood Magic a must have, it sounds awesome.
Quote from: J Arcane;452575So has anyone here actually developed anything with BRP? Made a game, done a sourcebook, anything like that?
Yes.
Merrie England: Age of Chivalry should be coming out in Summer/Autumn 2011. It's a vastly increased BRP version of Merrie England: Age of Eleanor (MRQ). Medieval roleplaying in the time of Kings Henry II, Richard I and John I, set in the Angevin lands but briefly touching on most of Western Christendom. I know of people who are using the MRQ version as background for Deus Vult, so it can be used with that very easily. It can also be used with Stupor Mundi, Crusaders of the Amber Shore and Val de Loupe, all BRP Medieval supplements.
Other things are planned, when I have time.