Category Archives: Basic RolePlaying

Posts about, related to, or featuring content for Chaosium’s Basic RolePlaying system and related games such as Elric! and Stormbringer, Superworld, Call of Cthulhu, and so on.

Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine

So, after all this time, the folks at nuChaosium decided to embrace the concept of a standalone core BRP book after all. Which leads us to BRP: Universal Game Engine. BRPUGE was released in PDF back in the spring and is now available in print. Buy it direct from Chaosium and you get the PDF for free with the print version. My physical edition just arrived, so here are a few thoughts and some pictures.

BRPUGE is nicely bound and:

has the now largely obligatory ribbon bookmark
is printed on crisp, creamy, uncoated paper
has charming new color & b/w art
is 99.44% a cleaned up & in-print version of the 2010-era Big Gold Book

All-in-all seems to be worth the money if you’re someone who plays BRP games. Or just wish you were. Or happen to be a BRP completist.

I have read that a few things have been excised from this edition (when compared to the aforementioned BGB), but I haven’t gone hunting to confirm or uncover anything specific. Supposedly Strike Rank rules as well as rules for treating Attack and Parry as two separate skills for melee weapons have been omitted. But I’ve never cared for SRs and splitting Attack/Parry is too fiddly for my tastes. So, meh?

On the whole it looks nice and feels good but it is not, strictly speaking, an essential purchase. However, if BRP interests you and you don’t have the BGB already (or if you want to communicate to nuChaosium with yer scratch that you think BRP is worthy of existing as a standalone book alongside its more integrated flavors like RQ and CoC), well, it becomes an essential purchase then, doesn’t it?

Additionally, I think this edition is covered under one of the post-OGL fiasco licenses so it could in theory be used to publish one’s own materials. But I’m not a lawyer and also not exactly burning it up over here producing RPG material to publish so, ah, do your own research on that, comrades.

My final verdict is that holding the book makes me want to play games with the system. And in the end, that’s enough. Now if I can just dredge up some players. Sigh.

Vintage Magic World: The Last Hope of Vilorre-Adinel

Wherein your humble scribe presents a batch of pregenerated characters for the Worlds of Wonder version of Magic World.

The Alabaster Plague has come to Vilorre-Adinel and only a precious few individuals have remained unaffected. Some must stay and tend to the sick. Others, though, have been called upon to journey to the nearby Abbey of St. Rixende to seek assistance in the form of the honey from the Abbess’ sacred bees. The honey, it is said, can cure even the this terrible disease. Rumors that the Abbey has recently fallen to a savage wolfqueen cast a pall upon this quest. Still, brave souls will venture forth in the hopes of saving their home. Mercadier, captain of the guard. Ameline, the new recruit. Jourdain and Petrona, the wastrel children of the Mayor’s brother. Abelard the tinker. Mathena the wool merchant. Guarnier, the hermit who speaks to the winds. Brunissende, the witch of the wood. Among these citizens will be found the last hope of Vilorre-Adinel.

Mercadier (Warrior) 227 Crowns
STR 14 CON 9 SIZ 13 INT 13 POW 11 DEX 12 APP 9 HP 9 DB none
Weapons: Battle Axe 65% (1d8+2), Crossbow 60% (2d6+2) Shield 60%
Armor: Ring Mail (4), Leather (2), Shield (12)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 5%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 60%, Linguist 00%, Listen 45%, Literacy 00%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 60%, Spot Hidden 30%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%

Ameline (Warrior) 224 Crowns
STR 15 CON 15 SIZ 8 INT 16 POW 13 DEX 9 APP 11 HP 15 DB +1d6
Weapons: Sword 65% (1d8+1), Bow 65% (1d6+1), Shield 65%
Armor: Ring Mail (4), Leather (2), Shield (12)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 5%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 65%, Linguist 00%, Listen 45%, Literacy 00%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 45%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%

Jourdain (Rogue) 325 Crowns
STR 10 CON 11 SIZ 11 INT 13 POW 11 DEX 14 APP 11 HP 11 DB none
Weapons: Short Sword 60% (1d6+1), Dagger 60% (1d4+1)
Armor: Cuirboilli (3)
Skills: Climb 60%, Cut Purse 70%, Fine Manipulation 70%, First Aid 45%, Hide 60%, Jump 60%, Linguist 00%, Listen 60%, Literacy 00%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 60%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 60%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%

Petrona (Rogue) 385 Crowns
STR 9 CON 12 SIZ 11 INT 15 POW 13 DEX 15 APP 10 HP 12 DB none
Weapons: Short Sword 70% (1d6+1), Dagger 65% (1d4+1)
Armor: Cuirboilli (3)
Skills: Climb 65%, Cut Purse 75%, Fine Manipulation 75%, First Aid 50%, Hide 65%, Jump 65%, Linguist 00%, Listen 65%, Literacy 00%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 65%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 65%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%

Abelard (Sage) 230 Crowns
STR 10 CON 9 SIZ 15 INT 14 POW 15 DEX 18 APP 12 HP 9 DB +1d6
Weapons: Hammer 25% (1d8+2), Shield 25%
Armor: Cuirboilli (3), Shield (12)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 00%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 45%, Linguist 45%, Listen 45%, Literacy 70%, Lore 45%, Mechanical Arts 70%, Mercantile Arts 45%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 45%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%

Mathena (Sage) 400 Crowns
STR 10 CON 9 SIZ 11 INT 16 POW 11 DEX 13 APP 8 HP 9 DB none
Weapons: Mace 35% (1d6+2), Sling 20% (1d8)
Armor: Ring Mail (4)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 5%, First Aid 50%, Hide 55%, Jump 45%, Linguist 50%, Listen 45%, Literacy 80%, Lore 55%, Mechanical Arts 50%, Mercantile Arts 80%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 50%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%

Guarnier (Wizard) 119 Crowns
STR 12 CON 10 SIZ 12 INT 17 POW 14 DEX 14 APP 9 HP 10 DB none
Weapons: Staff 55% (1d8), Dagger 55% (1d4+1), Sword 55% (1d8+1)
Armor: Cuirboilli (3)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 5%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 45%, Linguist 00%, Listen 45%, Literacy 50%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%
Spells: Conjure/Dismiss Air Elemental 55%, Enhance/Diminish 55%, Lift 55%, Speak to Mind 55%

Brunissende (Wizard) 80 Crowns
STR 9 CON 9 SIZ 10 INT 16 POW 12 DEX 10 APP 10 HP 9 DB none
Weapons: Staff 50% (1d8), Dagger 50% (1d4+1), Spear 50% (1d6+1)
Armor: Cuirboilli (3)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 5%, First Aid 50%, Hide 55%, Jump 45%, Linguist 00%, Listen 45%, Literacy 50%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%
Spells: Heal/Wound 50%, Light/Dark 50%, Seal/Unseal 50%, Vision 50%

Stafford & Petersen To Return To Chaosium

This is apparently happening, at least according to this thread at the purple forum place, which appears to be written by Greg Stafford himself.

I have no dog in any hunt w/ Chaosium right now. I didn’t back any of their Kickstarters (Flying Buffalo took care of my KS disappointment). I’m not especially keen on the CoC 7th rules after having playtested them. But I’m still quite curious about the situation, as there are all kinds of potential repercussions and reverberations. And if any of that shakes out to better support for BRP, I’ll be happy.

Meanwhile, I’m packing for NTRPG Con, where I’ll get to play in a Basic D&D game run by Frank Mentzer and a Top Secret game run by Merle Rasmussen. And the DCC Lankhmar playtest that Doug Kovacs is running. And a couple of other things. So that’s going to be fun. So much so that I might even bother to post some pictures or even write up a report after the weekend. No promises, though. I’m a lazy sod, after all.

Vintage Magic World: Trial By Wilderness

Wherein your humble scribe presents a quartet of adventurers for the vintage version of Magic World (you know, the one that was part of the old Worlds of Wonder boxed set). Why? Because boredom is my enemy. An enemy that can be vanquished only by imagining heroes to vanquish it.

“Hold a moment, gents. Allow old Dasq to catch his breath,” the fat rogue bellowed as the hill turned ever more steep as they ascended. “Carrying all of these wilderness provisions is a bit more than I’m used to.”

“Come now, villain,” the merchant replied, his accent nearly impenetrable to his companions. “You were carrying twice the weight easily when the city guard apprehended you.”

“Yea, b’at were gemsnsilver, wernit?” muttered Wheezing Mohan, the mercenary known in Broken Shield as much for his allergies as for his sword arm.

“True enough, true enough,” Dasq nodded in agreement as he lowered his bulk onto a boulder that seemed to groan beneath the weight. “Though why you all had to get involved in that… situation… I do not know. If you’d all just allowed me to escape we wouldn’t be on this damnable quest in the first place. A curse upon the King’s magistrate!”

The wizard, who had not uttered a syllable since they left the city turned swiftly and hissed, “We got involved in the situation as you put it, my fat friend, because the treasures you were fleeing with were ours. Though I concur with your cursing of the charlatan who claims knowledgeable service of the King. This custom of trial by wilderness is both ineffectual and an affront.”

“Wernall in agreem’t onnat,” replied Mohan. And then he sneezed three times. “Trollas. Three sneezes means trollas, mebims. Besget yarms ready.”

Guy d’Marseinné (Scholar) 120 Crowns
STR 9 CON 12 SIZ 15 INT 13 POW 14 DEX 11 APP 11 HP 12 DB +1d6
Weapons: Short Sword 30% (1d6+1), Dagger 25% (1d4+1)
Armor: Cuirboilli (3)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 00%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 45%, Linguist 40%, Listen 45%, Literacy 65%, Lore 40%, Mechanical Arts 40%, Mercantile Arts 65%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 40%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%

Vale Loer (Wizard) 390 Crowns
STR 10 CON 6 SIZ 12 INT 15 POW 16 DEX 13 APP 10 HP 6 DB none
Weapons: Staff 45%, Dagger 45%, Sword 45%
Armor:
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 10%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 45%, Linguist 00%, Listen 45%, Literacy 50%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%, Control 45%, Illusion 45%, Lift 45%, Speak To Mind 45%

Fat Dasq (Rogue) 220 Crowns
STR 5 CON 13 SIZ 18 INT 12 POW 9 DEX 15 APP 13 HP 18 DB none
Weapons: Short Sword 55% (1d6+1), Dagger 55% (1d4+1)
Armor: Cuirboilli (3)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 75%, Fine Manipulation 75%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 55%, Linguist 00%, Listen 55%, Literacy 00%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 55%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 55%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%

Wheezing Mohan (Warrior) 105 Crowns
STR 13 CON 9 SIZ 13 INT 14 POW 8 DEX 15 APP 11 HP 9 DB none
Weapons: Broad Sword 70% (1d8+1), Mace 65% (1d6+2), Shield 70%
Armor: Ring Mail (4), Leather (2), Shield (12)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 5%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 65%, Linguist 00%, Listen 45%, Literacy 00%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 75%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%

Vintage Magic World: Vorskel Lusk’s Big Problem

Wherein your humble scribe presents an adventuring party for the original Magic World (from the Worlds of Wonder boxed set). As I’ve said before, this is BRP at its most basic, stripped down (well, pre-built up, really) and ready to rock.

My name is Vorskel Lusk, and I have a problem. It seems someone has stolen my master’s grimoires and Etzylix Murrsh is in no condition to go after the thieves himself. So it’s up to me to recover the spellbooks before the Arcane Fever that has gripped Etzylix progresses to the point where I have to find an entirely new master to continue my studies. My girlfriend Asha Kal is always game for an adventure, but I’m afraid we’re going to need a little more help to take on the Necromancer Syndicate. Maybe that big guy who works down at the quarry is available? Etzylix owes him some money, I think. And maybe that fast-talking merchant over in the Bazaar could lend a hand? Etzylix was always a good customer of his. Now I just have figure out how to untie these ropes and get out of this mausoleum before that Wraith Bomb goes off…

Vorskel Lusk (Sorcerer) 16 Crowns
STR 12 CON 16 SIZ 11 INT 12 POW 14 DEX 8 APP 10 HP 16 DB none
Weapons: Sword 36% (1d8+1), Staff 36% (1d8), Dagger 36% (1d4+1)
Armor: Leather (2)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 5%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 45%, Linguist 00%, Listen 45%, Literacy 50%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 40%, Throw 45%, Invisibility 40%, Illusion 45%, Light/Dark 40%, Blast 40%

Asha Kal (Rogue) 155 Crowns
STR 8 CON 9 SIZ 9 INT 13 POW 9 DEX 18 APP 11 HP 9 DB none
Weapons: Shortsword 65% (1d6+1), 3 Daggers 60% (1d4+1)
Armor: Cuirboilli (3)
Skills: Climb 60%, Cut Purse 90%, Fine Manipulation 90%, First Aid 45%, Hide 60%, Jump 60%, Linguist 00%, Listen 60%, Literacy 00%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 60%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 60%, Swim 90%, Throw 50%

Hradken the Quarryman (Warrior) 68 Crowns
STR 13 CON 12 SIZ 18 INT 13 POW 8 DEX 14 APP 8 HP 12 DB +1d6
Weapons: Hammer 65% (1d8+2), Bow 70% (1d6+1), Shield 65%
Armor: Ring Mail (4), Shield (12)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 5%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 65%, Linguist 00%, Listen 45%, Literacy 00%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 70%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 70%, Throw 45%

Ayer Deloe (Sage) 262 Crowns
STR 9 CON 12 SIZ 15 INT 17 POW 9 DEX 11 APP 12 HP 12 DB +1d6
Weapons: Mace 30% (1d6+2), Dagger 25% (1d4+1), Shield 30%
Armor: Leather (2), Shield (12)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 5%, First Aid 51%, Hide 55%, Jump 45%, Linguist (Barghrun, Kallestine, Ryellic) 51%, Listen 45%, Literacy 85%, Lore 51%, Mechanical Arts 51%, Mercantile Arts 85%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 51%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 55%, Throw 45%

Echo Chamber News Flash: Astounding Adventures Available!

ASTOUNDING ADVENTURES Front Cover Astounding Adventures, the BRP Pulp supplement, is apparently now available for ordering from the Chaosium website. As their ad copy says:

Welcome to the heart-pounding, two-fisted, action-filled world of the Pulps! Throughout this book you will find Basic Roleplaying rules for new character types, skills, combat, magic, mad science, and a plethora of villains, henchmen and monsters.

Accompanying the text are several sidebars containing special, optional rules to help jack up the pulpiness of your campaign, and rules aimed specifically towards those who enjoy using miniatures and map grids in their games. How far you want to push the envelope is up to you—and you’ll find all the tools you need within these pages.

So strap on a rocket-pack, load up your .45, and get ready to take on a dozen Nazis single-handedly, while standing atop the ruins of a lost Aztec temple! Once you open up the Pulps you are in for the adventure of a lifetime!

I’ll no doubt be picking this up soon. At $20.95 it seems like a steal, and I do so very much love pulpy RPG goodness.

Heists For Fantasy Thieves

Wherein your humble scribe, drawing on the “All The Dice” random generator concept (tip of the hat to Grim), presents a random table for your nerdly needs.

My latest obsession/idea is an old school urban crime mini-campaign, something along the lines of the old Gamelords Thieves’ Guild RPG.

My first thought was to use Labyrinth Lord/AEC and break down the thieving skills a bit to turn that subsystem into something that players could customize to reflect their own individual thief’s specialties (sort like AD&D 2e did – but I don’t have those books handy to ~~steal from~~ reference). But when I started doing the math I quickly realized I’d be better off using a different system (one that was already skill-based).

So in rode BRP and the fabulous Classic Fantasy monograph (to be used if I feel the need to retain a degree of D&D style). If I ever make this get off the ground (and given my current levels of gamer ADD and the general scheduling issues with the folks I play with, that’s a dubious proposition) I’m going to need an idea generator for some thiefly adventures & heists. Hence, the tables below. Please feel free to make use of these in any way you see fit. Sharing makes the world go ’round!

Let’s Roll

Grab yourself a d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20 and roll ’em. Check against the charts below and let your creativity fill things out as needed.

Location of item(s) to be liberated, 1d4

Temple or other religious/ceremonial building
Private residence (1d4: 1 lower class, 2 middle class, 3 upper class, 4 nobility)
Mercantile building (guildhall, apothecary, etc.)
Governmental building (military hq, prison, town hall, etc.)

Complications of the job, 1d6

No complications, job as described by the rest of the dice
Minor complications, roll for a second guardian for the item (now under double guard)
Major complications, roll for a second location (the item has been moved)
No complications, job as described by the rest of the dice
Serious complications, roll for two more guardians and a second location – the item(s) has been moved to a new location and is under a different kind of protection
It’s a setup! A double-cross! A trap! Everything proceeds normally, but something bad happens if the job is successful (not paid, guard alerted, the job is completely fake, etc.)

Method of payment for liberating the item(s), 1d8

No payment
Keep anything else you can take
Coin: ((2d4-1) X 10)% of item’s value
Coin: ((1d10+10) X 10)% of item’s value
A minor, limited-use magic item (potion of healing, etc.)
Information (a treasure map, the name of a spy, etc.)
Coins: (3d8 X 10) total gp value
Gems: (4d6 X 10) total gp value

Nature of the item(s) to be liberated, 1d10

Plain ol’ coin money
Magic item (weapon/armor/shield)
Religious relic
Gems or jewelry
Paperwork of significance
Object d’Art (statue/painting/etc.)
Symbolic item
Magic item (non-weapon)
Roll again twice using d8s
Roll again three times using d8s

Guardian of the item(s) to be liberated, 1d12

None
Locked chest/safe
Trapped & locked chest/safe
Magical wards
Generic human/demihuman guards
Tougher-than-generic human/demihuman guards
Natural animal(s)
Monster(s)
Undead
Demon/devil
Roll again twice using d10s
Roll again three times using d10s

Source of the job, 1d20

Professional connection (guild, crime family, etc.)
Freelance theft-for-hire (merchant, sailor, etc.)
Rumor/Innuendo/Legend
Personal Reasons (revenge, matter of honor, thrill seeking, etc.)
Religious connection (prelate with a problem, a favor for the god of thieves, etc.)
Professional connection (guild, crime family, etc.)
Freelance theft-for-hire (merchant, sailor, etc.)
Romantic connection (spouse, mistress, etc.)
Family connection (no-good brother-in-law, dying aunt, etc.)
Political connection (local political faction, foreign government, etc.)
Professional connection (guild, crime family, etc.)
Freelance theft-for-hire (merchant, sailor, etc.)
Rumor/Innuendo/Legend
Personal Reasons (revenge, matter of honor, thrill seeking, etc.)
Professional connection (guild, crime family, etc.)
Freelance theft-for-hire (merchant, sailor, etc.)
Military/Police connection (the corrupt sheriff, a questionable general, etc.)
Rumor/Innuendo/Legend
Professional connection (guild, crime family, etc.)
Freelance theft-for-hire (merchant, sailor, etc.)

Some Sample Heists

Your older brother offers to pay you a lot of money to break into the town armory and steal the enchanted Shield of the Sentinels. Of course, the armory is guarded by a pair of basilisks, but that’s not a problem for someone like you. You know he can afford what he’s offering; you just don’t know what he’s up to, which is planning on double-crossing you by turning you and the shield in for the reward to pay off his gambling debts.
Old Garril the Stonemason offers you a number of small diamonds he once found in a wall he was repairing to steal the sixteen large sapphires Korath the Bold recently donated to the Temple of Naali. These are locked in a chest stored within the high priest’s chambers.
You’ve heard a rumor that there’s a woman in Amberton who will pay a nice sum of money for a set of enchanted combs that are currently available in the shop of Forlburt the silversmith. The smith is a paranoid sort, who employs a small number of human guards and trained hounds to stand watch over his shop even as he locks all of his merchandise within a heavy (and trapped!) safe every evening.
Your guild or crime family needs you to break into the manor house of the Harbormaster and steal the ledgers for the last season’s shipping taxes. Your reward for pulling off this heist is the name and location of the man who killed your family when you were young. Everyone knows that the house is protected by magical wards. Not even your contact knows about the wraith that has been bound to guard the grounds.

Magic World In Print!

From the Chaosium Twitter feed:

Magic World is now available in physical copy. Here is the link for it: catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.p… -Nick

— Chaosium (@Ab_Chaosium) March 20, 2013

Order it from the Chaosium website. For the record, that’s their copy, not mine.

It’s also still available as a PDF if that’s how you roll.

Magic World Is Out!

Well, in PDF anyway. The print version won’t be released until the middle of March, but print’s dead anyway, right? 🙂

Magic World, in case you haven’t been paying attention, is the new BRP-based dark fantasy game from Chaosium. It’s heavily based on the Elric!/Stormbringer 5e rules which, in my opinion, are some of the finest fantasy rules that have ever been released by anyone anywhere anytime. So this is pretty much a good thing.

A friend of mine has signed on to help with developing some of the supplemental materials that Chaosium is going to release a little further down the road, and I was actually able to do just a wee bit of playtesting^* on MW (which I couldn’t really talk about until now) and I think the folks involved have done quality work on this game. If you’re looking for a fantasy RPG and don’t want the hassle of picking and choosing among the options in the BRP Big Gold Book, MW is exactly what you need.

Somewhat coincidentally, I’ll be joining said friend’s actual MW campaign in progress this coming weekend. I’ll try to get off my lazy duff and let y’all know how it goes.

^* If any of you wind up playing MW and choose to play an elf, you can thank me personally for their awesome starting Dodge skill. I made the case that, based on their description in the game, that they should begin as quite skilled dodgers. That I’m wearing my LA Dodgers hat as I type this (I’m greatly anticipating the 2013 MLB season, but that’s a different aspect of my nerditude that I won’t dwell on here) is probably just due to the vagaries of chance.

Lynn Willis Has Passed

You’ve probably already read it somewhere else, but I thought I’d note it just in case…

Lynn Willis, one of the biggest of the big daddies of the entire Basic Roleplaying family of games has passed away.

Mr. Willis was, among countless important roles in the RPG industry, the co-creator of Call of Cthulhu, but his contributions to our hobby extend well beyond that august accomplishment. My sympathies are with his family and friends and my gratitude for what he gave us is sincere and immeasurable.

Rest in peace, sir.

Strange Stones

a nerdy rpg blog