Runequest vs D&D vs Gurps vs D6 vs Exalted vs everything

[GbajiTheDeceiver]

One thing they've added is a "Time Taken" modifier. This ranges from "Almost Instantly" to "Ten Times Normal time" with corresponding positive or negative modifers. This make it so the potter with plenty of time would have to really screw things up to fail.

Cool, it's about time too.

Do I read that as indicating that there are negative modifiers for doing rush jobs also? Most excellent!

 

[HyrumOWC]

Do I read that as indicating that there are negative modifiers for doing rush jobs also? Most excellent!

Yep.

Hyrum.
OWC

 

[andakitty]

Better and better. I incorporated something similar into my BRP homebrews some time ago. It was picked up from some other game system, I don't remember which one.

 

[GbajiTheDeceiver]

Better and better. I incorporated something similar into my BRP homebrews some time ago. It was picked up from some other game system, I don't remember which one.

Had my own house rules for that too, with an exponential multiplier derived from splitting the time into 5 slices, but I only took account of spending less time on the job.

Just realised that this is going to be one area where even an old-fan like me can't argue - MRQ does this better than RQ.

 

[atgxtg]

Better and better. I incorporated something similar into my BRP homebrews some time ago. It was picked up from some other game system, I don't remember which one.

CORPS, perhaps? It was a central feature of that RPG, since if a character's skill exceeded the difficulty sucess was automatic. It made tsking a little extra time to reduce the difficulty very appealing.

 

[andakitty]

It helps build tension during play, too. But I didn't get it from CORPS, because I have never read or played that. I'm not sure I've ever heard of it. And now it's going to bother me until I do remember. Crap. Like a tune that replays itself over and over in your head. What WAS that, what WAS that, what... :roll:

Does CORPS use a percentile roll under? What is the genre?

 

[atgxtg]

It helps build tension during play, too. But I didn't get it from CORPS, because I have never read or played that. I'm not sure I've ever heard of it. And now it's going to bother me until I do remember. Crap. Like a tune that replays itself over and over in your head. What WAS that, what WAS that, what... :roll:

Does CORPS use a percentile roll under? What is the genre?

CORPS is one of Greg Porter's games, produced by his company BTRC. He also wrote TimeLords (not the Timelord DR Who RPG-which also has a extra time rule), WarpWord and EABA, just in case you got the idea from them.

COPRS uses a D10, but in a an unsual sort of way. If the character's skill equals of exceeds the difficlty of the task, success is automatic. If the skill is less than the difficulty then the character must roll 11-(2xpoints short) or less. So a character with a 5 skill attemtping a 6 difficulty taks would have to roll a 9 or less; a 7 difficulty would require a 7 or less.

With this sort of mechancics it often made sense to take extra time to do something in order to ensure success.

Of course there were several other RPGs that had similar rules, but what I liked about CORPS was than the easy way that the game handled stuff like this. A character with the bare skills required to do a task might take a lot of extra time to do something right. On the other hand, a highly skilled character can do things in less time (and take a penalty).

Orginally the CORPS RPG was set in a modern day conspiracy setting (think X-Flies meets the Illuminati card game). THe first edition was avery small, easily playable game. THe second edtion turned the game into a muilt-genre RPG, and added a lot to the game, but alos made it a bit more complex.

Porters games are good overall. I am particular fond of how he can break down weapons, vehicles, equipment and other things to some mathtmetical formals that a GM can use to write up stats for practically anything. THis gives his systems a bit more flexibility that many other RPGs. You can easily add new stuff. THis makes it easy to work thing like time travel adventures and mixed techonology.

 

[andakitty]

I'll check it out. I have a compulsion about role-playing games. Thanks.

 

[atgxtg]

I'll check it out. I have a compulsion about role-playing games. Thanks.

In that case go to the BTRC websight: http://www.btrc.net

You can buy just about every BTRC product online, and I have a good portion of thier products, so I could answer some questions on things.

Come to think of it, with then new M-RQ being an Open Liscense system that can be adapted to any setting, the BTRC rules for designing things (like weapons) could prove invalable to a GM who wants to run a campaign in a setting with firearms.

 

[Londo-X]

Well, going back to the main question, I was a fan of RQ during it's avalon hill (Dodgy) version. much more so than either D&D 1st/2nd ed. RQ does RQ is classless, leveless, and still feels more like a mideval/ fantasy world than D&D (which during those earlier incarnations had too many "just because" rules" "Why can't mages wear armor, or Clerics use swords?" "Just Because the rules say so!" Combat was elegant and armor worked more realistically (NO big surprize I prefer AGOT d20 to regular D&D 3e eh?) IN fact WOTC used parts of RQ in 3e (due to hasbros access to RQ3 from thier purchase of Avalon Hill). In short RQ worked better as a sum of it's parts and did not end up as a frankenstinien patchwork of other elements from other games to make it work.

Here are my current thoughts on some of the other biggies:

Savage Worlds- Arguably the best universal system out there. plus it doubles as a minis system, I have thought hard about running a Starship Troopers RPG campaign in this, but the pulpy feel is less condusive to the fantasy games I Prefer (again think Game of Thrones, or Tolkien)

Unisystem- Nice system, love it for many of the reasons i love savage worlds, but again too tounge and cheek, and funky for hard fantasy.

Castles and Crusades- a great simple d20 variant perfect for dungeon crawls ala heroquest (the old GW/MB board game that is). fun more on a quicky level than a full RPG experience.

d20- it's big, it's popular I can give my 3rd level Drow fighter a PPG, and a lightsabre, as I have stats for both. but it's vanilla. I have to praise it for it's flexability, but after 2 years playing d20 straight (save for cons), I could do with a change.

Hero- In short an excellent game for super heroes, a lousy game for fantasy. the flexible elements just make it (and gurps) feel more like reading a marvel comic about a fantasy world than a good fantasy novel.

GURPS- like hero's slow cousin, not bad, but not the end all be all.

FUDGE- it's fun it's flexible, it's free, but it's a bit more work with less to go on.

World of Darkness- another great system as long as it stays in the genre or themes that the mechanics play strongly to.

 

[andakitty]

You might like Epic rpg. Reviews on rpg.net.

I tried Savage Worlds recently in a local gamestore group, because we needed something quick and accessible for weekly one-shots on a rotating basis. None of us really liked it, and I'm not sure why. It just seemed too bland somehow. One of the things was that the skills didn't seem to cover all the bases well enough in spite of the generic nature of the rules. Like they were too generic, and too simplified. Anyway, we tried three times with three different genres and then the group broke up when no one could come up with an alternate. Still scratching my head over it. I agree about the other systems you mentioned, except I really don't like 3e because it's one of the few games being played around here and I just can't seem to get into it. Not so much the game itself. It would be easier to get into without all the bells and whistles, the feats and prestige classes and such. As it is I give up in disgust when I try to make a character. Just too restrictive to someone used to some form of BRP, I guess. Looking forward to MRQ.

 

[Londo-X]

like so many other RPG house systems, Savage Worlds, is spawned from another game. (in this case a couple). the first is Deadlands, and it's minis game variant the great rail wars being the second. The game's strengths do not lie in chracter details, I will whole heartedly agree. however one way to make this system pop is to let th players have followers. say for example a Star wars game where the PC rebels have a retinue of Rebel soldiers under their command. as combat is half minis game, keeping this element firmly planted in the game is essential. yeah the skills are rather limited considering that shooting covers anything from a slingshot to a Javelin Missile system. one fix I had is instead of the requisite 15 skill points, use 10 skill points and 10 knowledge points (knowledges like in shadowrun) can be player defined to help make the character a little more realistic.

as for Epic RPG I'll give it a shot, thanks