Basic Role Playing Chapter Preview

Here's a preview of the chapters of Basic Role Playing - the Deluxe has been dropped from the title.

As it stands now here are the current chapters. They are almost certainly subject to change before publication.

Chapter 1: Introduction - this chapter primarily serves as an introduction to role playing games. It discusses what a role playing game is and the responsibilities of the players and game masters. It also defines various RPG terms.

Chapter 2: Characters - this chapter contains methods for character creation (including primary, secondary, and optional characteristics). Primary characteristics are Strength, Specific professions (over forty in all) and the appropriate campaign setting for their use along with associated skills are listed. There are also extensive optional rules for sanity.

Chapter 3: Skills - this chapter talks about skills, their general use, skill categories and over fifty specific skills with their base chance of success and examples of fumbles, failures, successes, special and critical successes.

Chapter 4: Powers - the powers chapter discusses the different types of powers: magical, psychic and super. Information about how to get characters gain powers and lists over sixty powers along with details about chance of success, range, duration, descriptions and the cost for characters to buy and use.

Chapter 5: System - this chapter explains the game system, actions, resistance, and using skills. Time scales and movement rate are also discussed in relation to game play. Additionally there are optional rules for opposed skill rolls, high skill chances and high difficulty.

Chapter 6: Combat - the combat chapter talks about the order of combat, magic and power use, actions and resolution. There are rules for using armor, shields, and missile weapons. Additionally there are extensive details on damage and healing. Optional rules for eliminating or reversing statements of intent, initiative, strike ranks, miniatures and maps and more. There are additional spot rules for combat that are not yet integrated into the chapter.

The latest rumors I have heard regarding BRP is that Chaosium may take the powers chapter out of the main BRP book since trying to balancing it has delayed completion of development by several month. At this point Chaosium is pushing to have it out by the end of the year.

With any luck I'll be able to preview a bit more details at some point but right now this is all I can do.