PS 18 JULY 2023: I have gotten some feedback about the cover art, and some of these comments/criticism seem to involve a misunderstanding of the purpose of the game system. That is of course my fault. Above, I state the purpose as “remove all reference to the OGL 1.0a and any content that falls under it”. In this regard I think I was successful (but again if you see something that could somehow be attacked under copyright or other basis please let me know). However, my ultimate goal was to create an open source set of rules that can be used to play OSR type games by creative GMs looking for something to build adventures upon, and game designers to use to create their own games. So I did not pay a lot of attention to art or imagery. I just punched a few words into an AI art generator and picked the brightest colors available. The fact that some hate the cover art so much as to reject the content is a head scratcher for me, but since I did not intend it for commercial sale… oh well — I never claimed to be a good judge of art or style. Notwithstanding the cover art which many find offensive, I hope you find the rules useful.
Basic Roleplaying (BRP) is a universal game engine that serves as the foundation for a variety of tabletop roleplaying games. Originally created by Chaosium, it is a rules system that prioritizes flexibility and adaptability, allowing players to delve into various genres and settings.
Some of the RPG games based upon the BRP system:
Call of Cthulhu: Created by Chaosium, Call of Cthulhu is a horror roleplaying game set in the world of H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. It focuses on investigation, mystery, and the horrors of cosmic entities. The BRP system serves as the foundation for the game’s mechanics, emphasizing sanity, skill-based challenges, and character progression.
RuneQuest: Also developed by Chaosium, RuneQuest is a fantasy roleplaying game set in the mythic world of Glorantha. It explores a wide range of cultures, magic, and epic quests. The BRP system provides the mechanics for character creation, combat, and skill resolution in this high-fantasy setting.
Stormbringer/Elric!: Based on Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné novels, Stormbringer (and later Elric!) is a sword and sorcery roleplaying game. It focuses on the adventures of the brooding anti-hero Elric and his struggle against the forces of chaos. The BRP system is used to facilitate gameplay in this dark and dangerous world.
Mythras: Previously known as “RuneQuest 6,” Mythras is a standalone roleplaying game that evolved from the BRP system. It offers a comprehensive and customizable set of rules for various genres and settings. Mythras provides detailed mechanics for combat, skills, magic, and character development, making it suitable for a wide range of campaigns.
One of the strengths of the Basic Roleplaying system is its simplicity. The rules are designed to be intuitive and easy to grasp, making it accessible to both newcomers and experienced players. Character creation is straightforward, with players allocating points to various attributes and skills to define their character’s abilities.
The mechanics of BRP are based on percentile dice rolls. When attempting an action, players roll percentile dice and try to roll under their skill or attribute score to succeed. This simple resolution system keeps gameplay flowing smoothly and encourages players to focus on storytelling and problem-solving rather than complex rules.
The flexibility of BRP allows it to accommodate a wide range of genres and settings. Whether you want to play a gritty investigation game in the 1920s, a high-fantasy epic, or a science fiction adventure, the BRP system can adapt to suit your needs. This versatility is enhanced by the availability of numerous supplements and adaptations that provide additional rules, settings, and guidance for different genres.
Additionally, the BRP system emphasizes realism and immersive gameplay. It includes rules for detailed combat, skill-based interactions, and handling various challenges. This focus on realism can add depth and tension to gameplay, but it may also require more bookkeeping and attention to detail compared to more streamlined game systems.
One potential drawback of the BRP system is that it may require some additional work from the Game Master (GM) to fully customize and adapt it to their preferred setting. While the core rules provide a solid foundation, GMs may need to create or modify rules and content to match their specific genre or campaign. This can be seen as both a strength, allowing for creative customization, and a potential challenge for those looking for a more plug-and-play experience.
Basic Roleplaying is a flexible and accessible system that provides a solid foundation for tabletop roleplaying games. Its simplicity, realism, and adaptability make it a great choice for players and GMs who value creativity, storytelling, and a wide range of genres. With the availability of various supplements and adaptations, the BRP system offers a wealth of options for those looking to explore different settings and play styles.
My first game that I decided to take from homebrew to self-publishing was C’est la Guerre which I posted on Wargamevault.com (a sister website of DriveThruRPG aimed at wargamers) in August of 2013 in PDF format. After several years of struggling I managed to put it in the proper format for paperback publishing on that website. My big problem was producing the cover and back page which needed to meet some very specific guidelines. In those days the folks at DriveThruRPG/Wargamevault were incredibly helpful and walked me through the process while tactfully avoiding commenting on the fact that I knew nothing about book formatting and was a total putz. To this day I thank them immensely for their patience and tact!
Since that initial foray into self-publishing on the DriveThruRPG system I have posted a number of other games on the website, most in a beta state, and some that ended up being ‘finished’. All of these were in PDF format.
I also post very early stage games on my website under Experimental Games. These are all very rough ideas in PDF formats at most. Some are just meandering ideas posted on my webpage.
Lately, I have become better at formatting my work to the point that the game is not just a word processor document printed out to PDF; there is a decent cover page, title page, working table of contents, page numbering that actually works, etc. I have also learned how to use GIMP to format images for the cover and the work itself so that it is not just endless words with large white spaces. This may all seem very rudimentary to some, but for me it was a great leap forward! As the formatting of my games became a little better I decided to try to turn some of them into paperback format. I began on DriveThruRPG, and I am sad to say that their open and helpful attitude towards amateurs (and hacks like me) has changed. Instead of silently smirking at the fact that I use a word process to format my work, they point out that I should get with the times and use a fully fledged publishing program and come back when I figure out what I was doing (or perhaps hire someone who could do the job for me). I downloaded a few of these publishing programs and could not make anything work. In fact what I produced using these publishing programs looked much worse than the product of my word processor.
Frustrated, I turned to Amazon publishing and found that it was much more user friendly. If you have a work that is in a suitable properly sized PDF format the Amazon system will set it up for you. And if you are unable to create your own cover and back pages using some fancy publishing program, Amazon offers a system that will help the most inept self-publisher create a completed project using some simple but attractive templates. As I became better at creating my own covers with my dowdy little word processor, the Amazon system made it very easy for me to drop these finished covers into the online project software. And when I got those messages from the proofreading part of the program that informed me that my work did not meet the printing guidelines it also explained why it did not meet the guidelines and how to fix it. Very helpful indeed!
I still love DriveThruRPG, but I now only use it to post my PDFs in final or beta version. Paperback versions go to Amazon, and my very experimental games get posted on my webpage open to universal scorn and derision. Feel free to look them over and tell me how much they suck!
Do you have a game that is in some stage of development? Do you have something you would like to publish, but you don’t think it will ever justify hiring a professional formatter to give it that professional look? Do not despair! Self-publishing may never be more than a hobby for us, but that does not mean we cannot work to improve the look and feel of our final product!
