Call of Cthulhu- which version should I buy?

[Kesh]

Also, from another thread here, it sounds like the dual-stat Delta Green will be released "in a few weeks."

 

[teitan]

I prefer the D20 version by a large margin. The only thing I have a problem with in D20 is the combat ability problem associated with levels which is easy enough to fix by making combat a series of skills and all cost 2 for combat oriented professions and 3 for non combat oriented. You'd have Hand to Hand, Firearms and Melee. You'd need to increase the number of skill points characters get per level but not by more than 2. Unless you wanto run Army of Darkness or a Pulp Oriented game then the BAB can stand as is. Levels and escalation of Hit Points bothers some... divorce HP from level and make them equal to COn plus con bonus, problem solved. No need for the MDT. For organic skill progression I have a house rule where the player checks a skill used successfully 3 or more times in the course of the adventure and when he levels up (I don't give out XP, if you survive an adventure you get a level, not a session, an adventure or every 5-6 sessions also for longer adventures like Masks of Nyarlothotep) he can only increase skills with a check mark on it.

BRP seems ok to me, but I just don' like it. The presentations and material in the D20 book is by far superior and not just because of the increased production values. I find the writing in D20 to be more helpful and the materials on world building etc. to be of more help to me than anything in the BRP material. The book just has this huge stamp on it that speaks to me more than BRP and not just rules wise. I seem to be able to do more with D20 out of the box than BRP as well...

Jason

 

[frankthedm]

Chaosium's BRP is the better system overall. Skills increase by using them, armor absorbs damage and HP rarely increase since there are no levels. BRP rules start simple but can easily be added on.

D20 is a more familiar system, a good hit can still kill you in one shot, characters can possibly reach more heroic stats and it works better for comic booky pulpy fun.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Chaosium's BRP is the better system overall. Skills increase by using them, armor absorbs damage and HP rarely increase since there are no levels. BRP rules start simple but can easily be added on.

D20 is a more familiar system, a good hit can still kill you in one shot, characters can possibly reach more heroic stats and it works better for comic booky pulpy fun.

Some would note that not being able to increase HP is not a "good" feature. Even in point buy systems like Hero and GURPS you're able to buy up the old HP.

 

[TheLostSoul]

Some would note that not being able to increase HP is not a "good" feature. Even in point buy systems like Hero and GURPS you're able to buy up the old HP.

It is a personal matter. I really prefer that MAX HP does not increase often. Especially in a horror game. It makes your character alot more vulnerable and that makes it easier to get into your character's fear, IME (Both as a GM and as a player).

Oh... It is possible to increase your HP MAX, though it is not easy

 

[Henry]

It is a personal matter. I really prefer that MAX HP does not increase often. Especially in a horror game. It makes your character alot more vulnerable and that makes it easier to get into your character's fear, IME (Both as a GM and as a player).

I'll agree to the intent, but my experience causes me to sell the theory short. The "all downhill from here" effect of Chaosium's rules causes my players not to experience fear, but bummed-out depression whenever running a CoC game. As a result, not only do they subtly reject the ambient horror atmosphere I try to generate, but they replace it with something else... absurdity. They figure if they have no chance, they might as well have fun going down the tubes. (Yes, it's OK by me to say, "remind me never to play CoC with your group." ) So they build and lob pipe bombs, fire indiscriminately, drive bulldozers into Cthulhu, blow up byakhee with dynamite, and have a high time. They take the Highway to Hell, stick in 4th gear, and whoop loudly while doing so!

I noticed however, they didn't do this as much when playing the d20 version, because they had that wonderful false hope that the d20 version seems to inspire.

 

[King of Old School]

The presentations and material in the D20 book is by far superior and not just because of the increased production values. I find the writing in D20 to be more helpful and the materials on world building etc. to be of more help to me than anything in the BRP material.

Because it deserved to be repeated in bold type.

CoCd20 had the huge advantage that the writers were interested in presenting the game as a useful toolkit for cosmic horror, and in incorporating their thoughts and experiences* on what makes the game enjoyable to run and play. The BRP version is essentially developed under the assumption that the game achieved perfection sometime around 1987 and the way it has always been written, presented and run is the way it should always be written, presented and run. The original is a great game that has stood the test of time, but Chaosium would do well to consider incorporating the non-mechanical material into the 7th edition of BRP CoC.

KoOS

* Monte Cook based much of his Dark*Matter work on one of his CoC campaigns, and Tynes helped created the superlative Delta Green and lots of other beloved CoC material.

 

[KaosDevice]

I noticed however, they didn't do this as much when playing the d20 version, because they had that wonderful false hope that the d20 version seems to inspire.

Dunno on this one. The gradual erosion of hope, if you wanted to blame on a specific game mechanic, seems to me like the sanity system. Which is identical between D20 and BRB CoC.

It seems to me a lot of the arguments I've heard in favor of D20 over BRP on this thread and others seems to boil down to 'BRP is an old system, D20 is newer and shinier'. Which, you know is great and all but really is just saying 'well, I like this system better then this other one. No reason why really, just do.' And that is fine, that's pretty much my argument in favor of BRP (when not being silly). I just like it better is all. (I'm not saying you're doing this Henry, just going on a mini-rant).

 

[Will]

My specific likes and dislikes:

Percentile system in BRP is difficult to use with any sense of success levels or difficulty levels. D20, on the other hand, has much clearer benchmarks.

Ability scores in BRP are somewhat... bizarre. Some are valuable, some aren't, and the way they are generated is also a little strange. I find D20 ability scores a bit more sensible (at least in comparison). Chargen is a lot faster in D20, in my experience.

Those are the biggies.

 

[KaosDevice]

Percentile system in BRP is difficult to use with any sense of success levels or difficulty levels. D20, on the other hand, has much clearer benchmarks.

Really? Wow, I feel absolutely the opposite. A sliding scale of 1 (bad) 50 (average) 100(great) makes pretty easy n' intuitive sense to me. I've always liked percentile systems though, so that might make me about 65% skewed.

Ability scores in BRP are somewhat... bizarre. Some are valuable, some aren't, and the way they are generated is also a little strange. I find D20 ability scores a bit more sensible (at least in comparison). Chargen is a lot faster in D20, in my experience.

Well the stats are designed to wiegh things like intelligence and education in the favor of the investigator. Play in eras other then gaslight 20's or modern can always alter those (vis a vis Dark Ages.)