Chaosium Releases Basic Role Playing SRD

Chaosium has released the Basic Roleplaying System Reference Document (SRD).



The Basic Roleplaying SRD is based on Basic Roleplaying, the simple, fast, and elegant skill-based percentile system that is the core of most Chaosium roleplaying games, including Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, SuperWorld, and others.

Under the provisions of the Basic Roleplaying Open Game License (OGL), designers can create their own roleplaying games using the Basic Roleplaying rules engine, royalty-free and without further permission from Chaosium Inc.

For further details and to download the SRD document, see our Basic Roleplaying SRD information page.

This uses an opening gaming license, but not THE Open Gaming License (the commonly used one published by WotC nearly 20 years ago). It is based on similar concepts, but this uses the BRP Open Game License. A notable difference is that instead of "Product Identity") (which in the original license typically includes trademarks, proper names, a handful of iconic monsters, etc.), this license used "Prohibited Content" which expands that to include mechanics, or "substantially similar" mechanics to some selected features of the rules system. For example, part of the prohibited list includes:

"Augments: The use of one ability — whether skill or characteristic — to augment another ability of the same or a different type, in a manner substantially similar to those of the RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha rules."

Obviously you can make similar mechanics without using this license, but if you use this license you agree not to use mechanics similar to those in the prohibited content list.

The prohibited content list also contains Le Morte D'Arthur, and the Cthulhu Mythos.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Why such shrill attacks on Marc W Miller and Cepheus Engine? He is right, you don't know classic very well. Without classic and Marc Miller's IP, nu-mong would just be another mediocre space fantasy rules set, with long drawn out whiffy combats, and bean-counterish spreadsheet subsystems that front load a lot of heavy heavy crunch on the GM.

Well, no. What it is, that I mentioned before, is identifying the undercurrent of misguided hatred towards Mongoose Publishing that exists. When people feel the need to refer to them as ’nu-mong’ it is both sad and childish, and shrill too, if you prefer. I don’t think you know that game very well, nor the legacy of Classic Traveller. Moreover, without Mongoose Publishing to promote Traveller as a game to current audiences, all we would be seeing now is Marc Miller’s most recent Traveller 5 - which is a whole other kettle of fish. Cepheus wouldn’t exist without Mongoose Traveller.

To see what gamers, with good online reputations and with no prior experience of Traveller have to think of Mongoose’s version of Traveller, then watch these:


Now these positive reviews that exist, are neutral and recent. Please show me the same level of prominence that currently exists online for any other version of Traveller?

Going back to d100 games stuff, I heard Chris Spivey has been working on a sci-fi rules set for chaosium, that I am interested in, though personally I am fine with M-Space, and that isn't just because Clarence Redd is great person, I have helped with proof-reading and such; the books are nice:

View attachment 120936

I ran a game for years, using various stuff, from the Design Mechanism, including Mythic Constantinople and Monster Island. So it's a great Space Opera rules set, with a lot of adventures, well written (A Gift From Shamash by TDM should be owned by any sci-fi GM) with a huge amount of crossover potential. Which if someone wants to use this OGL from chaosium, that is great, except it isn't hugely necessary.

Chris Spivey is no longer working on a SciFi game for Chaosium. It was announced earlier this year. And I think I also mentioned M-Space up the page also.

 

[yojimbouk]

Who is this BRP-OGL intended for? It’s not really intended for producers of original settings because they surrender control of their own IP. It’s not really intended for producers of adventures because the SRD is so bare-bones that it requires authors to reinvent the wheel by writing a lot of rules to supplement their product. It may serve producers who want to write small rules packets. But they are a subset of content producers.

I see a group on the BRP Central website trying to reinvent the wheel by producing an “OpenBRP Fantasy” ruleset. Essentially, they are having to reinvent Magic World because of the limited SRD. Unless these projects get formally adopted into the SRD, I can’t see they will gain much traction.

 

[Morrus]

Who is this BRP-OGL intended for? It’s not really intended for producers of original settings because they surrender control of their own IP.

Eh?

 

[Morrus]

Chris Spivey is no longer working on a SciFi game for Chaosium. It was announced earlier this year.

He’s still working on the game; just it will be published by Darker Hue instead of Chaosium.

 

[yojimbouk]

Eh?

See this discussion on problems with the BRP-OGL: .
In particular, the discussion of clause 10. Once you publish under BRP-OGL you’re locked in forever.

 

[TrippyHippy]

He’s still working on the game; just it will be published by Darker Hue instead of Chaosium.

Darker Hue is Chris Spivey, isn’t it? Anyway, my understanding according to the announcement, that he is wrapped up as part of the team writing Modiphius’ Dune for the time being.

 

[Morrus]

In particular, the discussion of clause 10. Once you publish under BRP-OGL you’re locked in forever.

I don’t know what you mean by that. This is what s10 says:

“10. Updating the License: Chaosium or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of the BRP Open Game License, including updates to the Prohibited Content list. Material published under any version of the License can continue to be published Using the terms of that version, but You agree to Use the most recent authorized version of this License for any new Open Game Content You publish or for revised or updated works with thirty percent (30%) or more revised or new content.”

 

[Morrus]

Darker Hue is Chris Spivey, isn’t it? Anyway, my understanding according to the announcement, that he is wrapped up as part of the team writing Modiphius’ Dune for the time being.

Yup.

 

[TrippyHippy]

I don’t know what you mean by that. This is what s10 says:

“10. Updating the License: Chaosium or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of the BRP Open Game License, including updates to the Prohibited Content list. Material published under any version of the License can continue to be published Using the terms of that version, but You agree to Use the most recent authorized version of this License for any new Open Game Content You publish or for revised or updated works with thirty percent (30%) or more revised or new content.”

Why do they need to capitalize You and Use?

 

[Morrus]

Why do they need to capitalize You and Use?

Generally, that type of formatting means those are specifically defined terms.