[Chaosium] The age of the ORC begins: Chaosium to release a new edition of Basic Roleplaying in April using the Open RPG Creative License

[Michael O'Brien]

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For Immediate Release

Ann Arbor, MI—Chaosium, creators of the award-winning Call of Cthulhu tabletop roleplaying game, announced today the April release of Basic Roleplaying: The Universal Game Engine in PDF, with hardcover to follow in 2023.

Basic Roleplaying (“BRP”), is the game engine that powers Chaosium’s most popular games including Call of Cthulhu and RuneQuest. For 40 years the BRP system has been lauded for intuitive and easy-to-understand “roll low” mechanics, which makes games designed with BRP accessible and quick to learn. BRP games keep the focus on roleplaying, and exploring the setting that the game master has prepared.

This release serves as an update to the core BRP system. Under the new Open RPG Creative License (ORC), game creators are free to use the BRP rules engine to develop their own games, royalty-free and without further permission from Chaosium.

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"Chaosium was one of the first game companies to sign on to the Open RPG Creative License initiative being spearheaded by our friends at Paizo,” said Chaosium COO Neil Robinson. “We're pleased to have our core rules system released under the ORC as an example of an open RPG license that anyone can use.”

Basic Roleplaying: The Universal Game Engine contains all the core rules for character creation and advancement, deadly and tactical combat, magic, psychic powers, mutations, superpowers, weapons, equipment, and vehicles applicable to any setting and genre.

Players can use this book to create a seamless roleplaying experience using an existing setting, or one of their own design.

Basic Roleplaying: The Universal Game Engine will be released in PDF in April, and will be available directly from Chaosium.com, and DriveThru RPG.

A hardcover release will follow later in 2023.

 

[TreChriron]

This is REALLY fantastic news! Very exciting!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

 

[Prime_Evil]

This is an amazing development. Can you give us any hints of how it will differ from the big gold book? Also, do we have any idea when the terms of the ORC licence will be released?

 

[darjr]

I love the cover.

 

[Retreater]

If it's a more streamlined version of the rules in Runequest, I could be interested in porting that game over to BRPG.

 

[darjr]

I put off running Kobold Presses Call of Cthulhu adventure for a variety of reasons but this reminds me that BRP might be perfect vs using stock CoC.

And the next version would be ideal.

Is Chaosium in bits and mortar? Anybody know?

 

[deganawida]

I've only ever played a one-shot of C&C (moved right after the first session, so it was definitely a one-shot for me). However, I may pick this up, as I've heard a lot of praise for BRP.

 

[numtini]

Also, do we have any idea when the terms of the ORC licence will be released?

That's what I was wondering. I mean, presumably they will be released when this book comes out. Hard to offer a license that doesn't exist.

And yes, Chaosium is in Bits and Mortar.

 

[overgeeked]

I put off running Kobold Presses Call of Cthulhu adventure for a variety of reasons but this reminds me that BRP might be perfect vs using stock CoC.

And the next version would be ideal.

Is Chaosium in bits and mortar? Anybody know?

If baseline Call of Cthulhu is too heavy there’s also Delta Green (slightly less crunchy) and Cthulhu Dark (rules light).