I don't mind it at all...
Several games I've run were knockoffs - most notably FASA Trek - but did a few things differently. Also, Twilight Imperium - the early 00's FFG knockoff... wasn't bad, but wasn't great, and seemingly presumed you'd have set up a map yourself (but stopped short of saying to use the board game to create your campaign map)... I have often shotcutted non-BRP games driven solely by 1d100 for skill or less as "YAPS" - "
Yet
Another
Percentile
System."
As far as actual Chaosium BRP games? Played Stormbringer, RuneQuest 3, CoC. Run RuneQuest 3, ElfQuest. I've read but not run Ringworld. I do wish Chaosium would rerun that... before Niven dies.
I love Pendragon, and it's a 1d20 derivative. I've run 4th and 5th a bunch, I've done a 1-shot of 1st; I've used the 1E landholding system in 4th. I've read, but not run, Pendragon Pass, which uses the Pendragon Engine for doing Glorantha (the RQ setting).
It's worth noting that HeroQuest/HeroWars are a different 1d20 derivative of RQ/BRP, but works somewhat differently from BRP core and from Pendragon.
Oh, and Mongoose's RuneQuests are technically not BRP, but knockoffs. Greg Stafford didn't license the system mechanics to them, only the setting. They're passably good adaptaions
BRP as written is pretty deadly, and has a lot of bits that many don't much care for...
- The armor by hit location is fine; many dislike HP by location, especially since it means tracking both losses to each location as well as total HP lost.
- The Strike Rank system, at least in older games. Many find it unintuitive
- The experience checks mechanic - as good as it is, I've known a bunch of people who "«bleep»ing hate it, man!" It's often changed in the knockoffs to other methods. Such as FASA Trek allowing a d10 raise after completing a mission.
- The math for various success levels... divisions of modified skill on given task
- Crit: 1/20th the adjusted skill or less
- Special Success 1/5 the adjusted skill or less
- Fumble: 1/20th the failure chance... so 100-((100-adjusted skill)/20) to 100...
- Note that these figures are from the Avalon Hill version of RuneQuest 3rd edition, Book 1, pages 34-35. there is a convenient table on page 34... and in the tables booklet... but that's a slowdown in play.
- The multi-digit additions and subtractions commonly used.