I am lost in the land of BRP! [CoC]

[Anabstercorian]

I have to run a CoC game (not d20!) in... 7 hours. Three of those hours will be spent on a train without internet access. Help me! I need rules clarifications - I have the adventure already and I'll study it on the train.

1) I already have the quick start rules at http://www.chaosium.com/article.php?story_id=42&section_id=13.

2) How does combat work, more or less? How does the dodge skill work?

3) Anything specific you think I should know that isn't in the quick start rules?

 

[WayneLigon]

Combat works pretty much as they describe. A character tries to hit another. Every attack has a percent chance to hit. Roll that or less on d%, and you do damage to them. Then the next person in initiative goes.

Dodge may not be used against any firearm attack.

A character may dodge each attack once per round. A character attempting to dodge in a combat round may also parry, but not attack. A character may parry only once per round. In general, a character has three options per round - dodge, parry, and attack; the system allows a character to attempt two of these options per round.

That should be good enough for using the BRP. The actual rules are a bit more confusing and contradictory, depending on what edition and what optional rules are used, as discussed here.

If you roll low enough, you may get a special result. Rolls that are 1/5 of the skill are Special Successes. Rolls that are 1/10th the skill are Critical successes. It takes a special dodge ro dodge a Special success attack, etc.

 

[village6]

I have to run a CoC game (not d20!) in... 7 hours. Three of those hours will be spent on a train without internet access. Help me! I need rules clarifications - I have the adventure already and I'll study it on the train.

1) I already have the quick start rules at http://www.chaosium.com/article.php?story_id=42&section_id=13.

2) How does combat work, more or less? How does the dodge skill work?

Combat 'initiative' is determined strictly by DEX order, highest goes first. This assumes no surprise or such. Combatants may do one thing during their combat turn, IIRC, no mulitple actions. Combat is done like any other skill, choose appropriate skill, roll percentile dice, if below the skill value then the attack succeeds, if not the attack fails. If the roll is below 1/5 of the skill value, then it is an 'impale' which doubles damage dice.

Dodge can be declared by the target of an attack, at any time prior to the rolling of the attacker's dice. The defender will sacrifice their next action (in this round or next) in order to dodge. If successful, then the dodger is 'missed' by the attack; if a failure, then the attack continues as if no dodge was attempted. Check the rules, but I believe that gunfire cannot be dodged.

3) Anything specific you think I should know that isn't in the quick start rules?

Not to be glib, but the rules are far less important than setting a creepy atmosphere and generally scaring the hell out of the players. I ran CoC for months before I even got a rulebook, and no one had any issues. The BRP system is easy and intuitive, and shouldn't be looked at as a 'straightjacket' so much as a 'guide'. Remember that most CoC players aren't rules lawyers, and just want to be scared and RP...you could probably run the game diceless and 99% of CoC players wouldn't care.

Good Luck!
- Village6
www.deltafiles.com

 

[Anabstercorian]

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Byrons_Ghost]

I think they've about covered the main points.

So how did the game go?

 

[Anabstercorian]

It went pretty well. Everyone GAINED sanity points, on total, though, which was a little aggravating. I TRIED to kill the cocky, self-absorbed tomb raider character, but man, he gunned down my dark sorcerer without breaking a sweat. Oh well! Much fun was had, and the englishman got a knife in the face.