Let's Talk Blue Rose

[Crothian]

well, Blue Rose does deal with a few subjects that Star Wars stays away from.

 

[Psion]

Rules-wise the Blue Rose RPG is a “masterwork” of the D20 system. Table-top has been polluted with Playstation-esque “roll playing”

Sigh. Time to ressurect the .sig.

Although I cannot express how happy I am to finally see conventions such as level-based defense modifiers, reputation scores, and semi-custom classes,

Finally?

Does someone else want to tell him?

 

[Nomad4life]

Public Notice: Making sigs that attempt to portray standard terminology as somehow being “antiquated” is not cute or funny or clever anymore. If it ever was.

Finally?

Does someone else want to tell him?

Oh? There’s another D20 fantasy game setting besides WoT that uses these?



Unearthed Arcana doesn’t count IMO. A “patch” just isn’t the same thing...

 

[Skywalker]

I was specifically referring to the realm of Jarzon among other factions, not Aldea.

My bad

I can see your point about the game authors trying to portray a clear “good vs. evil” setting like Star Wars, though... In fact, the game makes more sense when I go back and look at it that way. It’s just that such objectivity wouldn’t mesh well with my current gaming group (although ironically, they’re almost all huge Star Wars fans?)

As mentioned below, BR deals with some more "controversial" matters than SW. Also, most people encountered SW in the bloom of naiive youth

However, the basic intention is the same. It is to be expected that many RPGers who haven't read much of the inspirational fiction might find the setting to be a little too hard to believe. However, as mentioned above, at its basics the setting is pretty straightforward. It would not be hard to emphasis certain elements over others to create the appropriate feeling you desire.

 

[Skywalker]

Oh? There’s another D20 fantasy game setting besides WoT that uses these?

Well there is a lot of d20 products out there and some tackle these such as Grim Tales. I note that even WoT didn't have customisable classes.

However, I agree with your sentiment. BR brings these (and other elements) altogether in a fantasy game for the first time in a way I am completely satisfied with.

 

[Nomad4life]

Well there is a lot of d20 products out there and some tackle these such as Grim Tales. I note that even WoT didn't have customisable classes.

Ah. Haven’t gotten around to Grim Tales yet, but I may have to take a look at it now. *Sigh* I’m half the gamer I used to be. Guess that’s what I get for getting married.

 

[Psion]

Oh? There’s another D20 fantasy game setting besides WoT that uses these?

I'm sure there are, but actually I was thinking Star Wars, which has been using class based defense and reputation for a long time. UA just repeated the same material as open content, but other d20 variants have made their own hacks on those concepts in the meantime.

 

[Nomad4life]

I'm sure there are, but actually I was thinking Star Wars, which has been using class based defense and reputation for a long time. UA just repeated the same material as open content, but other d20 variants have made their own hacks on those concepts in the meantime.

::Nods::



I loved the SWRPG so much that I didn’t even complain when the RCR was released soon after (remember how everyone thought it was just some kind of rip-off scandal?)

Next to the ideas found in MnM, VP/WP is my second favorite D20 innovation.



However, I was thinking specifically of D20 fantasy games with those mechanics already built in. WoT has a some of them, but I have a few other minor complaints about that game system (interesting approach to magic, though.)



As someone else mentioned, many of the 2nd generation D20 games have parts of these systems, but there are none I can think of that blend them all together so well at once as BR has done.



I’ve got nothing against UA for presenting these ideas to standard D&D gamers… But if you’ve ever tried to GM one of these variants, you may agree that it’s just NOT the same as a game (such as the SWRPG) with such mechanics already in place.

 

[Akrasia]

In terms of mechanics, this sounds like a rather interesting game, as it appears to get rid of many of the things that irritate me the most about 3E D&D.

How hard would it be to run a campaign in a 'standard' fantasy setting using these rules? I am thinking of something like Middle-earth or Jack Vance's Lyonesse here. That is, a setting that allows for intrigue, social interactions, etc., as well as some old-fashioned orc-killing.

Also, how easy would it be to use standard 3E adventures, etc. with these rules?

It is, IMO, a real crying pity that these rules are presented in a 'romantic fantasy' package. The New Agey, neo-pagan, flakey elements of that genre fill me with nausea. If only the rules had been presented separately from the campaign setting.

Oh well. :\

 

[Crothian]

How hard would it be to run a campaign in a 'standard' fantasy setting using these rules? I am thinking of something like Middle-earth or Jack Vance's Lyonesse here. That is, a setting that allows for intrigue, social interactions, etc., as well as some old-fashioned orc-killing.

not terrible hard but it would take some work. You'd hgave to for instance create the orc as there are no orcs in the book. That would be the hardiest part creating things that your setting has that this one does not. Also, high powered monsters like Dragons would kick majot ass in this rules system as players just don't really get powerful enough to take them out as they are presented in the MM.

Also, how easy would it be to use standard 3E adventures, etc. with these rules?

Agian the conversion of things to the rule set will be the problem area. It won't be hard and once you would get used to doing it it might not take as much time.