Review: Blue Rose (Long)

[takyris]

Quick question: When you say that some combat features are gone, what do you mean? Is it pruned down to "nothing except attack, possibly declaring whether you're fighting defensively or using Power Attack", or is it "Grappling now handled with a single roll, attacking a held item now has a static DC with optional Narrator modification"?

I wouldn't mind the former if playing with new gamers, people I was trying to introduce to roleplaying. My normal gaming buddies might be irked by the perceived loss of options, though -- but I don't mean that as a slam on Blue Rose. I think it's a decent and fair idea.

 

[Crothian]

first off, you only get a single attack no matter ho high your BAB is, and there are no AoO. I guess it isn't that scaled down but with the focus on the book not being cvombat it just seems that way. You can disarm, grapple, over run, sunder, trip.....

 

[Akrasia]

... In fact, I'm thinking of using some of the OGC material from Blue Rose with OGC material from Castles & Crusades to create a customised 'rules-lite' d20 variant for my own gaming group. In particular, I'm looking at adapting the Blue Rose skill system for use with the classes, combat, and magic system from Castles & Crusades...

I would certainly be interested to learn how this works out!

 

[Akrasia]

first off, you only get a single attack no matter ho high your BAB is, and there are no AoO. I guess it isn't that scaled down .....

Actually, getting rid of AoOs cuts out 50 percent of the headache right away! (IMO of course.)

 

[Skywalker]

This sounds like a very interesting game. I like most aspects of the rules, from the description. I just wish that the game wasn't based on the 'romantic fantasy' milieu, which reminds me too much of 'Middle-earth as reimagined by Berkeley multicultural studies majors' (or something equally flakey). I guess I could just ignore those aspects...

I'll take a look when it appears at the FLGS.

Besides the trade dress and the races, other setting material amounts to around 40 pages out of 224 pages.

 

[Crothian]

Actually, getting rid of AoOs cuts out 50 percent of the headache right away! (IMO of course.)

that's true, but it still leaves a lot of combat options for those that want them.....

 

[Skywalker]

Actually, getting rid of AoOs cuts out 50 percent of the headache right away! (IMO of course.)

Most of the d20 combat system remains. However, a few things have improved the speed:

1. No AoO.
2. No miniature use.
3. No damage roll, though your opponent rolls a Toughness Save.
4. Many feats and skills have been simplified. Weapon Finesse grants its bonus to all light weapons. Dodge grants a +1 to AC (no designated dodge partner).
5. Power scale is less. Magic items tend to be rarer and spells get more powerful but not as powerful in D&D.

 

[Akrasia]

Most of the d20 combat system remains. However, a few things have improved the speed:

1. No AoO.
2. No miniature use.
3. No damage roll, though your opponent rolls a Toughness Save.
4. Many feats and skills have been simplified. Weapon Finesse grants its bonus to all light weapons. Dodge grants a +1 to AC (no designated dodge partner).
5. Power scale is less. Magic items tend to be rarer and spells get more powerful but not as powerful in D&D.

Wow -- that covers most of the things I hate the most about d20 combat.

I thought I would never GM a d20 game again (assuming C&C doesn't count) ... but I will have to look closely at this when the book comes out.

 

[gideon_thorne]

I would certainly be interested to learn how this works out!

Me too. I'm thinking that BR, C&C and Lejendary Adventures would complement nicely.

 

[Emiricol]

Most of the d20 combat system remains. However, a few things have improved the speed:

1. No AoO.
2. No miniature use.
3. No damage roll, though your opponent rolls a Toughness Save.
4. Many feats and skills have been simplified. Weapon Finesse grants its bonus to all light weapons. Dodge grants a +1 to AC (no designated dodge partner).
5. Power scale is less. Magic items tend to be rarer and spells get more powerful but not as powerful in D&D.

I'm not interested in "romantic fantasy" but I did just buy the PDF today based on Crothian's review. You know... the 'this is the best book they ever published' kinda grabbed my interest

Anywho, to the above list of things, add a revised magic system that is intuitive and skill/feat based. And fast. From what I'm reading, this is really becoming the penultimate D20-lite rule system I've been waiting for.

And I can just toss out the setting info I don't like, if any. Haven't really read that part yet, just the crunchy bits. (Thankfully, the Romantic Fantasy isn't heavily built in to the crunch.)