Well, in PDF anyway. The print version won’t be released until the middle of March, but print’s dead anyway, right? 🙂
Magic World, in case you haven’t been paying attention, is the new BRP-based dark fantasy game from Chaosium. It’s heavily based on the Elric!/Stormbringer 5e rules which, in my opinion, are some of the finest fantasy rules that have ever been released by anyone anywhere anytime. So this is pretty much a good thing.
A friend of mine has signed on to help with developing some of the supplemental materials that Chaosium is going to release a little further down the road, and I was actually able to do just a wee bit of playtesting* on MW (which I couldn’t really talk about until now) and I think the folks involved have done quality work on this game. If you’re looking for a fantasy RPG and don’t want the hassle of picking and choosing among the options in the BRP Big Gold Book, MW is exactly what you need.
Somewhat coincidentally, I’ll be joining said friend’s actual MW campaign in progress this coming weekend. I’ll try to get off my lazy duff and let y’all know how it goes.
* If any of you wind up playing MW and choose to play an elf, you can thank me personally for their awesome starting Dodge skill. I made the case that, based on their description in the game, that they should begin as quite skilled dodgers. That I’m wearing my LA Dodgers hat as I type this (I’m greatly anticipating the 2013 MLB season, but that’s a different aspect of my nerditude that I won’t dwell on here) is probably just due to the vagaries of chance.
Dodge has always been my favorite BRP-type skill, followed by its brother, Parry. I sink as many points into those two as the ref allows!
Does MW have hit locations? Total HP?
Like Elric! before it, MW is a “standard” HP ((CON+SIZ)/2) with Major Wounds rendering of BRP. There’s a sidebar option for “Heroic Hit Points” (CON + SIZ).
And yes, Dodge and Parry are generally key to survival 🙂
Thank God. HP by location is so . . . un-heroic.
I couldn’t agree more, amigo. There are times when I find HP by location enjoyable/interesting, but those are pretty rare these days. So much so that – even though I’m sure it tweaks a few folks – I’m glad it’s not even in the rules as an option 🙂
Great to hear you like the game! I’m really excited that the thing’s finally out, and people can start playing it.
If you’re so inclined, drop by the MW forum at: http://basicroleplaying.com/magic-world/
It’s the closest thing we have to an official forum, and it’s really picking up.
Thanks for stopping by, Ben and congratulations on the big release! I’ll poke my head into the MW-specific subform eventually, I promise. BRP Central is one of my regular destinations, but somehow I didn’t even realize that a subforum had been set up for Magic World. Apparently I was asleep or something when that developed 🙂
Cheers!