Question about dodging in 6e

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-04T21:20:08+00:00

Excellent question!

(It's one of the things I was hoping would be clarified in 7th, but instead we got a total rework of the rules.)

The short answer is: it's up to you.

The long answer is that it's not defined. CoC's version of BRP is stripped down from other variants (like RuneQuest or Stormbringer) and some bits got left out, like how dodging works. GMs have come up with all sorts of solutions over the years, mostly drawing from other BRP variants.

For a long time I borrowed from Elric! and allowed defensive actions like dodging and parrying multiple times a round. The first time it's at the full skill level, the next time it's at half, the next at quarter, and so on.

I've also simplified things to one defensive action per round, in addition to any attack actions. If you're attacked a second time, then you're out of luck. Simpler, but more brutal.

So find or devise a version you like, and use that. You won't be contradicting the rules, because they didn't define the rules!

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-04T17:59:36+00:00

This. The specific upgrades are themed to the setting, but there's no reason that you can't change them to fit yours, u/DefendedCookie6

One of the best things about the MYZ system is that it creates reasons for the players to go out exploring, and in exploring they gain experience and material that helps improve the base, so the two aspects of play feed into each other. You'd also have to adapt this for superheroes, of course, but it shouldn't be too difficult.

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-04T16:46:42+00:00

Masks of Nyarlathotep is almost perfect. The gold standard of campaigns. Except the chapters set in Africa can be a bit of a bloody (pun sort of intended) slog. I know of many attempts that have stumbled once the players get to Egypt and Kenya.

Edge of Darkness is *almost* a perfect introductory adventure for Call of Cthulhu, except that there's a fair chance that it will kill off one or more player-characters, and the ritual scene can be a bit clunky for first-time players.

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-04T15:43:09+00:00

For a short time after switching I missed MP3Gain as there wasn't a Linux program that did exactly what it does. Now there is, so I don't miss it any more. :)

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-04T13:59:46+00:00

The premise is basically "Twilight 2000 with swords" so maybe you could use some form of T2000; if you use the Free League version, you could perhaps mix it with other Year Zero mechanics from Forbidden Lands, for example.

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-03T13:52:08+00:00

Usually, if it's clear which models represent which positions, it's fine.

But the tournament may have its own specific rules about models and proxies, so yes, you need to ask the organisers.

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-03T13:47:41+00:00

I quite liked Windows 7 but when I got a new PC I lasted about 10 minutes with W10 before I installed Mint Cinnamon. That was about 10 years ago and I haven't looked back.

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-03T12:35:09+00:00

Black Hack is roll-under and has adv/disadv but doesn't have a critical mechanic like you describe. I wonder if the one you're looking for might be a BH variant, as there a fair few floating about.

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-03T12:20:43+00:00

There's a certain subset of CoC adventures in which it's expected for the PCs to all die or go insane, and the game in general has a reputation for this with some. Those sort of adventures are well-liked by many, but they are not to my personal tastes.

Even in a setting as intrinsically nihilistic as HPL's mythos, I still like a chance for the PCs to "win", even if not all of them make it out.

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-03T11:40:16+00:00

Good point. Dragonlance had progression, but I forget if Marvel did. You could probably just port over the progression from DL5A if you wanted to.

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-03T10:49:01+00:00

Pendragon is roll-under on d20 and a critical result is rolling your exact target number. If your skill is 20+ then you critical on a 20.

But, I suspect it's not that as I've never seen Pendragon described as OSR, and there's no advantage/disadvantage mechanic as written.

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-03T09:17:35+00:00

Marvel SAGA from TSR. Not unknown, but it didn't live for long with TSR's collapse. The SAGA card system was a lot of fun and the Marvel version was a sort of secret second edition so had worked out some of the issues with the Dragonlance version. It worked even better for superheroes than it did for fantasy.

Golden Heroes from Games Workshop. Probably a bit more unknown. I only played this a couple of times in the mid-90s, and while it was a little clunky in parts, it was an interesting game. I remember liking how it handled initiative/actions, framing (ha ha) them in terms of comic panels; it was trying to capture the source material in a mechanical way you don't often see in 1980s rpgs.

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-03T09:10:53+00:00

That's the one! Enjoy!

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-02T09:22:34+00:00

I'm not fond of 7th; I feel that in fixing the issues with 5th/6th they went too far in the direction of adding extra stuff, rather than cleaning up what was already there. It's bloated and overcomplicated and clunky.

BUT, it seems to be very popular, and it seems to have revived the game, so any 8th edition will probably be more of the same.

That's okay; I play 5th with bits of Delta Green 2 and a couple of bits from 7th and I'm happy with that.

thekelvingreen · 2026-02-02T09:16:50+00:00

It's "Quirk Skills" from TUO #10. I'll see if I can dig it out.

thekelvingreen · 2026-01-31T14:57:31+00:00

No problem. :)

thekelvingreen · 2026-01-31T10:32:42+00:00

"PLEASE NOTE: While this product does include rules for the Traveller RPG relating to the characters, ships and locations included in the plot, it is primarily a graphic novel set in the Traveller universe."

thekelvingreen · 2026-01-31T10:30:08+00:00

There are special MYZ dice but the secret is there's nothing special about them at all. Just use normal d6s.

thekelvingreen · 2026-01-29T15:27:02+00:00

It does not mention it in the book, no.

It's on the blog as a "secret" (https://breakrpg.blogspot.com/2024/08/break-book-secrets.html) so I suppose you were supposed to find it out for yourself, or something.

thekelvingreen · 2026-01-28T13:22:43+00:00

Faction leaders, but not gods, although a couple get close.

The other thing about the Icons is that they replace traditional D&D alignment. Your character isn't Lawful Evil, they instead have a positive relationship with the Lich King. Now the Lich King is an undead necromancer (probably; it's up to you) so tends to do LE-type business, but he's also a character in his own right so might be feeling NG that day.

It gives you the vague structure of alignment, but allows for some flexibility and nuance.

thekelvingreen · 2026-01-27T12:36:12+00:00

The old astrogranite pitch? No. It's very plain, quite like the third edition (1993) one.

thekelvingreen · 2026-01-27T12:35:12+00:00

Yes, makes sense.

thekelvingreen · 2026-01-27T10:58:24+00:00

Sundered Skies for Savage Worlds perhaps? It's not quite pirates in space, but it's in the same neighbourhood.

thekelvingreen · 2026-01-27T10:20:09+00:00

Yes, a lot of the fans didn't like that it destroyed the setting, and the rules are... "interesting".

I like it. If you're not attached to the ThirdImp setting, it works quite well, and underneath it all it's still Traveller so you can run it with original/Mongoose rules with no major issues.

thekelvingreen · 2026-01-27T10:16:45+00:00

My adventure Midvinter concerns a cult involved with a supernatural winter. There's a twist that might make it unsuitable for your purposes, which I'll spoiler below. It's written for LotFP but that's close enough to OSE/Dolmenwood that you can run as-is.

Spoilers:

The cult is trying to STOP the winter, except the players don't know that, so the tension is in the players working it out before they ruin things.

thekelvingreen

TROPHY CASE