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No. I think that was a one-time loss leader.Did they ever do an Explorer's Edition for the new edition of Savage Worlds? That little rulebook was a great point of entry.
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No. I think that was a one-time loss leader.Did they ever do an Explorer's Edition for the new edition of Savage Worlds? That little rulebook was a great point of entry.
So with that, my assumption is that playing the same module under multiple systems would result in very different play.
IIRC TFT also has a section on how to convert monsters from D&D to it. Or that may be an old Dragon or some such article; which I have here somewhere...I use TFT as my de-facto universal system for all pre-modern settings (basically, early gunpowder tech and below), and frequently use it play modules that were written for some edition or another of D&D. When I started doing this I would carefully consider how possible encounters should be adapted to make sure they were not overwhelming for the generally more deadly game system we were using. But after a bit of experience I figured out that it is much simpler and in some ways more interesting to just present the settings as-written and let the players figure out how they are going to accomplish their goals (or not) in the face of a range of gooey, often numerous monsters. I obviously have to translate details like spells or how much damage is done by a falling rock or what you are supposed to do when a trap says you save vs. wands (or whatever random nonsense is asked for!). But an experienced DM can do this stuff without a second thought.
I'm always skeptical of methods for converting between systems. They are usually wonky. I find it better just to take the idea from one system and build it from scratch using the new system. If I'm not comfortable making things in a system, it's probably not going to work well me for anyway.IIRC TFT also has a section on how to convert monsters from D&D to it. Or that may be an old Dragon or some such article; which I have here somewhere...
Fair enough but if recall correctly it was pretty high level and easy and after all this was back (I want to say 1983) and a lot of people were just starting RPGs and needed some help to go from one to the other. I myself just ran the math for a a couple base AC and defense in TFT, at a couple test points, but not everyone is comfortable doing statistics.I'm always skeptical of methods for converting between systems. They are usually wonky. I find it better just to take the idea from one system and build it from scratch using the new system. If I'm not comfortable making things in a system, it's probably not going to work well me for anyway.
Yea, I don't use any conversion rules when using material for RuneQuest or Cold Iron. I may not even necessarily use anything like the same monster (which goes to the point that sometimes I'm just using the map, and maybe some of the background as inspiration).I'm always skeptical of methods for converting between systems. They are usually wonky. I find it better just to take the idea from one system and build it from scratch using the new system. If I'm not comfortable making things in a system, it's probably not going to work well me for anyway.
Yea, I don't use any conversion rules when using material for RuneQuest or Cold Iron. I may not even necessarily use anything like the same monster (which goes to the point that sometimes I'm just using the map, and maybe some of the background as inspiration).
I just got a copy of Cortex Prime today. I'm looking forward to reading it, although that probably won't happen until next week.like 20 posts on mythras and I didn't even participate!
I like generic systems. I have hero and gurps on my shelves. I think the primary issue with gurps and supers is the relatively linear and finely detailed scale.
my two big ones are cortex and mythras, both of which make fine generic systems. I'm still not convinced on Destined and Mythras Supers, but I think the right idea is there - no POW points, just raw powers you get to do. I like that cortex codifies some of the "you just can" or "you just can't" in the die rating on powers, and requires you to have X level to compete with X level. Like Mankcam I do a division of labor here.
I'm always skeptical of methods for converting between systems. They are usually wonky. I find it better just to take the idea from one system and build it from scratch using the new system. If I'm not comfortable making things in a system, it's probably not going to work well me for anyway.
That pretty much what I do.I'm always skeptical of methods for converting between systems. They are usually wonky. I find it better just to take the idea from one system and build it from scratch using the new system. If I'm not comfortable making things in a system, it's probably not going to work well me for anyway.
There is no official set of rules for converting other systems to TFT (at least, not from the core books), but there is a magazine article somewhere that deals with that and the old Theives World boxed set gives an opportunity to compare NPC's statted out for TFT and for other game systems.
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Yep it was in The Space Gamer #56 way back, I've an article by Steve Jackson called "Metamorphosing Monsters: Adapting D&D Creatures to TFT"
it is also online here...which aligns with what I have minus the pithy comments
Converting Monsters From D&D
The genesis of this article is one that Steve jackson wrote for Space Gamer 56, on how to convert D&D monsters to The Fantasy Trip.inthelabyrinth.org
That's the best reason to write a system in my book!I made Cortex Prime what it is because I wasn't really happy with any of the generic RPG toolkits out there and really love adapting things to TTRPGs, so I figured why not create the platform to do that.
I made Cortex Prime what it is because I wasn't really happy with any of the generic RPG toolkits out there and really love adapting things to TTRPGs, so I figured why not create the platform to do that.
No. I think that was a one-time loss leader.
To me, what makes Cortex Prime special is that it isn't really a universal system. Not really. Not in the way a lot of systems are.
I see toolkit as different than universal.
The whole thing to me about Cortex Prime is that it's a "build your own rpg" set. So the set you put together is specialized to the experience/setting you wanted to use.
Like overall Cortex Prime has a specific feeling, but the options you turn on and off and the sets you choose matter so much.
So instead of being "use this for everything" it is "use this to build the specialized system you want".
I think that is true for most "universal" games.
I'm reading Cortex Prime at the moment, and it is definitely more of a toolkit than most universal systems. With GURPS and Savage Worlds, there is a baseline game in there that you can just run while ignoring all the options and add-ons. Cortex Prime requires you to make decisions about very fundamental things about dice rolls and what stats mean. It's very interesting so far.No it really isn't.
Most universal games are just "this is the game, use it for anything".
Very rarely are they built to enable you to make your own game for the specialized thing you want.
Cortex Prime requires you to make decisions about very fundamental things about dice rolls and what stats mean. It's very interesting so far.
No it really isn't.
Most universal games are just "this is the game, use it for anything".
Very rarely are they built to enable you to make your own game for the specialized thing you want.
Yeah Cortex Prime you can't even really run the game out of the box. Like you can using one of the 3 premade settings in the book, but it would be completely impossible to just run it "default" because it doesn't have a default.
That is probably a better way to do a truly universal game and is kind of how the old house systems worked. The main difference between Cortex and a house system being the GM decides what is in and out, instead of the author only including the applicable parts.
???? I'm confused at how you are wording this. Cortex Prime includes all the options and you just pick and choose the parts you want to use and what you don't want to use. There are 3 example setups, but you don't have to use any of them, some people may play them but the main purpose is to kind of show you what a setup would look like. You can just put together your own from the options in the book. The GM decides what is in and out and how they want each one to work based on their game.
What you describe with Cortex sounds similar to how house systems worked except that unlike a house system where you just got the rules in a specific game, the GM is making the decisions of what gets used. It is kind of like getting a complete house system "kit" which is a step beyond what you find with most universal games.
That's pretty much how the granddaddy of all universal games, GURPS, is built. For a time, AFAICT, it was imitated by others as well...No it really isn't.
Most universal games are just "this is the game, use it for anything".
Ah I read it backwards! My bad. I was reading it as you were saying house systems gm picked and in Cortex the author picked. Not sure if it was the way you wrote it or I just read wrong but it led to some confusion.
But yeah. Basically Cortex did start as a "House System". The last iteration before Cortex Prime, Cortex Plus, was Smallville/Leverage/Marvel Heroic were all written to be very specific versions using the same base mechanics, but heavily adapted to their specific settings. Cortex Plus had the "hackers guide" which was about how to make your own, but it wasn't that great and left a lot to be desired personally.
Cortex Prime on the other hand, was like someone took the House System, and then kind of just opened the locks on all the doors and was like "here you go, here are all the toys, here is how they all fit together, make it your own!"
I honestly think it is a genius design. Cam Banks should be proud of what he made. For my tastes, it is probably the best designed "universal" system of all time, and probably the best designed game period for the last ten years (Again, for my tastes personally).
Two that haven't been mentioned are CORPS and EABA by BTRC. I've got CORPS but have never played it, I only know EABA by reputation. I did find CORPS interesting, it is a very techy game like GURPS (as are most of BTRCs games) but overall it is not as complex and GURPS or HERO. My general impression was that it could probably handle a wider range of genres, but was still probably rooted fairly solidly to real world physics.
I must point out that the rule still exists in EABAv2 - if you would succeed when you roll 2 on all your dice, you don't need to roll.I'm still a big fan of CORPS. I appreciate what Greg Porter did with EABA, but it lost the basic simplicity of the core rules that CORPS had. (CORPS can get pretty complex in combat if you incorporate all the optional rules, but it builds on a simple base.) I especially like the mechanic where, if the modified difficulty is equal to or less than your still, you don't need to roll. Success is automatic. Combined with a simple skill progression and option for open-ended rolls, and it's still my favorite universal system.
Uh, GURPS pretty much proves that wrong. GURPS is exactly a "build your own GURPS" type of system, as is HERO. Name a Universal System that doesn't expect you to use the rules to custom-tailor the system for the desired type of game.No it really isn't.
Most universal games are just "this is the game, use it for anything".
Very rarely are they built to enable you to make your own game for the specialized thing you want.
Uh, GURPS pretty much proves that wrong. GURPS is exactly a "build your own GURPS" type of system, as is HERO. Name a Universal System that doesn't expect you to use the rules to custom-tailor the system for the desired type of game.
I can't, Fate, Fudge, GURPS, Hero System, all are toolkit from which you have to assemble the specifics for your campaign.Uh, GURPS pretty much proves that wrong. GURPS is exactly a "build your own GURPS" type of system, as is HERO. Name a Universal System that doesn't expect you to use the rules to custom-tailor the system for the desired type of game.