Basic Fantasy RPG Core Rules

[Solomoriah]

Please note, you can't create a derivative of any sort, even a reorganization, and actually call it Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game. Not without my agreement, anyway. The name is the only thing I really hold back as Product Identity.

[Xyphon]

Just going through the first level magic user spells and some of the durations seem a little short.

Hold Portal: 1 round per level not 2-12 turns or so as I would expect.
Protection from Evil: 1 turn per level not 6 turns.
Shield: 5 rounds + 1 per level not 2 turns.
Sleep: 5 rounds per level not (4-16) turns.

With 60 combat rounds per game turn this seems a significant reduction in spell effectiveness for low level MUs.

[Solomoriah]

Where are you getting thos "not NN" durations from? What are you comparing to?

Because BFRPG is it's own game.

Hold Portal holds the door for you while you run away... that's what it's for. Though of all the spells you called out, I'd be more likely to consider revising it than any other.

Protection from Evil at 1 turn per level is plenty of time... as you point out, a turn is 60 combat rounds, and in general Protection from Evil is used in combat, so I don't see even a single turn as a major limitation.

Shield at 5 rounds + 1 per level is, again, based on the concept that it will be used in combat. If you're a first level magic-user with a shield up and you haven't either won or run away by the 6th round, you're probably dead...

Finally, note that Sleep will last much longer than the given duration if the victims are undisturbed.

[Xyphon]

It was hold portal that brought this to my attention as I had started my designs for my campaign using the Rules Cyclopedia and had a plan to use a hold portal to force the players to find another route.

After looking through Swords & Wizardry and OSRIC I see that the times are based on the newer style rules, I am comparing the durations to the older style rules.

"... BFRPG is it's own game."

And a game that many people have spent a time making/running/testing and I have not yet run one adventure. I am just familiarizing myself with the rules in particular any differences that would catch me off guard during the first few sessions.

[SmootRK]

Welcome to BFRPG. Of course, you should feel free to mold the game however you feel it needs to be tweaked... but I have run into very few areas where the minor inconsistencies between games/editions really impact the game play much. Your players will adjust to the way the spells work in BFRPG... probably without any fuss or issues.

[Solomoriah]

It was hold portal that brought this to my attention as I had started my designs for my campaign using the Rules Cyclopedia and had a plan to use a hold portal to force the players to find another route.

Ah. This probably calls for Wizard Lock... and if the NPC casting it isn't high enough level, just give him (or her) a scroll.

However, remember this is the NPC's plan, not yours. It is the essence of old-school that players not be forced onto the plot railroad.

[chiisu81]

Started adding bookmarks, please let me know what to add/change, etc. Once this one is set I'll add the same to the low-res PDF.

[artikid]

Regarding the italian translation:
Page numbers are off, at the beginning of the monster's chapter they start again at 50-something.
Some chapters are in need of kerning to avoid some blank pages, I'll give it a try at fixing it over the next week end.
Cheers
artikid

[Solomoriah]

Hey, don't kill yourself doing flow corrections. I'll get that done after you have the index translated.