Create. Explore. Play.
Basic Roleplaying (BRP) is a system of core rules for tabletop roleplaying. Whether you’re a seasoned roleplaying veteran or new to the hobby, Basic Roleplaying has everything you need for years of entertainment.
What's Inside
Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine is the complete guide to BRP—the same system that powers Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, Pendragon, Rivers of London, and countless others.
BRP’s Universal Game Engine is available royalty-free for personal and commercial use under the ORC license. Use these rules, and focus on creating your worlds, scenarios and even books to sell!
This book contains the core system rules, as well as character creation, advancement, monsters and antagonists, as well as GameMaster advice.
A Seamless Core Mechanic
In BRP, success and failure are always determined by the roll of a D100. Comparing that roll to the relevant Skill, Characteristic, Ability, or Power, you succeed if you roll under the target number.
This means every stat on your character sheet clearly indicates to you the likelihood of success.
Natural Character Growth
Characters in a BRP game evolve based on what they do in-game. If you fire a gun, that skill may increase.
If you want your character to learn magic, get better at driving cars, lassoing horses, or even repairing a spaceship, then your character will do so by using those skills!
Deadly & Tactical Combat
The core BRP rules present easy-to-learn and equally easy-to-teach combat mechanics that allow players to react to attacks—you don’t just have to wait for your turn in order to have an impact on combat!
Conflict in BRP can be deadly, and every roll (attacking, fighting back, dodging or otherwise) is integral. This makes for a thrilling, high-octane experience with a system that does not slowdown the overall flow of play.
Build The Game You Want
With mechanics for magic, psychic powers, mutations, superpowers, weapons, equipment, and vehicles applicable to any setting and genre, Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine is adaptable to any world of your choosing—either previously established, or created from scratch.
Fillable Character Sheets
Blank Character Sheets
Additional Handouts
What The Critics Say
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"I've learned so much from this book... a must buy for game designers."
— J-M, Iconic Productions Youtube, Behind the Screen: E110 - Basic Roleplaying System Review - What's In It?.
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"BRP is a system that stood the test of time... a system that gets sh*t done, and will remain, even when the current Kickstarter sweetheart is long forgotten."
— Vorpal Mace, [Review] Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine.
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“Recommended: it’s a solid book with lots of possibilities”
— The Tabletop Almanac, RPG Reviews: Basic Roleplaying.
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"I was genuinely amazed by the range of alternatives presented in this book... Basic Roleplaying is an excellent resource for anyone interested in using BRP for their own campaigns, regardless of the setting or genre — I highly recommend it."
— Grognardia, REVIEW: Basic Roleplaying Universal Game Engine.
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"There are a few game systems that have the staying power to last decades"
— Forbes, The Roots Of Basic Roleplaying Run Deep.
Product Configuration
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Europe: [Y]
Australia: [Y]
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Has Lulu: [N]
Lulu Product Name: [Nameless Horrors - POD]
Lulu Product Link: [/nameless-horrors-pod/]
Is PDF Available: [Y]
PDF Product Name: [Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine - PDF]
PDF Product Link: [/basic-roleplaying-universal-game-engine-pdf/]
PDF Settings
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Product Footer
Footer Name:
- Publisher:
- Chaosium
- Year Released:
- 2023
- Ruleset:
- Basic Roleplaying
- Format:
- Full Color Hardcover
- Page Count:
- 264
- Author(s):
- Jason Durall, Steve Perrin
- Cover Artist:
- Loïc Muzy
- Interior Artists:
- Loïc Muzy, Grzegorz Bobrowski, Giorgio Baroni, Manuel Castanon, Charlie Creber, Antonia Doncheva, Shen Fei, Andrey Fetisov, Piotr Foksowicz, Matt Forsyth, Mark L. Gambler, Ossi Hiekkal, Chris Huth, Tomasz Jedruszek Michelle Lockamy, Phu Thieu Mac
- Interior Artists (2):
- Lionel Marty, Loïc Muzy, Simon Roy, Dimitar Stoyanov, John Sumrow, Cory Trego-Erdner
- Layout:
- Adam Szelążek
- Producer:
- Neil Robinson
- ISBN:
- 978-1-56882-470-3 (Hardcover)
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Love it
I've only just skimmed through the book. And I'm really intrigued by it! Many of my favorite tabletop rpgs are based on this system! For example Othe old Dragonbane (Drakar och Demoner). I'm really amazed by the quality too!
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Love this!
I was so excited to get the hardcover for this as it's so much easier for me to use than a pdf. Great quality book complete with ribbon bookmark. I was surprised by the fact that the pages were not glossed as in most books these days, but this is a welcome change in my opinion- reduces glare and gives a nice 80's/90's book vibe and feel to it. As for the system itself it gives you so many options that you will have no trouble building just about any kind of game with this, but it's not overly complex so even a beginner should be able to easily pick this up and play.
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Unreadable!
Important notice: this review concerns only this book's printed form, not the contents. The contents is fine (as much as I can tell after skimming the PDF). The quality of the book as a physical product, though? Agh. Seriously, the book is printed in an insanely small font - I really can't read a single line without my eyes straining painfully. Also, the book is printed on a thick, rough, poor quality paper - and the colour illustrations look worse than in some POD books. I honestly can't believe Chaosium is charging nearly $50 for a hardcover of such poorly quality (and non-existent readability). You dropped the ball here, guys. I'm sorry but it's true :(
