Off the Shelf: Open Quest (3rd Edition)

I found this one at the bottom of one of my storage boxes and forgot I had it. With all my interest in BRP and Runequest, it seems appropriate to take another look at this game.

First off, why?

I have BRP and Runequest. I have Mythras.

Why another d100 BRP-style fantasy game?

Open Quest aims to be easier to play and dramatically simplifies the d100 rules. This is on the same rules lineage as Legend, M-Space, and Mythras. From the rulebook explaining the differences:

So, like a Basic Fantasy or other "simple" implementation of a B/X system, this is the d100 answer for the "quick and easy" BRP-style system. This game is better for new players starting with d100 instead of 5E or B/X. It is definitely easier than Mythras, Runequest, or BRP. Also, some are tired of all the minutiae and simulation in BRP games, so stripping out all the cruft and boiling this game down to the base elements makes the game more approachable.

That is a good thing, and the new BRP book tries to do that, strip off the excess, and present a simple core engine; Open Quest takes it a step further and rewrites the game in a one-book format. Is it a "full game experience" like the complete Runequest or Mythras rules? No, and it isn't supposed to be. Sometimes, a simple dungeon-focused game without a world is all you want a game to be.

This is still on the old OGL license, and I hope it gets updated to ORC, using BRP as a base. The Mythras team is busy with new open-gaming licenses and a few new titles in their "Imperative" line. It is past time that the rest of the industry broke from Wizards; it's Wall Street garbage, which controls communities by fear, and players should follow suit and walk.

Also, OQ is more Runequest than B/X; it still keeps the concept of "personal magic" that everyone can use. So, this game still has a different feeling than a B/X-style game with magic haves and have-nots. Everyone using magic doesn't make the game more complex; it just unifies the "special power system" seen in 5E subclasses and lets people pull from a pool. It is actually a simplification over 5E subclass "gimmie" powers.

For example, Weapon Enhance is a spell that adds hit and damage to melee weapons. A fighter-type may want to learn that and use that to enhance attacks. Personal magic replaces subclass features, and it is a more straightforward and more democratic system of "special powers." Could a rogue-type character learn that? Why not? No need to take a level in fighter here; just learn the spell you want.

Open Quest is a worthy game. It is an excellent introduction to BRP-style games and a gateway to games like Call of Cthulhu, Mythras, and Runequest. For some, this is all the complexity and game you will ever need in one book.