Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine

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.

Female Vitruvian Warrior

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
BRP Character Sheet Example
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.

An uneven arm wrestling contest with the better person drinking while playing

Natural Character Growth
People touching an obilisk
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!

A Bear Shaman with a Torch

Deadly & Tactical Combat
A pair of gun-toting men shooting in the snow
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.

A bloody bare-fisted boxer who is still willing to continue the fight

Build The Game You Want
A two-katana wielding warrior leaping out at some terrified opponents
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.