As a roleplayer who began with RuneQuest, back in the day, Newt Newport’s OpenQuest (2e), might just be the fantasy system I’ve been wanting to play.
Although I’ve had the new OpenQuest game book for around a year, it being released in September 2013, I’ve not really had much more than a cursory browse through it until this weekend.
To be honest, I’ve long suspected that Newt’s brand of fantasy gaming was very similar to my own… and I was right. It just took me more than a few years to wake up to the fact.
Here, then, is a brief review of why I like OpenQuest… and why I’ll be hacking it for use at my own table.
What is OpenQuest?
OpenQuest is a complete fantasy RPG in a single book. That is, if you bought the “deluxe edition“. It’s also available as a cut-down basic version for free, so you can grab your own copy for £0.00 here: OpenQuest 2 Basic Edition.
It’s a d100 system game, operating on percentages, and built upon a fine heritage as outlined in the blurb:
OpenQuest is based on the Mongoose RuneQuest SRD (MRQ SRD), with ideas from previous editions of Chaosium’s RuneQuest and Stormbringer 5th, mixed in with some common sense house rulings from the author’s twenty years of experience with the D100 system.
The book contains character creation rules, skills, three magic systems, monsters, advice on running campaigns, and loads of other stuff. It’s packed full… and very nicely done too.
The artwork is nice, being that of Simon Bray, and featuring the classic “sword and sorcery” tone of original RuneQuest. That said, there’s obviously no direct mention of Glorantha.
What’s good?
Firstly, I like the stripped-down simplicity that Newt has honed over time.
The game is deliberately simpler than other BRP-inspired games. But let’s be clear: simple doesn’t mean simplistic. OpenQuest takes away a lot of the fiddliness of previous d100 efforts.
An easy example is the way that modifiers are only used when they matter: a 25% or 50% difference, or no modifier. No more of the +5% for this, and -10% for that… no. Simpler.
Secondly, there are some really nice roleplaying touches in this game, like the Relationships rules, which add a lot to the characterisation of your hero. You can develop a better chance of getting aid or support from allies, for example, by investing in the relationship. Mechanically, it’s a bit like a skill. Easy to understand, elegant to implement.
Finally, I’d re-iterate that the game is complete: Characters; Skills; Equipment; Combat; Quest advice; Magic in three forms (Battle Magic, Divine Magic, and Sorcery); Creatures; Treasure; a setting suggestion (Empire of Gatan); starter adventure; character sheet. Everything you need is in that book. It’s quite a nice collection too – not over-burdened, but covering the basics well.
What’s not so good?
Honestly, not much.
I would fiddle with semantics a bit. I would suggest another edit to catch the odd typo. The lack of the use of the Oxford Comma is probably a really pedantic point to quibble over.
But, you know what? I can go fiddle with it to my heart’s content because the “open” in the name refers to the fact that the text is released as entirely Open Content under the OGL. Thus, even the negatives can be ironed out if having the perfect version of the text matters to you.
As for the content, it’s pretty flexible. I’d mention that there are varied levels of play too, so you can run this at the level of OD&D-flavour desperation… or at the extremes of high-fantasy. I reckon it sits best with the “swords and sorcery” feel it’s intended to emulate, but you’ve got the choice.
Open…
I like this point. Let’s say it again: the text is entirely open. That means you can hack it to your heart’s content. That’s my plan.
I think it’d be very possible to change the few things I dislike and put together a “house hack” of the game. I could then distribute that to my gaming pals and emulate my world(s) exactly as I wish. What GM wouldn’t enjoy that as an officially sanctioned side-benefit of the game? Well, you’d have to be pretty unlike me to not be tempted, at least.
To me, this is a great selling point for the game: you can hack it if you want to. Or use it, as is. No worries.
All in All…
OpenQuest is certainly worth a look if you like the OSR-flavour but not the D&D retro-rules of other games. It’s an open version of the d100 classic game system, and the basics are free. Buy into the deluxe edition, though, because it has got everything you need to run your game.
This is a simpler version of a very effective RPG system. It’s also very cost-effective. Well, the basics are free, really.
Game on!
