Study carried out by Alvaro Madrigal y Jason Durall
BRP Creatures is the official bestiary for Chaosium’s Basic Roleplaying Universal Game Engine. Designed to be fully modular, this book brings together creatures from fantasy, folklore, science fiction, and horror, all compatible with any game in the BRP family. Whether you’re running a Call of Cthulhu campaign or building your own world from scratch, this book is an essential tool. A must-have for any self-respecting role-playing table!
If you’re a fan of tabletop role-playing games, the name Chaosium probably already sends shivers of excitement through your mind. The company behind classics like Call of Cthulhu and RuneQuest recently released BRP Creatures, a creature book for its Basic Roleplaying Universal Game Engine. We had the opportunity to speak with Jason Durall, Creative Director of this system, to find out what it’s all about. Let’s get down to business!
About the Creature Book and BRP
For those who may not be familiar with Basic Roleplaying System, how would you describe what sets BRP apart from other systems?
[Jason] BRP is an intuitive, d100 based system where characters are defined by their abilities (skills, passions, powers, etc.) and not by an abstract class/archetype/role.
They improve through experience (using the skills and abilities they have successfully, or training and research), instead of an abstract experience point system or levels. The flat distribution of the d100 for task resolution means that every combat has the potential to be lethal.
Having all conflict and task resolution determined with a % roll is immediately understandable to anyone, instead of dice pools or roll-and-add-bonuses systems.
What was the core design philosophy behind the new creature book?
How much emphasis was put into prioritizing realism, mythological depth, modularity for many genres, or something else?
[Jason] Modularity was key. We designed the book and its contents to support a lot of traditional genres for gaming but also to allow gamemasters to take those creatures and adapt them to different settings, historical periods, or even power levels and origins.
Were there particular mythologies, literary works, or historical sources that strongly inspired the creature selection?
[Jason] We drew from the real world, from classic fantasy, mythology, folklore, science fiction, horror, and many, many other sources.
If each of you had to choose one creature from the book that best represents the “spirit” of BRP, which would it be and why?
[Jason] For me, it’s the Djinn (page 84), which in addition to having an awesome piece of art, draws from the superhero, magic, and sorcery power groups, with some unique bespoke powers of its own.
What challenges did you face while developing or organizing the creature entries?
For example, deciding stat formats, balancing across genres, or ensuring usability for both new and veteran GMs.
Chaosium has a long legacy of mythic and cosmic horror creatures. How did this heritage influence the new material, if at all?
[Jason] We were certain to include some references to classic RQ staples such as knights (Pendragon), Vikings (Age of Vikings), detectives (Call of Cthulhu), ducks (RuneQuest), etc. and even some not-so-subtle references to older Chaosium games. However, the primary goal was to make Creatures a useful reference to any of our existing games, as well as for any BRP-based or -related game.
Company Vision & Community
Chaosium is known for supporting many different game lines and genres, most of them use modified versions of BRP, as it is explained in the BRP book. How does BRP fit into the company’s broader long-term vision?
In recent years, the global RPG community has become more diverse and multilingual. Has there been plans to bring BRP to the Latin America and Spanish markets with translated materials?
What opportunities or challenges do you see in that region?
Personal Perspectives
For new players in Latin America and Spain discovering Chaosium for the first time, what books or entry points would you personally recommend?
Jason: As the line editor for BRP, what aspect of editing or developing this book was the most creatively rewarding for you?
[Jason] When I first pitched the idea of a “core” BRP book to Chaosium back in 2001 or so, I had no idea that it would become a thing I would be working to expand and foster 24 years later.
Neil: As CEO, how do you evaluate whether a product like this creature book strengthens the BRP line and Chaosium’s global presence?
What do you each hope readers and GMs will feel when they open this creature book for the first time?
[Jason] I want them to have a buzz of excitement as they look at the awesome art, and to feel like a kid getting a new playset, ready to build cool stuff.
Closing
Is there anything you would like to share with fans in the Latin American tabletop RPG community?
[Jason] Thank you for your interest! We’re aware of the difficulty getting our games in the region, and your continued support and enthusiasm means the world to us!
This interview was conducted by Alvaro Madrigal.
You can ask about Chaosium books at your local friendly hobby store and order them, or visit the Chaosium website to purchase a copy:
https://www.chaosium.com/basic-roleplaying-creatures-hardcover/
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