A few of the things I like about the d100 family of games are:

• Multiple game lines that vary from fairly light (e.g. OpenQuest) to moderately crunchy (Mythras) while keeping the same basic framework
• Easy to mix and match different things from multiple game lines to fine tune it to your preferences
• Seems more in tune with what I view as simulationist/verisimilitude based game
• Character has more flexibility to pursue different areas of ability than in class based games
• Easy to estimate how good my character is at something; I have a 75% skill, so I know that I have a 75% chance of rolling a success.

Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;957541D100 roll results are too random.

Quote from: Vile;957602With a 60% chance of success there is exactly a 60% chance of succeeding on D100.

I've seen objections to d100 as too random, but as Vile points out, it's just a math issue. The "solution" is to find what your expectations for a competent person are and make that the general ability level for the characters who are using skills in that area. For example, there is no difference between saying you need a 9 or higher on a 3d6 roll and saying you need to roll 74% or lower on a 1d100 roll.

Some don't understand that the famed "bell curve" is emulated well enough in most percentage based systems such as BRP and Rolemaster by having a big fat middle range, then effectively another result for say 91-99 and again for 100.

Quote from: The_Shadow;957614Some don't understand that the famed "bell curve" is emulated well enough in most percentage based systems such as BRP and Rolemaster by having a big fat middle range, then effectively another result for say 91-99 and again for 100.

Note the mention of math skills have gone to shit earlier in the thread and things like people frequently asking about probability in some threads on many RPG forums.

Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;957541D100 roll results are too random.

Map out a d20 to a d100 (example 1=1-5, 2=6-10, 3=11-15, etc.). Then roll and record and you will find that they are both equally random. Saying dice are too random is bullshit. What you should be saying is "I do not like the spread of dice results."

Quote from: Spinachcat;957580Math skills have gone to shit.

This is not really new though. West End Games had to come up with a new version of the D6 system (that just counted successes on special dice) because they discovered from running games at cons, that players couldn't add up dice.  They only used it for Hercules/Xena, but presumably eventually had they not gone under, most games would have shifted to it.

I did my coursework on advanced probability (or some such, it was 22 years ago) for my A-level maths and was an A grade student, however if you put me on the spot my simple addition goes to pot. A lot of people struggle when having to do something 'now' even simple things. Doesn't mean maths have gone to rubbish just that in the moment surrounded by other people your concentration isn't great.

Simplicity leads to an easier time gaming, it's meant to be fun not school. That said I think people worry too much about the math.

Quote from: Spinachcat;957499Do you have any hesitations in recommending them to others? If so, why?

No particularly in its RQ II/Legends/RQ6/Mythras incarnation. Overall a solid system of medium complexity.

Quote from: Spinachcat;957499If you are not a BRP/D100 player, what's kept you from trying them out?

As things shook out my group prefers the use of 3d6 and so we went with a Fantasy Age variant.

I got to say in d100 various incarnations, I have to wonder the point of using the d100 in the first place as most everything in increments of +/- 5%. Yes specific editions varies from that but still why not just use a d20?

Quote from: Spinachcat;957499What do you think are the best selling points of BRP/D100 games? What draws you in?

Do you have any hesitations in recommending them to others? If so, why?

What's the common issues that new players to these games experience? What are the common misconceptions?

If you are not a BRP/D100 player, what's kept you from trying them out?

To answer in order
1. The granular nature of the characters without the requirement to add layer upon layer of complexity, the way they feel rounded and complete without needing to gain new abilities every level but more organic development. The settings and the way the rules meld with them rather than feel tacked on.
2. Some hesitance because of my lack of familiarity but I'm doing so with my gaming group and we should be starting a game in the next month or so...if we ever finish this damned dungeon slog.
3. The lack of strong promotion and the misperceptions about lethality are two issue that act as barriers to new player entry.
4. Misconceptions about it being outdated and again too lethal, lack of strong promotion didn't keep it in mind and I was daunted by the main setting at the time, obviously plenty of choices since.

Quote from: estar;957666I got to say in d100 various incarnations, I have to wonder the point of using the d100 in the first place as most everything in increments of +/- 5%. Yes specific editions varies from that but still why not just use a d20?

That was certainly true of RuneQuest 1&2. They evolved from Steve Perrin's D&D rules that took thief skills and applied them to weapon skills and other non-combat skills.

However, since CoC, BRP has been very much a percentile game with skills across the whole range rather than increments of 5%.

Quote from: Spellslinging Sellsword;957611I've seen objections to d100 as too random, but as Vile points out, it's just a math issue. The "solution" is to find what your expectations for a competent person are and make that the general ability level for the characters who are using skills in that area. For example, there is no difference between saying you need a 9 or higher on a 3d6 roll and saying you need to roll 74% or lower on a 1d100 roll.

This.
But it is clearly an issue for many people, since I have seen published RPGs that people clearly put a lot of work into, but where they still hadn't thought enough about probabilities or they simply got the math wrong.

Quote from: Trond;957681This.
But it is clearly an issue for many people, since I have seen published RPGs that people clearly put a lot of work into, but where they still hadn't thought enough about probabilities or they simply got the math wrong.

I went on the Internet this morning and I found this:  http://www.thedarkfortress.co.uk/tech_reports/3_dice_rolls.htm

Great table with the percentages listed.

Quote from: estar;957666I got to say in d100 various incarnations, I have to wonder the point of using the d100 in the first place as most everything in increments of +/- 5%. Yes specific editions varies from that but still why not just use a d20?

There are times when I prefer the Pendragon version which converts the d100 to a chunkier d20, and sometimes wish there was a generic BRP variant that did this as well.

That said, a percentile system is entirely intuitive for most people and works well for new players.  Most people have a pretty firm grasp of equating percentages and probabilities - (I mean c'mon, those that don't understand the meaning of a basic percentage would probably be happier with a hobby that didn't have dice).  The numbers are bigger, but no arithmetic is necessary.  Having a 60% skill is a lot clearer to an untrained eye, in terms of understanding probabilities, than a +3 mod to a 3d6 roll that is compared to a target number (which isn't hard either, but unlike percentages it isn't instantly intuitive to the average person). A roll under percentile system is about the simplest way you can put recognizable probabilities on a character sheet.

We never had a problem with the percentage values in BRP or similar games, so I don't see the issue. The one game I have tried where the large numbers did get a bit clunky was Rolemaster (in which you typically have a bonus which can be anything from, say, -20 to 100 or more, plus minus various variables, added to a open-ended D100 roll)

Quote from: Spinachcat;957499What do you think are the best selling points of BRP/D100 games? What draws you in?

Other posters have covered many of the best selling points of BRP/D100. What draws me in is that I've been running BRP for about 30 years, and I've never found another system that has gelled so well to my playstyle and gaming preferences.

I was originally drawn in around 1985 when I picked up RQ3 and CoC 2e. It was a gaming-paradigm-shifting event for me. I was so impressed and inspired that I basically said fuck this (D&D) shit, and never looked back. Other systems have briefly got my attention, but BRP is what I regularly return to.