The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Name:              CORPS (Complete Omniversal Role-Playing System)
Publisher:         BTRC
Designer:          Greg Porter
Type:              Generic
System:            Point-based
Dice Used:         d10
System Complexity: Complex
Ease of Use:       Moderate

CORPS is actually the second edition of a rather different game by the same name. The original game was an X-Files/Illuminati type of conspiracy rpg; with the second edition, Greg Porter has lifted the engine out of the original game, streamlined and expanded it, and released it as a generic rpg.

The book is small; at 144 pages, it's slimmer than most GURPS worldbooks (my wife originally thought I'd bought a magazine when she saw it). It's also ONLY an engine - there is not a single word in the book describing a specific campaign setting. But it's the cleanest, easiest, most logical design I've ever seen. Greg obviously put scads of thought into the system, adding nothing unless it was necessary. He also exhibits an extremely dense writing style.

So what do you get? The chapters include Character Creation, Basic Skill Use, Combat Basics, Megaforce, Life in the Real World, Paranormal Powers (which covers magic, psionics, superpowers and cybernetics), and a short Campaigning chapter at the end. CORPS also includes lots of useful sheets - character sheets, NPC sheets, creature sheets, vehicle design sheets, large and small hex mapsheets, and sheets that help the GM design and keep track of his campaign.

Character creation is quite detailed. Attributes and stats are bought with separate sets of points, with 100 AP and 50 SP defining a fairly average human. Most humanoid characters will have numbers ranging from one to ten, and the cost of a certain level is the level squared in AP or SP (ergo, a Strength of six would cost 36 AP). Most attributes give a low level of aptitude in related skills, making skill purchases slightly cheaper. There is also an Advantage/Disadvantage system, with various characteristics costing or giving AP or SP.

Skills are cascaded, with Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary skills. Since a lower level can never be more than half the next higher level, you want your Primary skill to be as high as possible. The game suggests a 4-2-1 pattern as the most economical way to get a decent level of skill at the best price.

I was surprised by the skill system. I had assumed all through character creation that the player would roll d10 against the total skill, succeeding if the roll was lower. Instead, the GM assigns the task a difficulty and if the character's skill is higher, success is automatic. If a roll must be made, it must be lower than eleven, minus two for every level of difference between the difficulty and the character's skill.

Did that last sentence annoy you? It did me at first, and I couldn't figure out why Greg had gone with such a hard-to-remember rule. Then I ran the numbers: the formula above can only produce five possible results - 9, 7, 5, 3 and 1. Once I realized this, the rule became much easier to remember, and the fact that it makes many rolls unnecessary makes up for it.

Combat gets as detailed as you want it, with a graze rule, a long shot rule, and a point-blank rule, all of which are optional. The initiative system is quite unique, with each one-second turn being broken up into several segments based on the highest skill level being used. For instance, if one character will be using a Knife skill of 5, and that is the highest skill level being used this turn, then the turn will be broken up into six segments, numbered 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0. Movement always comes near the end of a turn, making it possible to second-guess what a player is going to do by when it happens.

Want to call in an airstrike? Refer to the Megaforce chapter, a sort of "catchall" chapter with rules for grandes, vehicles and mass combat.

The Life in the Real World chapter is valuable not only for the real-world information it provides, but as a template for GMs who wish to create their own CORPS-compatible worlds.

The Paranormal Powers chapter merits extra attention. In it, Greg presents a meta-system with which GMs can create effects to add to the game world. By choosing powers and then modifying them using the given charts, GMs can create just about any imaginable effect, then present it to the players in the form the campaign requires. For instance, an effect of Flight would be statistically identical in a fantasy and a superhero campaign; it would simply be presented as a spell in one and a superpower in the other. The players then purchase the power for their characters using skill points.

The Campaigning chapter is short, but full of useful idea stuff for the GM, including a wonderful chart of plots that belongs in every rpg.

So, is it all wine and roses? Not exactly. As mentioned above, there is no setting of any kind. Though there are many good sample characters and a good example combat, there is no adventure. It will be necessary for the GM to either come up with a world to play in, or convert something from another system. BTRC will hopefully fix this in the future - I personally am looking forward to a space campaign, as CORPS seems ideally suited.

Now let's talk about the Nutshell Edition. BTRC has provided a free, four-page download of the core rules on the internet at http://members.aol.com/btrc/html/nutshell.htm. This document includes all the rules players will need to create characters and resolve tasks, including combat. This is yet another tribute to the clarity and simplicity of the system, since one page of the document is taken up by the character sheet and another half page by the skill list. That means Greg manages to get all the basics of the system across to the player in less than two and a half pages of text and charts. Brilliant stuff, and it should make any CORPS GM very happy that he has something he can easily photocopy and give his players. This has to be one of the best ideas to hit commercial role-playing in some time. If only there were something similar for GURPS...

Overall? I'd call it a must-buy for any experienced GM who is willing to invest the effort - the eventual pleasure will far outweight the initial pain. Once BTRC releases some genre-specific settings, CORPS should take its place as one of the best games in recent years. And Greg, I'll take you over an infinite number of monkeys any day.

Badman

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

CORPS (Complete Omniversal Role-Playing System)
Author: Greg Porter Category: game Company/Publisher: BTRC (http://members.aol.com/btrc/index.html) Cost: $19.95 Page count: 144 ISBN: 0-943891-28-0 Capsule Review by Anthony Salter on 01/10/98. Genre tags: none	Name: CORPS (Complete Omniversal Role-Playing System) Publisher: BTRC Designer: Greg Porter Type: Generic System: Point-based Dice Used: d10 System Complexity: Complex Ease of Use: Moderate CORPS is actually the second edition of a rather different game by the same name. The original game was an X-Files/Illuminati type of conspiracy rpg; with the second edition, Greg Porter has lifted the engine out of the original game, streamlined and expanded it, and released it as a generic rpg. The book is small; at 144 pages, it's slimmer than most GURPS worldbooks (my wife originally thought I'd bought a magazine when she saw it). It's also ONLY an engine - there is not a single word in the book describing a specific campaign setting. But it's the cleanest, easiest, most logical design I've ever seen. Greg obviously put scads of thought into the system, adding nothing unless it was necessary. He also exhibits an extremely dense writing style. So what do you get? The chapters include Character Creation, Basic Skill Use, Combat Basics, Megaforce, Life in the Real World, Paranormal Powers (which covers magic, psionics, superpowers and cybernetics), and a short Campaigning chapter at the end. CORPS also includes lots of useful sheets - character sheets, NPC sheets, creature sheets, vehicle design sheets, large and small hex mapsheets, and sheets that help the GM design and keep track of his campaign. Character creation is quite detailed. Attributes and stats are bought with separate sets of points, with 100 AP and 50 SP defining a fairly average human. Most humanoid characters will have numbers ranging from one to ten, and the cost of a certain level is the level squared in AP or SP (ergo, a Strength of six would cost 36 AP). Most attributes give a low level of aptitude in related skills, making skill purchases slightly cheaper. There is also an Advantage/Disadvantage system, with various characteristics costing or giving AP or SP. Skills are cascaded, with Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary skills. Since a lower level can never be more than half the next higher level, you want your Primary skill to be as high as possible. The game suggests a 4-2-1 pattern as the most economical way to get a decent level of skill at the best price. I was surprised by the skill system. I had assumed all through character creation that the player would roll d10 against the total skill, succeeding if the roll was lower. Instead, the GM assigns the task a difficulty and if the character's skill is higher, success is automatic. If a roll must be made, it must be lower than eleven, minus two for every level of difference between the difficulty and the character's skill. Did that last sentence annoy you? It did me at first, and I couldn't figure out why Greg had gone with such a hard-to-remember rule. Then I ran the numbers: the formula above can only produce five possible results - 9, 7, 5, 3 and 1. Once I realized this, the rule became much easier to remember, and the fact that it makes many rolls unnecessary makes up for it. Combat gets as detailed as you want it, with a graze rule, a long shot rule, and a point-blank rule, all of which are optional. The initiative system is quite unique, with each one-second turn being broken up into several segments based on the highest skill level being used. For instance, if one character will be using a Knife skill of 5, and that is the highest skill level being used this turn, then the turn will be broken up into six segments, numbered 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0. Movement always comes near the end of a turn, making it possible to second-guess what a player is going to do by when it happens. Want to call in an airstrike? Refer to the Megaforce chapter, a sort of "catchall" chapter with rules for grandes, vehicles and mass combat. The Life in the Real World chapter is valuable not only for the real-world information it provides, but as a template for GMs who wish to create their own CORPS-compatible worlds. The Paranormal Powers chapter merits extra attention. In it, Greg presents a meta-system with which GMs can create effects to add to the game world. By choosing powers and then modifying them using the given charts, GMs can create just about any imaginable effect, then present it to the players in the form the campaign requires. For instance, an effect of Flight would be statistically identical in a fantasy and a superhero campaign; it would simply be presented as a spell in one and a superpower in the other. The players then purchase the power for their characters using skill points. The Campaigning chapter is short, but full of useful idea stuff for the GM, including a wonderful chart of plots that belongs in every rpg. So, is it all wine and roses? Not exactly. As mentioned above, there is no setting of any kind. Though there are many good sample characters and a good example combat, there is no adventure. It will be necessary for the GM to either come up with a world to play in, or convert something from another system. BTRC will hopefully fix this in the future - I personally am looking forward to a space campaign, as CORPS seems ideally suited. Now let's talk about the Nutshell Edition. BTRC has provided a free, four-page download of the core rules on the internet at http://members.aol.com/btrc/html/nutshell.htm. This document includes all the rules players will need to create characters and resolve tasks, including combat. This is yet another tribute to the clarity and simplicity of the system, since one page of the document is taken up by the character sheet and another half page by the skill list. That means Greg manages to get all the basics of the system across to the player in less than two and a half pages of text and charts. Brilliant stuff, and it should make any CORPS GM very happy that he has something he can easily photocopy and give his players. This has to be one of the best ideas to hit commercial role-playing in some time. If only there were something similar for GURPS... Overall? I'd call it a must-buy for any experienced GM who is willing to invest the effort - the eventual pleasure will far outweight the initial pain. Once BTRC releases some genre-specific settings, CORPS should take its place as one of the best games in recent years. And Greg, I'll take you over an infinite number of monkeys any day. Badman Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)