Ian A. Thomson

The Curse of the Copper Condor?

Has anyone who reads this played or GM'd this scenario from Vol. 4?

I am interested because its one of the small number of completely brand new scenarios I am writing for the series, and it definitely fits into the category of writing the kind of adventure I would have loved to have played an Adventurer in :)

So I'm hoping it's as unpredictable and fun as intended

If anyone has, and responds, please don't include spoilers :)

On 1/6/2024 at 5:54 AM, soltakss said:

Personally, I have never understood the prioritisation of "official" or "canon" material over unofficial material. In the Dark Days, when there wasn't much official RQ or Glorantha material around, we used what we found on the Internet and incorporated it into our games. When official material came out it sometimes wasn't as good as the unofficial material so we used a hybrid of the two.

Yup

In the second Pavis campaign I ran was also in an interesting position of having some big-time Gloranthaphiles as Players, including one who is officially associated with Chaosium

We discussed this very question as the campaign began to roll more seriously.

To cut a long story short, there was 100% agreement that they were very happy with my approach

This was to stick to canon as much as possible as a backdrop only

[The rest of the %s are illustrative of the consensus of course. We didn't decide on specific figures]

IE The world of Glorantha, it's history and Cults 90%+ accuracy, but 10% variety and new things to retain the air of mystery that otherwise wouldn't exist since they already know so much about the place

Currently unfolding events 70% accuracy, since they all loved Gloranthan lore, but again didn't want to know exactly what was happening. So they literally preferred a flexible timeline. (The conversation started when I discussed the plan - without specific details - and said that I would have to shuffle around dates if I wanted to include all the stuff I thought was most interesting.) Basically they said: "We PREFER that, as that way we don't know exactly what's on its way or exactly when it will happen."

And as an extension on that when I mentioned I was wanting to change certain ideas and extend others, they also said they would PREFER that too. So that once again they didn't know what to expect exactly, and were happy with an even higher % of variety

In short these experienced Glorantha fans/players said: As long as you are sticking to a generally accurate Glorantha as it stands as a backdrop and history, we genuinely don't care how it unfolds from here. Any congruent changes/adaptations are fine with us, and make the story more interesting and mysterious

On 5/8/2024 at 4:26 AM, Baron said:

I miss my LARPing days. Never had such a cool spot for it though.

We were very fortunate

Long drive but do-able for occasional weekends

Looking for some references online, I stumbled onto this through a few different steps. Having studied media, I can confirm that this Blue Peter piece has a massive and misleading bias to make the experience seem a LOT more 'nerdy' and a lot less social and atmospheric than it actually was.

It was also a lot more serious, with training on how not to actually hurt people (which you could do with any of the fake weapons). We always left with bruises after a weekend. And the system they used here was inspired by RuneQuest!

In any case, it was great to see the place again. :)

I can still remember the first intro adventure with (much larger numbers than usual for the scenarios) and how terrifying it was. Of the 40 or so of us involved in that one, only two of us escaped from the 'fait accompli' 'kill everyone' mass ambush at the end. As soon as dozens of orcs charged out of all the courtyard doorways I screamed and ran like a rocket, dodging and weaving all the way. Only me and the guy who was already leading at the front managed to get away over the drawbridge. Afterwards my friends (who were all slaughtered by the orcs) were all like: "Dam you were so fast!" (I was a runner at school sports.)

Oh yeh, and I remember once when I was made rearguard for a party of 12 and was at the bottom of a spiral stair with everyone else in a line up the stairs and the guy at the top trying to pick a lock. I remember looking at all the doors in the wide dark corridor I was watching and thinking that the worst thing that could happen (since I was effectively alone) was for a load of badguys to rush out of one of the doors. And of course they did.

Nothing remotely even vaguely like real combat of course, but I'm a method actor and fought them off like a lunatic for several minutes until the upper door was opened and we could back away. In the pause upstairs the GM checked me for wounds (different coloured paint on the enemy weapons) and said; "How the **** did you not get hit in all that?"

Yup, method acting! :) Raaaaargh! #Conaneatyaheartout

Its now been converted to a posh hotel and wedding venue apparently.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Trap

And a much better clip - in terms of atmosphere - with Ben Elton(!) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awrXjGKcth8

8 hours ago, Mark Mohrfield said:

Hate to tell you this, but it’s from D&D.

Thanks

That makes total sense to me

For my early campaigns I harvested a bunch of fun ideas from D&D

I used to buy some specific types of second hand D&D modules and adapt them for RQ and even for Cthulhu Dreamlands (which is another campaign I once ran)

Shrieker Fungus? Where did I read about that? Hoping someone can help me with a reference.

I am pretty certain it is a Voralans thing

14 hours ago, Tyrian Telbenj said:

Have we got news about vol 4a?

I'm working feverishly through the last section as we speak. It is the biggest bit - a multi-part new scenario, and has taken forever. But I've now finally reached and begun the two-part finale

Two more large maps needed for it, and awesome people are currently working on these

If I am lucky, the scenario will be finished within 2-3 days, then the last parts will need a proof and the whole scenario will need a read-through (I have also asked one of the proofers if they are up for that. EDIT - they have said yes.)

Everything else in 4A is already laid-out and proofed, so the whole thing is pretty close to done

Aaaand it's back in POD :)

Thanks to Nick & Fabian for overseeing the process!

https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/465145/old-pavis-ii-the-good-the-bad-the-rowdy-runequest

Aaand it's back in POD :)

Thanks again to Nick & Fabian for overseeing the process!

https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/465145/old-pavis-ii-the-good-the-bad-the-rowdy-runequest

Awesome. Big thanks. Messaging you now :)

Hi Folks

Anyone out there available to draw up an interesting cave system for the imminent next volume of the P&BR Companion series?

Ideally in something resembling (but not necessarily as artistically perfect) as the Five Eyes caves from Borderlands, but bigger

Gratitude would include free copies of the pdf of that zine and the following one

Vol. 04 POD is very nearly available once more :)

The Vol. 04 proof print has now been ordered for the version with the 4 restored to its rightful space on the spine

This means the POD will hopefully be back by the end of the month

Proof print has now been ordered for the version with the 4 restored to its rightful space on the spine

This means the POD will hopefully be back by the end of the month

Are Yanfali and Humakti Rune Lords expected to fight ritually whenever they meet?

My brain tells me that this is a thing. Yet another part of my brain says that i made it up

Was this ever a thing, am I extrapolating from some other ritual contest I once read about, or am I just making the whole idea up!!!! :)

3 hours ago, radmonger said:

Is there actually a Zebra Tribe as such to have that role split in the first place?

The Zebra Tribe exists as a local and Praxian force, having reformed from its remnants:

"When Dorasar founded New Pavis he did many marvelous things. Among them, he fulfilled the dream of a friend and reestablished the ancient Zebra tribe in Pavis. As Pavis had a friend among the horsemen, Dorasar had a friend among the zebra men. His name was Olgkarth, and he lived, with his small clan, among the Pol-Joni barbarians." (Pavis book)

In the the P&BRC:DC campaign this built into significant numbers, until "They formed the core of the Pavis Survivors, decimated during the Lunar invasion, but Zebra riders still maintain a holding on the river, giving tithes to the Lunar government and allowing Lunar inspectors to see that they are not re-equipping as the outlawed Survivors."

My take is that they survived Moonbroth in numbers, but apart from a strictly-controlled number allowed to live (in rotation) at the Zebra Pen (Zebra Stockade in my campaign) they were thrown out of Pavis by the Lunars, and disbanded from their official civic status, due to resisting the invasion.

The goal of the Lunars to try and marry Pavis to the Red Goddess means they don't want to totally alienate the Pavis Cult (which was quick to point out during the Treaty negotiations that all Zebra Tribesfolk are Citizens of Pavis by historical precedent). This means in this campaign world that the Zebra Tribe are not persecuted, and are permitted to also have a base out on the edge of Pavis County, and operate patrols there for protective purposes. But they were officially replaced by the PRG in Pavis itself

The most anti-Lunar zebra clans, and those members wanted for specific rebel acts, headed out into the Wastes

The campaign details on the Zebra Tribe are quite extensive and in Vol. 03: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/448641/Pavis-County--Beyond-Secrets-of-the-Borderlands-RuneQuest

16 hours ago, Paid a bod yn dwp said:

The upcoming Strangers in Prax companion will have high level lunar npc’s converted from RQ3 to RQG. 

Conversion notes, offering additional information, so that with the original character sheets in hand one can also peruse the new ideas for using them under the RQ:G rules.

There are Chaosium restrictions on how one cannot update pre-existing characters for publication just by adding a few extra bits, and additionally the originals were so great we didn't want to do that anyway.

Instead, we offer additional ideas, and a very few alterations, to consider - not new versions of these iconic characters :)

8 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

I hope it doesn't, because Chaosium hasn't approved that.

Oh, no! All that work!

Just kidding. Nick et al were very clear on what was OK and what wasn't.

Here's a snippet from the DTRPG blurb that has been prepared:

"You will need a copy of Strangers in order to run those original scenarios, as we do not reproduce any of their main contents here. This Companion instead offers a full range of easy-to-use adaptation notes on how to run those adventures with the new RQ:G Rules. There are no new versions of any main Strangers characters in this Companion - just suggested RQ:G enhancements. With the sorcerers, the new information here outlines ways to run them as mysterious GMCs whose mechanics are consistent and story-appropriate, and occur entirely out of the knowledge of the Players. (We don’t offer any new version of sorcery rules in this book, just simple ideas for how the GM can make the main sorcerers function believably and congruently in game terms.)"

"This Companion additionally contains plenty of stand-alone material, and so can also be used to expand and support any Pavic campaign set between 1610-1621. This extra content includes:
- Full RQ:G Stats for a wide range of supporting characters and enemies;

- THREE new self-contained scenarios (one revolving around an Old Pavic Chaos cult);

- A two-part article on the Old Pavic Jalmari, who were originally created by Michael O’Brien & Tim Leask for Strangers in Prax, but didn’t make the final cut;

- Full Deck-plans & room index for the flagship of the Moon Boat fleet: ‘The Darjinni Enterprise’."

There was a wonderful coincidence happened when I was playing in the Borderlands campaign that later went to Pavis, and which inspired me to start the first run of my own campaign.

I went into a small second-hand bookshop just on a whim that I happened to drive past on a big trip a couple of hours from home (living in Southampton UK at the time)

And they had the Borderlands, Pavis & Big Rubble boxed sets at next to no cost.

Clearly the owner had no idea of their worth, as all were out of print for some years at that time. Some other old timers might remember when the classics were as rare as hen's teeth

I only had enough money for one, but I had the opportunity to pass that way again a few days later and luckily the other two were still there (or maybe I'd asked the guy to put them aside for me)

Either way, the Old Pavis campaign I began then hinged on a random whim of taking a break on a long drive to drop in to an intriguing-looking second-hand bookshop somewhere on the outskirts of Portsmouth in the UK

5 hours ago, SDLeary said:

A bit late but it's available... for a price!

Jaysus

Chaosium should definitely jump on reprinting this if they have the rights. A nice little earner as they say in Blighty

I'd be happy to helm another project to recover the text and images and put them in basic formatting if that's the only major drawback for them

Probably could even organise people to do the layout too

Needs to be another official category:

Classic Close-Enough Canon

or something

Either/or distinctions are often a very flawed classification system to use

8 hours ago, svensson said:

There's the list in order:

1. New Pavis: The City on the Edge of Forever

2. Old Pavis: The City that Time Forgot

3. Pavis and Beyond: Secrets of the Borderland

4. Old Pavis (II): The Good, the Bad, and the Rowdy

4A: Special Edition - The 'Strangers in Prax' Companion (arriving soon, maybe Easter)

5. Prax & the Zola Fel: Land of the Giants (maybe June)

At least 2 others to follow, maybe 3. Still some new material to write

8 hours ago, svensson said:

Ian also recommends and refers to pages in the Glorantha Classics 1: Pavis and the Big Rubble pdf.

Actually to the original POD versions you can buy through Chaosium, but it would be easy for anyone who knows the material to find the references in any other version

Hi Folks

I communicated with Mike back in 2021/2 when I got permission to include his bits and pieces again in the new version of the series, but I have changed email address since then, and lost a bunch of contacts

Does anyone out there have a contact email for him, or know how to be in touch on any social media?

Thanks very much

4 hours ago, brionl said:

Do you have a list of the books in the series? I'm not sure if I have them all yet or not.

I don't like DTRPG's new website, it makes it harder to tell right away if I have a book from the product page.

Vol. 05 is well advanced and will be: Prax & the Zola Fel Valley: The Land of the Giants

We have some other titles and contents, including the Rough Guide to Pavis City, which is also well-advanced

But the exact number is unknown yet

Coming Soon to the Jonstown Compendium!