svensson

"Uh, sar? Leftenant, sar? Yer Purdys tain't gonna help you much, Leftenant Archibald. Not wit th' Willys 'cross No Man's Land using those bloody kugelspitze contraptions. Wot say we gitcha some proper killin' iron, eh?"

Last Terracotta set... Even for such a personage as the Emperor Ch'in Shi Huang, bronze was valuable enough to NOT be wasted in his tomb. Therefore representational scale armor was made out of limestone and entombed with the Emperor's heavy infantry. Rather Uz-like, if I do say so myself.

More Terracotta items First image is as the artifacts were found, in situ. The second is what they likely looked like when buried, based on chemical spectroscopy of the dye and lacquer remnants.

To add to the discussion... My wife and I toured the Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Ch'in when it came 'round locally. Obviously, copper and bronze artifacts were featured prominently. Here's a couple of the pics that came out... Crossbow trigger mechanism Pottery with dye remnants

At the beginning of the Great Depression in the US, it was still legal for private citizens to own fully automatic firearms, such as BARs and Thompson SMGs. They could not own belt-fed, tripod-mounted MGs. The first nation-wide licensing of firearms and restrictions to ownership began with the Federal Firearms Act of 1938. As for the Browning Hi-Power itself, there are in-game arguments for and against. There's no denying that having a lot of rounds in the magazine is a good thing, but there are quite a few Mythos creatures that are highly resistant firearms damage. You need a large number of damage dice to get past that resistance, if it's even possible at all. This is why a lot of CoC characters really like the shotgun over pistols and rifles generally. My advice, get you a Winchester 1897 trench gun. Nothing says 'EFF YOU and all your friends' like a pump-action 12 gauge with 2 ft. long bayonet on the end of it. As for 'evil'.... You guys keep saying 'evil' like there's something wrong with it or something. An awful lot of what we define as 'evil' is just the shit you do that would embarrass you if your momma found out about it... 😁🤣😂 PS: There IS one thing that says 'Eff you and all your friends' better than Model 97... but the China Lake pump action 40mm grenade launcher [aka 'Sooper-Bloop'] wasn't invented until the Vietnam War.

I was unaware that HQ was rebranding itself as QW. I was thinking of the old QW boxed set. I really didn't like the HQ rules that much... they were too 'narrative' and open to power-gamer misuse for me. YMMV, of course, but that definitely not the rules I'd be running with. I'd wholeheartedly support d100 genre books... in fact I've bought several BRP titles that did that.... but I won't be collecting any HQ material.

This is just a guess. 'Syndics' is another word for 'oligarchs'... those made powerful by wealth. Because the Syndics Ban prevented trade, some of the most wealthy could no longer support their position in their society. With the loss of the sea and caravan trade routes, a vigorous reshuffling of the power structure of most cities happened. So the 'Syndics Ban' may not refer to a ban BY syndics, but a ban OF syndics. I grant you that it's a reach, but that's the best off-the-cuff answer I have.

Wow. You guys really know how to 'flog the molly'... [in reference to both the Boston-Irish punk band and the slang for doing too much meth...] This entire conversation, while interesting, is really just a digression to the segue to the footnote of the addendum to the apocrypha. And in absolute truth, I don't really know the purpose of the whole thing. Vinga IS Orlanth, Orlanth IS Vinga. They are separate facets of the same divine being. Vinga allows women whose personalities do not fit the Ernalda 'maiden-mother-queen-crone' archetype a place in the pantheon and in the clan where they can not only contribute but excel. Vinga women are celebrated for achievements in Courage, Justice, Passion and Honor, and this allows provides the clan 'tomboys' a path that isn't quite as dark as those laid out by Humakt or Babeester Gor. What's more, these roles are out in full view of the world, not closed by steading life, motherhood, or temple life. And the path of Vinga does not deny her worshipers femininity, it encourages it and it celebrates it. Lastly, Vinga IS NOT the Orlanthi equivalent of the Red Goddess. Vinga existed before Sedendya was destroyed and reassembled and will exist after the Red Moon is made dust. The Seven Mothers tried to copy the Lightbringer's Quest and failed, and their basic failure then led to Sedenya's failed apotheosis quest and required her to use Chaos to achieve her ends. The acceptance of Chaos was NOT part of Jakaleel and Irrippi's plan. The Scarlet Harlot needed the infusion of the power of Chaos to pass the trials of her apotheosis and this has been anchor shackled to the leg of the Lunar 'We Are All Us' motto ever since. This whole discussion boils down to this: Vinga IS, just like Lhankor Mhy IS. She exists herself to herself. She is not a parable or a lesson. She is not a stand-in for any other being. Whatever she was in the God's Age, whatever she was in the Age of Dragons and Empires, in this Age Vinga is as she is. There is no subtext, there is no propaganda 'message behind the message'. Accept the goddess just as you would romance one of her worshipers: Accept her as she is for who she is, without reservation or label. To treat her any other way belittles her.

Whatever the spell definition, I'm prepared to house-rule against such misuse. No set of rules is perfect or exact. It's amazing the effect that one misplaced comma can have in a rules definition. Don't get me wrong here... I'm not a 'rules lawyer' type. But I'm not gonna let someone exploit a typo either. As with all things, there is a balance that needs to be struck. In the case of trying to abuse Earthpower, I might rule that the spell becomes Nonstackable, for example, or that it can only effect the same target once every 24 hours. In all cases, my goal is to be firm, reasonable, and consistent with the ruling. At my table, I try very hard to write the bigger rulings down so that I stay consistent with them.

Daisy and Modjadji... an orphaned rhino and zebra respectively. Clearly, both of them have futures as the allied spirits of Eiritha-women. Enjoy

So, I'm teaching my niece and grand-niece how to play RQG from a standing start. The only experience they have with tabletop gaming is computer games and books. Now, this is also a new experience for ME, because for the first time in my life I have a table of nothing but women /girls. My wife is playing the role of 'grognard' in that she's played RQ games before and has a solid understanding of the mechanics. It's not her favorite system ever, but she's still having fun. The way I've 'sold' the game to my two newbies is by showing them that anybody can do anything, that you can develop your character in any direction you want. I explain that the game doesn't have classes or roles... everybody has to fight, how well you fight depends on you develop combat skills. I explain that everybody can fight a little, heal a little, sneak a little, has minor spells that can help you or hurt the bad guy, and so forth, but that you can decide if you want to be party 'talky guy' or 'weird skill monkey' or the font of sacred power, etc. So far they really like the idea. For me, it's a bit of struggle working out themes that appeal to them. The party is not made up of Conan [or Red Sonja] wannabes 😁. In addition, my grand-niece is just turning 13-14. I'm working very hard not to fall into the 'hooker-housewife-hag' fantasy trope and keep sexual relations in the background. This means, for example, that while 'Troy' might be great idea for movie inspiration, the women depicted spend half their time nude. I have to admit, several illustrations in the Weapons and Equipment Guide help with that a lot... Putting the idea in the head of a girl that she doesn't have to pretty or sexy to be taken seriously. So everybody at the table is learning something.

@davecake I too am more and more convinced that cetaceans are probably sentient, but if so it's a VERY different kind of intelligence. David Brin and Doug Adams anyone? 😁

In Osprey Warrior 121: Soldier of Pharaoh [Middle Kingdom Egypt 2055-1650 BC] there is discussion about a massive expedition to find and exploit copper deposits in the open desert. You might find this early attempt at industrialization of interest. A good magazine of general Egyptology interest is KMT Journal, which is focused on Pharaonic Egyptian archeology and society. I think of it as the 'Military History Quarterly of Egyptology'... a 'middle level' research magazine for those who are read in on ancient Egypt and have a firm basic knowledge but can now understand the opinions and suppositions of the experts. Link below. https://kmtjournal.com/

Has anyone wondered if Vinga Red Ladies ever become Storm Voices in Orlanth? Queen Leika of the Colymar is her clan's Orlanth Rex [Regina?] priestess by dint of her election as queen, but I don't believe I've ever seen reference to a female Orlanth Thunderous priestess. What do you guys think?

Anywhere there is Orlanth Adventurous, you will find the Red-Headed Thane-Woman, it's just that simple. HOWEVER COMMA BUT... Vinga Rune Ladies are somewhat harder to find on the ground than Wind Lords. In my Glorantha, many Vingans had to flee Sartar after Starbrow's Rebellion, with many naturally finding refuge with Praxian Tribes, with the Hendrikings, or in Esrolia. I strongly feel that Vinga adventuresses have a mutual support network that helps Vinga women find Rune Ladies for training, spells, and mentorship at least on a regional basis. And it's a sure bet that an ardent Lunar resister like Krogar Wolfhelm would know what tribe or steading a Rune Lady of Vinga was hiding out at. Once the Dragonrise occurs and Vinga can worship again in Sartar, a great many of these women will naturally return home. But some will remain in their homes of exile, having made lives and families for themselves. And naturally, many of these questions [and probably most of suppositions] will change significantly once Gods of Glorantha /Proserpaedia comes out.

Well, if King of Dragon Pass is any indicator.....

I had asked about a genericized RQG rules set suitable for Questworlds or other milieux a few months ago and was told quite emphatically that nothing like that is in the works. This isn't altogether bad, however. BRP is the generic d100 system and it's relatively easy to module in any specific mechanics you like to create your own take on things. It's one of the great things about d100 - - you can add or subtract elements of the system without having to completely rewrite a game system.

Phil, you're missing the analogy. Knowing how smart you are, it's likely on purpose. Yes, Glorantha is a fantasy world, but ALL fantasy worlds are based to some degree or other on the common human experience here on Earth. Glorantha is no more devoid of the human storyteller traditions than Middle Earth is. There is a commonality of themes, conflicts, and resolutions of story in most traditions, from Yakut to Bantu, Han Chinese to Irish Gaelic. My end point is this: A hunter with a sakkar as a hunt companion would be as unusual to a Gloranthan as a person with a puma as a pet in your community on Earth. It's possible, but is so unusual as to be commented on and gossiped about.

Sure. In another discussion, we dived into the question 'Is there a Grandmother Bat?' I personally came down on 'Yes, there is and she's MIGHTILY pissed off at the Crimson Bat's corruption of her people.'

I disagree... a lot. I strongly feel that alynxes and house cats are both present and VERY different critters. Humans on Earth tamed several breeds of small, rodent-hunting cats as pest-controllers and it's entirely reasonable for Gloranthans to have done the same. This question showed up tangentially in the 'Awakened Pet Heritage Boon Table' discussion. The table [RQG Core Book, pg 83] allows for a SIZ 1 or 2 animal to be awakened to full sentience as a companion and friend of the PC. The animal has normal physical statistics, but an INT, POW, and CHA of 3d6. Cats, lizards, snakes, etc. were all mentioned as examples. Now, alynxes come in a SIZ 3-4 where house cats are generally SIZ 1-2. The discussion digressed into 'can I have an alynx for my awakened pet instead of a house cat'. I pointed out that several very tough SIZ 2 cats exist... the Pallas cat /manul or ocelot for two examples... and so your awakened cat is probably NOT an alynx, unless it's the runt of the litter. Then the question is: 'Why spend the POW to Awaken the runt of the litter? Wouldn't common sense lead one to spend that effort on a larger, more capable animal instead?'

Well, real world, no lions and tigers [oh my!] are NOT 'cats'. They are apex predators fully capable of taking down a healthy and resisting human. Even an alynx would have trouble with that criteria, and they are semi-wild whereas your average barn cat is not. They are felines, certainly, related in the same way that otters and wolverines are related. But that's a WHOLE different breed of critter. Neither can be treated as the other because one has evolved a very different lifestyle and ecological niche. A tiger is not an alynx is not tortoise-shell house cat. And don't give me that 'Born Free' I Have A Pet Large Cat video nonsense. Those particular pets are singular animals, raised from a very early age to be pets. Turning them loose into the wild alone would be death sentence for the beast. It would be just as strange for a Gloranthan hunter to have a sakkar [smilodon] 'pet' as it is for someone in your neighborhood to.

So, to the OP, I've converted several plots from other games, but that's entirely separate from an 'apples-to-pears' full conversion. I've long since given up on d20 games, so I tend to gravitate towards the more off the wall game systems. Some of these are great for setting and writing, some have interesting mechanics to go with the writing. From Columbia Games' 'Harn' setting and and HarnMaster system, three adventures have plots that are eminently suited to RQG adaptation: Two are HarnMaster [the game system] QuickStarts, 'Field of Daisies' and 'Dead Weight'. The first is looking for a missing child with the complication of a cursed knife. The second is a shipwreck with a cargo of plague ridden dead. This plague can make the victims undead. The last one is '100 Bushels of Rye' about a village needing the help because they're under nighttime attack by a mysterious murderer. The local knight who holds the fief [insert 'thane' here] isn't prepared to deal with an enemy that won't fight him in open battle [the knight is a famed jouster, but tracking something in the woods is beyond him] and has retreated to the bottle. The villagers have responded by not sending their annual taxes to the knight's overlord. All three of these adventures are available at drive thru.

Missed that detail. Oh well. Just a little revenge for those Crimson Bat attacks then.

@Joerg Leika knew she wasn't eligible to be Prince, that Kallyr was dead, and Sartar needed a leader desperately. Without the unity that a Prince can bring to the tribes, the Lunars would take the country a piece at a time. The only reasonable candidate was Argrath. Sure, he was defeated at Second Moonbroth, but then he formed the White Bull Society, sailed the Giant's Cradle to the Sea despite everything the Lunars and the Sun Domers could throw at it [including the Lunar's Mission Impossible team, the Lunar Coders!], and then summoned a True Dragon while utterly destroying any Lunar of any note South of Furthest and better than 90% of the Sartarite collaborators to boot! I submit that that last act alone, probably the greatest single act of magical mastery since the Birth of Sedenya, erased any and all previous failures. And let me point out that the advent of the Scarlet Harlot took 7 people and multiple HeroQuests. Argrath appears to have summoned the Brown Dragon by himself [this is probably not the case, but the optics are good for him]. Argrath's reputation was absolutely secured at that point, but then he re-lit the Flame of Sartar at his coronation. Any doubts that Leika might have had are completely dismissed at this point. Even a hardened warfighter like Leika ought to be thoroughly impressed with Argrath at this point in the proceedings and Argrath's obvious qualifications to be Prince fully justified Leika's torching of Kallyr's bier. Sartar needed a leader. Leika provided the conditions for that leader to take his place as Prince. The Lunars have just realized that it's a whole new ballgame now. Tatius the Bright is probably losing a lot of sleep lately.

There were many Sartarite tribes that didn't like Leika at all, thinking that various factors made them the 'obvious' choice for Prince. But whether or not any given person can or cannot be Prince, the House of Sartar has had more than one scion who was a figurehead for more powerful groups in the kingdom. Temertain was just the latest and most obvious one. And Leika doesn't have the kind of backing needed for the power-behind-the-throne position either. This is why I believe that she lit Kallyr's pyre for two reasons: - 1. A gesture of respect to a 'friendly enemy'... Leika did not like Kallyr, but she respected Kallyr's efforts. She would have done it a different way, but they shared the same motives. - 2. To break the political deadlock in Sartar. Leika's wartime experiences showed her that the Lunar's imperial system could replace losses incredibly quickly when compared to a system of tribal levies like Sartar's. If Sartar didn't act FAST to secure her borders, the Lunars would start biting pieces off the edges while more reinforcements came South from the Heartland Corps. Either that, or whole sections of the country would devolve into banditry. Either way, somebody had to establish control or else the war would go on indefinitely.