skoll

Coming back to your original question, I integrated the idea of Runes as Character attributes to our Gloranthan campaign. In short, Devotion skill was replaced buy three rune "skills", that define the strength of the rune spells. The rune values also acted as passions and personality traits (e.g. a PC with high Movement rune is always restless). Each rune spell was provided through a certain rune associated with the cult.

In general my group really enjoyed the runic affinities. My biggest problem as the GM was creating the cults and balancing the magic. If you are interested, there are more details at The Design Mechanism forum at http://designmechanism.freeforums.org/rune-affinities-t275.html, and some cult examples with the spells assigned to runes: http://designmechanism.freeforums.org/some-cult-writeups-and-a-bunch-of-new-spells-t298.html

17 hours ago, HorusArisen said:

Why is this a problem? Seems quite realistic to me. If you have players who fall back on it too often can't you do as Loz suggests and prep a counter?

Realism and entertainment value don't always go hand in hand. In our campaign several boss fights have ended very quickly, when the whole group started hacking at the same hit location. You are right, Prepare counter helps in many of these cases, but it doesn't help when fighting non-humans or in a many vs. one -situation.

The biggest point is, that our group finds Choose Location to be a bit boring. Shift location is simply more fun for us.

8 hours ago, Baragei said:

another houserule that seems to have met with some success is to allow for the attacker to shift the location hit to an adjacent one with a single level of success. 

This is what we are using, and it made our fights more exiting. We call it Shift Location.

The problem we experienced with Choose Location wasn't everybody always picking head. Instead, after the first hit everybody always targets the wounded hit location.

12 hours ago, fulk said:

The choose location effect always has seemed a bit powerful to me.

Success: roll to hit but you can adjust your hit location by +/- 5 points.

Critical: choose location without rolling. 

Our group came to the same conclusion after 5 years of MRQ2/RQ6 gaming. We are using a variant of your rule. We call the Special effect "Shift Location" and it allows you to move the HL one location logically. E.g. from chest to abdomen, arms or head; from left leg to right leg or abdomen. (On crit you can take Choose location.) Having used this rule for a couple of months now, I can say it has made combat more fun in our group. It has reduced the use of the Special effect making the use of other SE's more varied.

As a matter of fact, it was the option to Ward Location, that was the primary reason for this change. With a big shield, the opponent can ward 4 locations. Without Choose Location, there's close to 50% chance of accomplishing nothing, and the players didn't want to take the gamble.

And while I can believe, that Choose Location is realistic, realism unfortunately doesn't always equal fun.

Though I have to admit, we haven't tried Prepare Counter yet. I can see that really messing up player tactics.

Alternatively you could ask the player to channel his hate for Durulz through his PC. The ducks are often despised. Let him make his passion part of his character. Maybe he (the player) will even start to love (hating) them. :-)

As you noted yourself, Mythras is rebranded RuneQuest 6. Google for RuneQuest 6 reviews - you should find plenty.

As to whether you should use it or not - It's the best system I have played with or GM'd, and this opinion is shared by my group. It has a flow to it I haven't experienced with other systems. The rules are slick and smooth, yet detailed.

Improvement in Mythras isn't quite as GM-driven as you have understood. GM simply gives out Experience Rolls - the player is free to assign them as he wishes.

There are indeed 5 magic types. Folk magic is a lowpowered magic, that (obviously depending on the setting) could be available to anybody. Sorcery is flexible, but can eat your mana quickly. Theistic magic gets its power from the gods and is some of the most powerful magic in the game. Animism deals with spirits. It can be a bit complex to grasp initially, but I really like the approach Mythras has taken. In Mythras "spirits" isn't just another word for "spells", instead they are closer to NPC's you need to negotiate with (although it can be abstracted to a couple of skill rolls and mana points if you so wish). And then there's mysticism, which can be used to create wushu-type heroes for example. Apart from Folk magic, which has one skill, all the magic systems have to two skills, which define the power of the effects as well as your chance to succeed, and a list of powers (spells).

On combat - my group loves it. It's cinematic, fast paced and dangerous. In theory anybody can die with one (un)lucky hit, although PC's have Luck points they can use to reduce wound levels. That again I have understood, that for new groups combat can feel a bit slow in the beginning. There are some mitigations to it (like limiting the Special Effect options for new players), but with 6 or 7 players, there will be some downtime.

And are you aware of the Mythras Imperative (free pared down version of the rules)? If in doubt, read it through and maybe run a couple of mock combats before making any decisions. (For combats, and designing enemies/NPC's, there's a little tool you might find useful: http://skoll.xyz/mythras_eg/).

8 hours ago, Yelm's Light said:

Seeing someone use a weapon and knowing how to use it effectively are two completely different things.  A flail is a perfect example, actually, being that it has a moving part/parts.  The mode of attack is about as unlike that with a sword as possible.  If you've seen it used, you might get that you would tend to swing it in an arc away from the body, but would you know when and how to flick your wrist for maximum effect?  Where specifically the best places to attack would be, and how to swing it so that you could hit them?  The sword would be used in a straight line (if stabbing) or a different type of arc (if chopping).  I would think a mace would be more easily adapted to, as using it would be very similar to hitting with the flat of a sword's blade.

Using your rationale, there might as well be just one general attack skill.

Combat is about more than just swinging your weapon. It's foot work, reading your enemy, timing the attacks, using your surroundings. It's about not s*itting your pants when somebody comes at you with murder in their eyes.

I'm not saying, that there should be one general attack skill, but I do agree with g33k, that a Humakti Rune Lord should be able to beat a novice with any weapon that he happens to get his hands on.

If you are only interested in the progression from 91 onward, and can accept the progression I'm using, this should do it:

if str_siz >= 91: # 91-100: +1d10+1d8; 101-110: +2d10; 111-120: +2d10+1d2
    step = str_siz/10
    d10s = step/5   # Amount of d10's
    reminder = step%5   # Anything else in addition to d10's?
    if reminder:
        modifier = '{d10s}d10+d{reminder}'.format(d10s=d10s, reminder=reminder*2)
    else:
        modifier = '{d10s}d10'.format(d10s=d10s)

This is easy to do, because there are exactly 5 variations in each "set". (One set is from xd10 to xd10+d8. The next set is x+1). If you want to use d12's, I think you need to use base 12 math.

Also, I'm very interested in hearing how you tackle the rule differences between the systems. I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how to support other d100 systems also in addition to Mythras, but couldn't think of anything. In the beginning it seemed simple, but the deeper I dove, the more subtle differences I found, that turned out to be not so trivial to implement. For example same skills with same name is easy, but what to do if one system lacks a skill another system has? Or when magic systems are completely different?

EDIT: What was I thinking. Using D12's it exactly exactly the same as D10's.

if str_siz >= 91:
    step = str_siz/10
    d12s = step/6   # Amount of d12's
    reminder = step%6   # Anything else in addition to d12's?
    if reminder:
        modifier = '{d12s}d12+d{reminder}'.format(d12s=d12s, reminder=reminder*2)
    else:
        modifier = '{d12s}d12'.format(d12s=d12s)

This will give an output of

105 - 1d12+d8
115 - 1d12+d10
125 - 2d12
135 - 2d12+d2
145 - 2d12+d4
155 - 2d12+d6
165 - 2d12+d8
175 - 2d12+d10
185 - 3d12

Hi,

I had the same challenge when working on the Mythras encounter generator (http://skoll.xyz/mythras_eg/). I'm afraid there is no (simple) algorithm to it - at least I couldn't find one. I ended up having a list of damage modifiers, and simply calculating an index. Here's my code:

DICE_STEPS = (
'-1d8', '-1d6', '-1d4', '-1d2', '+0', '+1d2', '+1d4', '+1d6', '+1d8',
'+1d10', '+1d12', '+2d6', '+1d8+1d6', '+2d8', '+1d10+1d8',
'+2d10', '+2d10+1d2', '+2d10+1d4', '+2d10+1d6', '+2d10+1d8',
'+3d10', '+3d10+1d2', '+3d10+1d4', '+3d10+1d6', '+3d10+1d8',
'+4d10', '+4d10+1d2', '+4d10+1d4', '+4d10+1d6', '+4d10+1d8',
'+5d10', '+5d10+1d2', '+5d10+1d4', '+5d10+1d6', '+5d10+1d8')

def _calculate_damage_modifier(self, strength, siz):
    if strength == 0 or siz == 0:
        self.attributes['damage_modifier'] = '+0'
        return
    str_siz = strength + siz
    if str_siz <= 50:
        index = (str_siz-1) / 5
    else:
        index = ((str_siz - 1 - 50) / 10) + 10
    try:
        self.attributes['damage_modifier'] = DICE_STEPS[index]
    except IndexError:
        self.attributes['damage_modifier'] = '+6d10'
 

BTW, I'm very interested in learning about what kind of tool you are developing, and how does it differ from Mythras EG. Are you planning to do it as a generic d100 NPC generator?

For what it's worth, I live in Finland and I ordered Mythras Core, Mythras Imperative and CF from them, and the total shipping cost was 6£, which to me is very reasonable.

19 minutes ago, Atgxtg said:

Can we disagree and debate about gaming without getting angry and insulting each other? 

Seems to me that for some participants this thread was never about game mechanics, but about proving that they are right, and somebody else is wrong.

First of all, if you don't have the Cults book, get it. Cults are essential to any Gloranthan game, and you should definitely allow your players to join one.

As a new player, the amount of cults can indeed be overwhelming. My suggestion: allow only human characters, and cults only from the following list: Orlanth, Humakt, Stormbull, Lhankor Mhy, Issaries, Yelmalio. (I'm sure somebody else will suggest a bit different list. It doesn't really matter what cults exactly are on the list. Just take a handful of the more popular ones. This list should allow quite varied group.)

Also, hkokko from has created cult onepagers. They are meant for RQ6/Mythras, so spell names etc might be different, but you might find them useful nonetheless. https://notesfrompavis.wordpress.com/2014/05/11/gloranthan-cult-onepagers-main-page/

The question boils down to whether you want a sandbox or a written campaign. Griffin Mountain is a sandbox with adventure hooks, but it doesn't contain scenarios. B&B is a campaign consisting of seven scenarios. Btw, it's very easy to continue from the last adventure of B&B to GM. 

24 minutes ago, Jeff said:

Your chance of casting the spell is effected tremendously by the day, week, season, and components. And yes, I have made those flat percentages rather than dice (an easy change - and frankly one I am happy with).

It's not the chance of casting I'm concerned about. It's the disconnect between your skill level and the power of the spells. It's enough to know the spell with 5%, to be able to unleash tactical nukes. Granted, you will fail most of the time, but the possibility is there. A simple skill-based cap on the amount of mana you can add to the spell effect (e.g. skill / 5) could be one solution.

And BTW, I also like that the day, week, season, etc affect casting. 

6 hours ago, MOB said:

I think that is overstating things. Skill and mastery is important but I like the idea that the sorcerer's ability is affected (for better or worse) by how they are attuned to external variables, such as the calendar, sympathetic objects, etc

How is this an overstatement? I believe Jeff just confirmed, that what Deleriad said, is true. Spell "mastery" has no effect whatsoever on the power. The only thing, that affects how powerful spells you can cast, apart from free INT, is the mana you have available, ie. the amount of mana crystals and bound spirits you are carrying with you. How good you are with any given spell only affects the likelihood of success .

11 hours ago, Jeff said:

OK, let's take Damalstan the sorcerer. He's got an INT of 17 and POW of 16. He's got a 5 point magic crystal and a bound spirit with 13 magic points - that gives him 34 in total. Damalstan knows the following Runes: Fire, Truth, and Movement, and he knows two Techniques - Summon and Tap. He's already nearly maxed on the Runes and Techniques he can master. He can know up to 17 spells, but right now he only knows 6 - Conflaguration 65%, Steal Warmth 50%, Enhance INT 35%, Memorize 40%, Reveal Rune 35%, and Summon Fire Elemental 30%.

@Jeff, can you please confirm, if the following modification to the scenario you described, would hold true?

Let's say Damalstan only has 15% in Conflaguration. Nonetheless he got lucky and managed to cast the spell, having poured 30 magic points into it. And now the damage would be 6D6 or something like that?

So are there any skills involved at all, and if yes, how do they limit the sorcerer's powers?

I'm glad to see, that the books cover pretty much everything, but I'd rather have the Bestiary and GM book combined, and the scenarios as a separate publication.

12 hours ago, Jeff said:

By 1D6% increments (although you can always pick 3%). Even though it was disadvantageous to the characters, players universally preferred to roll.

How so? Average of 1D6 is 3.5, so in the long run it makes sense to roll.

Quite frankly, everything released by TDM is top quality. The question is more what kind of game you want to run.

As others have said, The Book of Quests (and Sarinya's Curse) requires the least amount of preparation. You can run them as a campaign, or just pick one or two scenarios.

Mythic Britain contains seven scenarios (our group is just starting the last one), but requires more commitment, as the scenarios work better as a campaign.

Monster Island is a great sandbox, but doesn't really contain any written scenarios as such. Tons of quest hooks though.

14 hours ago, pachristian said:

I've used the new setup; it works great. Although, to be honest, I couldn't really tell the difference from the old set-up.

Then all is exactly as it should be :-) (Assuming you meant apart from the Mythras-logo in the banner. If you can't see the Mythras-logo, then something's wrong.)

One question: Is there a way to show NPC's changing over time? For example, if I generate a novice Agimori hunting party, and then a few (game) years later, want to have the PC's meet the same Agimori (same names, characteristics and with the original skill choices), but have the NPC's upgraded to Veteran status, is there a way to do that?

Sorry, no such feature. This would require the tool to remember all created enemies, and an interface to manage them. As most people use it just to create cannon fodder, I'm not sure it makes sense to implement this. If you have a PDF editor, your best shot is to export the enemies as PDF, and edit them manually.

1 hour ago, bturner said:

The new address is good - I was able to log in right off and the content is migrated over. The Mythras branding still looks odd to me, but I'm confident it will grow on me. Thanks for developing and supporting such a good resource!

If you mean the black banner, when everything else brownish, then I agree. Visual design is not one of my strengths. Any contributions to the look'n'feel are welcome.

The Encounter Generator has moved. The new address is http://skoll.xyz/mythras_eg/. The tool is now also rebranded as Mythras Encounter Generator. Behind the scenes, the Django-platform was upgraded from 1.5 to 1.8, and the PDF/PNG export tool was changed from wkhtmltopdf to Weasyprint.

The old address will continue to work (redirecting to the new one) for some months, but will eventually be discontinued.

Please let me know if you have any trouble using the new setup.

9 hours ago, Jeff said:

Spirit Magic in Glorantha is exactly what it says it is. It is a spell to get a spirit to create an effect. And pretty much every Gloranthan culture uses spirit magic. It is not the same thing as shamanism (which is a type of spirit specialist).

Will there be rules for shamanism in the new RuneQuest?

1 hour ago, Mankcam said:

I am certainly happy you can start as expert skilled characters, but I would prefer having the choice of different experience levels in the char gen process.

This isn't something, where you break the game completely, if you don't follow the rules. In the end it's always up to the GM to decide how experienced the characters are when they start out.

But I'm with you - I do enjoy seeing my character overcome obstacles and improving in the process. I feel it makes me appreciate more the heroic skills once I have them.

If a new character can have her combat skill at 95%, is there room for improvement? How do you improve skills beyond 100%? What are the benefits of having your skill over 100%?

And when two characters with combat skills of 95% meet each other in battle, how will it play out? Does one need to roll a crit to win?