Mugen

It's the old RQ3 and Pendragon system, except, as far as I remember, there was no "no result" in Pendragon, and you had one in RQ3 because you could lose points from any characteristic, and it used a d8 to determine which.

So, what Stopya quoted here is an excerpt from the spell ? If so, I stand corrected. I don't own the book, and based my comments on the only parts I knew about.

Quickstart was clear that "the better result" means "the highest die". Page 6 : "Opposed rolls are made when one character’s ability is pitched against an opponent’s ability. A simple success may not be enough to overcome the opponent. Opposed rolls are not used to resolve melee combat. To make an opposed roll, both participants roll their respective abilities. If both participants succeed, the winner is whoever rolled higher. If one participant got a special success and the other a normal success, the special success is the winner. If one participant got a critical success and the other a normal or special success, the critical success is the winner. An opposed resolution may thus result in a winner and a loser, a tie, or two losers. • Winner and a Loser: The winner succeeds and the loser fails. • Tie: A tie (where both participants succeed but roll the same number) means the situation is temporarily unresolved. If both participants rolled a critical success, the result is a tie. • Two Losers: Both participants fail their rolls. Stalemate, no success. " I really think the "two loser" part should not be, and in case both fail their roll, the highest roll wins, even not as clearly as if he had won. This would make opposed rolls more similar to resistance table, where chance of success depends on the difference between characteristics, and not absolute values.

Question is : how do fluid physics work in Glorantha, and is this spell really meant as an attack spell ? In real world, the void would be quickly filled by surrounding gas, perhaps creating violent streams, but I don't think it would be a great way to make one suffocate. Unless you put him in a closed space, of course. On the other hand, it's a ridiculously good way to get magic points...

If you inscribe it, wouldn't it be interesting to increase base Strength or Duration ? As far as I understand, Inscribing a spell is RQG equivalent of RQ3 Sorcery spell matrices, except it does not require you to learn a ritual spell and roll under Enchant skill.

Is there a limit on the number of spells a sorcerer can keep active at once ? Or can I stack spells increasing damage and physical, spiritual and magical protection ?

It seems to me Jeff Richards explained that only spirit magic spells were reducing your free INT in RQG. Did this change in the final rules ? Edit : oh, I see Jajagappa answered this.

The MRQ SRD is another source for monsters.

To me, RQG is on the same level of complexity as Mythras, even if for different reasons. If you want something simpler, I suggest you try OpenQuest. https://d101games.com/openquest/

I think it would make perfect sense to base all 4 magic systems (counting Mysticism) on rune skills. Of course, the MRQ1 error should not be repeated, but back in the days I toyed with the idea to implement Sorcery as a set of skills that can be use to bend your own runic skills.

French game Celtic Legends had a location for the lower pelvis area. Funnily enough, it was number 13.

Oh, I see. Old RuneQuest 3 habit, where Magic was INT and POW primary, and DEX secondary. But there was no CHA in RQ3, only APP.

Can't say for Magic (which didn't exist then), but his other modifiers fit RuneQuest 2 charts (I guess Agility is based on RQ2 Parry skill modifier, and Communication on Oratory skill modifiers). In RQ2, CHA, INT and POW can all contribute to Oratory bonus. CHA needs to be 13+, but INT and POW require to be as large as 17 to do so. The higher the stat, the higher the bonus gets. So, Harmast gets +5 from his INT, but nothing from his other characteristics. I don't have a clue how his Magic bonus is computed. Both Vasana and Yanioth have lower INT and POW, but there Magic bonus is +10%. And Vishi Dunn, whose INT and POW are both above 17, only gets +10%. Perhaps the total MP plays a role, but I still don't understand why Vishi Dunn only has +10%.

RuneQuest 3 requires "Contact" with the focus, which can be through any sense : touch, sight or another sense. There's no SR malus if you don't see it, as long as you touch it. Tattoos and methodical scarring are expressly named as possible foci.

Sounds a lot like "Scar" in manga Full Metal Alchemist, whose magic comes from tattoos on his arms. Arms that are originally his brother's arms, and were transplanted on him after he lost both arms and his brother died. I would personally treat those tattoos as Spell matrix enchants. EDIT : I have to say this thread reminds me how much I love POW and MP economy in RuneQuest 3. 🤗

I had the same feeling while looking at those numbers, and it is the main reason why I looked at RQ2, then Elder Secrets. For some reason, I thought D6 Crystals were the norm in Elder Secrets, and was surprised it was not. Such crystals can be game-changers for characters specializing in any form of magic, especially Sorcerers.

This is line with RuneQuest 2, whose Treasure chapter only mentioned 2d6+3 MP storage crystals. With such a guideline, 10 is average, and 14 has 2 chances out of 36 to occur. I checked Elder Secrets (for RQ) and though it has 1d6 Storage Crystals, 2d6+3 is still the most common.

My first reaction was "it seems to me no super power targets Power Points", but then I read Drain... I would rule that those extra Power Points can only be used to fuel powers, and do not add to character's own Power Points. That's already a big advantae, as the character can keep his own PP at maximum even after having used some of his powers.

In my experience, there was also a problem with the fact only Melnibonéans and Pan Tangians were the only characters with a real chance to be sorcerers : as their POW+INT was almost always sufficient to learn to summon demons, you almost saw no elementals at all.

I read it, and I think it's very good. However, I have 2 points to make after a quick read : -As far as I know, the term "yakuza" was not in use before the edo period, and should therefore not be used in sengoku jidai. -"kannushi" is on some occasions mispelled "kannuchi".

You're talking about trained skills here, but most skills on the character sheet remained equal to their category bonus, with 2 or 3 having an extra 10%. And, even the so-called "trained" skills were rarely above 50%.

That may be the reason whey french edition was always all-in-one-book. Which was rather strange, actually, as it was a boxed set with just one big book and a reference leaflet containing all tables. Later,they dropped the box and sold it as a hardback book, as the VAT on boxed sets changed.

I think StormBringer is the reason why RuneQuest was never a big hit in France. It was translated before RQ, and its simplicity was more in accordance with french taste. It became a standard in the late 80s here, and both it and HawkMoon were very popular. HawkMoon even had a second edition, based on Elric! rules. As for myself, StormBringer was my first encounter with BRP, and the first RPG rules ouside (A)D&D I read. The way it handled experience, without classes or levels, was a refreshing change for me. Its major issue was how weak the characters were, with ridiculously low skill starting values. Unless, of course, you had the chance to roll a Melnibonean, whose INT and POW ensured they were sorcerers, and their skills were way ahead of other characters. I didn't like Elric!, which was too close to Call of Cthulhu to my tastes. I didn't like neither the fixed skills base values nor the minor magic. I would have prefered a new version of StormBringer, with better skill values.

Still, a lot of people I met had trouble understanding the concept. But this is a common misconception with roll-under games, an not only d% games. See, for instance, how skill and attribute totals in Fading Suns can only go up to 18...

In fact, it's japanese for "infinite" (or "illusion" with other characters). There is a character named Mugen in (excellent) anime Samurai Champloo, but I chose this pseudonym before watching it.