soltakss

On 5/22/2023 at 4:58 PM, radmonger said:

So Yelmalio's core cult secret, the one thing[1] that every member gets, is now just 'you are allowed to follow the combat rules, the same as anyone else?'.

This is a pretty radical change from the RQ2 version.  Just as Kuschile horse archery was intended to allow shooting from a moving horse, I think most people assumed that 2H shield + spear allowed active parrying with the shield in a way that would otherwise have been impossible.

In effect, the rules for Yelmalian phalanx combat seem to have been generalised.

That makes sense, as other groups have pike formation, not just Yelmalio. So, the cult special training is still cult special training, it is just not unique to Yelmalio.

On 5/23/2023 at 8:58 AM, Zalain said:

i think sorcery in RQG has been misstreated.

Personally, I don't bother with Sorcery in RQG, as a Player or GM, as, in my opinion, it is too complex, not interesting, and doesn't feel right.

On 5/26/2023 at 4:17 PM, MOB said:

Roll20® and Chaosium are pleased to announce they’ve officially agreed to support Miskatonic Repository content on the Roll20 virtual tabletop.

It would be great to see this for the Jonstown Compendium too.

On 5/23/2023 at 8:17 PM, Ironwall said:

so my players clan are descendants of the Berennethtelli and are a clan of Accomplished horse breeders and i want to dive into that portion of the clans structure in some future adventures mainly through the cults of the horse goddess, and Hyalor but I have to ask about what a Hyalor cult would look like i imagine command horse as a rune spell but anything else? 

Hyalor is a very basic cult, in my opinion. It teaches the Ride (Horse) skill and Command Horse spell. You might want to give it some extra minor spells if you want it to be a more powerful cult. In my Hero Wars Cult Conversion, Beren has some nifty spells for riding, instead of Hyalor.

Quote

Description: Beren the Rider was a foreigner who came to the lands of the Vingkotlings during the Darkness. He won the heart of Redaylde, daughter of Vingkot, and became the father of the Berenethtelli Tribe.
Skills: Herd Horses, Horsemanship, Ride Horses, Train Horse,
Spirit Magic: Befriend Horse, Good Riding, Mobility,
Common Divine Magic:
Divine Magic: Become One With Horse, Rapid Charge, Speak To Horses, Sureshot,

On 5/24/2023 at 6:49 AM, Ian A. Thomson said:

Had a search through material and online, but can't find the canoninical date (or range of potential dates) for the attempted Wedding of Pavis. Instead of searching further I'm going back to editing articles for Vol. 03 and putting images into layout etc.

Hoping in the meantime that helpful folk here on the group can point me at appropriate references or cut and paste snippets here. Thanks very much 🙂

The Wedding of Pavis is tricky to date, as it didn't happen!

However, I would say that it would have been planned for 1623 or 1624. Harrek defeats the Lunars at Pennel Ford and then they are concentrating on the Temple of the Reaching Moon, so would be focused on that.

Maybe it should be on the Seven Mothers' High Holy Day, Godday of Disorder week in Dark Season.

On 5/24/2023 at 10:23 AM, Graeme P said:

On his website (in the part where he has a timeline of Prax scenarios) Soltakss has the first Proclamation in Sacred time 1620 and the second occurring in Sea Season after the Cradle scenario.  Not sure what his source was though.

I think I based those on fitting in the events with other scenarios that were dated but happened after that. 

On 5/26/2023 at 5:59 PM, jajagappa said:

The issue with 1622 (at least through Earthseason is the Windstop, which affected the entire Zola Fel valley.

Perhaps that was the planned celebration (as part of the Extra New Moon Year), but the disaster of the Great Winter (and drought - see MOB's writings on this period in Sun County) forces them to push out to 1623?

That makes a lot of sense, so Godday of Disorder week in Dark Season 1623 might be a good date. Of course, the Adventurers should disrupt it before it happens, or could support it and stop pesky Adventurers from disrupting it.

On 5/28/2023 at 5:59 AM, EricW said:

I get the sense chaos taints amongst Lunars were unusual up until the dragon rise? Like they were happy to use battlefield chaos magic, but left actual direct contact with chaos to the specialists.

Don't forget that Priestesses of the Seven Mothers can use Chaos Gift that can leave them with a Chaos taint, unless they are Illuminated. So, does the proportion of Priestesses using Chaos Gift increase?

On 5/28/2023 at 5:59 AM, EricW said:

But if the Lunars followed the progression of the 1st age illuminates when they found themselves losing to Arkat, at some point Lunars would have started being less fussy about who or what supplied the power they craved to win battles. At some point perhaps ordinary soldiers and commanders started increasingly partaking personally of the strengthening corruption?

In my view, most of the people in the Lunar Empire didn't take on Chaos Powers, in the same way that most people in the Golden Empire didn't take on Chaotic Powers.

However, the severity of the attacks by their enemies, first Argrath, then Sheng Seleris, then Argrath again, forced some of the rulers and their companions/households to turn to more extreme powers. 

On 5/28/2023 at 6:55 AM, Nick Brooke said:

I mean, it’s a reasonable analogy, but only die-hard Bronze Age genocide-enthusiasts have pretended that everyone in the Empire was personally corrupted by Chaos by the time Argrath’s acts raised Wakboth to the imperial throne. It has unpleasant echoes of the way nasty regimes dehumanise their enemies (“Oh, they aren’t really people, this is just pest control”), and I prefer not to play with folk who like to think that way.

Some certainly did, as evidenced in King of Sartar, but I believe that most didn't. I have the same misgivings as Nick does regarding the "Death to all Chaos" camp.

On 5/28/2023 at 7:06 AM, Rodney Dangerduck said:

Wakboth as Emperor is existentially fatal to Glorantha As We Know It. 

It is, but Peloria had the Empty Emperor, or was it the Shadow Emperor, so the precedent was already there. The Monster Emperor simply took its place.

On 5/28/2023 at 9:33 AM, EricW said:

It doesn’t have to be genocide, I wasn’t suggesting that. Even in the last days there must have been innocents who needed rescuing, or Lunar rebels driven to desperation by the rising corruption, who needed help. The chaotic not a man who visited Argrath and pleaded for help suggests there were plenty who looked to Argrath as a saviour, even among the corrupted.

Argrath's Temple of the Reaching Storm probably used refugees from the Lunar Empire. He had already conquered Yara Aranis, as she was used to drag Sheng Seleris back to Hell. 

22 hours ago, metcalph said:

I really don't like the idea that the Monster Empire is falling victim to the same flaws that befell the Empire of Light.  Wakboth or Ralzakark or what-have-you shouldn't become Emperor just because the Lunars are afraid of losing.  The Lunars have been out of power since the Lightbringer's Quest.  Sheng Seleris has been and gone.  Anybody who was anybody in the Lunar Empire is a historical footnote in the time of the Monster Empire.  It's like blaming Metternich for 20th Century Europe.

I do like the idea, as it is just an expression of the fact that Glorantha repeats itself in various ways.

Sure, the Monster Emperor has little relationship with the Red Emperor or Sheng Seleris, as the Monster Empire arises after their deaths. Using my Hero Wars Timeline, the Red Emperor dies in 1680, Sheng Seleris dies in 1708, the Red Moon is torn down in 1725. So, the Monster Empire exists between 1708 and 1725, only lasting 17 years, and was formed only 28 years after the Red Emperor was killed. Of course, there are discrepancies, as Queen Inkarne reigned from 1743-1843 and was queen during the Monster Time, but that is after Argrath was apotheosised.

23 hours ago, metcalph said:

A simpler explanation might be the destruction caused by the Hero Wars (we already have a Flood, Smoke Storms, Windstop and Great Ice) simply allowed Chaos to step back in in a big way.  The Lunars at this time aren't actively inviting Chaos in or fighting alongside it; they are using their mysteries to live with the active presence of Chaos in their world.  Fallout: Peloria so to speak.  

I agree that the Hero Wars broke Glorantha again, allowing Chaos back in.

22 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

“You’ve found a way to survive the Apocalypse we caused… you monsters!”

Yes, that sums it up. That also applied to the people of the Golden Empire, which is why I see parallels.

On 5/28/2023 at 3:23 AM, John Biles said:

Nysalor is an illumination salesman rather than the source of illumination.

Perhaps, in a way. Rashoran was the original source of Illumnination, but he was killed in the Gods War. Osentalka, the Perfect One, might have been Rashoran Reborn. In any case, he was the new source of Illumination, in the same way that the Red Goddess is the new source of Illumination.

2 hours ago, Darius West said:

FFS who in the Dark Hells would you send? 

Professional intermediaries such as Heralds. 

2 hours ago, Darius West said:

They will then implicitly be one more person in the shameful conspiracy.  One more mouth to spread the info, or blackmail you.  How many people would willingly do business with broos as an agent on your behalf?  How could you trust someone who consorts with chaos?  It will all end in tears and secret murder, I'm sure.

Sure, if you have a hard belief that hiring Chaos is Chaotic then all of your statements apply.

Orlanthi probably wouldn't do this, for sure.

However, I don't think that Praxians have the same concept of Secret Murder being a taboo.

I am looking at it from the viewpoint of the Nomad Gods game explicitly saying that Praxians routinely hire Broo, and other Chaotic mercenaries, and suggesting reasons why they might. Your view, that Praxians would never hire Chaotic mercenaries, is an opposing view that is fine for Glorantha but does not agree with sources.

23 hours ago, Darius West said:

Because Broos are disease carrying, rapey and murderous, and offering them pay means getting up close to them?

You send an intermediary, you don't deal with the Broos yourself.

Also, disease-ridden and murderous is fine when they are attacking your enemies.

20 hours ago, Darius West said:

I don't think broos have the same work ethic and grasp of economics as condotierri or landsknechts.  They at least understood that a reputation for unreliability meant they wouldn't get hired or re-hired.  Plus there is the whole thing of, "who in their right mind hires chaotics?". 

They get hired because they are tough and brutal. Also, because they might get killed in the battle.

20 hours ago, Darius West said:

I mean, if you worship Waha or Stormbull, surely you are inviting divine retribution by fraternizing with the enemy of all creation?

You are not fraternising with them. You do not fight beside them. You send instructions as to where they will attack and they attack.

For me, a stolen kiss should not mean leaving the Voria cult, so in my game, nothing would come of that event.

However, if the kiss was part of an ongoing courtship then the logical outcome of a successful courtship would be to join the Ernalda cult, or to choose a different cult. If the relationship became sexual then Voria would not be an option. Even in that case, Babeester Gor would not be involved, as this is a natural progression of Voria members.

2 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

A Chalana Arroy fumbles while trying to pull the Stormbully out of Berserk?

Maybe the Storm Buller sees them as a foe and attacks them.

Although, I like David's idea that the Healer enrages the Storm Buller even more, driving them into a frenzy.

37 minutes ago, Darius West said:

19 hours ago, soltakss said:

mercenaries, so this is unlikely.

I suspect hiring broos as mercenaries is an extremely stupid thing to do unless they are extremely cheap to hire.

Yet it happens

On 5/15/2023 at 7:26 AM, Darius West said:

Assuming the Broos don't simply take the half payment and F off.

They could, but they often hire out as mercenaries, so this is unlikely.

On 5/16/2023 at 11:43 AM, Shiningbrow said:

Or, more likely, turn on you, knowing you have money!

They could, but as mercenaries they are unlikely to do that.

On 5/16/2023 at 11:43 AM, Shiningbrow said:

Or even more likely, hire themselves out to everyone on the battlefield, and then pick a side... (or, like the hirer, wait until both sides have fought, then rampage through the remaining lot)

That is more likely, especially if they are contracted for one battle, once the battle is over their contract is over and they can do whatever they like.

This is for Mythras, but it should be easy to convert back to RuneQuest.

On 5/9/2023 at 10:23 AM, Zalain said:

i gave him a 10% of rune of chaos to begin with. And i think giving him extra 10% for each spell he learns from that book.

That could work. Let us know how it worked out in gameplay.

On 5/9/2023 at 10:23 AM, Zalain said:

How can this Rune of Chaos increase or decrease? can any rune decrease?? (apart of power runes)

The more powerful the Rune the closer you are to it, so if the Chaos Rune increases in value the more Chaotic you are.

On 5/9/2023 at 10:23 AM, Zalain said:

EDIT: how the character will be changing until the chaos rune is increasing? Fisically? only behaviour?

That really depends on the Player and the GM.

In our old RQ2 Campaign, Pektok, a Duck Humakti, gained +2D6 STR via a Chaos Feature unknowingly gained, so he trained his CON up to his STR, then he found out that it was Chaotic and got rid of it, then trained his STR up to Species Maximum. As he was a no nonsense Humakti, being Chaotic made no difference to how he behaved or what he did.

Other Adventurers may behave differently. They might meet with Chaos Creatures and get to understand their viewpoints and join them, One of my joys, as a GM, is to slowly corrupt Adventurers, giving them little steps along the way to corruption, so that each step seems a logical and reasonable thing to do, until it is too late twenty steps down the road.

On 5/16/2023 at 6:20 PM, Nick Brooke said:

How do you deal with Orlanth being Vinga?

Some people's heads explode.

On 5/17/2023 at 4:25 AM, Erol of Backford said:

So what was Naimless' actual name, assuming the PC's meet her in Londros before she is an Initiate of Humakt?

It is more likely to be an in-joke regarding how awful people are at naming their PCs.

19 hours ago, GoldShogun said:

What effect does the gods of a heroquesters companions have on the heroquest itself?

It really does depend.

Ideally, the deities should match the Companions, wherever possible.

However, if they differ then nothing really matters unless the Companions use magic that the original deities don't have. Quite often that doesn't matter but sometimes it does.

19 hours ago, GoldShogun said:

I imagine when people go on a heroquest the band is usually made up of people who worship gods that are associated, friendly or neutral towards each other but what happens if a heroquesters companion worships a god that is hostile or even an enemy to their own. What happens then? Does the heroquest change in anyway such as having a more unexpected outcome.

There are broadly two ways this could happen: The worshipper of the enemy deity can be doing this openly or in secret. If they worship openly then the HeroQuestors probably know about it and can cope with it, an example is of a worshipper of Zorak Zoran who plays a Storm Bull role, that is acceptable as Zorak Zoran and Storm Bull are both Berserking deities. The other way is if the worshipper keeps it secret and deliberately sabotages the HeroQuest, so a Zorak Zorani might be an initiate of Storm Bull as well, might go on a HeroQuest playing Storm Bull and, at a certain point, might attack the lead HeroQuestor. That would be bad and would affect the outcome of the HeroQuest.

19 hours ago, GoldShogun said:

Does the compainon have to identify themselves as another god which has better relations or are they just straight up denied participating in the heroquest or even potentially becoming an obstacle that the heroquester must overcome. A good example is what if a Orlanth cultist brings a Lunar cultist on the lightbringers quest.

The HeroQuestor does not have to identify who they are. In the case of a Lunar going on a Lightbringer Quest, they could be playing Lhankor Mhy or Issaries, for example, using their Irrippi Ontor or Etyries knowledge. They could choose to betray the HeroQuest at some point, or do something unexpected. This probably won't end the HeroQuest but might open up new possibilities.

14 hours ago, mfbrandi said:

So is nuking Yasgur’s farm the @soltakss-style method of bringing back the OG Sun?

Not my style really.

However, there is a precedent. Some say the Dragonewts engineered the events leading to the Dragonkill in order to get enough people present for the Dragons to participate. So, getting enough people present to act as a huge sacrifice makes some sense.

On 5/8/2023 at 8:13 PM, Stan Shinn said:

Is that correct? If so, this along with determining the normal 1/5th and 1/20th of your skill on the fly seems like a lot of division you have to do during the game.

Here is a quick, and often accurate, trick:

• Take your skill and divide by ten, knocking off the last digit
• Double it for a Special
• Halve it for a Critical

It works for most instances, unless you roll within 1 or 2 of the calculated result, but in that case I'd just use the calculation as it is easier.

So, in your example of 50% skill, dividing it by ten gives you 5, knocking off the last digit of 0, doubling it gives a Special chance of 10 and halving it gives a Critical chance of 2.5 that rounds to 3. With the Difficult Drive, your skill is 25, so dividing by 10 gives you 2, doubled to 4 and halved to 1. If you want to be more exact, dividing by 10 gives you 2.5, doubled to 5 and halved to 1..25 that becomes 1.

14 hours ago, mfbrandi said:

Thed:   blamed victim.

Thed: Revered ancestress, or the cause of all Broo problems

On 5/12/2023 at 9:25 AM, Darius West said:

On 5/10/2023 at 6:15 PM, Rodney Dangerduck said:

As I understand things, Praxian - Broo alliances happen frequently.  (This factoid shocked our old-timey Glorantha group, but I don't think we played much of the Praxian material)

Given that pretty much every Praxian major deity hates chaos passionately, I don't see how their followers can ever justify allying with broos, or scorpionmen, or any chaos creatures.  I strongly doubt there are enough illuminated Chieftains to make this even remotely plausible, plus how likely is it that they will be overthrown on the spot, murdered by Stormbulls and then the whole clan goes on an anti-chaos rampage against their new "allie"?  I think such Praxian/Chaotic alliances would need to be highly covert at best.

It is simple, really.

You ally with Broos and send them against your enemies. In the battle many Broos die and many of your enemies die. That is a win-win situation, as broos die and your enemies die.

On 5/6/2023 at 4:43 PM, Manunancy said:

I forgot one sort of peoples when i thought about who might qualify : broos.

Perfect sacrifice fodder, nobody's going to miss them. And don't worry, the chaos taint is under control and won't affect the end result 🙂

The players discounted that immediately, as they didn't want to give Genert a Chaos Taint.

On 5/6/2023 at 4:43 PM, Manunancy said:

But I wonder what would happen should the sacrifices come to a ressurected Genert demanding justice for their deads ?because no matter how you wrap it up in necessity, there were still lies, treachery and mass murder going around.

Yes there was. 

It was something that the Adventurers justified very quickly, as being for the Greater Good.

On 5/7/2023 at 1:17 AM, Erol of Backford said:

I'd go with hyena skins and snakes versus the mass sacrifice.

Whatever works at your gaming table. 

6 hours ago, David Scott said:

On 5/7/2023 at 2:57 PM, Erol of Backford said:

From another thread, are heardmen able to be taught to play simple musical interments?

The easiest reply is 

Are cows (or other herd animals) able to be taught to play simple musical interments? 🙂

They can ring bells.

3 hours ago, DrGoth said:

Well, herdmen can throw rocks - which other herd animals cannot.  So the analogy doesn't really hold.

They could bang drums and shake things, if trained, I suppose. It probably wouldn't sound great though.

On 5/5/2023 at 11:12 PM, hix said:

I've never been able to get my head around abstract wealth systems, they always seems like more work to abstract than just counting up the pennies or credits or Rho. Anybody like using this kind of thing? How do you resolve it?

The way I do it is:

• If you want to buy something that is available at your Wealth Level or below then you can always buy it without a roll.
• If you want to buy something that is available at your Wealth Level or below then you can buy it if you make a Status roll (You might get a penalty to the roll if the object being bought is way over your Wealth Level).
• If you want credit, or want to extend credit, then make a Status roll

And that's about it, really.

Some people try to abuse it by buying lost of things, I'd either allow it or make a Status roll to see if their funds have dried up.