jajagappa

I finally got my copies (as part of the final 5%) on the 22nd. Seemed like a number of others in the US were in similar state.

I, on the other hand, would not. If you got both, you simply get the broader benefit.

An alternative is that you simply belong to a guild/clan/cult that has a particular specialty (if you want to go that far). Or you could just use the Alchemy skill and augment by a relevant lore skill (Mineral Lore, Plant Lore, Animal Lore, Scorpionman Lore, or whatever).

Choose a species from the RQ Bestiary. They are now your foe/enemy. As @Joerg noted in regards to "elf, …", although given green elves are different species than brown elves or dark trolls from great trolls, you may need to choose one (or perhaps apply the blessing to all species of that kind). Similarly with broo, scorpionmen, krarshtkids, etc. or specific monsters such as griffins, sky bulls, giant turtles, etc. Undead (revenants, skeletons, zombies) can obviously come from differing species. You could make a case that a blessing against a dark troll works fine on an undead dark troll - it's the right species, just not a living one. Or you could decide to apply the blessing to that type of undead or all undead. Since gift #10 is doing double damage to any foe, I wouldn't worry too much about the finer points here.

Certainly most Orlanthi and Praxians are adorned with runes in tattoos and in clothing.

I'd probably treat similar to sorcerous spells. You have the Alchemy skill, and then you have Alchemical tomes (or songs, etc.) that provide a specific "technique" or perhaps "recipe" is better in this case. That could simply be handled at the level that poisons are presented: scorpion venom, wyvern venom, spider venom, herbal poison, mineral poison. I would add in other potions though that affect/create passions or similar effects: love potions, madness potions, fear potions, etc. Whether you need a book or not depends on how detailed you want to make it.

No. I think this goes against the text "Only one augment may be attempted per ability" and the spirit of the rule. But what you can do is get Runic inspiration, say by the Fire rune, and apply that augment to your Scan skill to find your target and then to your Bow skill to try to bring down your target. As Rune or Passion inspiration can carry through an action or event (potentially lasting a whole day), these can drive multiple relevant actions through that time period.

And also be careful with foes with multiple attacks, or multiple foes for each PC. Scorpionmen stings, for example, coming after their base attack where the PC has reduced parry chance can be particularly lethal.

But there is danger in that. Lack of wardings and defenses against hostile spirits and demons, etc. As you note well, the Lunar garrison commander may not have the strength to interfere with an in-process Orlanthi ceremony. But block off the sacred space, destroy its wardings, etc. Force the renegade Orlanthi priest to create a sanctified ground elsewhere where the priest is unsure of what hostile denizens might come to the ritual - hostile beings that may well be able to disrupt and attack the ritual.

Mine has arrived as well.

Correct. You can augment a given skill with any other skill/Rune/Passion you deem appropriate, and that augmenting ability can vary. There is no stacking of augments. And you may have a lingering augment based on a Rune or Passion that effectively prevents you from augmenting a skill with something else unless you can overcome the inspiration you initially invoked.

For the 10 years I ran my RQ3 campaign, I always had Lunar characters - but then my campaign was based primarily in Imther, a good Lunar province at the time. But there were "good" Lunars and "bad" Lunars, as one might expect.

Yes. This is nicely summarized in the new GM screen. You get an Experience check with a successful augment roll (whether of skill, rune, or passion). RQG p.145 "Failure: The adventurer subtracts –20% from the ability to be used for the action being attempted." Yes. And there's further negative effects when trying to subsequently use that Rune or Passion until you can spend time meditating on the Rune or in the case of the Passion that the situation has passed. Yes, it's -20% on the roll for the Rune (plus subsequent attempts to use the Rune), or -10% on the roll for the Passion (plus all subsequent rolls associated with the situation). Similar for fumbles, but even more extreme. Yes.

RQG p.271 notes "With the priests’ invocations on holy days, real spirits, gods, and demons enter within the sacred precincts." And there are strong reasons why you want Wardings around your sacred areas in your temples - not just to stop thieves. For similarly worshipping clans, no. But Grazeland or Praxian raiders will be happy to strike during an Orlanthi ceremony - and may well be drawn to it (e.g. by the Summons of Evil spell). My take is that the Lunars do try to enforce their "no worship of Orlanth". Getting rid of the priests, or destroying sacred regalia, of course, is likely easier than disrupting a ceremony, especially when the Lunar magic is only at 1/2 strength. But if you can weaken the worship effort, strike at early points before initiates can draw fully on their magic, or at critical junctures in the rituals (as Jar-eel did when Kallyr attempted the Short Lightbringers Quest), etc. then you could achieve some success that weakens the clan in the coming season or year.

Maybe those map versions will go on sale once all the Glorantha Sourcebooks and maps from the Kickstarter are delivered.

Alchemy is now a skill as noted on p.175. For a given potion you need sufficient raw materials. Then you need a successful skill roll (and allowing for whatever you/GM think is sufficient time for execution of that skill). If you want to go to the level of identifying the raw materials and 'recipe' to produce substance X, you can do so, but it's no more needed than identifying the raw materials and steps required to sculpt a new statue of Orlanth.

Yes, partly that, and partly MGF, but I've found a lot of people over the years who seem paralyzed by the idea of taking some small bit and expanding on it and creating something new. Sort of an "if it doesn't say I can do this, then I'm not sure I'm allowed to do this."

Many gods like cows? Worship ceremonies attract foes. Demons, evil and hostile spirits, broos, enemy clans, … If you've used up all your MP's, you don't have anything left to protect and guard the ceremony.

The Harald Motto: Don't be afraid to create or add to Glorantha. If you want or need a new myth, a new spell, a new cult, a new clan or city, add it. It's your game - your personal touches will add to and enrich it for your players.

Probably something the Varmandi did - they always feud with the Malani, particularly the Orleving. No Law Rune currently in RQG. Could be Harmony rune or Stasis rune. Most of the Family Background entries don't have Rune additions. Passions, yes; Reputation or Wealth, yes; skills, occasionally; runes, rare. Doesn't mean there couldn't be Rune additions, but I'm not sure what would necessarily produce a change in Runes that would carry down. If you do include, I'd likely go with +5% at most as this affects the PC's personality in ways they may not want.

If you go to the Spirit Magic chapter there are some points there that are salient and I think reflect "how" it happens: [spirit magic] concerns communication with the spirits that reside in the natural energy currents of the world To cast a spirit magic spell, the caster concentrates upon the spirits they have a focus with and temporarily alters the spiritual energy currents to create an effect Rune cults can teach any spirit magic spell known to their Rune Masters learning a new spell takes one week of work... Nothing else in the way of learning may be done during this week As the specialists in communicating with the Spirit World, shamans can teach any listed spirit magic spell Each point of spirit magic requires 1 point of CHA (which is same that you need to bind spirits) spirit magic spells require a focus. The focus serves as a reminder and token of the spell So what does this all translate to? Rune Masters of the cult summon cult spirits that know the spell and learns how to communicate with and draw upon its magical energy The week of work includes: the summoning of the spirit by the Rune Master (costs 1RP and that establishes what the cult charges in goods or service) instructing the student on how to interact with the student (I.e. apply their CHA) instructing the student in how to focus upon the "right" object to make the connection with the spirit establishing the permanence of the focus (tattooing, inscribing in object, or whatever) 'testing' that the focus works to open the channel to the spirit and its energy 'testing' that the student can draw upon the spiritual energy and apply her personal energy (MP) to cast the spell For a Rune Master to teach something "new" or "unknown", she will need to research temple or other archives to find what cult spirit might know it - this is likely a higher cost Summon Cult Spirit as the spirit must be explicitly named - or has to go to a shaman to find/locate such a spirit and learn how to interact with it (including how to summon it again) Or else the Rune Master may find/learn something on a heroquest or through an associated cult Anyway, that's my rough take on the process.

Agree. This works quite well with Cinsina (and to a lesser extent Maboder, Culbrea, and Dinacoli) and Colymar where we have considerable details. If you have TotRM #18, you can add in some for the Lismelder as well. Dundealos, of course, have a major bad event in 1618.

Correct. And Lunars would generally want to use it on Wildday/Full Moon to get maximum benefit. There will be locations that are useful/relevant though - Moonbroth in Prax is an obvious one. It wouldn't surprise me if some place in Snakepipe Hollow works just fine. Or, you could carry a portable Moonstone with you to serve as altar/focus for a 'location' benefit. Lunar army units would have their standard to serve the same purpose.

Yes, that seems reasonable, and helps define the Kitori.

I've noted elsewhere that that is a carryover from RQ2.