jajagappa

It's also easy to pair it with the Sartar Companion. Have the heroes venture to Jonstown, or deal with the dwarf tribute (which I think works better for the Cinsina than the Colymar).

HQ2 offered 3 methods for character creation: Prose, List, and As-You-Go. SKoH used the List method. HQG used the As-You-Go method. HQG set certain keywords and abilities at specific levels to ensure that characters would meet the requirements for initiation into the cults. Compare: Cultural keyword: SKoH (no rating); HQG (at 13) Community relationship: SKoH (not specifically broken out); HQG (at 13) Occupational keyword: SKoH (no rating); HQG (at 17) Distinguishing characteristic: SKoH (no rating); HQG (at 17) 3 Runes: SKoH (1 at 17, 2 at 13); HQG (1 at 1W, 1 at 17, and last at 13) Additional abilities: SKoH (9 noted: start at 13 for base or +1 for breakout); HQG (5 noted) +3 Charms, Spells, and/or Natural Magic Talents: SKoH (noted, but no ratings); HQG (not specified) Flaws: SKoH (up to 3 noted); HQG (up to 3 noted with specific values) Assignments: SKoH (put 1 keyword, rune, or ability at 17); HQG (already factored into above) Additional points: SKoH (+20 on any of the above); HQG (+9 on any of the above - the difference is factored into occupation, distinguishing characteristic, and runes). Also some slight variations in occupations (SKoH is more specific to Sartar/Heortland). I allow players to generally draw from either (usually restricting use of spirit-talker and philospher/sorcerer).

The Guide gives you a great view across Glorantha (peoples, places, some history). The Glorantha Sourcebook has some slight overlap (elder races), but mostly covers background myths and deities and detailed history of the Lunar Empire and Dragon Pass. A very good complement to the Guide. While they've announced a Bestiary and a GM's book and scenarios/campaign books, I've not heard of anything else similar to the Guide and Sourcebook.

I think you have read this correctly. I agree - I had missed that this was in reference to the Catch-up package.

It could be that the Lunars are capturing aldryami in the Stinking Forest (where there is no great tree to aid/protect them), and shipping them to various Governors, officials, etc. to help tend their gardens. Sor-eel or the Patromas might be trading for such creatures.

From my list of rumors for Saird (slightly modified): The dwarfs of Hilltown are trading copper blades for red clay - Elkoi pig $#!+ might work. The dwarfs of Hilltown are now trading silver for white salt - where do the primitives get salt? One of the local spirittalkers claims that the best salt comes from ancient water giants who were slain and dried out by fire gods - but can they find one? The King of Imther is seeking a new bride - consider sending Marusa. Stupid Etyries merchant building fort on Elf Sea - maybe can get primitives to raid it. Caught Holayan spy. Entrails were interesting - my reader says there is a great city in my future. Idiot guards said there were red wyrms are breeding in the Red Wyrm river - should have them flayed. Rumors say Quinscion the Patient has an incurable disease and will die shortly - how many times have I heard that before! The Soldier's Ferry caravan has completely vanished - have to resort to a tribute on the local pigs. Heard that a giant two-headed turtle swam up and out of the Elf Sea and ate 10 children of the Haylfan clan - serve the scum right. Maybe Marusa can claim credit? The Esteemed Right Hand of Gormoral of Vanch is an idiot and foot-licker.

They are in a myth in the Otherworld, so the options are either: 1) they die and follow Grandfather Mortal to the Underworld when that event occurs; 2) there is some action that drops them out of the Otherworld. If they are still in the Green Age, then perhaps they must be broken or torn apart, or be cast into the Endless Chasm of the Earth, or be kissed by the Earth Queen, or swallowed by the Serpent Mother, or perhaps just Named by Genert. One of these actions pushes them out of the story/myth and they awake somewhere in the Earth, perhaps a cave or an Earth Temple, maybe even the Earth Temple in Snakepipe Hollow! If they've moved the story into the Golden Age, then perhaps they are captured by the minions of Yelm and brought before the all-seeing justice of Brightface. His fiery Justice sears them, and they drop out/awake in a retirement tower by one of the Sun Dome Temples, though no one at the temple remembers what/when they arrived.

Deep, deep trouble. If you DO anything, take ANY action, you have made a foe. Maybe its an obscure one, maybe a significant one. The Green Age is the time of Naming. Genert and his companions named things. If you steal something, then you may be named as The Thief (this could become a new/alternate myth for Lanbril). But, in being named, you bear The Mark. Maybe The Mark was never noticed by any Lanbril cultist before, but when The Thief returns he/she will have The Mark, and suddenly everyone remembers what The Mark means. Or, perhaps the heroes simply encounter Genert and the Namers. Genert asks them what they are. They make the mistake of responding (and likely a mistake not to respond too) and say they are Hands of Tada. Well, Tada is among the Namers, and Genert says to Tada, "it seems you've misplaced your hands, here they are", and the heroes are literally gathered up and attached to Tada. Oops. Especially since Tada is now off to fight chaos and is going to be torn apart (and no one knows what happened to Tada's Hands). I think this is the right way to play it. And it is likely that the heroes' actions invokes a response where the Golden Age figures are suddenly revealed in their glory. For instance, the Lanbril hero steals from an innocent Youth. The Youth is revealed to be Yelm the Glorious Rider, who directs the Golden-eyed Eagles to pursue The Thief and bring the Thief to Justice.

But, that still adds a 'companion' of a sort (and there's nothing wrong with that). And I've also had players create 'intelligent' weapons or artifacts (e.g. an intelligent hammer). But... not everyone wants a companion of any of these sort. They want the sole, single character. And that's also ok - while others have been busy acquiring a follower, etc., these folk have focused on some other abilities - and that's why I've gone to allowing some compensation for not going the companion route.

If you happen to be one of the 'fortunate' ones chosen for the Tournament, you had better hope you have lots of Luck to be either the One who becomes Belintar's mortal body or one of the very few who escape, otherwise you get Death. As Scott noted, it's not what you wield but whether/how you survive. I agree with Joerg on this: it's a fantastical place to go to, and there are some folk who do (merchants travelling the Fish Roads, sages bringing the latest knowledge to the Final Information Library, etc.). More likely, 'worshipping' Belintar directly means you have been noticed in some capacity and selected to stay on at the City of Wonders. But most worship is indirect and channeled through the Governors.

While I don't formally describe it in this manner, I think it is largely the outcome that I apply at the different levels of victory. In some cases Marginal Victory is just 'you got what you wanted, nothing more'. Minor, major, and complete then add some additional results. In other cases, a Marginal Victory is sort of a partial victory - for instance, in tracking you might find that yes you can find the tracks, but there's two sets of tracks and they go in different directions. This seems to be in line with your 'Yes, but...' result. I think it's a useful way to describe or approach the results (though I don't think that it needs to replace what is written).

They don't need to - see it already includes the Illusion rune, too.

I particularly like this last inclusion that I underlined. Good work Joerg. Heortlanders and Esrolians are not too culturally dissimilar; they integrate seemlessly with the existing de-clanned urbanites, and the influx passes more-or-less unnoticed, save in the surnames in the tax records perhaps? I really like that inclusion as well. And since Sartar came from Heortland, he may well have been part of this wave of immigration (rather than coming before it).

I found Vikings and Land of Ninja to have good material, they just weren't Glorantha, which is what I really wanted.

This was very clear when RQ3 came out. Generic players book, generic GM book, generic characters, boring Cormac's saga (where did Rurik go!!!). And the first materials that came out were Monster Coliseum, Vikings, and Land of Ninja (and annoying boxed sets of character sheets only). And then when Glorantha material came out, it was repackaged from RQ2.

If you consider the rune's form, I think you'll find it also qualifies as the Greg rune.

This is exactly the challenge I'm finding right now building urban scenarios in Nochet. For a House/Clan based scenario, the Grandmother or earth priestess or chieftain can drive such a group, and has selected the group for their varied skills to drive the 'quest'. For a varied group, it's harder to drive this (unless one of the players has thought of this as their goal and now is bringing in the others to help them succeed). But, it should be achievable, and I'm definitely interested in hearing thoughts on this.

I think this sounds right for Jonstown. Harmast Fieldtiller is kin. He is known and vouched for at the Cinsina Hall. Ergentius is an outside, and may have to become a retainer of an 'inferior' citizen/guild master. I'd say the latter. Likely both. Who is worse but greedy and lazy kin? Founding one is likely difficult, and sounds like a good 'quest' story. You're going to need to have/prove that skill, likely in some important contest. You may have had to quest for the power from a god or spirit or have gained/stolen it from dwarves. Likely acquiring some enemy along the way. And finally requires approval of the Ring plus other temples and guilds, who are often jealous of privileges. You're going to have to overcome some or most of their resistance. And that's just the beginning. What happens when one of the rival/jealous guild masters makes you "an offer you can't refuse"?

I've been playing around with some of these as I work on developing Nochet. You'll find some already in the Esrolia book.

It is the "cult" of Geo. And yes it serves mostly as a confraternity. One of my player's characters recently was initiated into Geo's. See P:GtA p.201: the primary function of each Geo’s Inn is to provide refuge and support for Sartarites. Geo blesses and defends all of his inns. His is a close-knit fraternity. The innkeepers and staff are often veteran warriors who cannot find work anywhere else. The bulk of “Geo’s Own” are adventurers, outlaws, and wanderers, who always find a mug of beer, a bowl of stew, and a place to sleep when they get “home.” Though probably non-canonical, I drew on the cult writeup in the Cults Compendium p.235: Members can join if they pass the entrance requirement of being a Sartar citizen, or a close friend of a citizen, and if they swear to uphold the rules of the cult. These rules are that members must always respect the hospitality of Geo, and never fight among themselves or allow others to fight inside the inn; when members meet and know or notice that they are members they must stop whatever they are doing and “have a round for Geo,” even though this may be a short sip of water upon a savage battlefield; they must occasionally stand guard duty or perform other tasks in the inn; and they must never forget who offered them refuge in their time of need. Once these things are sworn to then a member receives a brand on his right little finger. Showing this scar will get him automatic entry past the porters of any Geo’s thereafter. The porters can instantly recognize a forged brand.

Yes, when Argrath began putting together new magical units, he brought together all sorts of weird magical traditions. These might include shamans, traditional devotees or priests, mystics, and sorcerers. The latter might include: Lhankor Mhy (and there are a number of schools and traditions among the sage god - I would say some of the temples in Nochet could be based on the Law Rune rather than the Truth rune), Esvulari 'priests' who use sorcery as common spells, sinister atheistic Ingareens who live in the Left Arm Islands, black Arkati (ala Sir Ethilrist), and more. There are already Rokari in Nochet before the Great Winter, and that population grows with the Nolos diaspora as the King of Seshnela advances against them.

One of the reasons why I set my old RQ campaign in adjacent Imther - a good Lunar province, opportunity for intrigue in cities and between rival cults and factions, and easy access to Balazar to complete quests important to the campaign (in my case, it was the search for the weapons of the legendary Earthwielder - one of which was in a buried temple in the cursed Plain of Stones, and another at Gonn Orta's Castle). And also served as a way to reflect conflict between the divinely-influenced and rather mercantile Lunars (Etyries) seeking amber along the coast of the Elf Sea (and settling a colony to gather it) vs. the primitive/spiritual ways of the shamanistic Balazarings. Some of it found its way to print in New Lolon Gospel, Codex, Enclosure, and Tales; and I've posted some revised and more canonical bits in the Glorantha forum on this site.

That's why I went to PbF's - and have found those work well for my time availability and the narrative style of play of HQG.

The one in HQG is one option. I'm in process of playing through that one, though admittedly I've stretched it out into a more extended set of events.

And NO kickstarter! Looking forward to simply getting the products.