JonL

I would expect any successful Orlanthi farming community to have access to at least one initiate of Barntar, Gustbran, and the local Grain Goddess. Otherwise they wouldn't be successful. At best, those without would be dependent on neighbors (hopefully clan-mates) for key services. At the clan-level, I expect single Gustbrani with some lay member apprentices might service an entire Tula if there are enough Barntari in the outlying steadings that know Repair. Similarly, one specialist healer might be enough for a whole clan if there are enough Barntari or Grain Goddess initiates (especially midwives) around to provide minor healings and such in the field. There aren't Rune Lords/Devotees under every rock, but I suspect that 1/100 is a lowball figure for cottars, vendref, Lodrili, etc. who initiate to the less martial and more professional cults know 2-3 key spells that support their daily livelihood.

There's always work to do on a farm, sure, but on many days during Fire, Storm, and Dark Seasons their chores will be done by lunchtime. Outside planting and harvest periods, those so inclined could certainly study the mysteries of Heal & Repair with senior members of the local Barntar cult.

While written for HQ, the Satar Player's Primer is a solid choice for "Read This." Only about a page-an-a-half of it are system-specific material. The rest is all pure setting introduction.

...says you can use one per exchange in Extended Contests and as many as you want on Simple Contests. ;-) HQG mirrors HQCR's language on p63, while stating the opposite in a clearly-not-a-typo fashion on p60. Like I said, either way makes for a fine game, and which way is better is largely a matter of taste. Just the same, a rule-book shouldn't leave you guessing about what the rules are, especially for newcomers. I'll spare everyone the utter threadjack that recapitulating my rants from last year in the croudsource editing thread would entail. Still, another year has gone by and I still don't know whether@Jeff meant the p60 verbiage to be a deliberate change between CR & G with the p63 text inheriting some unedited copy from CR or what; but it would still be greatly appreciated for things like that to be addressed properly, even if just in a separate note rather than correcting the PDF.

Thanks in particular for compiling the Spot Rules Summary. For as much as part of the appeal of HQ is that you don't have to think about special rule cases very often, I have at times passed on using some of those in moments where they would have been beneficial to the game because I use them infrequently enough that the details weren't at my fingertips and I didn't want to break the flow of the game to look up something like the particular options of followers. Having a quick-reference like that handy with some sticky tabs on it would be very useful in those moments.

No single erratum is a game-breaker. They do however make for a different game depending on which way you decide to jump. In particular, can one spend a single Hero Point on a simple contest, or many? The book clearly states both a few pages apart. The game is totally playable either way, but the former case encourages using them here and there throughout the night, while the latter encourages hoarding them to throw at a climactic Nigh Impossible challenge. Neither approach is bad, but which case is true at your table has a large impact on just how nigh impossible Nigh Impossible is. (For myself, I prefer one per roll - such that Nigh Impossible retains some teeth, but allow spending one on an augment roll and one on the actual contest roll itself. I make an exception to that if I'm running a Super-Hero game, because surprise upsets & reversals are a key part of that genre.) The result-point allocation in extended contests in the stated rules vs in the Battle of Auroch Hills play example is another one. The game is playable either way, obviously the Auroch Hills example is an actual-play transcript and they managed to make it through their session just fine. Depending on which way you do it though, the way extended contests play out is different. Again, not unplayable in either approach, but the risk/reward dynamics around things like Risky Gambit, Phyrric Victory, and such are impacted by which way it's done - especially with uneven numbers of opponents. Nothing among the errata ruins the game, but they do make it harder to learn the game from the book, and especially to learn to run the game. While errata don't impede play once you've decided how to approach them, they do degrade the primary utility of the rule-book as a tool for learning how to play the game. Someone coming in cold doesn't have the context to understand the implications of the above and make informed choices about how they want their game to go. If the above were even presented as options with their impact on play explained, it would be alright. That's why I grind the axe about it, whenever it comes up. I <3 HQ and teach it to new players at every opportunity. The rule-book presenting the rules inconsistently makes that harder, and as can be seen right here sometimes makes potential new adopters shy away.

Restoring the flaming spear that protected the clan? Sounds like a job for an Elmali. Bonus points if the Grazers do show up and identify a Loyal Thane on horseback as riding with Yu-Kargzant/Jardan then team up to fight the ghouls.

O: Hey, how about that Yelm, a real jerk, am I right? K: For sure. I don't know how or why, but he just inexplicably showed up out of the blue in our old neighborhood and now it's all glowy and hurts and nobody can get any rest. O: Er, yeah, inexplicable. <cough> Still, somebody should really do something about that...

That's an interesting take. I would think that much of that would be a fine non-stretch use of the parent keyword itself, though having the specialized breakout for it for someone who is in particular a sword geek would certainly be at an advantage in doing so, being both eligible for Just-the-Right-Tool-for-the-Job plot augment and having a more specific ability privileged over more general ones. A +4 is a lot to sink into such a thing that might not be applicable to all that many conflicts, but OTOH if you go old-school and have lots of whacky intelligent magic longswords loose in the game setting, perhaps it would come up quite a bit. From a mechanical effectiveness standpoint, I'd expect to frequently see excellence with a particular culture's a signature weapon(s) show up as a breakout under the race/culture keyword, and thus be usable as an augment for a fighting ability elsewhere on the sheet. Having touched on the stretch, specific>general, and Just-the-Right-Tool-for-the-Job concepts, I think that their application is crucial in capturing the feel of a class/race based game. If Prestidigitator Paul wants to fight using his "Magic-User" keyword, he's likely both Stretching and facing some disadvantages relating to armor disparity & such, unless he's got a "Deadly with a Staff" breakout and maybe a few other equalizers in play. Similarly, anybody can try to disarm a trap or pick a lock or whatever, but a Thief with appropriate abilities is going to be at a significant advantage in doing so. Despite some role-definition & niche protection being part of the emulated genre, I do like the idea that using "Hobbit" for stealth or "Wood Elf" for archery are as legit as using one's class ability for doing so.

I'm psyched to hear that those and some of the other D101 back catalog are still available on DriveThru. I'd gone looking on the D101 site and assumed they were no longer available when they weren't in the store there. (I still <3 The Book of Glorious Joy, @Newt, even if it's out of setp with the current Western paradigm. If I were to run a HQ game based on Medieval romances, or allegorical adventure tales like The Faerie Queene, I would gladly lean on TBoGJ)

This is similar to how Dungeon World expresses the same principle, and it works pretty well there too.

@Andrew J. Luther, looking at the example characters you posted. I'm curious about some of the breakouts abilities. There frequently seem to be things like "Fight with Longsword & Shield" and "Longsword Specialist." under the same Keyword. While both thematic (especially retaining the 70's concept of what a "longsword" is about), that limits their usefulness in play since breakouts under the same ability can't augment one another. Could you elaborate on what you've got going on there? I assume there's more to it that I don't yet understand.

AlignmentA character's Alignment ability represents not only a descriptor of morals/ethics, but also a gauge of the character's affinity and connection to the supernal energies emanating from the Outer Planes, powers and beings that embody them, . It will mostly be used as an augment for other abilities, but might on occasion be used directly for things like resisting Charm effects or other manipulation that are attempting to make you go against your Alignment, or perhaps even as a Flaw if being manipulated by someone clever enough to exploit your personality. Characters' susceptibility to "Detect..." or "Protection from..." spells are also effected by their alignment and its rating, particularly in the latter case. Characters with Alignment ratings of 1w or higher present Moderate Resistance to Detect Good/Evil/Law/etc magic or effects. Those with 10w or greater present Low resistance to those Detects. Characters with Alignments rated below 1w are not effected by Protection from Good/Evil/Law/etc magic. Those with extremely powerful Alignment grant a free bump-up to Protection from _____ spells effecting them for every mastery level past the first.It is even possible, though often quite difficult, to communicate with other creatures of your same Alignment solely via the common supernal affinity you share. This is more of an intuitive understanding of one another than a verbal one, and complex mundane concepts are difficult to express via "Alignment Language."

For Clerics, I moved away from a standard spell list, as I always thought all Clerics having the same spells was a bit off. They get fewer miracles/day than the magic spell casters do, but can have a bit more flexability wrt "at will" effects. ClericsCharacters with "Cleric" or equivalent Character Class Ability/Keyword should do the following:Note two or three things your deity for particularly embodies or is "God of..."Note 3-5 feats, trappings, goals, or acts for which your deity is renowned.Note three taboos, geasa, vows which your faith forbids or must follow.The character may invoke their deity's power for miracles that are in line with the above description once per day for every four points the ability is above 9. That is to say:Cl Rating:miracles/day13:117:21w:35w:49w:513w:6etcAdditionally, they may do the following things without counting towards their daily miracle count: Turn/Command undead, heal "Hurt" level injuries or stabilize those with greater injuries, use divine blessings or guidance as an augment or assist, sense holy or unholy energies, resist certain supernatural attacks, inspire the faithful,and so on.Stretch penalties will be assessed if the Cleric has been or is violating the taboos of the faith, or if the action attempted is contrary to the deity's character. If the character's Alignment ability is a strong match for the faith, it can often be used as an augment for clerical magic, while an opposed Alignment may sometimes function as a Flaw.Non-Clerics with Divine FavorOther characters may follow or be blessed by a particular deity without having a Cleric Character Class Ability. If someone takes a "Follower of..." or similar ability for a given faith, they may not perform the outright miracles, healing, or turning that an actual Cleric can, but may still call upon their divine patron for augments, guidance, and protection. A "Paladin" or similar Character Class Ability also includes this capability, and may also take other Cleric-like abilities (such as Turning) as breakout abilities if desired.

Here are some example Grimoires containing spells from the old AD&D lists, grouped by theme. They mostly have low-level spells with a few mid-level spells here and there. Over the course of a campaign, characters might discover or learn new/higher level spells within these the themes of their existing Grimoires, or perhaps obtain new and more rare/precious Grimoires containing deeper magics. A Prestidigitator's PrimerA classic reference tome collecting basic spells geared toward helping a journeyman magic-user survive the dangerous world outside his former master's protection.--Magic Missile--Shield--Light--Feather Fall--Protection from Evil--Shocking grasp--Mending--Jump--Scare--Locate Object--Web--Feign Death--Dispel magicEssences of of MotionA basic text on the application of magical power to force and movement.--Feather Fall--Jump--Push--Spider Climb--Run--Tenser's Floating Disc--Unseen Servant--Levitate--Shatter--Haste--Slow--Gust of Wind--FlyThe Fragile SelfA treatise on effecting the minds of others by the notorious seducer and manipulator, Gavarge.--Charm Person--Friends--Hold Person--Taunt--Message--Sleep--Forget--Scare--ESP--Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter--SuggestionThe Burning HandThe first (and most common) of three volumes on pyromancy by the ancient archmage Xeross. Intended to be an introductory work. Xeross's later (and more rare) works, "The Ball of Flame" and "The Conflagrations," are said to reveal the deeper secrets of pyromancy.--Affect Normal Fires--Melt--Firewater--Burning Hands--Pyrotechnics--Flaming Sphere--Light--Flame Arrow--Stinking CloudThe Peerless BurglarA collection of spells for stealth and theft--Spider Climb--Fools Gold--Invisibility--Leomund's trap--Nystul's Magic Aura--Locate Object--Rope Trick--Alter Self--Knock--InfravisionOn the Malleability of the Three DimensionsAn examination of the magical principles that underlie distance, size, and space.--Message--Levitation--Enlarge--Shrink--Item--Rope Trick--Mirror Image--Deeppockets--Blink--Clairaudience--Clairvoyance

duplicate post

With Magic-Users and their ilk, I thought that spell books and spells/day are core elements of the fiction, but I also decided to loosen up a bit and offload minor effects like cantrips and Read Magic into general use of the Class Ability, especially WRT things like augments and assisting fellow party members, you can always do a little something, even is your spells/day are tapped out. Magic-UsersCharacters with "Magic-User" or equivalent Character Class Ability/Keyword can cast one spell per day for every three points the ability is over 10. That is to say:MU Rating:spells/day13:116:219:32w:45w:58w:611w:7etcAdditionally, they may cast one additional spell/day for each Grimoire beyond their first they study (see below).Grimoires will each have several spells focused around a certain theme. Magic users start with one Grimoire for free. Additional Grimoires may be purchased with the characters discretionary points during chargen. Grimoires usually have no rating of their own, they simply provide access to spells that are cast with the rating of the Class Ability/Keyword that permitted their purchase. Magic-Users who excel a particular type of magic might take a breakout Ability from their Magic-User class to represent that, or choose additional Ability that could be used as an augment when performing appropriate magic.Magic-user types will start play knowing four spells plus additional spell for each Grimoire they have. They may select these five+ spells freely from among their Grimoire lists. Discretionary points may also be used to choose additional spells, 1:1. A new spell from within a Grimoire can be learned between sessions as an advancement option. Characters with Magic-User ratings of 10w or better can also develop new spells which are thematically related to any Grimoire they possess, either as an advancement between sessions or as an Extended Simple Contest with an interval of 1 month. Resistance for spell research should be dependent on the relative power of the spell and the researcher, as well as the overall level and prevalence of magic in the game world.While there are no "spell levels" as such, "low-level" spells like "Levitate" will often face lower resistance from the GM's opposing roll when cast then "Fly," and similar, though this is also subject to other considerations such as the dramatic flow of the adventure. Using particularly elaborate rituals, exotic spell components and the like may also provide augments to spellcasting, where appropriate.A "Magic User"-type Class Ability can also be used for things like detecting magic, reading ancient scripts, using brief/minor effects to augment other abilities, defend against certain mind-affecting effects, and so on without "casting a spell" per se. Even when your wizard is tapped out of spells/day, the character is not useless.

You certainly could go that far, and I think it would be especially rewarding if you wanted to zoom-in to the nitty gritty of dungeon crawling or have a really large Zero-to-Hero spread. For myself, I leaned more towards sticking with broader qualitative ratings outside of magic, much as HQG does.

Here's the approach I took... Making CharactersDistribute 13 and 15 ratings among an Ability for Race/Culture and another for an Alignment. (more on Alignment later)Select either one Character Class Ability at 19, two at 16, or three at 13. They can be as simple as "Fighter" or "Thief" but feel free to make them more pithy and colorful if you wish. The ratings will have an impact on spellcasting frequency for classes that use magic.Choose five other Abilities rated at 13 (notable traits, followers, gear*, special powers, Grimoires, etc)Choose a Distinguishing Characteristic, either as a stand-alone Ability at 17, or as a +3 Breakout Ability attached to another Ability (making it into a Keyword if it isn't one already).Spend ten discretionary points raising Abilities (1:1), adding Breakout Abilities under other Abilities (making them into Keywords), adding additional Grimoires (for those that use them), or adding new Abilities rated at 13.No Ability can be raised more than 5 above it's initial rating during chargen, nor can a Breakout Ability can be better than +5 relative to its associated Keyword, though those could be combined.Choose (up to) three Flaws with ratings matching the highest, 2nd highest, & lowest Ability ratings.Flaws are not required, but present an opportunity to gain additional Hero Points during play. Flaws can also occasionally function as Abilities under the right circumstances (such as using "Stubborn Cuss" to resist mind control) and regular Abilities can even work as Flaws on occasion (such as a Halfling having height-related problems).* Re: Gear - You don't need to have a particular ability to have a piece of gear. You're assumed to have whatever items are appropriate to your other Abilities. Having "My Grandfather's Sword 15" means it's something of particular significance in overcoming challenges, and as a distinct Ability could also be used to augment another Ability, such as "Fighter," and vice versa. Noteworthy/useful treasure or magic items can be benefits of victory, and can be cemented with Hero Points or advancement choices as normal.

Branching off from the publications thread where @Andrew J. Luther linked to his excellent blog post on using HQ for D&D-style adventuring & stories. I thought to start a new thread to compare notes. As I alluded to previously, I've toyed around with some similar ideas and thought it would be worthwhile to compare notes and share with the community. The tricky question for me was where to draw the line between letting HeroQuest indulge its "Ability ratings are just measures of problem solving power, resistance is all about pacing drama." tendencies, and how much to break from that and quantify fictional tropes within the mechanics (as HQG does with Runes and Sorcery ratings) in order to emulate the genre at hand. Details to follow.

I've done some similar adaptations. Let's start a separate thread to discuss & share.

The "Phase restrictions" thing is talking about stuff like "You can never/only use Moon Rune of Phase X to produce effects of type Y for fictional/spiritual reason Z." Those sort of things are always the case, whether inside the Glowline or out, no matter what phase the Moon is in. Within the Glowline, the waxing and waning of lunar magical power is what is stabilized at its middle-point. You never get a boost, and you're never dampenned. No matter what phase the Moon is in, Lunar magic performs as if the Moon were half-full.

Within the Glowline, Lunar magic is always at baseline, as though the moon is half-full.

It's an important principle to understand. I often use the example of Worf to illustrate how a rating can represent an ability's problem solving power decoupled from a character's in-fiction capability. Worf is supposed to be this big extra strong & tough fighting expert, but much of the time he gets dropped hard by whatever alien baddie decided to go aggro. Only after years of character development does he actually start to win most of his fights. If a game, that would be represented by Worf's player having only assigned a 15 or so some ability like "Klingon Martial Arts." (having no doubt put most of his points in "Unshakable Code of Honor 5w") While that KMA ability got raised to a more effective level, it was never a "Zero-to-Hero" type progression. Conversely, one might look at Indiana Jones's awesome whip-moves as an example of something that's more effective in solving problems than it really ought to be on paper. It's also worth noting explicitly when that principle not followed, and why. Ratings for Runes in HQG for example, actually have some quantitative meaning. Just as HQ can sometimes zoom-in to task resolution where beneficial even though it's default mechanical posture is conflict-resolution, so too can ability ratings measure things more concretely when doing so makes for a better game. Just be sure to call out specifically when that it going to be the case.

The link to the license on that page is still to v1.1 dated 2009, and the license text contains dead link to an old glorantha.com page for the acceptance agreement. (The link to the acceptance agreement from the page you linked to above does work). It also doesn't seem to include the right of the licensor to incorporate rules innovations arising in licensed products in future products, as mentioned by Pablo in the above-linked Nameless Streets thread. HGL v1.1, § 4.1 also confusingly contains the following: That certainly seems like it would forbid things like the variants in chapter three of Nameless Streets, or at least could be reasonably read as doing so. Is there a newer version?