Darius West

3 minutes ago, PhilHibbs said:

There's a thread for things like that.

So because I disagree with you, my theory must be dumb?  How nice of you.

On 4/13/2022 at 12:06 AM, French Desperate WindChild said:

are they able to transform themselves because they are "people" by nature

or because they worship a goddess giving some transformation abilities

Now this is the nub of the issue really isn't it?  Clearly a person who doesn't worship the appropriate deity can't perform transformation magic unless they are "cursed".  The larger question becomes whether transformation is intrinsic to the man rune.

22 hours ago, Brian Duguid said:

All good, but also note the Fiwan creation myths in Revealed Mythologies. In the beginning there were sixteen Fiwan peoples, and “they could take the shape of humans or animals” or “were both people and animals at the same time”. Several of the "founding" Fiwan peoples listed in that source are specific Hsunchen analogues: lion, frog, fish eagle, sun fish, eland, vulture, turtle, milk antelope, anaconda and fire wren; those are all Fiwan/Hsunchen peoples described in Guide to Glorantha. Two of the other original Fiwan (rhinoceros and otter) may have different analogues in later Gloranthan ages (Rascullu and the otters of Maniria). Revealed Mythologies even goes as far as to tell us that “the migrated Fiwan are the Genertelan Hsunchen”.

So there are multiple "ideas" of the Hsunchen: the Fiwan myths from Pamaltela, the descent of the Hsunchen from Korgatsu in Kralorela, and the labelling by the Brithini of other humans as being in their eyes sub-human Hykimi in the West.

All this is another section in the Book of Hsunchen, of course 😄.

Good call.  I had forgotten that Revealed Mythologies exists. SMH.😄

On 4/13/2022 at 6:38 AM, PhilHibbs said:

"Atom" just means "irreducible component". Same thing. So if the runes are the irreducible components, then they are the atoms.

I think the Outer Atomic Explorers found a universe like our own that is constructed of atoms not runes, and were promptly engaged in an isekai scenario they couldn't escape from.  After all, their magic likely didn't work in the atom universe as it was based on different principles.  Also, why specifically use the word atom when you should say Rune?  Alleged atomic indestructibility aside (we have never found an atom irl based on that definition), they aren't called  the Outer Runic Explorers.

On 4/12/2022 at 10:35 PM, Godlearner said:

No, no, no. Just because there is no more Closing, does not mean that the Open Seas Ritual is not needed. Think about it, who would want to test their ship on such a thing when performing the ritual covers you anyway. 

The Closing is still in effect, it is just punctuated by the rising of the Boat Planet.

23 hours ago, soltakss said:

Not of you cast Open Seas first, or if the Boat Planet has risen.

I have come across GMs with this kind of attitude and it is so frustrating.

Yes, the Closing is in abeyance if the boat planet is risen. Do you know what part of its cycle it is in now?  Check Celestial Lore.

On 4/13/2022 at 3:13 AM, Godlearner said:

I would disagree. The Curse is not the hostile, it is what is summoned by it which is. Path Watch would not to the Closing Curse (at least in my opinion) 

The God Learners were aware the curse existed but never knew what form it would take, and that is why they could never form effective brute force countermeasures.  To say a curse isn't hostile is like insisting a lethal tumor is benign.

On 4/13/2022 at 3:15 AM, Godlearner said:

Hmm, sailor and superstition ...... its like bread and butter, ice cream and apple pie, military and marching music.

Agreed, but the thing about superstition is that someone always proves it is BS and everyone feels foolish except for the ultra conservative who promptly turn it into dogma and/or call it a tradition rather than admit their mistake.  Either there is or isn't a curse, and it only requires a divination spell to find out.

1 hour ago, JDS said:

Flamethrowers are still legal. But not very useful as weapons, IME. I've got one.

Flamethrowers are primarily for use against mythos creatures.  On the other hand, most people find flamethrowers highly intimidating, and fire is a grisly way to die as opposed to a nice clean bullet.

3 hours ago, Godlearner said:

No, no, no. Just because there is no more Closing, does not mean that the Open Seas Ritual is not needed. Think about it, who would want to test their ship on such a thing when performing the ritual covers you anyway. 

The situation you are describing... That's called superstition. Path Watch, if used in the way you suggested earlier, would literally show whether or not there was a great hostile spell on the sea and thus put the Dormal cult out of business by proving that there was no Closing anymore... Or perhaps the Closing didn't end with the rise of the Boat Planet, it was just bypassed more effectively?  You are playing fast and loose with cult ecology here GL.

8 hours ago, French Desperate WindChild said:

I know the words are not exactly right but it will explain my question : hunshen are half men half beasts

Is there any dark-hsunshen (or other word) tribes : half trolls half beasts ? I m not talking about some individual who gained  this situation (or were cursed) but people, like rathori, etc..  or are human the only - type for hunshen ?  by the way, I noticed somewhere (or I believe) than brithini consider themselves as the true humans. Does that mean that they say that all the other human people are descendent of hunshen ?

I like and agree with JRE on this point.  I think that Hsunchen is a term reserved for human tribes of shamanic worshippers who follow the Hykim and Mikyh traditions.  The term Hsunchen sounds like is is Kralori in origin, and we know that the Kralori worship using draconic mysticism and that H&M are dragons.  On the other hand, there are plenty of Hsunchen in the far West also.  Troll worship of Gorakiki and Aranea is based around priests not shamans, and that likely matters.  As to the Brithini, they were always looking for reasons not to be like other people.  I suspect that the idea of Hsunchen is an import of the Godlearners from Kralori, in much the same way that Shaman is an imported word into English via anthropology, and is only used to describe the human totemic tradition.  That being said, we know there is no true monomyth and everything is far more blurry than most Gloranthan academics would want to admit.

On 2/3/2021 at 6:45 PM, soltakss said:

It depends on the HeroQuest. Biturian Varosh was forced to play Orlanth in the Three Blows of Anger HeroQuest, even though he was not a worshipper of Orlanth.

You are quite correct...  The choice was deliberate.  The Yelmalios wanted a victim, not a real Orlanthi.

17 hours ago, JDS said:

I find that extra violence tends to make it easier to recruit players (I only game online), and it breaks up the investigations, keeping things fresh and interesting.

Plus there's always players who, when things get complicated, will point out that in the 1920s you can buy Thompson SMGs at Sears & Roebuck, and BARs through the mail. So it is best to be prepared.

And to be honest, I didn't pay $99 for a Roll20 Pro subscription not to use tactical maps. 😀 

Oh, I don't disagree, and let me add that most states of the Union have an easy purchase/open carry policy for flame throwers, which are used for "burning off" in agricultural areas, and they're cheap.  Yes, you can literally roam the streets of Arkham with a lit flamethrower and the local police can't complain (I checked the laws of the day).  Flame throwers can be bought by catalogue easily too, and are the go-to weapon for dealing with the mythos imo.  I'm telling you this in confidence, as it is a great thing to know when you are a player, but a nightmare for Keepers.

On the other hand, if I want to attract players for a game and they want violence, I think I'd offer them a different style of game using a different system.  CoC shouldn't be about shoot-outs but about solving mysteries imo.

15 hours ago, 7Tigers said:

Nice effect, but post Dragonrise and Boat Planet return, no more Closing...

If that were true then there would be no more reason for the Dormal Cult to cast their Open Seas Ritual, and the cult would likely fold inside a decade.

On 4/10/2022 at 12:06 AM, Godlearner said:

Not at all. Being aware of danger, does not mean you can avoid it or survive it. Here comes a monster wave. Its 100 meters away .... Start praying.

Okay, the minute you turn on Path Watch, the whole ocean lights up as an inimical threat to your existence because of the Closing.

On 4/9/2022 at 9:04 PM, JDS said:

So, first you build your occult organization, and then you set your PCs against it. You include lots of violence because that keeps players interested, and it keeps a lot of NPCs from sharing information (because they're dead). Slowly, a bunch of unconnected (make sure some scenarios are really unconnected) events start piling up until the players trust no one and nothing, and see conspiracy everywhere.

That's how I see it being done.

I have no problem with anything about your comment save for the ultra-violence.  IMO CoC should be primarily a game of detective work.  I think that the more it becomes a game of violence the higher the body count will get by default, as fights are deadly.

If one is determined to run a game where there is plenty of violence, in my experience, the best way of surviving is thru high stealth skills and plenty of ambushes.

I am glad people are having this discussion. It is very possible for a Keeper to run a less lethal CoC campaign.

For a very long time CoC suffered from a "single session" mentality, where high character mortality really destroyed the possibility of actual roleplay.  The experience was... 

Player1: Oh, umm... We have that slimy item for this... Oh wait, do we?  I mean I'm playing an accountant now, and that was back 3 dead characters ago on my antiquarian, does anyone even know or remember what it was for?

Keeper: Remember we agreed that characters kept diaries and everyone agreed they automatically read the diaries?

Players: (collective shrug)

Player 3: Hey umm... My present character is a Lawyer okay, after my last guy, the Librarian died in the warehouse shoot-out, two rooms ago remember? So has my new Lawyer read the diaries?

Keeper: Yes, it's automatic.

Player 4: Oh, my last character the Salesman was the last in my pile, he also died in the warehouse, and I don't have any more.  Can I just resuscitate my Professor and give him a new name? 

Keeper:  No.  Give me a moment and I'll run another 6 pre-gens off for you on my computer.

Thankfully the CoC community seems to be coming out of that way of doing things I hope, as it detracts from the experience imo.  This is not to suggest that death and madness shouldn't be a constant threat, but they also shouldn't be a certainty every session.  CoC shouldn't degenerate into a shoot-out imo.  Shoot-outs are not a strong feature of Lovecraft's writing, and characters in general shouldn't be armed to the teeth like Mexican bandits unless they are actually Mexican bandits (who were definitely about in the 1920s, but not featured in Lovecraft's writing).

4 hours ago, YwainDigsLions said:

The caster of the ritual is also the person who holds the kitari. But then it says everybody, including the caster, has to make an opposed POW roll against the holder of the kitari or be compelled to act out the ritual for real.

How can you make an opposed roll against yourself?

If your POW is 16 then you need to resist a POW of 16, which means a 50% chance.  You aren't making a roll against yourself per se but against the kitari, the ritual and the situation which might just be getting  a bit weird and frenzied about then.

14 hours ago, Godlearner said:

Now the spell says "It must be laid upon a known path or visible road to be traveled on by the caster." 

Would a Sea-route counts? Sure, the caster would have to stay awake and its only 100 meters radius, but would it work? 

The use you envisage for Path Watch would have made it able to avoid many effects of the Closing of the Oceans, so no, it doesn't work on bodies of water.  Water is not known for maintaining paths.  Trade routes at sea are not "paths" as the vessels following them normally veer off-course by many miles, and as you can never enter the same river twice, how much less is that possible on an ocean?

Well, first let us address what we know about sleep and dreams in humans...

Humans sleep because we need downtime to maintain our bodies.  Sleep it a time of running repairs when our body sets about healing itself and reversing chemical systems or preparing things we don't need for excretion.

Dreams however are something else again.  When we sleep, our neuroreceptors clear themselves of the extraneous chemicals excreted during the day.  We also record various things to memory.  As we experience and react to the world while awake our neurons become flooded with various chemicals, and these need to be put back where they belong so we can "pay attention" tomorrow.  Now dreams seem to form as part of a rebooting of consciousness.  During dreams our visual cortex, which is also the seat of our visual imagination, is used to generate scenarios during which our adrenaline is set to spike and wake us up.  This is the cause of nightmares, as often the imagined imagined scenarios are disturbing.  Similarly, sometimes we don't make a clean transition, and our mind is awake but our body remains inactive. This can lead to lucid dreams which are great fun and in CoC potentially allow access to the Dreamlands. Of course there is a less positive experience too i.e. we are awake but experience shadowy threats in the room with us because of the excess adrenaline in our system.  Worst of all is the reverse situation where we gain full control over our bodies but are still effectively having a dream or nightmare; this is a schizophrenic episode.

The primary purpose of Mythos monster sleep is not the same as it is for humans.  Yes, they may allow their bodies to repair while they sleep, but they sleep for different reasons:

(1) Hibernation.

The ability to hibernate is useful for an interstellar species.  Space is large and if travelling for great distances, the energy required to maintain consciousness may become superfluous given that there may not be much to do.  Hibernation can also be a strategy for waiting out a threat, or awaiting an opportunity.  For example, going to sleep while the present generation of human investigators lives, grows old and  dies off is one way of dealing with the threat they pose.  Great C'thulhu however is waiting the day when human population reaches a critical feeding threshold according to some theories.

(2) Longevity.

Some mythos species will actively use sleep and their species' powerful regenerative abilities to allow themselves to live forever.

(3) Dreams as a magical technology.

Even human characters will notice that the things that happen to them in their dreams will improve their skills, and the same is true for monsters.  In many ways the dreamlands are like an mmorpg where the benefits are a secondary source of magical power and skill increases in a fraction of the usual time.  Dreams are also a fine place to perform magic whether simply to communicate over large distances or to attack adversaries minds directly when they are not properly prepared.  In extreme situations a monster can even hijack the body of a sleeping person and make them do nasty things.

But the crux of your question is what is a monster's dream like?

Well, some creatures like Hunting Horrors and Flame Vampires probably don't dream at all as they likely can't sleep.   We can see from the behavior of animals that when they dream, their bodies often trigger and they appear to be hunting, and there is no reason to suppose that in an uncontrolled dream, some mythos creatures will dream of hunting or being hunted.  There is no reason that monsters wouldn't have dreams of reproductive content too.  If a monster is able to dream, it might also commune with some sort of hive mind which serves as a species' collective memory.

As to what a monster Dreamland would look like, well, given that the human dreamland is something of an Arcadian fantasy land, what would the monster equivalent be?  A place where Yog Sothoth acts as the mass transit system.  Where fecund entities generate endless wealth and opportunity of an ever more slimy and pseudopoded variety.  A place where the Elder gods and Great Old ones can be met, worshipped and petitioned.  Where there is an endless supply of hapless victim species to use as currency.  A place where you can organ harvest in peace and develop a new monstrous body that is infinitely stronger than your waking world body.  Dreams are often described as wish fulfillment; what does a monster want?  If you know that, you can extrapolate their dreams, assuming that they even dream to fulfil the same biological purposes that Earth creatures do.  There are good reasons why this would be so, but there might be any number of explanations.

32 minutes ago, JRE said:

Checking old files, some RQ3 characters in my extremely old campaign reached combat skills in the 200% range, by simple frequent experience use. But the players would never have voluntarily traveled to Dorastor. Just because you have a fighting chance does not mean you want to run terrible risks. The Coders were more up to their league, and they were scary by their flexibility and magic.

If you look at the old Dorastor module, one of the suggested motives for the campaign is that it is for Orlanth Pantheon characters approaching heroic level who have run foul of the Lunar Authorities.  The Lunars will let them migrate to Dorastor with a clean slate and free land.  Add to this the fairly gripping story told in Cults of Terror about the war against Ralzakark, and you have the basis for an interesting campaign that can potentially kill overly-powerful characters.

On 4/4/2022 at 11:15 PM, Jose said:

So, before the red moon coming did Sable people get magic from their ancestor through the fire rune? . I thought that spirit was one of the few moon rune spirits in prax from before the Great Darkness. I Am confused about this. 

The Blue Moon has generally been the only moon for most of Glorantha's existence.  I assume it is the main place holder for the Moon Rune, and has been for a long time prior to Rufelza, and represents the power behind the power that presides in the spring at Moonbroth Oasis.

On 7/6/2021 at 9:01 PM, Sir_Godspeed said:

Cool! Thanks for the recommendation. Ancient Chinese airships sounds cool as hell.

According to "Martial Arts movie history", the Wudong Monastery invented flight during the Tang Dynasty, and they didn't need any airships, just 5 hours of Horse Stance per day and some lead weights. 🙃

On 3/29/2022 at 3:49 AM, jajagappa said:

But... it makes me wonder if somewhere along the way I slipped over into an alternate dimension (or perhaps descended the seven hundred steps to and through the Gate of Deeper Slumber)!  😱

Context question here... Do you mean with regards to the 7 tailed wolf poem or the world in general of late?😄

19 hours ago, EpicureanDM said:

Another combination of too-abstract followed by a glimpse of hard-won rules knowledge. I can't recall RQG's rules for dividing 300% skill across SR. Can you fill me in or point to the right page?

Pages 201-202 Combat with skills above 100% and (more importantly) splitting attacks.  You may have 300% but unless you are mighty fast, you will never deliver 3x100% attacks, and those 150% attacks might net you an 8% Critical and a 30% Special, but you can't rely on either showing up when you need them.

19 hours ago, EpicureanDM said:

Again, abstract enough to be accurate, but without the same granular detail we get from @HreshtIronBorne, @Rodney Dangerduck, or @Dragon. I don't mean to pick on you either, Darius. Whenever I lurk in the Glorantha forum, your takes on different topics are great grist. 😉

Page 219 Mounted Combat (the Lance).  The damage bonus of the animal ridden is used , not that of the rider.  Lances also have a nice 0 SR.  What a pity I can't see how a single charge could be combined with a split attack.  I mean the only thing nicer 1d10+1+6d6+extraneous magical buffs hitting on a low SR, is doing it 2 or 3 times in a round.

I would draw everyone's attention to the IRL Lovecraft Country of the Bridgewater Triangle and the Hockomock Swamp in Massachusetts.  It falls nicely within the area of the War of Independence and you can meet Pukwudgies there.  The area is supposed to be a ridiculously active paranormal hot-spot like Skinwalker Ranch.  If you like this sort of folklore, do a little research and you will likely find it worth your while.

On 4/2/2022 at 6:03 AM, EpicureanDM said:

Reading the Personalities section of @soltakss's excellent Secrets of Dorastor, I found creatures and opponents with eye-watering stats...

Stats like those in Secrets of Dorastor (and in other sources throughout RQ's published history) seem unapproachable, almost ludicrous. They strike me the same way as someone telling me that this ancient red dragon in D&D has AC 100, not AC 22 (in 5e terms) or AC -1 (in 1e terms). The numbers for high-level RQ opponents feel like they're off by an order of magnitude, even if they aren't off by the strict definition of that term.

This is deliberate.  Dorastor is a terrible place.  It is worse than hellish, and it is supposed to be.  Dorastor is designed to kill Rune Level characters and even challenge heroes.  Dorastor is deliberately created as a place where you can send power gamers to die.

Sometimes characters need to have the common sense to know when they are outmatched and run away.

That being said, you need to familiarize yourself with how a 300% skill is divided according to strike rank. 

Also, player characters who are of high rune-level should have realized that they need to maximize damage whenever they can, and thus have nice big weapons that they can buff beyond reason if they are planning on an extended visit to Dorastor. 

One of the best ways to survive Dorastor is to invest in a big strong mount with plenty of Damage Bonus, max out your lance and charge-charge-charge.  Few of the encounters occur in enclosed spaces, so go with the 3Bs (Buy Bigger Bison).