Richard S.

Rune points aren't like magic points, they aren't power that the caster actually holds, they're just a measure of how much of their deity's power they can channel. It doesn't matter how many RP you have saved up if you can't reach the place the magic actually comes from.

The god is the source of the magic, the myths are the pathway. They can't provide magic where they don't have influence, like how Lunar Magic is weakened when the moon is dark (except within the glowline of course) and the Windstop prevented Orlanth's magic from being used. Pavis, as a city god, only has power within Old and New Pavis.

Common spell access is a per-cult thing, there's no absolute general rule. Generally it's only minor cults that suffer from it, but CA does miss out on Warding and Eurmal only provides Divination, Extension, and Multispell. Oakfed and Black Fang both have severely truncated lists, being spirit cults.

HQ - or QuestWorlds as it's known nowadays - has mostly been overshadowed by RQG from what I've seen (though that may change once we get actual Glorantha material for QW, since it's just a generic SRD now). Fortunately due to how the system currently works, you don't need any stats provided to run anything with it, the narrator and players determine target numbers and abilities during play. TLDR, there's no need to add anything to the Companion to use it with HQG/QW.

There's certainly a lot of examples of dragon magic being used to communicate with or summon draconic beings, but there's also many references towards things like transformation and using powers like firebreath or antimagic. And in any case, this isn't true dragon magic, these cults merely emulate dragon powers through rune spells.

I don't see an issue with either of those. Yelmalians are usually forbidden certain fire spells, sure, but the power that Light spells ultimately derive from has always been Fire/Sky. Same with Cold and Dark - they aren't separate powers, Valind is just described with Cold to make it more explicit that he doesn't provide powers over Shadow.

I'm a sucker for old-school covers so I really like the first version

I mean Storm Bull doesn't really have it to give in the first place, since he only has it as an associate of Orlanth.

Cold, light, heat, dark earth, and all those others are just more specific versions of core runes anyways, so I don't think it matters too much if Valind is listed air/dark instead of air/cold, among other examples. There's very little practical difference between "Yelmalio has the Light rune" and "Yelmalio has Light powers from the Fire rune".

I'd use the runes of the cult you're getting the spell from, so shield from orlanth would use air or movement

The "10,000 goddesses" are specifically the earth goddesses found in Esrolia, not just female deities in general. The primary "hat" of Esrolia is earth worship, not female dominance. It just happens that earth worship is already dominated by women. Etyries can't exist outside of Lunar influence because her entire nature is as one of the Lunar immortals. She became a god within time by following the teaching of the Red Goddess, and so is inextricably tied to her empire.

Etyries is the goddess of the Lunar Empire's traders, she's not just a female version of Issaries. Her cult has very little power outside places where the empire has a foothold. And Issaries isn't just the Sartarite trade god, he is the god of trade and communication, worshiped across the lozenge by many different peoples. Issaries worshipers in no way have to be male, any more so than Lankhor Mhy or Chalana Arroy worshipers do. Orlanth and Ernalda are the only gods in the Orlanthi pantheon with a gender bias, unless you count LM's beard requirement (which is perfectly satisfied by a fake beard). Ironically, I think Esrolia might actually have less female Issaries than elsewhere, since the earth goddesses have so much more influence. If you want to be anything in Esrolian society your best bet is to join one of their cults. Also, while Esrolia is a matriarchy, that doesn't mean that women are automatically favored in everything, it just means that the ruling class is made up of women, and more specifically that the ruling class is made up of mothers and grandmothers. Everything else is pretty similar to how Orlanthi elsewhere do things, which if you take a look you'll find is actually fairly equal between the sexes.

Just some very rough homebrew inspired by some of the recent talk on the Glorantha board, and the fact that I had nothing else to do today. Enjoy! Feedback is welcome too. Orlanth Dragonfriend Arangorf the Inner Dragon When Orlanth slew the Mover of Heaven, he gained the Dragon Power of his left hand. This power was, or brought forth, Arangorf the Inner Dragon, who danced with Orlanth and taught him the speech of dragons. Obduran learned this secret and sacrificed to Orlanth Dragonfriend, proving that Orlanthi and Dragons need not be enemies, and teaching freely the speech and dance of dragons. Initiate Membership Requirements: Must sacrifice 1 POW, which grants the Dragon rune at 1%. While technically a subcult of Orlanth, initiates are not required to join his cult. Cult Skills: Dance, Dragon Lore, Elder Race Lore (Dragonewts), Meditate, Speak (Auld Wyrmish). Favored Passions: Love (Dragons), Loyalty (EWF). Notes: The cult of Orlanth Dragonfriend provides no magic or divine intervention, though Orlanth initiates may still receive it from the other portions of their god. The Dragon Rune Once gained, the Dragon rune can only be increased during your seasonal downtime, in a process similar to training one of your normal runes. Several days of guided meditation by draconic teachers, followed by a successful Meditation roll and a sacrifice of 1 POW, increases your Dragon rune by 1%. During Sacred Time you must roll against your Dragon rune. Success means you have awakened your Draconic Consciousness, a state similar to Illumination. You gain all the normal benefits of Illumination, but in addition your Dragon rune can now be increased by experience and normal training like any other rune. If you also receive the proper surgery afterwards, the cap on your Auld Wyrmish skill is increased from 25% to your Dragon rune rating, if it is higher. Draconic Hero Cults Though the Empire of the Wyrms Friends got much of its power through the friendship and teachings of draconic beings, very few of its people were willing to utterly abandon their old lives in search of dragon power. To rectify this, several EWF heroes Heroquested to establish ways of worshiping dragons as gods in return for magic, allowing many of the common people access to Rune magic that grossly reflected the greater mysteries. Though this greatly increased the strength of the empire and the spread of draconic wisdom, it was a horribly flawed method that forever stunted the EWF spirit. Each dragon cult was centered around the hero who founded it, many of whom were considered dragons. These heroes served as both objects of worship and high priests of their cults, giving them incredible personal power and giving their followers Rune magic derived from dragon powers. The mystic path followed by the founder was usually tied to the cult as well, so that worshipers who wanted to experience the true mysteries could more easily do so. None of the draconic hero cults can grant divine intervention. Cult of Draconic Love Death, Fertility, Dragon This was a soldier cult established by Lord Great Burin, and became especially popular with former Humakti. It taught how to grant Utuma to foes in the heat of combat, and that the powers of death and love were one and the same. Holy Days The seasonal and high holy days differ from unit to unit. Lord Great Burin sets them, and presides over every ceremony. Initiate Membership Requirements: Standard. Cult Skills: All Swords, Battle, Cult Lore (Draconic Love), First Aid, Meditate, Scan, Speak (Auld Wyrmish), Utuma, Worship (Lord High Burin). Favored Passions: Devotion (Lord Great Burin), Honor, Loyalty (unit). Spirit Magic: Befuddle, Bladesharp, Coordination, Countermagic, Demoralize, Detect Enemies, Disruption, Heal, Protection, Repair, Strength, Vigor. Rune Magic Common Rune Magic: All. Special Rune Magic: Devour Magic, Dragon Head, Sever Spirit (one-use), Shield. Enchantments: Ban, Binding Enchantment, Enchant Dragonbone, Magic Point Enchantment, Matrix Creation, Spirit Armor Enchantment. Dragon Maw (Rune Lord) Requirements: Must have 90% in Utuma and four other cult skills. Special Rune Magic: Dragon Maws may use Seal Soul for twice the normal cost (6 Rune points). Golden Dragon Society Fire/Sky, Dragon The Golden Dragon Society worshiped the Sun Dragon that sat upon the imperial throne of Dara Happa. Though many of the native Yelm worshipers saw it as blasphemy, the Sun Dragon impossibly passed all the tests of the emperor and proved its claim to the sun with powers that counteracted the most powerful fire magics sent at it. Many of the Sun Dome temples, once folded into the military arm of the empire, also worshiped the Sun Dragon alonside their god of light. Holy Days This cult shares the same holy days as the Imperial Yelm cult. Initiate Membership Requirements: Standard. Cult Skills: Celestial Lore, Cult Lore (Sun Dragon), Meditate, Speak (Auld Wyrmish), Speak (Firespeech), Worship (Sun Dragon). Favored Passions: Devotion (Sun Dragon), Loyalty (Emperor of Dara Happa). Spirit Magic: Coordination, Countermagic, Extinguish, Farsee, Firearrow, Fireblade, Heal, Ignite, Light, Lightwall. Rune Magic Common Rune Magic: All. Special Rune Magic: Cloud Clear, Dismiss Fire Elemental (all sizes), Dragon Scales, Radiate, Summon Fire Elemental (small). Enchantments: Ban, Binding Enchantment, Enchant Gold, Magic Point Enchantment, Matrix Creation, Spirit Armor Enchantment. Golden Wyrm (Rune Priest) Requirements: Standard. Special Rune Magic: Summon Fire Elemental (all sizes). Way of the Dragon Movement, Dragon This was one of the most popular dragon cults in the EWF, offering obvious dragon powers within a structure familiar to the Orlanthi, adding a Storm Dragon to the Thunder Brothers. It was established by Isangdrang, but inherited much from the teachings of Obduran. Holy Days Windsday of each Stasis week is the seasonal holy day. The high holy day is on Wildday of Stasis week of Fire season, when Obduran ascended to become a dragon. Initiate Membership Requirements: Standard. Cult Skills: Cult Lore (Storm Dragon), Dance, Klanth, Meditate, Orate, Speak (Auld Wyrmish), Worship (Isangdrang). Favored Passions: Devotion (Isangdrang), Love (Family), Loyalty (EWF). Spirit Magic: Coordination, Demoralize, Glamour, Mobility, Strength, Vigor. Rune Magic Common Rune Magic: All. Special Rune Magic: Dragon Claws, Dragon Head, Dragon Scales, Dragon Wings, Firebreath. Enchantments: Ban, Binding Enchantment, Enchant Dragonbone, Magic Point Enchantment, Matrix Creation, Spirit Armor Enchantment. Dragon Voice (Rune Priest) Requirements: Standard. Special Rune Magic: Transform Self Rune Spell Descriptions Devour Magic Death, Dragon 3 points Touch, Temporal, Nonstackable Anyone protected by this spell cannot be affected by any magic, as a spectral dragon head emerges from them and devours any spells targeted at them. This will only protect the caster, anyone else targeted will still be affected. Dragon Claws Movement, Dragon 1 point Self, Temporal, Stackable (up to 4 points) The caster turns one limb per point of the spell into a dragon’s claw, with a beginning attack of DEXx5% and doing 2D6 + damage bonus. The caster may only attack with two claws in a single turn while on the ground, but may use all four if flying. Dragon Head Death, Movement, Dragon 2 points Self, Temporal, Nonstackable The caster’s head turns into that of a ferocious dragon with a bite attack of DEXx5%, dealing 3D6 damage. Dragon Scales Fire/Sky, Movement, Dragon 2 points Self, Temporal, Nonstackable The caster’s body is covered in shimmering scales that act as both 5 points of armor and 5 points of countermagic on every location. Dragon Wings Movement, Dragon 1 point Self, Temporal, Nonstackable The caster gains a pair of dragon wings each as wide as the caster is tall, granting them a flying speed of 12. The wings each have 2 points of armor and hit points equal to the caster’s arms, but damage to them does not affect the caster’s hit points. Firebreath Fire/Sky, Movement, Dragon 1 point Self, Instant, Stackable The caster breathes out a cone of fire with a range equal to their POW. Any creature in its path takes 1D10 damage, as well as any weapons and armor. The damage increases by 1D10 for each extra Rune point spent. Radiate Fire/Sky, Dragon 3 points Self, Temporal, Nonstackable The caster emits intense heat from their body. Anything touching the caster takes 6D6 damage, though the damage decreases by 1D6 for each meter of distance. Any fire damage striking the caster has its damage reduced by the damage done by Radiate. Transform Self (Way of the Dragon) Movement, Dragon 3 points Touch, Duration (special), Nonstackable This spell must be stacked with Dragon Claws, Dragon Head, Dragon Scales, and Dragon Wings. The target transforms into a dream dragon for one full hour, with all the abilities of one.

I think you're thinking of Heroquest 1e, 2e got rid of common religions and talents and all that mess. In RQG terms I think they'd just be small Rune cults, like the Sun Dragon's cult or the Path of Immanent Mastery.

I don't think any runes should be replaced; your natural impulses are always there, draconic mysticism just gradually teaches how to ignore them. I think I'd have prospective draconics take Dragonewt as a completely separate rune, but working kind of like the Illumination skill: initially it's just a chance for you to become Illuminated (aka awakening your Draconic Consciousness), but it can be used to learn and use dragon powers after that happens.

There was a fanmade HW version I saw once, and of course mongoose had their own take, but personally I don't think Orlanth Dragonfriend should really be a cult of its own, just a subcult. If I were to write it up for my campaign I'd just make it a subcult of Orlanth Adventurous, not providing any magic on its own but teaching Auld Wyrmish and offering a chance at unlocking your draconic consciousness, essentially being a gateway to the actual mystical paths rather than one itself. From what Jeff's said, it seems to me that most EWF citizens just followed their old religions and gave some worship to the council on the side. Comparatively few actually engaged in draconic or other mystical stuff. And dragon magics weren't the only thing in the EWF either, Pavis and Delecti are both examples of completely non-draconic projects. I don't think Orlanth Dragonfriend is present in modern-day Pavis unless Argrath or the players somehow resurrect it. The only draconic cult left in the region is the Sun Dragon, and that's only because of its sole worshipper Windwhistler. Edit: I think the HW Dragonfriend cult I was thinking of was on Wesley Quadros' Glorantha site, but it's been taken down.

Probably not. An Aldryami eating plants is no more cannibalistic than a human eating meat.

I think it's far more specific than that. You can't boil down whether or not a god can or can't provide a specific spell to a few bulletpoints, it all depends on whether the action the spell represents is mythologically significant for them. Humakt has Truesword because, well, he has the True Sword, Death. Yanafal Tarnils has Truesword because he won a piece of Death from Humakt in a duel on his way to godhood. Babesteer Gor and Zorak Zoran both match your specifications to the letter, but neither provide a True weapon.

I'm not familiar with your old Pavis material, but the new book Chaosium is doing will be set after Argrath takes the city so I think as long as your stuff is set during the Lunar occupation like in P&BR it'll probably fit in well enough.

I feel like an undead with MP but no POW (including vampires) is more akin to a magic point container, and it doesn't let spirits seriously affect them or vice versa.

IMO, if they're undead made by binding a spirit into a corpse, they can be spirit combatted. Strictly animated or otherwise soulless undead can't be, they have little to no presence on the spirit plane.

After a bit of thinking, some more thoughts on how I'd personally rule summoning ancestors: 1. The spell "Summon Ancestors" can't randomly drop a god or demigod on you, usually. Maybe in the case of a critical casting or other magic schenanigans it'd have a chance but it nearly always just picks a "normal" ancestor from the general ancestral host, one closer to what the caster is. 2. For Summon Specific Ancestor it's not enough to just know a name, you need to know the entire line between you and your target, thus making accurate genealogies even more precious. You might know you have a Thunder Brother ancestor, but you also need to know the right path to send the spell seeking down. 3. Specific summoning truly magical beings like spirits or demigods is going to be harder, like -25% or -50% depending on the individual ancestor. An actual god might require a special or critical success if possible at all.

Yes, but since its random it's entirely at the discretion of the GM.

Yep, though I think you'll usually need a Summon Specific Ancestor to get them. That's why Uz and Talars, among others, are fanatic about genealogy: they have literal gods for ancestors, so its important to know who they are and what their connection to you is so you can call on them when necessary.

Yes. It's less common than worshiping them as a collective, but they all have their own cults. Yanafal and Irrippi are essentially just Humakt and Lankhor Mhy stand-ins with some moon spells I believe, and I think Deezola might be similar to Ernalda's cult in several respects. Jakaleel has her lunar spirit traditions, Danfive Xaron is a cult for rehabilitating criminals, and Teelo Nori doesn't have much of a cult of her own but is the basis for some charity organizations I think.