Jusmak

Fascinating! I thought, that whip was never used battle or martial arts. Well, chain weapons area bit close to that. Poisonous short whip has a fear factor, as uremi, too. There can be seen that x-movement, which seems to be common and keeping whip in continuos movement. Long whip (urumi) seems to be really hazardous, if there is more blades. There is no way to control them fully. With long whip it seems really essential to keep opponent out of reach. Looks like it becomes instantly useless, if somebody can step inside. Short whip could be used more easily as blackjack or something like that at close range. But if I'm going to use short whip, I'll rather use chain. More sturdy and still flexible. Long whip seems more like onetimer, one shot to legs entangle and trying to make opponent fall, and immediately bring real steel front... Why to bother and not bringing real steel first place... Well too curious.

Yes, I am aware of that. So called base damage is too low, but that's where magic comes for. Otherwise there simply is not enough stopping power and threat. Any weapon, which cannot deliver serious or lethal blow can be ignored those seconds, which are necessary to deliver own killing blow. Boost damage and dual wielding other weapon, which can also parry, bash/knockback helping to maintain long reach. This maybe will not work, but must see if Balrog just made himself ridiculous by wielding whip in that narrow bridge.

Thanks for insight. I played recently some PS4 game with a character having something like metal whip as a weapon technically more like a chain. It was quite fun to do all the dodging, rolling and trying to keep distance. It is quite easy to find damageboosting spells, so that weapon's versatility is intresting.

Hi! Whip is actually ranged weapon, effective range of 3-5 meters. But how it should be treated when used in melee? Can a character keep the distance as mentioned in long reach weapons, just by calculating strike ranks? Mythras may have a bit clearer approuch with this, as using open/closing distance. Whip becomes quite useless at close distance, but it is a bit obscure, when melee combat starts in situation like this? At whip's strike rank it strikes first as a ranged attack, but then actual melee combat starts when both opponents are at fighting distance? And how about, if whip user just keeps running all the time, never letting distance diminish under 3 meters?

I find that part of the thing is positive problem. RQ2/3 combat system is so solid, that changing anything there should not be treated lightly. People have already spend decades playing and honing little things into HRs. They may have already made changes, that suites their playing style. If I remember right, developers said themselves, that there was no real issues to fix in combat system, but magic, runes and character creation. Maybe there is no reason to change anything at all in combatsystem...

Well, yes, that make sense. Instead of super damage, more like how vulnerable body parts weapon actually meet and shock effect... I would by it, if written in actual description of special attack.

Dismembering and immobilising are a bit different. But, when doing short research in wikipedia about decapitation, it says that, if headsman was clumsy and axe blunt, decapitation may have required multiple blows. But for example in Japan, where swords were lighter such problems were not reported. Only, that headsman was usually skilled and trusted, expesially, when it was part of seppuku. Skilled in way that single strike cleaves head off, but still leaves piece of skin attached, so that head would not roll away embarrassing way. If head has 5 hp, it needs 10 points of damage to be decapitated. So, I think weapon damage is quite accurate here. In real life it does not take much to make person unconsciuss. A thrown rock to head may do that. Immobilisating limb needs only damage to tendon or nerve, or cut to major muscle. Also, when I shortly visited a club of historical long sword fighting, they told, that actual fights in tournaments are typically over in seconds. Every blow can be finisher simulates well chaotic combat situation. Severing a limb by bonesaw is much more accurate and better controlled tool. Axe makes bone splinter easily, saw doesn't. Also 8 point of plate armor is simulated well against swords in youtube. 6 points is just not enough. Not all characters have damage mod d4, that changes much too. There are different, bit larger HP values used in RQ6/Mythras, but I came back to old. And started to play ducks, which usually have no more than 3 hp in arms. Just do not get hit, is also good boxer's philosophy. My own concerns are special attacks, which are harder to explain by logic. If weapon has maximum damage of 8, but with special it is 16, that's only fantasy to me. Is it some kind of momentum, where also opponents movement meets blade...? I do not understand it, but I'm content with it anyway. It would be more realistic, if specials does maximum damage (8) of weapon was used instead. But because of heavily armored opponents it is more fun to have that double dice. I also like old knockback rules. That way I doubt I'll use new ruleset. I'll more probably stick with old. Idea, that finisher should be special or critical... It comes to that, when there is enough armor and skill in parrying. Heavily armored and skilled characters die by specials and criticals, newbies with their shorts die also by regular attacks. Still realistic enough.

There is easy ways to do major changes in survivality. By using RQ3 armor values, and allowing to use soft leather paddings under metal, or by using smaller damage modifier, starting from d2 instead of d4. Change just dice in damage mod is a game changer. I personally like, that a single strike with axe, sword, a real weapon decapitates, as it is in real life. Combat situation is not necessarily heroic act, but surviving. By challenging somebody to duel leads to death most certainly. Sharp sword cuts arm off quite easily, that just is so. If hope not, use armor. Other way around is to use inferior quality weapons opponents use, or smaller weapons. I like more just figuring out tactical elements.

I bought RQ2 classic and first tried defence, which worked very well for my liking. Until it become heavily overpowered with high dex character and chaotic feature "obscure presence", shimmer to give defence value 80. After that came back to RQ3 model. And I do like dodge as a skill, giving a bit more tactical thought.

In rolemaster we had that kind of problem. Not saying, it automatically leads same end result in Mythras system. Playing became heavily oriented dicerolling and reading, without choosing part of player. It felt more like bookkeeping. Encounters was chosen usually randomly into extent, that those only disturbed actual adventuring goal. Players were constantly dying in encounters, which had no relations to anything meaningful. Only thing player could get was meaningless trinkets after some thrill of meaningless battle. We shortly tried Mystras/RQ6, but it was new system and game itself did not change playing style. Even, that there are those ideas to encourage cinematic play, but were instead used like tactical and analytical way. Thinking and pondering aloud different possibilities, solutions, which effects to choose... and soon using every time only trip opponent. That playtime was worst ever, and made me abandon long time playing group. It became too clear, that any game can be made uninteresting. Pickering about houserules, but not actually playing... So, how much does it matter if simulation is made by free improvisation or some set of ready tables. If done fighting sports, those tables may prove unrealistic or partly even absurd and ridiculous as in rolemaster. As a practioner of combat sports (aikido, MMA, thai boxing), it is intriguing idea to improvise my own techniques in fantasy rolepalying game. Games with set tables do not allow it. Tables in Mythras however are not same way described like rolemaster tables. Whole rulesystem is represented more like options or suggestions to mechanically simulate what player wants to do. In that system it is more like how rigid or flexible way gm sees to use it. But problem is, that it's gone too heavily into "effects". Do I remember right, that person cannot stand by his own will up during combat, if he happens to fall? Does he need to roll SE? After all it is very easy to stand up, you just get probably hit.

Just my experience, that reading from paper leads that kind of repetition, which becomes eventually boring. While there lies possibilities to describe blows any way imaginable, if certain tables were not used at all. If there is no exitement and imagination in storytelling, why play at all... Playsystem becomes then irrelevant. But some people can do more storytelling without tables.

Hmm... nice. I'll try first how this would work with basic fatique rules. In RQ3 fatique does not affect play too often, so there is no reason to use it. But if every blow affects also fatique, it will affect all skillchecks and resistance rolls... A bit simplyfied way and leads also unconsciousness... Althou needs to fix, that burden is dealt diffent way. Under certain weight does not affect fatique at all. Maybe ENC under STR. STR+CON normal fatique, and every point below maximum gives -1%. When it becomes 0 or under, unconscious. Thanks for this. I like it already. It will build fatique gradually, and is somethin to care about. Sounds realistic. Need to try this.

About cinematic aspect (which has nothing to do with realism) of RQ2/3 and Mythras, I like there is in both systems many possibilities to do with a character. But saying Mythras is more cinematic because of special effects, which are always read from piece of paper same way is cinematic? At first I would like to ponder how cinematic experience in created. What I think cinematic experience is some kind of slow motion of high lighted action. Can this be created any other way than reading aloud something written in paper? Is there option to create something like that by storytelling, using own imagination, like people playing heroquest do? When I played Mythras as forum game, we had no fights. Only few skill rolls. But work GM made created cinematic, storytelling experience, because of exellent description of NPSs, places and situations. So, there was highlights without action, even. Tension and threat created, atmosphere of different places. GM can make dull high level combat in RQ2 more interesting, by very fast paced dice rolling, like you were fighting with dices. If you just wait for special or critical, you may ignore fast all normal throws and build exitement to wait in flurry of blows, when opening is found. Real thing is, what you make of the system. You may get even DD more cinematic than any other game just by adding more fluent description. If players and GM all put their efforts that kind of play, it will be so. I played rolemaster too long and I grew allergic reading same effects in every encounter, as player has nothing else to do than throw dice. Others think it is cinematic play. To me it is crap.

Can this stun damage system be easily found somewhere? Or could you tell simply it's basics? Sounds good. If I was using fatique system in RQ3, then success in martial arts and extra dice roll could be used to decrease fatique. I think most exiting combat was at skill level 50-70. So, I think best thing to do is to use give option to decrease opponents parry the percentage skill is over 100% and contrary, as there is option to do two attacks at half skill. Armor coverage sounds also interesting way to keep characters vulnerable enough to maintain exitement in fights.

At first it was bad idea to put a fight between two combatants both having plate armor and knifes as a weapon. But when getting older and having better understanding of basic rules, there comes improvising. It may become frustrating trying to harm a person in plate, so why doing so? Start wrestling, and if you have both hands empty, aimed wrestle to head. Do you get hold, if do, and dice is under martial art skill. you may choke opponent. Next round suffocation rules apply. Knockback rules do a lot good. Joint locks were developed for hurting armored opponents. Martial arts as a skill needs a bit developing. It is dull and unrealistic to use in RQ3, there is no sense, that any kick is doing 2D6 damage, more than battle axe or heavy mace or any 1 handed sword. Rather see, that success in martial arts should lead into tactical or positional advantage, leg sweep, intentional knock back, choking, joint locks (instead of throwing opponent doing extra damage directly to arm or leg)

I prefer most RQ3 skillbonus system, where scaling is gradual. Most important part is a negative bonus factor. RQ is only game, that I have played, where you may get even better character by low stats. Great hunters are agile, small and have low POW. This is more, how real life works. I actually would like, that there were more stats to affects skillbonuses. Int is a bit dominant, but reasonable.

This depends heavily on mortality rate. It was another game, but one reason to abandon long time gaming group was 30-70 % of mortality rate. When a character dies approx. in every third of fifth gaming session, there is no high level play. Unless character wins in lottery and can train, study and research. But that was because of gaming style and GM:ing, by making unavoidable fights with too challanging foes. And I love skill bonuses too, so that there is no compulsion to max every stat.

As a casual gamer I came back to RQ2/3 from Mythras, because I like Glorantha. Mythras is general system intended to be used in different settings, not in Glorantha. When I tried to play Mythras in Glorantha, whole magic chapter was too much changed, what I was used to with RQ2/3. System was not adaptable enough to be used or to carry same feeling of Glorantha. Magic chapter is not compatible. Moster's power level became also too different. For example a scorpion man as a monster is quite a challange to fight with a beginning character in RQ2/3. So, it brings some amount of fear into a player. That will no happen, when using Mythras' rules. Scorpion Man has a great benefit in battle because of it's legs. It's vital areas are hard to hit. But not with Mythras' rules. By chooce location special effect, you reach vital parts with any hit. So, what was feared earlier, becomes a bit more trivial challange. That special effect also makes playing Humakt champion too risky to play at all. When getting a geas from cult not wearing armor at all in certain hitlocation, it becomes target of every enemy hitting you there - easily. And changing cults, humakt's geases makes for my liking playing in Glorantha pointless.Being a proud humakti, following god's example to fight without breastplate, only thing, what will happen is to get killed. Myths make Glorantha alive. Mythras is good in any other setting, for example in Korantia, but it just do not work in Glorantha, there is too many tweaks to fix. Just my opinion. Some people like Mythras great and have done enormous work houseruling every this and that, to have stronger resemblance to what it feels to adventure in Glorantha.

I have played a way like Olskool described, but adding special knockback to crushing weapons, to give them a bit more advantage. So, those weapons are more playable even without damagebonus. Every special giving knocback with a blunt weapon forces opponent to throw dex x 5 or fall. Bashing attacks unbalance, that is simply so. I also liked that it is more characteristic, than just adding more numbers to damage. I played earlier with RQ6/Mythras rules, my own fusion rules to bring RQ3 rule set more "effects", but then desregarded all, and played with RAW. After all, gaming should not become "effect hunting", but roleplaying. It was not actually my liking in RQ6, that every hit was a "special", having a effect. It is not like that in real fight. There should be also "normal" hits, which are a majority in fighting, so 20 % is good percentage for specials. Even a normal hit brings effects, by wounding. It is far better to try for example disarming, subduing, aimed blow intentionally decreasing chance to hit, than doing those things by "effects". RQ6 just went wrong or too far with effects. There is enough effects and variation now in RQ2/3, by knockback rules, special effects, breaking attacking weapon with parry, breaking parrying weapon, entangling, hitting or grappling with empty hand (no shield used), or kicking even, intentional knockback, and effects when location get a hit. Plus magical effects by spells. Actually there is not much to do to make it better... exept unarmed combat. Well, maybe few effect options could be more to chooce from, but not too much .

This actually sounds more way of Glorantha and like it. So, to find right spell (in my case of warhammer) is to find out runes it carries with it. So, there comes a little story... but seems to require a bit more work. (and maybe ending up with failure) But anyway I got idea how bludgeon could be explained logically, by "mashing things together."

Huh, luckily question is about warhammer. But I'll come back with question about spade, if situation rises. That may be particularly tricky... Or just skip spirit magic and use boost damage instead. I am not really understanding what bludgeon-spell actually does to a weapon. By making a blunt weapon more blunt is not easy to follow logically...

Yes, this is what I thought. I have not actually used warhammer in runequest before with my characters, so I read actual weapon description. There it says. "This weapon often has a spike rather than a flat head at one end, and so is used like a pick instead." What I remember reading about historical warhammers and use of those, those really are and used like a pick. Got confused a moment. If I spefically want to use it like a pick, impaling with it, but have bludgeon-spell, do I receive any bonuses from spell? Or other way around, cast bladesharp and use blunt head...? Maybe simpler solution is to use spell only to one or other end of the weapon...

Which spirit magic spell is right for warhammer? a) bladesharp b.) bludgeon c) neither d) both

Right! Perhaps we see it done in new RQ?

Thanks, I am actually drawn into cultural based playing, and Malkionism as a culture evolving away from RQ3 is new to me. Luckily I have Guide, so I can find more impressions there. Glorantha Box is just my favorite way to create characters, cultural weapons, starting equipmets to get more hints for playing style... It is still very much useful for me, and I doubt I'll change character creation system complately. Even, when new RQ come, maybe just adding more backround material from there. I searched web and came into conclusions. Shields are never used in weaponhand, right hand. Rather it may be seen, that left hand where shield is, is a weaponhand also. Some, expecially spiked shields have also been offensive weapons. My personal ruling is that, cultural bonus can be put into smaller spiked (buckler, heater and target) shield offence intead of large shield defence.