klecser

2 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Also very good Spirit Combat. Charisma, Inviolable, and Heal Body are all very useful (probably more so than worrying about an elemental).  Very strong Earth and Fertility runes which can help inspire other actions.

I noticed this for several characaters, but I'm not sure how they'd use it? What do you use Spirit Combat for? The rulebook in the Skills entry says: "Spirit Combat covers contests of psychic energy, such as when a spirit tries to possess (or intrude into) a corporeal body, or a shaman tries to bind a spirit, or when two magicians enter a trance, discorporate, and do magical battle."

And the Spirits chapter says: "Spirit combat may be initiated only by a discorporate being. A normal corporeal being may not initiate spirit combat. A shaman wishing to engage in spirit combat must first discorporate to begin spirit combat."

Nobody in Cattle Raid seems to have any options for summoning a spirit. Is there some obvious way to engage in Spirit Combat that would be relevant in Cattle Raid?

Do you think it would be wise to pre-mark their character sheet with the Rune that each weapon/spell is associated with so that they have some pre-hints for Runic Inspiration, or is that stealing autonomy too much? Or print pages 48-49 of the core book? I know my group and I feel like if they aren't told options they won't take them.

2 minutes ago, g33k said:

I think "Engaged" is a bit more common-sensical and less mechanical...

In reach of one another's melee attacks, aware of one another, in a ready-to-attack-or-defend posture.

That's pretty much it.

The mechanical consequence is giving the foe a free attack if you just turn-and-run, or needing an active disengagement to do it safely.

Ok, that is pretty easy to play.

Some general questions about some pre-gens for GMing my first session. I’ll be running Cattle Raid.

My group of five will be: Harmast, Yanioth, Vasana, Vostor, and Nathem. I am jettisoning Sorala and Vishi Dunn as options cuz Sorcery.

My perception of what everyone is good at:

Harmast: Sword plus utility spells, plus you get to ride a Zebra as a vanity mount. Bargain skill strength.

Yanioth: Priestess Magic user that can summon and control a Medium Earth Elemental. (Not sure why they tease the Large one? Bait a player into spending three of four Rune points on a big one and then not being able to have two points left to control it? Seems like kind of a snide way to tease/"gotcha" a new player.) Orate skill strength.

Vasana: Good general combatant, can charge with her Bison (with a capital B). Battle skill strength.

Voster: Diverse combat skills (weapon and spirit magic) plus small fire elemental. Battle and Scan skill strength. (I noticed he has entries for both Medium and Large shields. Does that mean he carries both at the same time? Obviously he can only use one at a time.)

Nathem: Clear scout with kitty cat, plus tricked out magic bow. Lots of scout-y skills. Lots of utility Spirit Magic.

What else did I miss about what each character is good at?

11 minutes ago, Bill the barbarian said:

Please, I am learning things I though i knew, (see other thread where I bone it... maybe, the jury is still out).

I think the final judgment is that, if we are talking about RQ3, you nailed it. If we are talking about RQG, you boned it. But hey, you tried really hard and I'm no worse off. 😜

Bill, we have confirmed that you are not crazy!

Thanks @EpicureanDM. I will print that guide to have handy, but will avoid showing it to my players if at all possible, lest they run for the hills.  

I think I have the basics. I'm still a bit confused about "Engaged," but I'll do some reading on that. I mean, I get the general concept and comparison to AOO, but not sure I understand yet when it applies in this game. I'm a bit worried about introducing my players to too much too quickly.

2 hours ago, jajagappa said:

 

The movement may be combined with readying a weapon (5 SR's), but it does not replace/remove the SIZ SR.

I see, and that makes sense. You draw your sword as you walk 12 meters. Rather than paying 4 MOV + 5 Ready = 9, you just pay 5 because you are doing those two things simultaneously, correct?

2 hours ago, jajagappa said:

The spirit magic spells taught by the cult are listed. An initiate can start with spirit magic spells taught by an associated cult. Definitely draw on the associated cults if a player thinks those might better fit their character (and within context of the GM's game). 

Ok, this is a nuance that was not clear to me on first read, but hearing you explain it this way, in this context, made a difference.

10 hours ago, Bill the barbarian said:

 

5 hours ago,  klecser said: 

1. Melee strike rank is always DEX SR+SIZ SR+Wpn SR ? (assume readied)

 

When moving, number of MOVs replace SIZ strike rank modifier (SRM) in figuring weapon SR pages 193 and 194 RQ RiG

 

 

 

Thanks, as always, for your support Bill! I'm struggling to find the book text on those two pages that corroborates this statement and it may be that I'm just missing your point.

194: "..Movement: Any time two fighters meet in melee,
no matter how long they’ve traveled to get to
that meeting, strike rank should be figured out
normally for them [emphasis mine]. However, the gamemaster
should consider the time taken to get from point
A to point B when an adventurer joins an ongoing
melee or charges across a distance at a foe using a
spell or missile against them."

An example that illustrates my confusion:

I'm in melee with someone and I have SIZ SR 3 and DEX SR 3: My tentative SR is 6 (until weapon added).

I move 3 meters to engage an opponent. My tentative SR is (1 for the move + DEX SR 3) = 4? (until weapon added).

"Number of MOVs REPLACES SIZ SR" This doesn't compute. Why does moving nullify my SIZ?

Shouldn't it be: SIZ 3 + DEX 3 + MOV 1 = 7? (until weapon added)

Not trying to be difficult. I need to GM this in less than a week! 😜

Spirit Magic record-keeping and use questions:

Spirit Magic spells are often listed as "Spell X"

1) This number represents the maximum number of effect gained by that character and it may have come from a combination of character creation or a character later doing favors for temples/cults that grants them boosts to magic, correct? I might start with Heal 2, but do a thing for the Cult and they give me one more "Spirit Magic spell point," essentially?

2) Let's say I have Heal 3. This means that I can cast Heal with 3 MP. Can I also Cast it with just 1 or 2 MP if I so desire?

3) If I have Dullblade 3, that caps the effectiveness of my Dullblade, but it doesn't stop me from spending MP to get past magical defenses, correct? So if I  cast Dullblade 3 at 6 MP, it would only have the "strength" of the 3, but the rest is to overcome a raised magical defense, correct?

4) Spirit Magic "spell ranks" are ultimately capped (CHA), but rarely do you see starting characters with Spirit Magic spell rank totals approaching the cap. Would it be fair to say that one of the many, many goals of adventuring is for some characters to do quests and other duties that allow them to gain more access to magic from their Cult?

5) Unlike Rune Magic, where any character can cast from the General list, Spirit Magic is entirely dependent upon what a temple or cult teaches you, correct? Most players start the game with only about 1-3 spells, depending upon rank but they potentially gain more as they quest?

I know these questions likely seem obvious to veterans. But they are not necessarily obvious to new players, especially as we code switch from other games. I'm trying to build my logical consistency within the game right now so I can effectively GM it.

1. Melee strike rank is always DEX SR+SIZ SR+Wpn SR ? (assume readied)

2. Missile weapons are DEX SR ?  (assume readied)

3. Spell is DEX SR + 1 per MP beyond the first? (assume readied)

4. SR appears to be pre-calculated for Pre-Gens/Scenario Adversary Stat Blocks? But assume a readied weapon?

18 hours ago, PhilHibbs said:

Large Shield has 16 HP in the table, that's the amount of damage it absorbs. This used to be AP in the previous edition but they changed it back to HP which was in RQ2. I think it's because it's slightly different to armour that you wear in that it can take damage and be weakened from being hit, which armour does not.

Thanks Phil. That is one of several changes I'm going to make based on feedback.

Someone in the comments also pointed out that my STR doesn't support a large shield and weapon. So, honestly, I'm just going to increase her STR to 12. That will help me keep the character concept.

Part 6 is up! Bumpity, bump, bump, bump.

1 hour ago, Bill the barbarian said:

klescer, if I contributed in any way to your confusion in magic, I apologize.

You did not. And that has been clarified, so it's all good anyway!

@g33k and @Bill the barbarian, you are pillars of the BRP community.  Thank you!

Thanks for all the advice.

Some more questions:

1) Do you feel giving players the text of the history of the Colymar Tribe from the Screen Pack is overkill?

2) Would pages 12-16 be a better "basic" introduction to the Tribe lands? (Population, Climate, Temples, Politics)

I have decided to run Cattle Raid for this first adventure.

I hear you, but I also feel like I'm receiving mixed messages. Either in this thread or another one, multiple people said that Rune magic should not be used in intro games because it encourages players to erroneously use what is a very finite resource. Since Rune points only regenerate at festivals/certain times of year.  I'm trying to balance this advice because my players aren't fools. If I encourage them to try it out, but remind them that points don't come back potentially for months, they'll understand that. On the other side of the coin, I see the point that blowing all your Rune points all at once is not how the game is played.

Spirit magic makes total sense to use since it is largely based off Magic points, right? 

12 hours ago, Marc said:

I'd LOVE to join the Cult of Chaos and offer to run a game at my local store, if I HAD a local store. 

 

You do not need to run a game publically to join. You can run a game with your group of friends and report on that. You just don't get Chaosium.com credit perks for running among your friends. I just joined and there was no blood test or DNA sample required.  

14 hours ago, Bill the barbarian said:

canon-focus sounds like a sub cult of the bane of my first kick at gaming—the Rules Lawyer. They wrecked many a d&d game looking up obscure rules while holding up the games.

This is one of the things I like about this game. The rules don't need to get any more complex from the start. It isn't an "expansionist" RPG. Rules lawyers love Pathfinder and DND 3.5 because you just keep heaping on more and more complexity. I'm not saying this game can't get complex, because it obviously can. That is why I started this thread. As I explained in my first post (which some people apparently didn't read very thoroughly), I'm an experienced GM with a solid General knowledge of teaching games and helping people feel fun right from the gate. But there does need to be PARSING of content at the start so that knowledge can be gradually released so players don't feel overwhelmed at the start, ruining the fun (I think I also mentioned in my first post that I'm a professional teacher, so I don't need to be lectured on what learning is and isn't). Bill, I appreciate your insight in what needs to be parsed in RQ, because that is what I posted for in the first place. And I hear you all loud and clear: magic comes later, and that totally makes sense.  Thanks everyone who contributed on topic!

42 minutes ago, soltakss said:

No, I'm saying that if a Game Designer uses some other rule on the spot, because he doesn't want to spend five minutes finding it in the rulebook, then he shouldn't be surprised to see people questioning the use of the rule and wondering why he used that rule rather than the rules in the book.

It actually begs the larger question: Whose responsibility is it to please fans?

I don't view it as the designer's responsibility. If someone follows anything so intensely that they have a perceived "gospel" for it, it isn't another person's responsibility to curate unreasonable expectations. There is room for all at tables, so long as they are fun-first for all, not just themselves. People will be dissatisfied no matter what someone chooses to do or not do. I'm not interested in sitting at a table where a GM feels "obligated" to play a certain way because they are trying to please people with the least healthy perspective.  I find that more enabling than empathetic.This is the exact reason my friend group stopped attending Cons. We were sick of other people telling us how we "should" feel. I don't think a lot of gamers understand how much "canonism" contributes to death of games and anxiety at Cons. It is often wielded like a hammer to exclude/discourage variant perspectives and styles at tables.

That said, I started this thread because I want to give my group a great experience running RQ the first time, and I know my players. That means finding a good balance of factors based upon where they are, not where I wish they were. Any new GM should ask the question: What are my player's approaches to fun and how can I craft a reasonable balance that will be fun for everyone? If one player's canon-focus is wrecking it for everyone else? No thanks.

They may be added to the Cult of Chaos at some point?

As a Call of Cthulhu player, I had no intention of purchasing Runequest until the slipcase released. And then the production values, art, richness of the world, and my trust in Chaosium completely converted me.  Not surprised.

I really appreciate the love that Chaosium is giving to this particular Mythos threat. 

I really enjoy the breadth of NPC portraits on the cover. It screams "lots of people/things to meet and stuff to do." That sounds more crass than I intended. LOL

Your responses pretty much sum up what attracts me to this game and why I would rather play Runequest than any other heroic game right now. What good is hero-ing if there is nothing wholesome at stake?

Part 5 is up!