Bill the barbarian

52 minutes ago, svensson said:

*I* remember that the last time 'Valind's Glacier' hosted the Winter Olympics they literally had to truck in snow... ROFL!

 

Slander, utter and absolute slander. Valind's Glacier has never hosted the Olympics! Vancouver is not a part of Valind's Glacier, after all!

[Winter Olympics in near tropical climes... gadzooks! And we all know that the sled dogs tasted great!]

3 hours ago, PhilHibbs said:

Added a Cults sheet, redrew the elements circle (link to files in first post).

 

Ooo, shiney!

24 minutes ago, svensson said:

It could also be that I was dropped on my head as an infant 😁

 

Excuse me, but I ask you to not use my excuse... thankyouverymuch!

1 hour ago, svensson said:

Let me repeat, the minis are high quality with few, but some, spurs and flanges. They have good-to-excellent detail. I really did get what I paid for. It's just that my 'inches and feet' brain didn't realize that there is larger difference between 25mm and 28mm that I thought there would be.

 

With all due respect, good sir, could the difference twixt one and the other be more an aged ocular phenomena than an empirical one.

😉

2 hours ago, Eff said:

3) Decide that the game's economics rules are inadequate to represent the realities of running a horse-training enterprise with a nose-to-feedbag margin, and that proceeding down this road will inevitably lead to it proving a bunch of horse feathers, and either backing away from the proposal or leaning into it as a source of farce or moderately black comedy.

 

I vote for the third!

18 hours ago, Jeff said:

Magasta

And it is Magasta for the win. Thanks Jeff and g33k, totally forgot about all the lozenge's waters charging back at his command to fill the gaping hole (maelstrom, really) in reality left after the Spike had exploded. 

Have not read these, but love ancients so I thought I would pop over and have a look. Seems like a very heavy emphasis on the iron age with the Roman Era predominating from the cover info. The oldest article I can see from the covers seems to be Macedonian...  Nope, one older, "A Multitude of Peoples: Before Rome Ruled Italy" so still iron age, but back to the 5th century BCE or so, presumably, possible older if it includes the obvious choice: The Etruscans.

ETA. Battle

Just saw an issue with an article about "The Battle Of Kadesh". This would push it back to the (very) late Bronze age (about 13 century BCE) to the Era of the Hittites and Egyptians clashing. These pre-roman era articles seem to be exceptions.

19 hours ago, soltakss said:

I have added Spoilers, as per @Bill the barbarian's request. Bill: You do know that Players can just clock on the Spoiler and they can see the text, don't you?

Indeed I do. Hell, players can buy modules, steal them or borrow them. They can download them for free on the right sites. These days, the internet is yer friend if you wish to cheat. No, I do not want to tell folk they can not read an item. That is their choice. I am more worried about the person who is so immersed in what you (the generic you, here not Simon, although when I read your material I am usually deeply immersed and have been for decades), have typed, that they innocently read the plot point that unravels the mystery and then realize they can not unread it. Happens to me often enough, that I feel I should mention it when I see it.  I understand you feeling a little piqued, after all this is something you are never guilty of, as I said earlier...

In any case, thanks for the spoilers Simon! 

Oh well, that's my 2 bolgs worth. Thanks for listening and we now return y'all to this excellent thread.

cheers

9 minutes ago, Agentorange said:

That said she has asked me to bring every RPG rule book I own when I go up to visit at Christmas so she can look through them......😊

Mr. Suitcase lives again!

🙂

8 hours ago, Alex Greene said:

When TDM moved to their new online shop site, they took the time to update the Luther Arkwright core rulebook, retooling it for Mythras rather than RQ6. New logo bottom left, and Mythras has replaced RQ6 and RuneQuest in the interior, afaict.

 

@lawrence.whitaker. Trying to figure out how to update (I think it is up-dateable) a purchase of Luther Arkwright from DriveThru which I bought as part of a Bundle of Holding. Can it be done? 

4 minutes ago, TrippyHippy said:

- Luther Arkwright? '

 

This has been out for quite awhile as the RQ 6 logo on the cover testifies.

16 minutes ago, DDTWilson said:

The "War in Winter.pdf" Link is no longer working. Hoping someone has a copy to repost.

 

Just tried it myself and it seems to work fine.

1 hour ago, Runeblogger said:

I would use the lines and veils system. 👈   That way, players won't know what exactly you have in store for them.

Thanks for that inclusion.

ETA

I have become a big fan of working with one's table... When, you ask, did this transformation begin...

Long ago on a lozenge far, far away!

Well, though I started to work with my tables back in the 80s to give them agency in a game they would spend years playing together, having the table be a healthy table (I mean the amount of Skittle and Jolt and Chips, prevented the game from ever being healthy from the get go)... that started with the re-discovery of fantasy gaming in 2017 with the release of RQ G... I was joined at my FLGS by a 20 something couple and a father/daughter (the daughter being a young teen) team for a demo of The Broken Tower at it's debut on Free Games Day. The game went well and all had a great time (well the male of the couple got badly confused trying to choose which of a myriad of spells to cast back when adventurers got all the spells in a Cult's set but that is not relevant to this discussion and was fixed in the core rules). 

I had a discussion with the father about the game being a bit violent and his daughter's choice of Yanioth mentioning she was described as a sensuous earth priestess. Nothing racy... He looked over the printout of Yanioth, thanked me for my concern and said she would be fine but wished more would come to him with these matters pregame. 

Needless to say, I was very happy to discover others had my qualms and that there were tools for this.

6 hours ago, smiorgan said:

My dilemma is being specific enough with the warning without giving away important bits of the investigation.

For instance 

  Reveal hidden contents

Should I specifically mention rape?

 

That is something I pondered as well, but... I think Nick may have a solution. 

5 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

But if you are a reasonable person, and pay attention to your players, and they use the X-Card sensibly, you should be fine. Lines and veils, man: lines and veils. Sort this stuff out in Session Zero.

 

X-cards and good will may well be the answer here.

57 minutes ago, smiorgan said:

1) How's Gaumata's Vision in play? Is it as awesome as it seems from reading it? For those who have run/ played it. 

 

Friggin' awesome! Great for Halloween!

57 minutes ago, smiorgan said:

2) Are there any specific pitfalls or difficulties in running it?

 

30 or so years is a long time and I can not recall any. It is a mystery so... it will require a certain mindset to solve. Do not forget to give trigger warnings about 

57 minutes ago, smiorgan said:

3) Anticipated issues with the RQ3 -> RQG conversion? My intention is mostly converting on the fly: add runes, passions and rune points as appropriate and use RQ3 stats as they are - including strike ranks.

 

None what so ever... Hand wave what you need to. Ignore passions, add runes if you will be making the foes a bit more powerful so they can cast Rune Spells and see the next sentence for more on power...

Oh, you crew might be a little to powerful for an RQ3 adventure meant for beginners... Only you will be able to answer that particular question.

57 minutes ago, smiorgan said:

4) I want to move Black Rock to Sandheart. I think it will become Cleft, which is just below the cliffs of Vulture Country. Basically, I move it from one backwater at the edge of Prax to another backwater at the edge of Vulture Country. Do you see any difficulty with that?

 

Do not know Sandheart but if it also a MOB production you should be in great hands! I love his work. 

And here is another little bit more info on the question...

57 minutes ago, smiorgan said:

Wish me good luck!

 

In the words of Scooby Doo.... Rot's of ruck!

26 minutes ago, Nick Brooke said:

So the page you pulled there is from MOB’s old website.

Copied it from a graphic at RPGGeek actually,

26 minutes ago, Nick Brooke said:

Here, have a link.

but yes the link you provide is where I first saw the full one page rules. I had forgot it was an intro to and a rules system for the Gaining of Wisdom Scenario.

Cheers

PS Hey MOB, where are the promised Advanced Rules, eh?

49 minutes ago, Nick Brooke said:

Bill, he defined it. The phrase is MOB’s.

Well aware of that, as is the one page (?) rule set of the same name... Been a fan of his since the 90s!

ETA

I was trying to recall where I saw the game and it's rules but while looking for it just now I came across this, seems you might know a bit about it yourself... That is your logo below on the top left of the graphic is it not, @Nick Brooke?

21 minutes ago, MOB said:

This made for some very amusing roleplaying, something Richard still remembers and so do I! And here at PAX AUS we both got to reminiscence about it, almost thirty years later!

 

So, you set the bar for MGF, eh?

3 minutes ago, borbetomagnus said:

Ask me about it and I'll share it with you over a drink one day at a convention. 

Sounds intriguing, alas, I doubt I will see you at a con... getting too old and as my avatar shows I live very much further north than you... I envy those who will get to hear it, but welcome to the cults of chaos anyway!

36 minutes ago, Videopete said:

I ran it as, the spirit only knows what it is told to through prayers and what it sees either it's own eyes if embodied or what it perceives when discorporated.  Obviously not many people wish to risk thier wyter by using it as a scout, but it is a option. But remember that it's range is only 2 miles per point of pow iirc.

Hey VP, been awhile. So, you fly by the rules then, eh?

ETA 

@Squaredeal Sten, will you be giving us your take on those questions?

3 hours ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

Per RQiG pages 286-287 , the wyter “does not know everything going on” in its area (which can be large if its POW is large), but must be directed to search for things by the priest.  It is linked to, and it magic can be directed by, the priest.  Those who sacrifice MPs to it/him, must take a Passion for the group, and can communicate prayers to the wyter which can pass them on to the priest.

So how much awareness and agency would YOU give a wyter in your game?

Interesting, the priest mentioned above has (according to the rules) less agency than most on the lozenge. (90 percent of their time and income is spoken for). His or her behaviour also has restrictions, and he or she is obligated to fulfill certain roles and duties in society. 

One might assume the Wyter therefore has even less agency. 

Now that is by the rules, but to my way of thinking the Wyter can be a great GM tool. Like setting, characters, plot, and theme. But more so... It can propel a plot forward, and give it theme. 

NOTE: there is so much variety in wyters that all the following thoughts will have to be a little general. 

3 hours ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

Would you say that it doesn't know what is going on unless one of its group members prays to it? 

 

Hm by the rules above it seems that it would not know. But what if story needs or something obvious the rules could not account for point to it having its own idea?

3 hours ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

Or would you say that it does know what is going on in the line of sight of whatever item it is bound into?  (This does raise the question of whether it has senses in the Middle World.)

 

I would think it depends on the story's need and MGF. But there would be some kind of boundary depending on its nature and form as well as senses and story/myth behind the wyter.

3 hours ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

Or would you say that it only becomes aware of anything its priest directs it to pay attention to in its area, even if that is out of sight of its binding object?  So the priest must essentially make a set of standing orders, or program the wyter?

 

Hm, this is a bit difficult, I will pass on this one. 

3 hours ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

Would you say it would take independent action against a threat it was aware of (say a fire starting in its temple or guild building), or does it have to wait for the priest's direction?  The only written example I recall is from Chris Gidlow's Citizens of the Lunar Empire, in which a wyter of an insula in Glamour (a water elemental) will put out fires in its building.

 

This is probably within the myth/story of the wyter to act in this manner. I wonder what Chris was thinking (myth-wise) as he set that characteristic up. 

3 hours ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

Is the simple fact of having sacrificed MPs to the wyter (and therefore taken a Passion for the group), all the wyter does to bind the group?  Or does it somehow suppress disagreements and arguments?  If so, how? 

 

I would think there would be much more... The knowledge of the fact that without a wyter there is no community would be known and be a brake on misbehaviours but I would hope there to be more. The myth that tied the wyter to the community would have to  be taken into account as well. 

3 hours ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

Will the wyter take action on its own, or will it only take action as directed by its priest?

In my games it would be constrained as our many by forces beyond itself. 

For many of your thoughts I would let MGF and the needs of story dictate... and the rules as well, of course. 

On 5/8/2021 at 5:29 AM, Oracle said:

• achieving a goal
• arriving at a location
• gaining/winning an object
• outreaching something (a person? a location?)
• reaching out to grasp something
• joining up
• probing into something

Damn, I believe those all work on some level! Well done, Oracle. On the surface though, I think the third and fifth (I have bolded them) are the strongest choices.

On 5/8/2021 at 5:42 AM, Nick Brooke said:

Submit, barbarian.

Never! 
😉

On 5/8/2021 at 5:42 AM, Nick Brooke said:

"Reaching out to grasp something" seems closest to me, but the title is intentionally ambiguous

The Lunars seem to like covering their bases, so this makes a good deal of sense. 

On 5/8/2021 at 6:04 AM, Sir_Godspeed said:

It's a literal territorialization of divine power (and thus, imperial claims and control), so several of the meanings can apply. 

Yep!

On 5/9/2021 at 3:38 AM, Darius West said:

The use of "reaching" in "Reaching Moon" and "Reaching Storm" is part of English idiom. 

This is true... English is not an exact science!

On 5/13/2021 at 6:58 AM, Ali the Helering said:

Actually, in winning over Saird, Holay, Tarsh, ... you have a population that is still heavily Orlanthi in the hills.  The Lunars were never a dominant portion of the populace here - even in the lowlands, much remained a mix of Earth worshippers, DH colonists (i.e. Lodril & Oria), other native folk (e.g. dog folk of Saird worshipping Jajagappa, the Vanchites with their own weird and eclectic mix).

 

My, my, Ali... that is quite the long detailed post... too much coffee?
🙂

On 5/13/2021 at 6:58 AM, Ali the Helering said:

The other aspect to consider is that the Temples of the Reaching Moon represent a 'chaining' together of magic from one temple to another to extend the Glowline.  Now, nothing in KoS or GtG suggests that Argrath creates an equivalent of the Glowline. 

My personal take would be the Glowline is the thing which is reaching... into new territories. 

On 5/13/2021 at 6:58 AM, Ali the Helering said:

I think it is one of those glorious circumstances where it all depends on the players.😜

As always!

5 hours ago, Russ Massey said:

A Yelornan in my Sandheart campaign has successfully completed her unicorn quest, and now wants her mount to initiate into Yelorna. Her argument is that as unicorns are mythically associated with the goddess, and as there are entires tribes of unicorn-riding Yelornans, this should be an common-place and routine thing.

 

As GM you will have to weigh whether this is something you are willing to allow. Which seems a little unfair and a bit like a fiat, but really it is just deciding what level of power in a player's hand will overpower your game... MGF should apply to the GM as well as the player and if the GM is in a continual arms race with the players, well, that does not sound like fun to me. I am here for the stories. If the player is not looking to cause the GM grief, if the addition of a very powerful initiate attached to one player (a unicorn with rune spells and RPs and...) does not throw off the games balance (that hated word in Chaosium game circles), hell, if it looks to be fun and all at the table agree that having a initiated unicorn is MGF, go for it. Otherwise (or in any case) lay your cards on the table and explain your worries. This should be of benefit to the table, no matter how it decides.

33 minutes ago, PhilHibbs said:

I forget the details. If instead of an occupation you are travelling through foreign lands then I'd write up a "traveller" occupation to use instead of the adventurer's regular occupation so you can pick homeland lore, culture, language, etc. skills to get increases in.

That sounds like a great idea, wish I had thought of it, oh wait a minute... for details on this have a look at my previous post

17 minutes ago, Ali the Helering said:

Since the excavation and translation of the Ugarit/Ras Shamra material

Ali, I hate you! Down the rabbit hole I go... again...