Bill the barbarian

So, we have had a look at one of the pillars of infrastructure, the prison system, How about the fire department. Just listened to one of my fave CBC programs, Ideas. What's it about you ask... (oh behave Bill). Er, Ideas? If available to you on CBC or PRI give it a listen. Anyway, last night they were talking about how fires devastated cities throughout history, Well, it starts me thinking that the warrens of Pavis would allow fires to spread rapidly. The many different peoples with different cooking habits and uses of fuels the multiple languages to organize, could cause a little chaos and lead to outbreaks of fire. The one good thing is the river flowing though and I would imagine a fire starting in Ingilli territory (the family in charge of river traffic that controls Riverside) would be short lived, In Sartar I assume the cites and towns are not as bad as Pavis for multiple peoples with multiple ways of cooking, although their has been a lot of Lunars (with their weird ways) coming through. They don't look quite as bad as Pavis for crowding either. Mind you, they are usually built on hills, so even with a river the water would have to be brought uphill. Now one example I can thing of in our ancient world was the Rome Fire Department. It was so powerful that the triumvirate that ruled the last republic had the head of the fire department as one of them. You know it has power. It also seems to me to have not been very effective (yes, Nero, I am looking at you, now put down that fiddle and pick up a bucket dammit!) Of course, this is Glorantha. Areas with a strong water affiliation (along the Engizi) would have access to cult water elementals. Those with Heler god talkers (I assume) might be in better shape (they can call rain, no?). So what do ya all think?

One old gaffer in front of the fire toothlessly nursing a quaff: Ahh I remember when I was young and used to long for even a single percentage point... Yet another old gaffer jumps in: Aye but ya tell that toooo the young 'uns new adays and they'll nay believe ya. Many mutterings Aye... From another table, an eruption from RHW MORE BEER!

So, this is an old problem for you. Have you given any thought to a solution? Or is there a problem, how is your Masks slipcase and how old is it? Cheers

Gustaf, j'accuse, you egregious Munchkin! Sorry Shiningbrow, wrong on both counts. When you are looking at about 600 percentile points or so of skills (did the math quicky about a year ago to try to get a handle on the new rules so I will not swear to 600 but thats what I recall) grabbing every single esrolian percentile point is most certainly egregious and Munchkinnery! Cheers

Thank you ever so kindly of taking a chance at being ostracized amongst your peers. Well said!

Note the third last paragraph where they give a little info on the idea of a metal shield in the time of European knights.

I was about to answer, but shields weren't made of metal, then it dawned on me, Google it which of course led to Wikipedia, so... Shield From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search This article is about the defensive device. For other uses, see Shield (disambiguation) and Shields (disambiguation). Powerful Zulu chief Goza and two of his councillors in war-dress, all with Nguni shields, c.1870. The size of the shield on the chief's left arm denotes his status, and the white colour that he is a married man.[1] Wall painting depicting a Mycenaean Greek "figure eight" shield with a suspension strap at the middle, 15th century BC, National Archaeological Museum, Athens -The faces of figure eight shields were quite convex. The cited "strap" may be the ridge on the front (so denoted by the visible pattern of the ox hide) of the shield. A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand or mounted on the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of active blocks, as well as to provide passive protection by closing one or more lines of engagement during combat. Shields vary greatly in size and shape, ranging from large panels that protect the user's whole body to small models (such as the buckler) that were intended for hand-to-hand-combat use. Shields also vary a great deal in thickness; whereas some shields were made of relatively deep, absorbent, wooden planking to protect soldiers from the impact of spears and crossbow bolts, others were thinner and lighter and designed mainly for deflecting blade strikes. Finally, shields vary greatly in shape, ranging in roundness to angularity, proportional length and width, symmetry and edge pattern; different shapes provide more optimal protection for infantry or cavalry, enhance portability, provide secondary uses such as ship protection or as a weapon and so on. In prehistory and during the era of the earliest civilisations, shields were made of wood, animal hide, woven reeds or wicker. In classical antiquity, the Barbarian Invasions and the Middle Ages, they were normally constructed of poplar tree, lime or another split-resistant timber, covered in some instances with a material such as leather or rawhide and often reinforced with a metal boss, rim or banding. They were carried by foot soldiers, knights and cavalry. Depending on time and place, shields could be round, oval, square, rectangular, triangular, bilabial or scalloped. Sometimes they took on the form of kites or flatirons, or had rounded tops on a rectangular base with perhaps an eye-hole, to look through when used with combat. The shield was held by a central grip or by straps that went over or around the user's arm. Often shields were decorated with a painted pattern or an animal representation to show their army or clan. These designs developed into systematized heraldic devices during the High Middle Ages for purposes of battlefield identification. Even after the introduction of gunpowder and firearms to the battlefield, shields continued to be used by certain groups. In the 18th century, for example, Scottish Highland fighters liked to wield small shields known as targes, and as late as the 19th century, some non-industrialized peoples (such as Zulu warriors) employed them when waging war. In the 20th and 21st century, shields have been used by military and police units that specialize in anti-terrorist actions, hostage rescue, riot control and siege-breaking. The modern term usually refers to a device that is held in the hand or attached to the arm, as opposed to an armored suit or a bullet-proof vest. Shields are also sometimes mounted on vehicle-mounted weapons to protect the operator. Contents 1Development of shields 1.1Prehistory 1.2Ancient history 1.3Post-classical history 1.4Modern history 2Gallery 3See also 4References 5Bibliography 6External links Development of shields[edit] Prehistory[edit] The oldest form of shield was a protection device designed to block attacks by hand weapons, such as swords, axes and maces, or ranged weapons like sling-stones and arrows. Shields have varied greatly in construction over time and place. Sometimes shields were made of metal, but wood or animal hideconstruction was much more common; wicker and even turtle shells have been used. Many surviving examples of metal shields are generally felt to be ceremonial rather than practical, for example the Yetholm-type shields of the Bronze Age, or the Iron Age Battersea shield. Ancient history[edit] Greek soldiers of Greco-Persian Wars. Left: Greek slinger. Right: hoplites. Middle: hoplite's shield has a curtain which serves as a protection from arrows. Size and weight varied greatly. Lightly armored warriors relying on speed and surprise would generally carry light shields (pelte) that were either small or thin. Heavy troops might be equipped with robust shields that could cover most of the body. Many had a strap called a guige that allowed them to be slung over the user's back when not in use or on horseback. During the 14th–13th century BC, the Sards or Shardana, working as mercenaries for the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, utilized either large or small round shields against the Hittites. The Mycenaean Greeks used two types of shields: the "figure-of-eight" shield and a rectangular "tower" shield. These shields were made primarily from a wicker frame and then reinforced with leather. Covering the body from head to foot, the figure-of-eight and tower shield offered most of the warrior's body a good deal of protection in head-to-head combat. The Ancient Greek hoplites used a round, bowl-shaped wooden shield that was reinforced with bronze and called an aspis. Another name for this type of shield is a hoplon. The hoplon shield inspired the name for hoplite soldiers. The hoplon was also the longest-lasting and most famous and influential of all of the ancient Greek shields. The Spartans used the aspis to create the Greek phalanx formation.[2] Their shields offered protection not only for themselves but for their comrades to their left.[3] Examples of Germanic wooden shields circa 350 BC – 500 AD survive from weapons sacrifices in Danish bogs. The heavily armored Roman legionaries carried large shields (scuta) that could provide far more protection, but made swift movement a little more difficult. The scutum originally had an oval shape, but gradually the curved tops and sides were cut to produce the familiar rectangular shape most commonly seen in the early Imperial legions. Famously, the Romans used their shields to create a tortoise-like formation called a testudo in which entire groups of soldiers would be enclosed in an armoured box to provide protection against missiles. Many ancient shield designs featured incuts of one sort or another. This was done to accommodate the shaft of a spear, thus facilitating tactics requiring the soldiers to stand close together forming a wall of shields. Post-classical history[edit] Two wooden round shields survived at Thorsberg moor (3rd century A.D.) Typical in the early European Middle Ages were round shields with light, non-splitting wood like linden, fir, alder or poplar, usually reinforced with leather cover on one or both sides and occasionally metal rims, encircling a metal shield boss. These light shields suited a fighting style where each incoming blow is intercepted with the boss in order to deflect it. The Normans introduced the kite shield around the 10th century, which was rounded at the top and tapered at the bottom. This gave some protection to the user's legs, without adding too much to the total weight of the shield. The kite shield predominantly features enarmes, leather straps used to grip the shield tight to the arm. Used by foot and mounted troops alike, it gradually came to replace the round shield as the common choice until the end of the 12th century, when more efficient limb armour allowed the shields to grow shorter, and be entirely replaced by the 14th century. As body armour improved, knight's shields became smaller, leading to the familiar heater shield style. Both kite and heater style shields were made of several layers of laminated wood[citation needed], with a gentle curve in cross section. The heater style inspired the shape of the symbolic heraldic shield that is still used today. Eventually, specialised shapes were developed such as the bouche, which had a lance rest cut into the upper corner of the lance side, to help guide it in combat or tournament. Free standing shields called pavises, which were propped up on stands, were used by medieval crossbowmen who needed protection while reloading. In time, some armoured foot knights gave up shields entirely in favour of mobility and two-handed weapons. Other knights and common soldiers adopted the buckler, giving rise to the term "swashbuckler".[4] The buckler is a small round shield, typically between 8 and 16 inches (20–40 cm) in diameter. The buckler was one of very few types of shield that were usually made of metal. Small and light, the buckler was easily carried by being hung from a belt; it gave little protection from missiles and was reserved for hand-to-hand combat where it served both for protection and offence. The buckler's use began in the Middle Ages and continued well into the 16th century. In Italy, the targa, parma and rotella were used by common people, fencers and even knights. The development of plate armour made shields less and less common as it eliminated the need for a shield. Lightly armoured troops continued to use shields after men-at-arms and knights ceased to use them. Shields continued in use even after gunpowder powered weapons made them essentially obsolete on the battlefield. In the 18th century, the Scottish clansused a small, round targe that was partially effective against the firearms of the time, although it was arguably more often used against British infantry bayonets and cavalry swords in close-in fighting. During the 19th century, non-industrial cultures with little access to guns were still using war shields. Zulu warriors carried large lightweight shields called Ishlangu made from a single ox hide supported by a wooden spine.[5] This was used in combination with a short spear (assegai) and/or club. Much more at Wikipedia...

Understood, this is simply a case of making a mistake in public leading to good things for all concerned.

Yeah, that paragraph a very long 4 and an half columns away and a large table between makes all the difference in interpreting the paragraph I quoted. Cheers

Alas Phil, not so. That was RQ 2 not RQ RiG "Javelins, Spears, and Darts" are a separate category from "Thrown Weapons" From page 212 in RQ RiG. Javelins, Spears, and Darts Atlatl: A short stick with a socket at one end used to add range and damage to a thrown javelin or dart. Using an atlatl makes a javelin slower to use (it must be reloaded) but allows for more force, giving greater range and causing additional damage. Price: 10 L. Dart: A short, weighted point suitable for throwing. These may be kept clipped on the inside of a large shield for convenience. Price: 25 L. Javelin: See page 211. Spear, Short: See page 211. Thrown Weapons Axe, Throwing: See page 210. Dagger, Throwing: See page 210. Rock: A fist-sized rock. Price: —

Well, being on a Mac I can not buy from iTunes which is for mobile devices, obviously can not buy on The Play store. but must buy from the app shop, or steam (a choice I have not made yet nor do I really want to be getting from yet another site with new passwords, etc)... or another trusted site ( fer instance, A sharp or Chaosium which are my preferences if not the app store) . Cheers

Correct, my bad.

If I understand you, no. Each hand can attack, and a hand (one or the other, it does not matter) can parry (multiple parries allowed one per attack with each subsequent parry being 20% less). The next round the same but the parry (which hand does not matter) is now less. Now, a weapon in one hand can both attack and parry so unless a shield is much different one should be able to parry, and bash with shield and attack with other hand. Or if preferred (not sure why, attacker is using natural weapons perhaps) one could parry with sword and attack with sword and bash with shield. For a while (back when the quick start was literally the only (RQ) game in town) one could not parry and strike with the same weapon in the same SR. I have not seen this in the core rules, or heard of it in a while. Anyone else? Cheers

dialogue, personality, accents, atmosphere, the incredible theatre of the mind that it seems only voices can truly evoke, decades of great material, and so so much more! My fave is the Shadow.

I put the cover in the half sleeve of the GM Screen pack, and then gently slide in the rest. The heavier and more solid parts first. This product might be my only complaint about the slipcase and would love to see a McGiverish solution. Cheers

I'd love to play a crazy old firebug librarian trickster. I suppose that would sort the mess in the library once and for all. Crazy old firebug librarian trickster says, "Heroquest my big fat hairy..."

Might depend on the cults, I wonder how often holy days would occur together (more often of associated cults I am sure). Each set of RP and POW gain rolls would require worship rolls. Would each worship require active participation in only that cults rites. That could cause problems. I realize that this is not RAW but one always hopes (sometimes in vain) fot the reality and the rules to agree_ Cheers

Again SPOILER ALERT There is the semi-secret tunnel through Gimpy's that really is known and guarded by the Lunars but here are a few others mentioned as well. Alas. ownership of Pavis and the Big Rubble is required. But know that not only do such passages exist but who has that knowledge is a very valid question worth asking and answering before it's to late. Temples offer many ways of getting into a city. Fer instance, hidden inside "sacred items" that would be profaned if examined by an infidel. Guided teleports... Wow. solid stuff there, all of it, not just the quoted part! In contested area, there is usually a game of oneupmanship twixt the competing authorities on finding and creating secret tunnels, hidden entrences, smuggling tactics, and ways to circumvent/entrap and find such, Berlin, Casablanca, Pavis all have some great stories with this as setting.

This was to be my thought but Joerg may have hit 'em all with that doozie! I would imagine thief warrens and travel paths underground and in passing walls, (this could be tunnels, bribable guards) as well.

Well, Gringle's Pawn Shop might be a good one off and has a uniquely RQ twist. SPOILER BELOW The party becomes the dungeon dwellers and the NPCs are the adventures assaulting the dungeon (love it!) The village of Apple Lane is a nondescript gathering of buildings typical of borderland territories. Several days ride from the nearest large city it sits astride a well used road. Any travellers (from whom the settlement gets the larger share of its trade) are happy to stop at this rustic outpost, while farmers from the surrounding hills enjoy it's nearly-citified comforts. The Sheriff of Apple Lane has authority in the area; there is no other official security force. Apple orchards, from which the hamlet draws its name, surround it on every side. Just saying... Cheers

Thanx but I'm a GIMP fan myself. Why use a hammer when a wrecking ball is so much bigger!

I lost my gravitas!

And lose my Beautiful figure B some say it looks just like me.

Leading us to the debate, and my question, however it has been proven as RAW. Alas.

I believe the emphasis says it all. Thanx Shiningbrow and congrats and well played Kloster!