Bill the barbarian

So what's it all about?

Chaosium has regretted giving up the HeroQuest name, so will link with Hasbro to use their HQ as the basis of Gloranthan gaming going forward!

On 2/20/2023 at 9:09 PM, jackleg2010 said:

Currently own a few BRP games, but not RQ since the AH 3rd edition. What creature are they fighting?

Is that fur?

So furred (?), taloned, tailed and intelligent (note the armour)... wow!

The fur eliminates Slarges, the tale does not look like that of a Dragonnewt... hmm?

11 hours ago, Darius West said:

If you can't identify the critter, it is probably some sort of broo.

Well Darius, this might be so... or it could be the result of chaos.

14 minutes ago, Eff said:

And obviously, in RQG, it is quite doable to have starting player characters with 90% in skills, and 70% or more in weapon skills, parrying is folded into the base skill, etc. so you're already in the mode where the most likely outcomes are mutual parries and weapon damage is a factor, etc. (My vivid experience of RQ combat was a one-on-one duel in the Munchrooms scenario, with a marginally improved character from baseline fighting a Karrg's Son, and it was nail-biting even playing pure defense and with a Passion going.)

Thanks, I did my best!

4 hours ago, Barak Shathur said:

This is where a good fatigue system comes in handy. IMO one of the better solutions to BRP ping pong. Either a linear one as in RQIII, which however is a little cumbersome, or an interval based one as in RQIV (roll CON ever 6 rounds, reduced by ENC, or suffer a penalty).

This is why I use the Encumberance system.

No worries...

But if not relevant to me, I really can not justify spending the cash. Porchango, will not be big in my Dragon Pass, ergo, Pamatela will be of little interest. I will imagine that to be true of The Eastern Isles, and Teshnos as well... We will see. When the books are finally out and not vapour ware I can make my decisions.

On 2/15/2023 at 5:48 PM, jajagappa said:

Probably a complex one needing:  Summon + Man + Dispel + Death (possibly with a Combine + Fertility for good measure, though perhaps that has to be done to the body first to make it capable of hosting the spirit again?).

I would suggest Spirit in place of Man. When the spirit arrives from the land of the dead or the path to it, and takes it place in the body the entity will once again posses the Man Rune in place of the Spirit Rune.

24 minutes ago, PhilHibbs said:

I'm warming to this idea. Yes, I can see that a two-volume Guide-sized whopper would put off casual players. A modest sized Storm Pantheon book would not.

I am overjoyed, as I have no intention of ever running games in the south, east or west.

It has been said elsewhere that Trollpak's excellent adventure Munchrooms gives tactics for multiple opponent combat, as does Grubfarm and the Caravans from the same pak... alas, it is not RQG nor human. I believe most tactics used will be able to be good in RQG and this should not be a detriment to it's continued use.

One secret to Munchrooms, prep, prep, and prep. It is big. Oh and if you have RQ2 change the timeline

1 hour ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

2. Those of us who have run RQ for a few years have not experienced running out of monsters.  Judging from the responses of those who have run RQ for decades, they have elaborated foes within existing categories.  For example there are rolled up spirits and demons per Bestiary - then in a specific supplement there is Krampus who falls into that general category: You can buy the Throat of Winter adventure with him in Jonstown Compendium.  Which I recommend.   But he is not meant to be a generic Krampus that any GM throws into his 27th level dungeon, you open the room door and he says " You're on the naughty list."  No he is not Santa Claus, not even an evil Santa.  He has motivations, subordinates, and methods peculiar to the adventure.

 

Yes, Austin @Crel did a fantastic job on this. It has been my pleasure to be his editor on others works, if not this one. He does great on detailing monsters and their tactics and raison d'etres... (see his MotM series for a few critters to add to yer Bestiary, General Ork).

https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?keyword=akhelas

22 minutes ago, Dr. Devici said:

And if you really fuck something up, the events of your game aren't inviolable. If your combat encounter kills somebody instantly and you suddenly realize it's mathematically absurd and borderline unwinnable, you can just say "my bad guys, let's roll back the clock a bit" and adjust things on the spot. I've been there and I've done that, it works out fine.

 

And I thought I was the only one... cool!

I always ask the players if we should play touch move, take backs or an even friendlier game... usually causing a bit of initial confusion until I explain.

Hopefully thread may retake its rail from here.

On 2/14/2023 at 10:29 AM, g33k said:

and no remarks about my waistline

waistline, I thought that was the horizon!

1 hour ago, Rick Meints said:

I would imagine that many gaming groups could easily get by with starting with just a single book or two of cults. Which one(s) would depend on the approximate nature and location of their campaign. It's pretty safe to say you don't need much if any info on the Sea Gods if you are adventuring in Pavis, nor would you need Western choices if playing in Sartar. If you aren't based in the Lunar empire you probably wouldn't need a Lunar Cults book, etc. 

 

Our early games up here, in the 80s, did not suffer because we got it all wrong... nomadic wheels in Prax, etc. We had a blast anyway. Still playing and Gming today!

1 hour ago, Brian Duguid said:

Absolutely. We're all successfully GMing games in RQ today without a GM's Guide. We have player characters who can play as members of up to 28 different cults (core book + bestiary) with sufficient rules and magic to be getting on with - and more if we use RQ Classic or other material. I'm in the "will probably buy everything" camp, and look forward to expanding our knowledge and opportunities. But each and every book in the Cults series will do that, we don't need them all to get value out of the first group to come out.

Nice perspectives. 

2 hours ago, Scotty said:

For ease I would recommend starting with the Seven Mothers Initiate in Book 4, page 39.

 

From the starter set?

Agreed!

3 minutes ago, soltakss said:

Isn't that what I said? 🙂

 

Sorry Guv, could not make owt tha words from tha accent. How's yer english, we could try that.

6 hours ago, David Scott said:

Arachne Solara is Greatest of the Greater Gods

 

If I were to be honest, I hate absolutes in my RPGs. Smacks too much of DnD (Gygax style) or god learning. You do a great job of leaving matters in the hands of the gamers in many of your rulings so I do not mean you David and I have read the comment you mention. I have also read that they were the great old ones and have seen other epithets but me, as GM, this is far to wide a brush for me... I much prefer the ambiguity I was using and leaving such mysteries to the deep conversations found in the temples of the learned or the distant unknowable past. 

Things that don't fit into neat packages have caused crisis greater than yours in understanding. Just be careful of seers who strive to illuminate your darkness and ask strange riddles. 

16 minutes ago, Rodney Dangerduck said:

Somewhat OT, but a few months ago Jeff posted a list of Major and Minor gods.

Every single member of our long timer RQ gaming group was shocked that Arachne Solara made neither list.  Hopefully there was a typo or misunderstanding somewhere.

 

I have never considered her to be  god or goddess. Nope, since finding out about her in '83 I have always considered her not to be a deity, or more powerful than them but beyond them. 

ETA

Not akin to them.

When races in space begin to resemble NBA game scores you know your subject has to be the number of satellites in orbit around the two giants of our Solar System!

2 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

If it's passionate enough to do actual HP damage. Which might not be every kiss, at least?

 

You have Klingons in your Glorantha, doncha? If not, trolls should work!

7 minutes ago, Atgxtg said:

I wish these things got more of a in store presence though. I think they really could have been a good intro set. 

 

It sold Warhammer and Battle Tech in my neighbourhood in the 80s! Kids would see the minis and the whole 3d thing and go gaga!

Their parents and older siblings too!

On 1/21/2023 at 8:22 AM, Agentorange said:

So members of a spirit cult could then access whatever Rune Spells the spirit cult offered....and also have access to a much wider variety of spirit magic than the worshippers of one of the regular gods etc, especially if it's relatively minor deity. Ok spirit cults tend to be small localised things. But in a small localised sense a spirit cult could be more powerful than a regular cult - if you see what I mean.

And as much print as Humakti have gotten for being OP, I am shocked none have raised the banned for Shamans in this regards. Where are the naysayers calling this profession into question. Not that I would, I do not believe either are OP in comparison with many other possible PC one can create (just don't get me started on how all of RQG is OP).

On 1/21/2023 at 10:47 AM, soltakss said:

Yes, although Shamans, not Shamen, because English is funny like that.

 

 And so are the English... 😉

On 1/21/2023 at 12:30 PM, Agentorange said:

So next question..

Can spirit cults teach unique spirit magic spells as well as their unique Rune Spells ? or perhaps instead of Rune Spells. The rules don't say they can't....so I've assumed they can.

If you are doing a long form writeup of this spirit cult (and why wouldn't ya?) I would say make a myth which explains the reason for this spell and have it be comparable to small cults in what way or another (either in MPs cost or restrictions or... consequences). 

On 1/21/2023 at 1:06 PM, Agentorange said:

Old Bill the lawgiver

<snicker>

On 1/22/2023 at 1:10 AM, Nick Brooke said:

Simon @soltakss points out that knowledge of Auld Wyrmish was originally a stolen cult secret. I'll just mention the "eradication of all human life in Dragon Pass"-level consequences that resulted from it.

 

see a couple of quotes above.

On 1/22/2023 at 5:26 AM, soltakss said:

Let's think about one problem at a time ...

🤣

Great question @Agentorange!

On 1/31/2023 at 12:47 PM, radmonger said:

Sharing the same temples, but not sharing the same services seems like too fun an option to pass up, Do the two sets of apprentices get into fights as to who gets to make a ritual procession down the shared main hall?  What do you do when you have been on the waiting list for a year to study a rare scroll, and the governor's favorite clerk just borrows it for the next 6 months?

 

There is a temple in Jerusalem that has shared management by many Christian sub-cults. Often, fist fights will break out, as radmonger suggests, between the clerics of different orders. 

1 hour ago, Atgxtg said:

BTW, anyone familar with the old Fantasy Paths boxed sets of map tiles?

Yep, never used them, I was a battle mat fan. Their ads were everywhere though!

Thanks for the memories, Rick!

Cheers