SDLeary

But whether that slowing would impart a significantly different wound compared to the larger spear, based on the damage granularity of the RQ rules. SDLeary

"Two-handed" swords, yes. They might be considered Longswords by later European standards, rather than the ginormous Zweihanders. SDLeary

As the official figure had a quarterstaff, for us the answer was always yes: quarterstaff, shield, and so forth. At one point I remember petitioning for a crossbow with blunted bolts (bird shot), but was shot down. 🙂 SDLeary

Both of these look pointy enough to poke. 🙂 To be fair though, I think the Spring and Autumn and Warring States swords are outliers. To my knowledge, no other culture mastered bronze enough to be able to create real longswords/two-handed swords. SDLeary

If you are in HtH, a rondel is not going to do a damn thing. You have to immobilize your opponent first, so tha you can get enough leverage to punch through, or find a gap to exploit. Otherwise it would only damage on a crit. SDLeary

I think it’s a combination of things. First, an artifact of previous editions. It was slashing only in RQ3 as well. Second, no one on staff (to the best of my knowledge) looking at current HEMA and other combat research. There could be multiple reasons for this. There could be other reasons though. Perhaps Humakti have simply not discovered the maneuver yet. SDLeary

Half-swording and poking with the point is a thing 🙂 SDLeary

Yes Perhaps, but again not necessarily more to push the damage as much as seen. No. Head size and weapon length have nothing to do with one another. As mentioned above, a longer spear with a larger head would be much more difficult to maneuver, and thus hit with. Again, see a previous post. This. Which is the same as your previous bullet point! 😉 SDLeary

This could be true, if you are fencing with a spear; say a Yari, Naginata, or European fencing spear, which have longer heads about the size of daggers or short swords. Regular spears though are used for poking. While momentum could apply, there would not be enough additional momentum (due to shaft and head) to increase damage in the way envisioned by the rules. The reason is probably just for fun... to give someone impetus to try something more than a simple spear or other weapon (same could be true for shortswords and swords as well, even though they are levers). SDLeary

Total Damage greater than SIZ caused knock back... not damage that made it past your shield or through your armor. SDLeary

Same entity, different traditions (I think I've said that before in a different thread). Its not the magical issues that cause pause. Its the cultural. So even if Elmal IS Yelmalio, and a subcult thereof, I hope that there is more than the somewhat simple entries that we have become used to. SDLeary

That was actually one of the things I was considering... something that will be revealed during or just after the Hero Wars. SDLeary

There is a major difference. The revelation in your example is Clark/Superman reinforcing the spoiling by Monrogh. In the Gloranthan example, its Monrogh telling you that A is B, without any physical reinforcement. Hell, he could simply be bewitching you! Humans are a lot more suspicious than that. I also have to imagine that many other Orlanthi (ie many of the vast majority that are not Elmali) aren't comfortable with these foreign ways being imported into their homelands either. SDLeary

Oh, most certainly not good for image. And, as far as rebranding, those that did become disaffected and worshipped Yelm do seem to have come out of it OK in the end (as a group), with their own autonomous region. They were the initial source of the Clan's troubles though, and seem to have caused tribal trouble far in excess of what their numbers probably were. Thank you for that thread link, I'll go check it out. Filling in the blanks is OK, I suppose... but the "friend" could be anyone. Even someone who is trying to further their own interests in helping to cement the position of the new establishment of a faith in a new land. And the Sourcebook completes the transition, as it states that it was Yemalions that were rewarded (p26). Yes, in the section on Volsaxiland on p259. But it doesn't say that they are the Elmali, only that they are his allies. And the rest of the guide seems to imply that Elmal is still the Orlanthi Sun God (please correct me if I've missed other sections... the guide being a massive tome with very tiny print! Though a PDF search really hasn't come up with anything else). Yes, that's always been the issue with Stafford Library titles, but one that I like. They almost? always contain more than one document, and included documents are from the perspective of the writer. This is where all the little oddities and contradictions flow from; and to me its one of the things that makes the inhabitants of Glorantha feel more real. I'm not really ticked that Yelmalio has replaced Elmal. I'm ticked that a god of Mercenaries (and a light god of Aldryami), a minor god of an enemy pantheon, one that has no loyalty to the clan or tribe, has managed to displace The Loyal Thane and Guardian of the Stead for over 1500 years, in the space of 80 years. There HAS to be something more going on here that we haven't even had a hint of, or (yes I'm going here) a part of the story that is of the future and hasn't been revealed yet. SDLeary

OK, I see the things that I've read before... yes, proselytizing successfully a group that was unsatisfied with their faith (and had started to worship a foreign god, Yelm), a group that was so disaffected that they were an insurrection, and caused a Clan to disintegrate. Establishment of the Sun Dome, and so on. The rest of the Elmali "who wanted to join the new Sun God" (KoS p169) doing so. Nothing shows to the level of threatening the Kingdom, unless the Elmali at that time were MUCH more numerous than they appear to be. Yes, some (a large proportion?) did refuse a Kings request for aid, but I imagine there were others (from other clans) that did muster at the request. "The Yelmalio cult has now eclipsed the native Elmal cult." (Sourcebook p118), but has not eliminated it. Still not seeing where they murdered a Prince of Sartar. I do note though that some things have changed. KoS 1e states that it was the Elmali that were rewarded by Tarkalor, and Yelmalions in 2e (and Guide). Yet both are called out as separate deities in the Guide, only Elmal being the Sun God of the Orlanthi. 🤷‍♂️ SDLeary

This particular kin strife sounds somewhat new, or I missed it. It doesn't come across that way in published sources... simply proselytizing. Is there somewhere in The Guide that I can read about it? Looking in the Sourcebook, I only see that open violence emerged between the two factions. SDLeary

Now, for an alternate take to Dread's... RQ3, Vikings, and LoN. Don't get me wrong, I love all those Gloranthan titles too, but I'd have those as the stretch goals. SDLeary

And, just for completeness as to having basic information, also the Gloranthan Bestiary, so that all the beasties are there for those of us that prefer our core rules to have a little vintage to them. 😉 SDLeary

...And the honesty of the source selling them to you, swearing that it will make you a god! 😉 SDLeary

Also... for Mean Nasties... the Malleus Monstrorum. The older version is easier to use with BRP, though the newer one is more pretty. SDLeary

True, and I like RoH. It does seem a bit more Traveller, and a bit less 2300AD to me though. And its really that near-ish future space that attracts me. Either platform would work, as would a stand alone product based on the Misery Engine. I think exposure would be greater though as a Mythras product. SDLeary

A full fledged version of Cthulhu Rising! SDLeary

Yes, and is more currently available in the Advanced Sorcery MagicWorld supplement. SDLeary

DOH! Yes... DERP!!! Brainf***! SDLeary

Interesting. Why do you miss FixedINT? It seemed to be the most reviled thing about magic (primarily sorcery) in RQ3. SDLeary