Psullie

Impaling (and slashing) weapons get stuck on the special - which can be fun when fighting multiple opponents and your spear wanders off in some dying trollkin's belly. 

For critical hits I just gave the players the option - go with the impale and stuck weapon or no impale, but always bypass armour on a critical. 

There is something to be said for keeping it low key. I was surprised with the QuickStart just how powerful the pregens were and while it was fun for a one-off it presented an odd view of RQ.

Here is my reading:

Quote from Page 2:
If the opponent is trying to parry, block, dodge, or otherwise oppose the character’s use of the ability, then 100%+ ability gives a greater chance of overcoming the opposition. If the highest rated participant in an opposed resolution has an ability rating in excess of 100%, the difference between 100 and their ability rating is subtracted from the ability of everyone in the contest (including themselves).

This is TWO statements which would have been better listed as two bullets, Statement A (the first sentence) skills greater than 100% are better. Statement B in the case of Opposed rolls the 100+ will lower everyones (this is very much like HQ matching masteries).

The second bullet just says that Crits and Specials a set at 5% & 20% so a 120% skill gives 6% & 24% respective. No reference to Opposed skills etc.

At all times the chance of a critical or special is based the Modified skill level (remember that in RQ skills are modified not dice rolls), regardless of where the modifier comes from.

Combat is never considered Opposed. So your Passion augmented Rune Lord lord with 125% Sword augmented to 175% has a Crit on 8%, Special on a 35% and Fail on a 95+

If he were in a debate (Opposed) Orate skills with an Augment Orate of 120%, versus a klutz with Orate 35%, then the nature of the Opposed rule would reduce both skills to 100% & 15% respectively with their chance of Specials and Crits likewise reduced

It clearly states on Page 6 that Opposed rolls are not used to resolve combat. 

Combat is not an opposed resolution so no your Special and Critical chances are not capped. 

With the case of opposed rolls, everybody's skill and therefore specials etc are reduced. 

+1

6 hours ago, pachristian said:

I counted opinions:

Classic RQ (RQ2): 4           - one of which admits he has not played anything else, so I consider that vote suspect.

RQ3:                        8

RQ6/Mythras:        6

Openquest:             1

D100 Revolution:   2

Home-brew mix:    2

Several people stated they were waiting for RQ Glorantha, but we won't know whether it's any good until we've played it!

interring that this straw poll suggests RQ3 & RQ6 are the leading favourites, yet RQG is going to be a RQ2 & Pendragon mix...

By the way my personal favourite RQ system is Pendragon because it perfectly on target for playing Arthurian myth, but it probably doesn't count  

2 hours ago, Richard S. said:

Where did it say that 0PP meant death?

If any of the Characteristics reach Zero, usually form disease (see page 106 RQ2) your character will die, Ghosts and Vampires can drain POW - destroying the victim if this reaches zero. This can also happen also happen when you lose Spirit Combat (p41)

Now as written, some people felt that as casting spells reduces actual POW (rather than a temporary pool) and casting your last POW point would kill, but as you cannot voluntarily reduce any Characteristic below 3 (p9) so that's not likely to happen and that means that you can't cast spells once your POW reaches 3 (or racial minimum) - so many opt for the Magic Point version allowing voluntary expenditure of all POW causing unconsciousness 

Reminder that those listed in RQ2 were just 'Sample Cults', so as Styopa said a lot of GM work was needed until Cults of Prax came out.

Still to answer the OP. The 2 POW offered are replenished as they would be by spell casting. The implication is that on holy days the initiate must pray, spend time with Orlanth and generally be pious, all costing 2 POW. Remember that as this is RQ2, that means that you are 2 POW less for resisting too, so adventuring on holy days is at a disadvantage. This is completely different from the POW sacrificed, i.e. permanently lost, for Rune Magic. 

Yes having RQG fully integrated with character sheets would be great. If I'm impressed by roll20 enough to upgrade my account (necessary to create character sheets) I'be be happy to give it a go.

Jason was going to run a game on Roll20 for AetherCon but it fell through at the last minute, but it was just using the QuickStart pregens - perhaps a free scenario pack with art etc would be good too...

As I'd like to play 2-3 consecutive Sundays and with the holidays fast approaching I've decided to start on the 7th of January, with a follow-up session on the 14th and all going well the 21st. Also RQG should be available (fingers crossed) by then as a pdf so we can have some fun with that too.

So if you are interested post a response or PM me. I'll post invites on Roll20 in a week or so but felt I'd give first call to BRP members...

While I'm not advocating lengthy skills lists, the one draw back from the stat+stat approach or over reliance on core attributes is that everyone has some some skill, even in areas they should have no experience. For me characters only get the attribute bonus if they drop a few improvement points into the skill - you may have an aptitude but without some exposure you're skill would be zero. 

Also what is not evident form the quick start are the Skill Category modifiers, but we can assume that they are similar if not the same as RQ2

Reminds me a little of the Armour Class Adjustment tables for AD&D which tried to resolve the same issue 

What your approach does not take into account is the armour itself, hard armour is better a deflecting piercing and slashing attacks while soft armour is better at absorbing concussive blows (which if I remember is how RQ6 looks at it re combat effects) and the damage modifier was useful for calculating knock back but I agree it should only be used where a persons strength could logically enhance damage,  also note that with enough force (damage modifier) a sword doesn't have to penetrate the armour to break bones beneath 

Pre Gens are done, so time to get the game going.

Character choice is: 
Ekron, Rathori Hunter, 
Twyla, Safelstern Kafl merchant,
Lalira, Horse Nomad from Pent,
Kannil, former tea plantation worker from Seshnela,
Orstanor, Esrolian herbalist,
Kyung Mi, warrior from the Kingdom of Ignorance, and
Pathin, Damai Tribesman 

So if you are interested post a response or PM me. I'll post invites on Roll20 in a week or so but felt I'd give first call to BRP members...

lovely and atmospheric - even with Princess Leia having a look in 

looks great! I'd be happy with b&w sketches to start with - if it works for me then aspire to that level of visuals  

Thanks Gryphara for taking the time to respond with some excellent advice - I started looking at setting up the scenario and realised how the Character sheets work, but as I'm not yet committed to a paid subscription I'll have to fudge them for the first game as you suggest.

I'll keep you posted, and of course send an invite when I'm ready

Cheers

Hi All

Recently I've been tempted by Roll20 as a way to play. I've never tried it before and rather than join an established group with the risk of not liking the technology I'd consider running my own game for 2 -3 sessions by means of a trail. Anybody open to giving it a spin?

I'm looking at Sundays 2 - 6 UK time.

Cheers

there was much in the past I hadn't touched on, Kralorela for example because I couldn't draw connections with the bronze age Prax that I cut my teeth on, however reading the Guide has started to open up the multiculturalism of Glorantha and while I may never run a game in say Pamaltela, knowing it's influence has really deepened the world for me.

As for pet peeves, flying Orlanthi and other powerful magic that's too common.

1 minute ago, Richard S. said:

Both they and the Triolini they're allies with want more food.

seems like the trolls got the rotten end of that bargain as they'd drown along with their 'food'

never mind the Wastelands, the destruction to the Holy Country and I'm guessing Frontal is phenomenal. if this is gradual then we'd see a tide of refugees heading north up through Dragon Pass and other breaks in the mountains, why are the trolls doing this?

POW is listed as being 'spiritual presence' while CHA is 'force of personality' so it makes sense that controlling spirits requires POW

24 minutes ago, David Scott said:

IIRC in the current version of RQG Discorporation is still a common rune magic, so a humakti could discorporate using his death rune and then use his death rune to augment his spirit combat to kill it.

but can spirits be killed? They lack physical properties and as RQ2 states, 'the separation of spirit from the body is known as death', I'd be inclined to rule that a huamkti's impact on the spirit plane is no greater than any others and that the death rune is fine to send spirits to the spirit plane but once there they are under the Spirit Rune...

Now while RQG might prohibit such heresy, but I don't see a conflict with LM having access to both Sorcery & Divine magic (and spirit magic for that matter), as the grey sages see knowledge and communication as divine gifts. This type of religious/science was common if not indivisible in many cultures so why not LM

Cheers for the heads up Dimbyd, that's me signed up