Austin

15 minutes ago, Shiningbrow said:

Honestly, why bind when you can just put them in a low POW storage crystal? I'm not going to waste my perfectly good POW just for that! I'm waaaayyyy too much of a munchkin!

Why waste my POW crystal--which can hold anything!--instead of the low, low cost of one POW?

Good points both directions though.

4 minutes ago, PhilHibbs said:

David Scott knows more about it. I think he's on the forum but I can't remember what is ID is to tag him.

I'm like 96% sure it's just @David Scott.

So I know we keep coming back to the POW-draining disease spirits cheese, buuuutt...

It just occured to me that in the Bestiary they have only POW, no INT or CHA. So that means a Binding Enchantment for one only costs one POW, right? Makes it just that much more efficient.

I don't think that was brought up before?

Also means Mallia Shamans have some serious economic advantage when it comes to the "how many spirits can I get together at once" game.

9 minutes ago, Richard S. said:

The head of each is heart-shaped and made of an unidentified, gold-colored metal. ... The power of the Fetching Arrows is to awaken an individual's Fetch, regardless of whether or not they possess any shamanic training, immediately and with great trauma. A Fetching Arrow will activate when shot or stabbed into a victim and dealing at least 1 point of damage.

Does it work on vampires, perchance? (... or have I assumed an incorrect reference? )

I'm not sure exactly what I did, but I think I found some bugs. I was trying to make a triceratop and some dragonewts, and it looks like things get odd when you remove all the Power/Form Runes, and when you try to edit custom weapon skills. Ended up with no skills on the triceratops whatsoever, and none available when I try to edit. Don't know if the bug(s) are known or not.

Just fiddled with this for the first time in a while. I'm impressed by the updates! I'll admit I haven't perused a few pages of this thread, but are you still working on features to add? If so, a few ideas did come to mind:

• Downloading to a PDF one or two-page summary for printouts
• A button for "Roll Experience Checks" or some similar built-in system.

Again, thanks so much for your work!

RQG PLUNDER -- DEBT-COINS OF ETYRIES

Description: A silver Lunar depicting Etyries the Messenger, which glows faint red on Full Moon Day.

Cults: Associated – Etyries; Friendly – Seven Mothers, other Lunar cults; Hostile – Lightbringer cults, especially Issaries;

Knowledge: Cult Secret; Common;

History: While walking the path to godhood, the mortal woman who became Etyries incurred seven unpayable debts. In order to cleanse her soul for apotheosis she gave each creditor a silver coin and declared that she and her followers would always honor the debt owed when such a coin was presented. Those seven coins have long been lost, but Priestesses of Etyries follow their goddess's example when indebted beyond their ability to repay.

Procedure: A Debt-Coin of Etyries may be made by a Rune Priestess using the spell Enchant Debt-Coin.

Powers: Apart from providing a dim candle's light on Full Moon Day, the Debt-Coins of Etyries can be exchanged with members the Etyries cult for goods or services. When a priestess believes she owes a great debt—greater than she can repay—she might offer one of these coins in recognition. In turn, the cult of Etyries strives to meet this debt when a coin is offered. While a coin can exchange many hands before returning to the cult, only a properly attuned coin is accepted as sign of a debt owed. Unattuned coins do not glow, but are still magical.

An initiate of Etyries may attune an unattuned Debt-Coin with a successful worship during any Etyries holy day.

To pass a Debt-Coin from one person to another while the magic remains active, it must be sold as part of a transaction. Each participant must sacrifice two magic points to the coin to transfer the cult's debt to the buyer. If the Debt-Coin is given away without this procedure, the debt is canceled and the coin must be re-attuned by an initiate or Priestess of Etyries.

Value: The value of a Debt-Coin varies widely based on its context, but an attuned coin offered by its original recipient typically is worth 500-1000L. Alternately, a Debt-Coin can make otherwise impossible transactions worth considering (if the adventurer has enough wealth in addition). This could be magic crystals, items of enchanted Rune metals, or other exotic treasures of the gamemaster's discretion.

An initiate or Priestess of Etyries might pay up to 50L for an unattuned coin.

New Spell – Enchant Debt-Coin: Rune: Magic. 1 Point. Ritual (Enchant), Nonstackable. This spell enchants a normal 1L coin to become a Debt-Coin of Etyries, which is attuned to the enchanter. It requires an hour-long ritual on a seasonal holy day of Etyries, and sacrificing 1 point of POW. The priestess learns the appropriate ritual for passing an attuned Debt-Coin when she learns this spell.

6 hours ago, Ochoa said:

Also, do people have a good resource to recommend for determining loot?

Often, the best loot is arms and armor taken from baddies. A broadsword's worth 50L, nearly as much as a Free household's yearly income (60L). But of course it's always satisfying to find coins, and most folks have lousier gear than swords and bronze plate. In that case, I tend to roll one or two dice, depending on how well-off I imagine the opposition. Usually 2D6 coins in a purse, or 1D6 and 1D8. D6 Lunars, and D6 or D8 clacks. If someone specials and I'm feeling benevolent, I might stick in a gem worth some number of dice in Lunars.

Be careful with the Plunder treasure tables. They're calculated for RQ2 values. IIRC in the conversion appendix to RQG, it recommends providing treasure values one tenth of what's listed for RQ2 and RQ3 adventures.

On 7/19/2019 at 1:01 AM, Jeff said:

A sneak peak of how Books and Scrolls get handled in the RQC!

RQC?

RQG PLUNDER – TRUE DRAGON'S BLOOD

Description: The blood of a True Dragon can be found in two different states: molten and cooled. When spilled the blood seems like a thick liquid, glowing and radiating heat—similar to the pouring of smelted bronze. Despite this intense heat, the blood of a True Dragon lights no fires. Rather, it causes the world around to become mutable, melting as if made of candle wax. No substance save truestone resists this entirely, although older things endure it better than younger. The more fixed into its shape a thing is, the better it will endure a True Dragon's essence.

Deprived of the irreality—or perhaps hyperreality—of the True Dragon, the shed blood slowly cools over the course of a season. This process can be accelerated by mundane methods of dousing heat. Once the True Dragon's life leaves it, dragonsblood is smooth and glassy. It is brittle like obsidian, but of many iridescent colors rather than black.

Cults: Associated – Dragonewts; Friendly – Kralorelan mystics, EWF remnants;

Knowledge: Cult Secret; Few;

History: Dragonsblood is rare. While many gods fought against and alongside True Dragons in the God Time, it is more difficult to find dragonsblood in the Middle World than to find the blood of gods. Further, the cooled substance is often mistaken for colored glass or an unusual rock, rather than the treasure it is. The cooled substance's comparable fragility further adds to this scarcity.

The largest known piece of True Dragon's blood was about the size of a big man's head, colored ivory and aquamarine. It was kept in the treasury of Orlanth's temple in Whitewall, and said to be the blood of Aroka. This treasure disappeared after the city's fall in 1621.

Procedure: Make a True Dragon bleed. More realistically, find a chunk of cooled blood from EWF ruins, by stealing from dragonewts, or for those who value their skin where it is, finding it through dumb luck. It may be possible to bring back molten dragonsblood as a boon from an appropriate God Plane heroquest (like Orlanth Slays Aroka).

Powers: True Dragon's blood has a variety of effects. Its POW varies depending on the size of the sample. An adventurer must attune both cooled and molten dragonsblood, overcoming POW in the same fashion as for magic crystals. It can also be used for alchemical purposes, described following. An adventurer can only be attuned to one piece of dragonsblood at a time, and cannot be attuned to both dragonsblood and a magic crystal.

Dragons are anathema to the gods and elements, creatures which see the Glorantha for the illusion it truly is. They are dispassionate and unattached to the Middle World. Any adventurer who attunes a True Dragon's blood is consequently affected by this alien mindset. In addition to other consequences described below, any adventurer attuned to dragosblood has a constant penalty to their Passions equal to the attuned piece's POWx5%. This penalty lasts for a full day after attunement ends.

Whether or not the adventurer succeeds at attuning a piece of dragonsblood, they lose 1D10% from their highest Elemental Rune. This is a consequence of magically tampering with draconic powers. So long as the adventurer remains attuned, their Elemental Runes cannot rise higher than 100 minus the blood's POW; if a Rune is already above, it remains at that value.

In attuning dragonsblood, an adventurer borrows a fragment of draconic power. Typically, this provides the adventurer with a draconic effect. To randomly determine this ability, roll D100 and consult the table below depending on the piece's POW. Ability descriptions are following. This should not be treated as an exhaustive list, but rather a collection of most common abilities. A dragonsblood power takes place on strike rank 1 unless stated otherwise.

For dragonsblood which exceeds 30 POW, roll once for a POW 30 piece, and again for the remainder. The blood has all rolled abilities. Always re-roll duplicated abilities, whether for extremely high-POW pieces or for results of Roll Twice.

Attuning a portion of still-molten True Dragon's blood is somewhat more complex. In attuning the living substance, the adventurer may change their nature, becoming a little draconic. When an adventurer attempts to attune molten dragonsblood, first add an additional D6 to the rolled POW based on the piece's size. Then, have the adventurer roll to attune immediately, without taking the usual week to attune. If the adventurer overcomes the dragonsblood, they feel a strong compulsion to sacrifice POW equal to the blood's POW. This bonds the adventurer to it. Whether or not they sacrifice, the blood rapidly cools into a hardened state. If the adventurer sacrificed to it, the piece's appearance is different to normal cooled dragonsblood It shimmers and glitters, slowly changing colors; life is preserved within.

If the adventurer did not sacrifice, determine the piece's ability as usual.

For attuned molten dragonsblood, roll both on the appropriate POW column in the Powers table, and then again on the Molten column. The piece has all rolled powers. The adventurer also permanently gains Draconic Passion. While they are attuned to this piece of blood, they gain access to all of its abilities. In addition so long as the adventurer does not unattune, the piece will both generate and store magic points as if a living creature, which can be used by the attuned adventurer. Any other person who attunes the piece will not gain access to the Molten ability. If the adventurer ever unattunes the piece (whether by choice or involuntarily through death, etc) the dragonsblood “dies”. Reattuning gives renewed access to the Molten ability, but the cooled dragonsblood no longer generates or stores magic points.

Dragonsblood Powers:

Call Dream Dragon: After fifteen minutes focusing on the blood, the adventurer must pass a Meditate roll. If they do, a dream dragon with random characteristics (Glorantha Bestiary 118-119) is called from the surrounding area and arrives within the next hour. This does not, however, give the adventurer the supernatural ability to command the dragon. Call Dream Dragon does not cost magic points.

Draconic Blood: The adventurer adds the dragonsblood's POW to their own when resisting spells. However, they automatically resist all spells—including their own. Additionally the adventurer's blood changes color, typically to purple or green.

Draconic Consciousness: While attempting to attune the blood, the adventurer's mind is forcibly opened to the infinity which is OUROBOROS. The adventurer must succeed at a POWx1% roll, or else be driven insane. Roll on the Insanity table for the Madness Rune spell (RQG 334) to determine the exact effects. If they avoid insanity and attune the blood, the adventurer has survived some form of Illumination. The consequences are best determined by the gamemaster of each campaign. Some examples include:

• Draconic Soul: Lose 1D6% from the Beast and Man Runes, and gain the Dragonewt Rune at the lost percentage. If the adventurer's Dragonewt Rune becomes dominant among the three (all balancing to 100%), they hatch in Dragon's Eye as a crested dragonewt after death.

• Shape Dream: Realizing the illusory nature of the senses, the adventurer gains Shape Dream as a Magic skill. Shape Dream's base percentage is the sum of the adventurer's INT and POW. The adventurer may immediately sacrifice any amount of POW or unspent Rune points. This creates a pool of POW which the adventurer may use to alter reality. Treat this pool like Free INT for sorcery. To use Shape Dream, the adventurer must succeed at a skill roll, then spend POW equal to the levels of strength, range, and duration they wish to create. For example, a Call Light of strength 3, range 1, and duration 3 would cost 7 POW from the pool. The light called would be like low daylight, within 10 meters, and last 20 minutes. Shape Dream is not sorcery; use the sorcery chapter of RQG as guidelines for Shape Dream effects. Shape Dream costs no magic points. Whenever the adventurer uses Shape Dream, they lose 1D10% from the skill as a consequence of getting entangled in mundanity. The adventurer's POW pool for Shape Dream can be replenished by spending a week in meditation and succeeding at a Meditate roll. Shape Dream can be increased the following ways:

  • Researching the skill during downtime.

  • Sacrificing their Passions and Elemental Runes. Every 5% sacrificed increases Shape Dream by 1%.

  • Experience.

In any case, this effect is permanent. The adventurer may attempt other attunements as usual and behave as expected for their culture, but they know that the nature of reality is otherwise. The draconic attunement penalties to their Passions and Elemental Runes is permanent, even while they are not attuned to a piece of dragonsblood.

Draconic Passion: The adventurer gains a draconic Passion at 60%, feeling a compulsion to behave that way. These are pervasive attitudes like Suspicion, Optimism, or Laziness. Consult the dragonewt entries in the Glorantha Bestiary 39-41 for ideas. This passion remains so long as they are attuned, and for 24 hours afterward. It can increase and decrease through augments as usual. This Passion is not subject to the draconic attunement penalty. If the Passion decreases to zero while the adventurer is still attuned, they immediately gain one POW and a new draconic Passion—usually one in some way opposed to the previous.

Subject to GM's discretion the adventurer can spend time researching this Passion as though it were a skill to reduce it, instead of increasing it. This involves meditation on the adventurer's emotions to develop self-control and focus on Right Action.

Dragon Armor: Invoking this effect costs the adventurer 1D10% from any Elemental Rune. Their skin changes slightly, being covered in shimmering, nearly-transparent scales. While this effect is active, damage is absorbed at a cost of magic points, at a rate of one magic point per point of damage. This happens after reduction from armor, protective spells, etc, and even mitigates damage from critical hits. The most damage this ability can absorb from a single blow is the dragonsblood's POW. The magic points can be pulled from any source.

Dragon Armor ends when the adventurer dismisses it, unattunes from the blood, or if they take a blow and do not have enough magic points to absorb it. All magic points are spent reducing the damage as far as possible, then the effect ends and the adventurer falls unconscious.

Dragon Claw: Invoking this effect costs the adventurer 1D10% from any Elemental Rune. Their left hand transforms into a dragon's claw. Its base damage is 2D6 and the adventurer starts with a Claw skill of DEXx5%. A successful parry blocks as if it had weapon hit points equal to the dragonsblood's POW. It can hold weapons and shields made by dragonewts, but handles other objects clumsily, reducing the adventurer's skill to half. Dragon Claw lasts until dismissed. It ends immediately if the adventurer unattunes.

Dragonewt Roads: The adventurer can point to the nearest dragonewt road by concentrating on the dragonsblood for a minute. It doesn't tell them the distance. They can enter a dragonewt road at suitable locations and travel it, bringing along companions equal to the dragonsblood's POW. Entering the dragonewt road requires a successful POWx5 roll, and costs each traveler one magic point per hour. Each hour traveling on the road covers the distance of a day's travel by mundane means.

Firebreath: Invoking this effect costs the adventurer 1D10% from any Elemental Rune. They spit a glob of fire at a target within the dragonsblood's POW in meters. This deals damage to each hit location of the target equal to the percentiles lost from the adventurer's Rune. Armor and magic protect as usual.

Growth: This ability can be activated by rolling under POWx5. The adventurer must expend magic points, up to a maximum of the dragonsblood's POW. Each magic point spent increases the adventurer's SIZ by one, changing their hit points, damage bonus, category modifiers, and so on accordingly. Growth lasts minutes equal to the dragonsblood's POW.

Rough Scales: This power is activated by rolling under the adventurer's POWx5. It changes the adventurer's skin, making it rough and scaly. This protection absorbs one point of damage per magic point spent on the power. This stacks with armor and magical protections. The adventurer may spend magic points up to the dragonsblood's POW. Rough Scales lasts minutes equal to the dragonsblood's POW.

Shimmering Hide: The adventurer takes on a mirage-like appearance. It is activated by rolling under the adventurer's POWx5. Each magic point spent on this power reduces chances to hit the adventurer by 5%, and adds 5% to the adventurer's Stealth skills. The adventurer may spend magic points up to the dragonsblood's POW. Shimmering Hide lasts minutes equal to the dragonsblood's POW.

Soul-blast: This power costs four magic points, and activates by rolling under the adventurer's POWx5. If the adventurer overcomes the target's POW, the target loses 2D6 magic points. Soul-blast has a range of meters equal to the dragonsblood's POW.

Sprout Wings: Invoking this effect costs the adventurer 1D10% from any Elemental Rune. They sprout wings, which last until the effect is dismissed. The adventurer gains a Fly skill of DEXx5 and a MOV equal to the average of STR and the dragonsblood's POW. If the adventurer attempts to use this ability while wearing solid armor, they immediately take 1D6 damage to the chest and the effect fails.

Understand Auld Wyrmish: The adventurer understands spoken Auld Wyrmish at the dragonsblood's POWx5%. This does not give them the ability to speak it (although it certainly should accelerate the process if they can find a native speaker willing to teach). This does not let the adventurer learn to speak the language above 25% per RQG 174-175.

Alchemical Properties of True Dragon's Blood:

Ground-up, cooled dragonsblood is used in potions which restore magical essence. Due to the scarcity of this material, no cult teaches the recipe. The alchemist must discover it either through experimentation or by the Library Use skill. Few libraries still preserve the relevant EWF documents.

Properly prepared, a Tiny portion of True Dragon's blood makes one potion, which restores D6 magic points per POT. The POT is always equal to the dragonsblood's POW. This restoration happens at the end of the melee round the potion is imbibed. The drinker takes a penalty to their Passions equal to the magic points restored for the next 24 hours; this penalty is cumulative if multiple potions are drunk.

Larger chunks of True Dragon's blood can be broken down into the powder needed for potions, making potential doses as noted on the table following. Each time a Tiny piece is broken off, roll the new portion's POW and reduce the larger chunk's POW by a full six (there is always some magic lost in processing). Further, roll against the initial piece's POWx5; only on a failure does the smaller fragment retain its magical potency.

Some adventurers may attempt to imbibe molten dragonsblood, bathe in it, and so on. This is generally suicidal. Coming into direct contact deals 1D6 damage to the relevant location. If the adventurer continues their foolhardy attempt, they must resist the blood's POW with their own, or take that POW in general hit point damage as it melts their very existence into a waxy puddle.

Should the adventurer resist, survival is its own reward.

Value: Molten dragonsblood is functionally priceless, if it can be transported or preserved in that state. Cooled dragonsblood's value varies depending on what power the piece bestows. At the very least, it should have a value of POWx100 Lunars, if the adventurers find someone with both the coin and the inclination to purchase.

@styopa, where do Grung mostly live in Your Glorantha? It looks like jungles of Pamaltela to me, but I was wondering if you imagine them in Genertela at all.

30 minutes ago, Jeff said:

Great work! Want to submit it to the Great Plunder Competition?

1) Yes, absolutely! ... Although maybe after a revise/edit/proofread cycle. But thank you!

2) There's a Great Plunder Competition? 😲 Exciting!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, ideas, and so forth. In the end, here's what I came up with as a long-form write-up for use in my campaign. It probably still requires a lot of tweaking, particularly the powers table, so worth treating very much as a "Work-in-Progress."

RQG PLUNDER – TRUE DRAGON'S BLOOD

Description: The blood of a True Dragon has two different states: molten and solidified. Each state has its own set of powers. When shed the blood appears in substance to be like a thick liquid, glowing and radiating heat—similar to the pouring of smelted bronze. Despite this intense heat, spilt True Dragon's blood lights no fires. Rather, it causes the world around to become mutable, melting as if made of candle wax. No substance save truestone resists this entirely, although older things endure it better than younger. The more fixed into its shape a thing is, the better it will endure a True Dragon's essence.

Deprived of the irreality—or perhaps hyperreality—of the True Dragon, the shed blood slowly cools over the course of a season. The process can be accelerated by mundane methods of dousing heat. Once the True Dragon's life leaves it, the hardened blood is smooth and glassy, typically affixed to another substance. It is brittle like obsidian, but of many iridescent colors rather than black. Often, extant pieces have been cut and shaped into jewelry by those who don't know their true value.

Cults: Associated – Dragonewts; Friendly – Kralorelan mystics;

Knowledge: Cult Secret; Few;

History: The blood of a True Dragon is rare. While many of the gods fought against and alongside dragons in the God Time, it is more difficult to find their blood in the Middle World than to find the blood of gods. Further, the cooled substance is often mistaken for colored glass or an unusual rock, rather than the rarity it is (though it does detect as magic to appropriate spells). The substance's fragility (when compared with magic crystals) further adds to its scarcity.

The largest known piece of True Dragon's blood was about the size of a big man's head, and shimmered ivory and aquamarine in daylight. It was kept in the treasury of Orlanth's temple in Whitewall, and said to be the blood of Aroka. This treasure disappeared after the city's fall in 1621.

Procedure: Make a True Dragon bleed, or more realistically find a chunk of the cooled blood from some forgotten age.

It may be possible to bring back molten True Dragon's blood from an appropriate God Plane heroquest (like Orlanth Slays Aroka) as a boon.

Powers: Like a magic crystal, a True Dragon's blood has a variety of potential effects. The POW of the blood varies, depending on the size of the sample. Using the blood typically requires attunement, which is done in the same fashion as for magic crystals. It can also be used for alchemical purposes, as described following. An adventurer can only be attuned to one piece of True Dragon's blood at a time, and cannot be attuned to both True Dragon's blood and a typical magic crystal.

Dragons are anathema to the gods and elements, creatures which see the Glorantha for the illusion it truly is. They are dispassionate and unattached to the Middle World. Any adventurer who attunes to a True Dragon's blood is consequently affected by this alien mindset. In addition to other consequences described below, any adventurer attuned to True Dragon's blood has a constant penalty to their Passions equal to the attuned piece's POWx5%. This penalty lasts for a full day after attunement ends.

Whether or not the adventurer succeeds at attuning the piece of True Dragon's blood, they lose 1D10% from their highest Elemental Rune as a result of magically tampering with draconic powers. While they remain attuned, their Elemental Runes cannot rise higher than 100 minus the blood's POW; if a Rune is already above, it remains locked at that value.

In attuning hardened True Dragon's blood, an adventurer is borrowing a fragment of draconic power for him- or herself. Typically, this takes the form of providing the adventurer with a draconic effect. To randomly determine a fragment's ability, roll D100 and consult the table below depending on the piece's POW. Ability descriptions are following. This should not be treated as an exhaustive list of the powers of True Dragon's blood, but rather a collection of “most typical” abilities.

For pieces of True Dragon's blood which exceed 30 POW, roll once for a POW 30 portion, and then a second time for the remaining POW. The piece has all rolled abilities. Always re-roll duplicated abilities, whether for extremely high-POW pieces or for results of Roll Twice.

Attuning a portion of still-molten True Dragon's blood is somewhat more complex. In attuning to this substance, the adventurer changes the substance of their being, becoming a little draconic. First, add an additional D6 to the rolled POW based on the portion's size. Then, have the adventurer roll to attune to the molten blood. If they overcome the blood's POW, they feel a strong compulsion to sacrifice POW equal to the blood's POW, which will bond the adventurer to it. In any case, the blood rapidly cools into a hardened state. If the adventurer sacrificed their POW to it, the piece's appearance is different to normal cooled True Dragon's blood; it shimmers and glitters, slowly changing colors; life is preserved within it.

If the adventurer did not sacrifice, determine the piece's ability as usual for it's POW.

For attuned pieces of molten True Dragon's blood, roll both on the appropriate POW column in the Powers table, and then again on the Molten column. Re-roll any duplicates; the piece has all rolled powers. The adventurer also permanently gains Draconic Passion. While they are attuned to the piece of blood, they gain access to all of its abilities. Any other person who attunes the piece will not gain access to the Molten ability. In addition, so long as the adventurer does not unattune the piece, it will act as a POW Yielding crystal, storing MP up to its own POW and generating that amount as if a living creature. If the adventurer ever unattunes the piece (whether by choice or involuntarily through death, etc) the piece “dies”. Reattuning can give the adventurer renewed access to the Molten ability, but the piece won't continue to yield MP.

True Dragon's Blood Powers:

Call Dream Dragon: The adventurer spends fifteen minutes focusing on the blood, and must succeed on a Meditate skill roll. If they do, a dream dragon is called from the surrounding area within the next hour, similar to the dragonewt effect. This does not, however, give the adventurer the supernatural ability to command the dragon. Call Dream Dragon does not cost magic points.

Draconic Blood: While attuned to this piece of True Dragon's blood, the adventurer adds its POW to their own when resisting spells. However, they automatically resist all spells—including spells the adventurer casts on him- or herself. Additionally, the adventurer's blood changes color, typically to purple or green.

Draconic Consciousness: In the process of attempting to attune the blood, the adventurer's mind is forcibly opened to the infinity which is OUROBOROS. The adventurer must succeed at a POWx1% roll, or else become insane. Roll on the Insanity table for the Madness Rune spell (RQG p.334) to determine the exact effects. If they succeed and manage to attune the blood, the adventurer has survived some form of Illumination. The exact effects are best determined by the GM of each individual campaign. Some examples might include:

• Losing 1D6% from the Beast and Man Runes, and gaining the Dragonewt Rune at the lost percentage. If the adventurer's Dragonewt Rune becomes dominant among the three (all adding to 100%), they transform into a beaked dragonewt.

• Gain the Charismatic Wisdom skill from RQ3 Gods of Glorantha and the ability to sacrifice POW for points in the Path of Immanent Wisdom's draconic magic.

• Realize Glorantha is but the dream of cosmic Ouroboros, and learn to sacrifice POW to shape it, per the magic of the cult of Godunya in RQ3 Gods of Glorantha.

In any case, this effect is permanent. The adventurer may attempt other attunements as usual and behave as expected for their culture, but they know that the nature of reality is otherwise. The draconic attunement penalty to their Elemental Runes and Passions remains permanent, even while they are not attuned to a piece of True Dragon's blood.

Draconic Passion: The adventurer gains a draconic Passion at the blood's POWx10%, feeling a proportionally strong compulsion to behave that way. These might include pervasive attitudes like Suspicion, Optimism, or Laziness. Consult the dragonewt entries in the Glorantha Bestiary p.39-41 for ideas. This passion remains so long as they are attuned, and for 24 hours afterward. It can increase and decrease as usual. If the Passion decreases to zero while the adventurer is still attuned, they immediately gain one POW and a new draconic Passion—usually one in some way opposed to the previous. The penalty to an adventurer's Passions while attuned to True Dragon's blood does not apply to this special Passion.

Subject to GM's discretion, the adventurer could spend time researching this Passion as though it were a skill to reduce it, instead of increasing it. This process would involve meditation and focusing on the adventurer's emotions, with the goal of developing self-control and the ability to focus on Right Action.

Dragon Armor: Invoking this ability costs the adventurer 1D10% from one of their Elemental Runes. Their skin changes slightly, being covered in shimmering, nearly-transparent scales. While this effect is active, damage is absorbed at a cost of magic points, at a rate of 1MP per point of damage. This happens after reduction from armor, protective spells, etc, and even mitigates damage from critical hits. The most damage this ability can absorb from a single blow is the piece of blood's POW. The magic points can be pulled from any source.

Dragon Armor ends when the adventurer dismisses it, deattunes from the blood, or if they take a blow and do not have enough magic points to absorb it. All MP will be spent reducing the damage as far as possible, and then the effect ends.

Dragon Claw: This ability can be invoked at the cost of 1D10% from one of the adventurer's Elemental Runes. It transforms their left hand into a dragon's claw, which has base damage of 2D6 + Damage Bonus, and a base skill of DEXx5% when used in combat. A successful parry blocks as if it had AP equal to the blood's POW. It can hold weapons and shields made by dragonewts, but handles other objects clumsily, reducing the adventurer's skill to half. Dragon Claw lasts until dismissed. It ends immediately if the adventurer unattunes.

Dragonewt Roads: The adventurer can detect the nearest dragonewt road by concentrating on the piece of blood for a minute. It doesn't tell them the distance. They can enter a dragonewt road at suitable locations and travel it, bringing along a number of companions equal to the piece's POW. Entering the dragonewt road requires a successful POWx5 roll, and costs each traveler 1MP per hour on the road. Each hour on the road covers the distance of a day's travel by mundane means.

Firebreath: Activating this ability costs the adventurer 1D10% from their highest Elemental Rune. They immediately spit a glob of fire at a target within the blood's POW in meters. This deals damage to each hit location of the target equal to the percentiles lost from the adventurer's Rune. Armor and magic protect as usual.

Growth: Acting like a spell matrix this ability can be activated on POWx5 and costs MP, up to a maximum of the piece's POW. Each MP spent on Growth increases the adventurer's SIZ by one, and changes their HP, Damage Bonus, category modifiers, and so on accordingly. Growth lasts for minutes equal to the blood's POW.

Rough Scales: This ability is activated on the adventurer's POWx5. It gives changes the adventurer's skin, making it rough and scaly. This provides one AP per MP spent on the effect, up to a max of the piece's POW. It lasts for minutes equal to the blood's POW.

Shimmering Hide: This ability causes the adventurer to take on a mirage-like appearance. It is activated on POWx5. Each MP spent on this ability reduces chances to hit the adventurer by 5%, and adds 5% to the adventurer's Stealth skills, to a max of the piece's POW. Shimmering Hide lasts for minutes equal to the piece's POW.

Soul-blast: Using this ability costs 4 MP, and requires a successful POWx5 to activate. If the adventurer overcomes the target's POW with their own, the target loses 2D6 MP. Soul-blast has a range equal to the blood's POW.

Sprout Wings: Invoking this ability costs the adventurer 1D10% from one of their Elemental Runes. They sprout wings, which last until the effect is dismissed. The adventurer can use them with a Fly skill of DEXx5 and a MOV equal to the average of STR and the blood's POW. If the adventurer attempts to use this ability while wearing solid armor, they immediately take 1D6 damage to the chest and the ability fails.

Understand Auld Wyrmish: The adventurer understands Auld Wyrmish at the blood's POWx5%. This does not give them the ability to speak it (although it certainly should accelerate the process if they can find a native speaker willing to teach). This does not let the adventurer learn to speak the language above 25% per RQG Core p.174-175.

Alchemical Properties of True Dragon's Blood:

Ground-up, hardened True Dragon's blood can be used in potions which restore magical essence. Due to the scarcity of this material, no cult teaches the recipe; an alchemist must discover it for him- or herself either through experimentation or by the Library Use skill in a library which might have the relevant documents.

Properly prepared, a Tiny portion of True Dragon's blood can make one potion, which restores a D6 Magic Points per point of the piece's POW. This restoration happens at the end of the melee round the potion is drunk. The drinker takes a penalty to their Passions equal to the MP restored for the next 24 hours; this penalty is cumulative if multiple potions are drunk.

Larger chunks of True Dragon's blood can be broken down into the powder needed for potions, making potential doses as noted on the table following. Each time a Tiny portion is broken off, roll that portion's POW, and reduce the larger chunk's POW by a full six (there is always some magic lost in the processing). Further, roll the initial piece's POWx5; only on a failure does the smaller fragment retain its magical potency.

Some adventurers may attempt to imbibe molten True Dragon's blood or bathe in it, and so on. This is generally suicidal. Making the attempt requires at least a full melee round. Coming into direct contact deals 1D6 to the relevant location. If the adventurer continues their foolhardy attempt, they must resist the blood's POW with their own, or take that POW in general Hit Point damage as it melts their very existence into a waxy puddle.

Should the adventurer survive, that is their reward.

Value: Molten True Dragon's blood is functionally priceless, if it could be transported or preserved in that state. Hardened blood's value varies depending on what power the piece bestows. At the very least, it should have a value of POWx100 Lunars, if the adventurers could possibly find someone with both the coin and the inclination to purchase.

On 7/4/2019 at 6:59 PM, HreshtIronBorne said:

We have always played that a shaman can attune a crystal and his fetch can attune one too, since RQ3. It was one of the cooler side benefits of shamanhood. I have no idea if that is supported by the RAW or anything. 

For what it's worth, I was rummaging through RQ3 Elder Secrets recently and yes, fetches attuning to a second crystal is supported in that text. P.36 of the "Secrets Book".

5 hours ago, Bill the barbarian said:

Bad winters

A Great Winter, perhaps?

5 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

But, what about a matrix?

I could see a "way station" series of porting circles in place done by Issaries for fun and immense profit.

IIRC both Teleportation & Guided Teleportation only allow the transported being(s) to carry up to their ENC. Now, if the matrix just happens to be a big ol' rock which they can't carry around... Of course, then there's the problem of getting it into an Orlanth Temple for a recharge.

On 7/13/2019 at 9:23 AM, Shiningbrow said:

Some of my key takeaways have been - 

Salt and Pepper Chicken from a now-defunct Chinese restaurant;

Guo ba rou (sort of like Lemon Chicken, but with pork);

Special Fried Rice;

Thai Yellow curry;

Butter Chicken.

What, no duck? What kind of Glorantha board is this, anyway...

On 7/12/2019 at 11:04 AM, Manu said:

Therefore I tried to imagine how to travel fast in the world of Glorantha.

On a very good road, on horse, it is 50 km/day

RQG p.102 has a full chart for different travel speeds if you want it, which does max out at 50km/day mounted on the Royal Roads. Lately I've been using the Guide's hex-maps and hand-waving that the party can travel two hexes in rough terrain, or three in even terrain. It's a bit of a pain in the arse--and makes me wish the AAA had print versions available--but gets the job done without too many tears.

In the Bestiary on p.147 has a table for different mount speeds during overland chases comparing both Praxian animals and different horse breeds. I'm not sure how useful the information is, but it could give an idea what's quicker for overland travel when several creatures have a flat MOV of 12.

Love the Farsee + Teleportation trick. Almost worthy of the Munckinnery thread... Especially without curvature! Cross Prax in the blink of an eye!

I'd recommend caution on trying to co-opt Dragonewt Roads, since most of them go to Dragonewt locations. Of course, that may well just be the start of another fine adventure... Realistically though I suspect that they're unlikely to get an adventurer to a useful location.

On 7/12/2019 at 11:35 AM, g33k said:

Mobility is the classic "go fast" spell, but needs to be bumped to some sort of on-all-day duration, likely as a magic item (I need to look at item-creation rules; I presume it's possible.).

I'm unaware of current rules support for creating such an item; mostly the enchantment rules work for making matrices, which just hold the spell rather than a modified/longer version. 

14 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

bind yourself a low POW disease spirit (6 or so) so that it'll have a really low Spirit Combat skill

Per Bestiary p. 169, a disease spirit always has Spirit Combat 75%, and a minimum POW of 9 (rolled POW stat of 3D6+6).

That being said, casting Restore Health on a disease spirit is indeed a fine piece of Munchkinnery.

Quote

The dragon sank back underground as if the earth were water, and then rose again and swallowed Tatius, who had just been wakened, and Scarlet Enerian, whose last burst of magic brought gouts of black blood from the consuming monster.

--"Dragonrise", Glorantha Sourcebook, p.40.

My adventurers are currently exploring the region around Dragon's Rift and the ruins of New Lunar Temple, and the above text caught my eye in re-reading the section on the Dragonrise for ideas. As far as I'm aware, a True Dragon is really more a cosmic entity than a Middle World one. Further, magic crystals are IIRC the blood of gods either still-living or dead (I don't think this is noted in the GM's Pack, and think my memory comes from RQ3's Elder Secrets or maybe some sidebar in the Guide but I claim no certainty).

So that got me thinking: what is a True Dragon's blood like? They're hugely magical and powerful creatures who fight gods in some of the Orlanthi myths, so I reckon their blood my have some parallel properties to a god's blood. Has anyone worked with something like this before? Is there some odd grognard-trivia which talks about True Dragons in that way? What sort of weird powers or characteristics do you think a True Dragon's blood would have?

Currently, my thoughts are something involving attunement, like a crystal, but I'd prefer weird abilities to bestow rather than the generic chart. I'm thinking that using one might incur penalties to an adventurer's Elemental Runes? Invoking the whole "detachment from material things" schtick that dragonewts are into. I imagine it could also have some interesting alchemical or other magical properties.

I've GM'd a mixed-species party in RQG for about eight, nine months now, and have some insights. I should emphasize first that our milieu treats RQ more like a "game" than an "improvised drama." Players are in character and think about character decisions, but there's a moderate-to-fair amount of min-maxing in my group. I'd like to note that for most players I've encountered with this attitude, the approach isn't "hurr durr optimal decisions only" but more "What cool stuff can I do, and what options inhibit me from doing cool stuff?"

Our campaign has, to date, involved the following non-human adventurers: a baboon, a morokanth, two dark trolls, two trollkin of the Food caste (same player each time--he chose the caste too), and briefly a newtling.

Morokanth are an extremely "strong" choice, with their 4AP hide. A morokanth adventurer with close connections to the human world could get some wicked combat tankiness from metal armor.

Dark trolls are also a very strong choice, although more dependent on the occupation chosen. The troll Noble and Priestess occupations clearly outstrip human occupation choices. Darksense is massively useful even above and beyond D&D's darkvision. You can soft-nerf it a teeny bit by relying on non-visual descriptions--I usually describe the ability to my players in terms of smell+echolocation--but I'd not push too hard on that, or else it becomes unbelievable that trolls use it as their main means of perception.

Baboons are interesting. Being able to climb stuff is very good, provided the player keeps it in mind and is creative.

I didn't see enough of the newtling in play to really get a good grip on it, but I think it's viable. Like a duck, the species is going to struggle to be big and tough, but unlike a duck IIRC they are amphibians and can breathe both water and air. I suspect both ducks and newtlings shine the most depending on the environment adventures take place in; if two out of every three adventures takes place in the Zola Fel river valley, I'm sure they'll come in handy.

I encourage each group to try having trollkin in the party, at least once. It's... an experience. Our current trollkin is effectively the Issaries merchant's pet because he keeps feeding him table scraps and just barely being useful. And of course, an excellent reason for any trollkin to be partied up with human adventurers is that they won't eat him. Probably. Pluses for trollkin are Darksense and a point of AP.

Something to note with many nonhuman adventurers is their bonus AP. Not all have it, but for those which do it definitely makes a difference. An average sword strike by slightly strong human (1D8+1+1D4) on average deals 7 damage. This could nearly or entirely incapacitate a limb on a human wearing decent (4 or 5AP) armor, but deal no HP damage at all to a nonhuman wearing the same armor. Several also have increased STR or SIZ, leading to a higher Damage Bonus; but in my games I've found this causes less impact than increased AP.

For playing a dragonewt, I suggest Crested as well, and that the adventurer is a dragonewt which has fallen off the draconic path or whatever, and is basically outside dragonewt culture. Cut them off from reincarnation, basically playing a D&D dragonborn with a weirder cultural history. IIRC the other basic stuff for a Crested Dragonewt isn't over the top, though you'd have to make up occupations.

I recommend against playing a Mostali. I don't think the Bestiary entry is comprehensive enough to play one, largely because the occupations have many undefined skills (and in some cases, substantially stronger gear, like the Iron Dwarf's iron chainmail and helm, which could cause a good bit of envy at the table). In addition, their POW-devouring custom sorcery feels lackluster, and I suspect mechanics-inclined players would be disheartened by it.

I don't have experience with aldryami, but I like many of the suggestions in this thread (particularly the "go plant special seeds everywhere" hook...). My gut says that Aldryami are basically playable along with Uzko, whereas Mostali are not.

On interspecies tensions, my campaign revolves around New Pavis and what nonsense Argrath's getting up to in 1625/6. This provides a framework in which adventurers of all backgrounds & species can meld together because he's a wackjob and actively pursues building an eclectic following. We've experienced few interspecies tensions beyond threats of eating the trollkin (and indeed, eating random things has become something of an in-group meme for this campaign...)

In particular, it seems to me that trolls and humans are broadly compatible in ways that some other species combos aren't. After all, many of them just want somewhere to bed down, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy some sex. They're weird to one another, but their basic desires are similar in a way that the desires between humans and Aldryami, for example, aren't.

33 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

Agree, I think it requires physical contact with the crystal. 

So what about a sentient elemental?

19 hours ago, Jeff said:

If the primary purpose of the rules for you is to model fights BETWEEN giant squids and whales, then I can't help you.

I think it's still relevant, as someone who one day, if I ever get to sit in a player's chair again, wants to go rampaging with a pet dinosaur. Maran Gor's got Command Dinosaur for a reason!

I think of it similarly to Sumath; if you fail your Battle roll, that's basically like saying you took a crit in one of the melees involved. So, no armor because that's the biggest, nastiest blow you took during the fighting--smaller ones are probably patched up by the end of the scene.

The Battle skill seems intended more for a narrative perspective, not a realism one, in this usage.

8 minutes ago, Beornvig said:

If you could even have smaller adventures available for purchase online, or in some periodical format that would be great.

The strength of D&D was frequent and prolific modules.  Whatever format it comes in, we need more, and lots more adventures/scenarios/campaigns with full stats and such.

I recall a rumor that something similar to 5E's DM's Guild or CoC's Miskatonic Repository was/is in the works. Hopefully soon (but isn't everything "hopefully soon?"), because you're right--there's a dire need for more 1625+ adventures.