Scotty

1 hour ago, Trotsky said:

So, just trying to summarise what has been said here - is this right?

Initiating: Only initiated by a discorporate being. 1 melee round for spirit to become visible

Yes, Initiating Spirit Combat, page 366.

Combat mechanics: Any number of discorporate spirits may attack a single entity

Yes, Combatants, page 366. But, bear in mind MGF, page 6.

Corporeal being: INTx5 to cast a spell or to use a skill/combat against anything else besides engaged spirits 

Yes, but may be adjust up or down by GM. Concentration roll, Combatants, page 366.

Spirit/discorporate being: no INTx5 to cast spells – go off on SR1

Yes, No concentration roll needed, Combatants, page 366.

Yes, go off on SR1, Combatants, page 366.

POW x 5 still needed, Combatants, page 366:

Quote

Spirits may cast spells if they possess that ability and do so in the same manner as other combatants. Spells cast by a spirit go off in strike rank 1 and spirits do not need to succeed with a concentration check.

Resolving Spirit Combat: opposed Spirit Combat rolls (greater success wins)

Yes, Resolving Spirit Combat, page 368.

Winner/Loser: winner does spirit combat damage to other

Yes, Resolving Spirit Combat, page 368.

Tie: no effect, unless both critical success then both roll damage

Yes, Resolving Spirit Combat, page 368.

Loser/Loser: no effect unless a fumble (p.370)

Yes, Resolving Spirit Combat, page 368.

Damage Bonus: Special x2, Critical roll damage twice (ignore Spiritual Armour). 

Yes , Spirit Combat Damage, page 368.

Special/Critical causes physical damage: random location = number of D6s rolled

Yes, Spirit Combat Damage, page 368 and Hit Point Damage page 369.

Resolving Weapon Combat: may only attack spirit engaged with them

yes, Attacking with Weapons and Spells, page 369.

Enchanted weapons (no STR+SIZ bonus), Rune Magic damage boost (eg Truesword)

yes, Attacking with Weapons and Spells, page 369.

Spirit Magic damage boost spells do not usually harm spirits, but may affect weak ones

yes, Attacking with Weapons and Spells, page 369.

Divine damage gifts such as from Humakt only doubles any magical damage

yes

Weapons attack on regular Strike Rank – Spirit defends with Spirit Combat – opposed roll as above. Skills over 100% reduce opponent skill as usual and can attacks can be split

Yes

Resolving Spells:

Offensive damage spells such as Disruption can harm spirits. Corporeal require INTx5 to cast

Yes, needs POW x5 as usual.   

Multiple Enemies: Resolve each combat separately. Melee weapon use limited to SR restrictions, but unlimited Spirit Combat rolls may be made with no penalty

Yes

 

53 minutes ago, Mugen said:

To be honest, the idea that you can use a weapon skill in spirit combat and a Spirit can defend against it with a Spirit Combat skill sounds silly to me. To me, it's two completely unrelated things. If you can attack a Spirit with a sword, he defends with Dodge. If he has no DEX, he can't defend against it, period.

I would allow one to use his Sword skill to enhance his Spirit Combat skill, though.

This is a good example of adapting the rules to your style of play.

3 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

are you allowed to use your Spirit Combat skill while under a Sword Trance?

Yes, it just increases your ability score.

8 hours ago, Rodney Dangerduck said:

As for augmenting Spirit Combat with Sing, much as I hate to say it (my character is a great singer) page 139 pretty much kaboshes that:  "typical" time for Sing (or Dance) is minutes.

Page 139:

Quote

Typical times required to perform certain skills or abilities are provided below, though these may vary widely depending on how they are used and the surrounding circumstances.

Using sing in Spirit Combat is not a performance, so this is about the second part of the sentence. It's more akin to magical chanting or using magic words in a ritual. You would chant as a background to the activity or use the magic words as emphasis. I would go on what the player describes as the reason for the augment. "I sing a song that my mother taught me to keep bad spirits out of my dreams" or "I sing the words my shaman taught me when killing spirits"

For further info have a look at Galdr as an example of magical words and singing.

Likewise dance would work in the same way, it's not a performance. It's ritual movements the emphasise the spirit combat, as above I'd go on what the player tells me their adventurer is doing to gain the augment. "I use the sword dancing movements I was taught to keep spirits back". Sword dancing is a pretty common cultural dance in our world.

Well that seems to have covered pretty much everything.

If anyone has any real examples to go through that would be great.

I'll see if @David Scott can write up an example of this.

2 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

Alright, what about this: I have Dex SR 1. I cast Disruption (1SR), prepare Spirit Magic 5SR), total of 6SR. What’s the biggest Spirit Screen I will have time to cast now?

This isn't a weapon attack, but if you are already engaged:

In the statement of intent Phase. State what you are going to do first. Cast Disruption then Spirit Screen. I would make you roll concentration for the disruption, then the spirit screen, if you fail, you just waste the Strike Ranks, unable to concentrate,

2 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

Presumably it’s either 5pt or 6pt,

• 1 DexSR 1 + Disruption (1) (first point free as usual), Disruption roll POW x5.
• 2 Prepare
• 3 Prepare
• 4 Prepare
• 5 Prepare
• 6 Prepare
• 7 DexSR1 + Spirit Screen 1 (first point free as usual)
• 8 Spirit Screen 2
• 9 Spirit Screen 3
• 10 Spirit Screen 4
• 11 Spirit Screen 5, roll POW x5
• 12 Spirit Combat

2 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

depending on whether I have to keep SR12 free for Spirit Combat?

You don't keep it free, it's just when the exchange happens. If you do a 6 point spirit screen it doesn't go off as you are in spirit combat when you were going to cast it.

1 hour ago, Akhôrahil said:

although it’s not perfectly clear whether you would have to make a concentration check before you can augment your Spirit Combat with Sing.

No concentration roll is needed to augment spirit combat, it's part of the spirit combat. I'd want to know what the song was though. Don't forget only one augment, so if you already done it for your weapon ability roll, you can't add another.

You only have to make a concentration roll to do something outside of spirit combat: 

Quote

Once a corporeal being is engaged in spirit combat, they may not attempt any skill or engage in physical melee combat with a separate physical melee target without first succeeding at an intelligence check

 you can't, cast magic, scan, attack a physical target, heal yourself, etc without a concentration roll.

1 hour ago, Akhôrahil said:

Can you use a suitable missile weapon against a spirit?

yes, If it fulfils the prerequisites in Attacking with Weapons and Spells, page 369.

1 hour ago, Akhôrahil said:

Can you shoot it twice if you have the SRs for it?

yes. That is always the case.

1 hour ago, Akhôrahil said:

Would this trigger two separate Spirit Combat exchanges against the spirit in the same round?

Yes.

1 hour ago, Akhôrahil said:

EDIT: Same thing with splitting my sword attack to attack the same spirit twice. Or using two weapons.

Yes, see above.

8 minutes ago, tnli said:

do not harm most spirits

Some weedy ones are harmed by spirit magic.

See Bestary, Spirit Powers, page 165.

I often use weedy spirits against adventurers, keeps them sharp.

35 minutes ago, Akhôrahil said:

The concentration check for spellcasting - do you make it in order to be allowed to start casting a spell, or do you make it when the spell would have gone off?

In the statement of intent Phase. State what you are going to do first. Most of my players would have calculated if they could fit a spell in before making a statement including one.

43 minutes ago, Akhôrahil said:

how many SRs can I dedicate to spellcasting while in Spirit Combat? 11? The Spirit combat itself seems to only take up SR12. Maybe I can even cast for 12 SRs, under the ”regardless” clause?

Please give an example of what you are trying to do here.

43 minutes ago, Akhôrahil said:

How many SRs does a Spirit Dance attempt take up - it seems to be free, but that seems very generous?

See page 370, one attempt at anytime during the round, it's effective instant. It's a 0% skill, only available to the assistant shaman occupation. As a 0% skill you can't use it at all until you have at least 1%. See Base Chance page 163.

41 minutes ago, Akhôrahil said:

Can I split my weapon attack against several spirits (I would imagine so).

Yes, if you have all the prerequisites in place.

12 minutes ago, Baron Wulfraed said:

Page 368 may be applicable, but not definitive: If an entity is attacked by more than one spirit, they must roll their Spirit Combat skill separately against each attacking spirit.

Yes this is a GM call, depending on how complicated you want to get, you could roll for each one. I often just ask for one roll against all of them. The most important thing is to cast Spirit Screen or Spirit Block immediately this happens.

On 11/22/2020 at 5:57 PM, Akhôrahil said:

Can I Impale a spirit if using a suitable thrusting weapon?

Please read what I wrote again:

On 11/22/2020 at 3:04 PM, Scotty said:

The first and most important is that the Attacking with Weapons and Spells section is part of the Spirit Combat section not the Combat Chapter.

Spirit Combat has no specials or criticals in the normal comat sense, those results determine the level of success.

18 minutes ago, Akhôrahil said:

Things become really complicated when spirit combat happens alongside regular combat.

If as a GM you find that running Spirit Combat within normal combat is really complicated for you, then don't include them simultaneously in your game. Just say to your players that when fighting a spirit with weapons, that's all an adventurer can do within a melee round. Most films use the one-at-a-time fighting system, so it's not a new idea.

1 hour ago, Trotsky said:

Thanks that is really helpful

Are there any edge cases where it might not be clear?

I'm in the process of updating the Q&A at the moment, so I'm going to step in and use this to update any questions:

The first and most important is that the Attacking with Weapons and Spells section is part of the Spirit Combat section not the Combat Chapter.

Note that under the Combatants section of Spirit Combat on page 366, it specifically says:

Quote

They may choose to attack the spirit attacking them using enchanted weapons (see below) without succeeding at a concentration check.

and that this is the only specific instance that Spirit combat is not resolved on Strike Rank 12, page Spirit Combat, Strike Rank, page 368.

Quote

Spirit combat is always resolved on strike rank 12 of each melee round, regardless of any other actions taken by the characters. If a spirit is attacked with physical weapons or spells, that is resolved on the attacker’s normal melee strike rank.

Note that:

Quote

The physical attack is resolved normally

The player rolls the adventurers relevant weapon ability (with augments, magical bonuses, etc) and checks the result using that score for critical, special, success, fail, miss, fumble. If the adventurers weapon ability or the spirit's Spirit Combat score is over 100%, reductions occur as normal. 

On 11/18/2020 at 7:24 PM, Ryan Kent said:

When using a sword with True Sword cast on it to attack a spirit that has manifested, does the spirit roll its spirit combat rating as a defense maneuver similar to the dodge mechanic; i.e compare levels of success?

The Humakti player rolls their weapon attack ability and the spirit rolls its spirit combat ability. The usual results apply: critical beats a special beats a success beats a fail. For example if the Humakti criticals and the spirit rolls a success, the Humakti wins. 

The results are compared using the Resolving Spirit Combat section on page 368

Quote

Winner and a Loser: The winner succeeds and the loser fails. The winner does spirit combat damage to the loser.

If the Humakti wins, only the magical part of damage is rolled. The example on page 369 says:

Quote

For example, True Sword would do 1D8+1 if cast on a broadsword.

This damage is magic points, and subtracted from the spirits Magic Points, taking into account of any magical defences that subtract from the Magic Point damage.

If the spirit wins, the spirit rolls their Spirit Combat damage and subtracts it from the Humakti's Magic Points. Likewise taking into account of any magical defences that subtract from the Magic Point damage.

Quote

Tie: A tie (where both participants succeed but achieve the same quality of result) means the situation is temporarily unresolved. If both participants rolled a critical success, the result is a tie. Both parties do spirit combat damage to the other.

Nothing happens unless the tie is a critical, then both do the same as a Winner above.

Quote

Two Losers: Both participants fail their roll. Nothing happens unless one of the rolls is a fumble (in which case, roll on the Spirit Combat Fumble table).

next:

Quote

If the Humakti wielding the sword has a gift of Humakt to double the damage of the sword that gets through armor, would this blessing double the damage done by the True Sword spell to the spirit?

The Gift is from a god and so is magical. It only doubles the magical damage. So in the above example with a broadsword, roll 1D8+1, subtract any damage reduction the spirit may have then double the magic point damage. So if 5 is rolled, and the spirit has no defences, 5 doubled is 10 so the spirit loses 10 Magic points.

If the Humakti was only using Bladesharp 4, the damage would be 4, subtract any damage reduction the spirit may have then double the magic point damage. So with no subtraction that would be 8 Magic Points.

Quote

Can the Humakti use the True Sword to parry the spirit's bite attack special spirit ability? Can it cause damage to the spirit on a successful parry vs. a failed bite attack?

No. This is spirit combat.

If I've made any errors here I will correct them first, then add this to the Q&A.

Added to Chapter 15 Spirits & the Spirit World Q&A

Popular topics, soon start to meander all over the place, if you want to diverge from the OP, into how to teach sorcery, different ideas on how to change it etc., consider starting a new topic. You can always come back to your post here and add a link to the new thread. 

If want to report mistakes or ask questions about our RuneQuest Glorantha products, this is the thread. Question and Answers where appropriate will end up here as official corrections. Although centred around RuneQuest, corrections and questions about the Guide to Glorantha (GtG) and the Glorantha Sourcebook (GS) are welcome too. The current product line is:

• Roleplaying in Glorantha Quickstart (RQQS) 
• Roleplaying in Glorantha (RQG)
• Glorantha Bestiary (RQB)
• Gamesmaster Screen Pack (GMSP) 
• The Red Book of Magic (RBM) and Rune Spell Reference (RSR)
• The Smoking Ruin & Other Stories (TSR)
• The Pegasus Plateau & Other Stories (TPP)
• Starter Set (RQSS)
• Weapons & Equipment (W&E)
• The Prosopaedia
• Lightbringers (LB)
• Earth Goddesses (EG)
• Mythology (CoR-M)

First and foremost, it cannot be stressed enough that the rules are guidelines for the gamemaster and must occasionally need to be interpreted when a question arises. No set of rules can accommodate every permutation and interaction between the various sub-systems, nor should they.

When there’s an potential conflict or unclear area, it is the gamemaster’s job to adjudicate, revising later if necessary. When in doubt, make a decision and move on.

The play is the thing, not getting it “right”.

Please post your entries in the form of a single simple, direct question, with book and page references.

Please take any arguments, complaints or discussion to another thread. 

Before you post, please make sure that you have:

• the most up-to-date version of the book and/or PDF.
• checked the book and rules fully.
• Checked the RuneQuest Glorantha Corrections and Q&A
• Please be aware that, Sorcery is presented to allow Lhankor Mhy adventurers to be created. Future supplements will detail sorcerers from other cultures and provide more details of the sorcery system.

New answers in this thread are moved to the Q&A when a full page is reached.

When in doubt, make a decision and move on.

See Jason Durall talking about when it's important to lean into or away from TTRPG system rules (YouTube)  

I'd like to hear from those who have played in or run the game - how did it go?

8 hours ago, Scorus said:

I love having a fillable character sheet in this Zoom era! I would like to be able to customize it to add things that are important to my game in lieu of things that I'm not using (more passions, less sorcery). Is it available in a raw form that I can edit with Adobe Pro or Publisher or something?

Yes: https://www.chaosium.com/runequest-character-sheets/

The fillable is fully editable with Acrobat Pro (it was created with InDesign and Acrobat Pro).

https://www.chaosium.com/content/FreePDFs/RuneQuest/Character Sheets/RuneQuest Glorantha - Character Sheet - Fillable.pdf

5 hours ago, Mechashef said:

Do Fireblade, Fire Arrow and similar weapon igniting spells do special damage & critical damage?

Fireblade - yes:

https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/catalogue/publishers/chaosium/runequest-roleplaying-in-glorantha-players-book-print/cha4028-runequest-roleplaying-in-glorantha-qa-by-chapter/cha4028-runequest-roleplaying-in-glorantha-chapter-12-spirit-magic/ 

Fire arrow - No

Page 263. "A Firearrow cannot impale".

Note that there is no critical damage. There is only special damage, and on a critical, it's maximum special damage. So a Firearrow won't impale, but on a critical will possibly ignore armour as per the result table.

52 minutes ago, d(sqrt(-1)) said:

And non-thrown missiles don't get a damage bonus...

Firearrow (page 261)

Replace

The damage bonus still applies, halved for missile weapons as normal.

with

The damage bonus still applies, halved for thrown weapons as normal.

Please find attached the two downloads that @AndrewTBP previously posted. These have a copyright notice on them.

5 hours ago, Adaras said:

I decided to look at some of the pregenerated characters to get some help but some of them seems to be calculated wrong?

Yes, there are a few errors, some were corrected in the GM screen pack (not these).

5 hours ago, Adaras said:

Vasana Farnan have a lance that is listed as having Strike Rank 6 but her Dex SR is 3 and her size SR is 2. The Lance has a sr of 0.
Then why is she listed as 6? should it be 5?

Correct, DEXSR 3 + SIZSR 2 + Lance SR 0 = 5

5 hours ago, Adaras said:

Yanioth Vareena is listed as having a dagger that strikes at 6

Her Dex SR is 2 and Size sr is 1. But a Dagger especially the type of damage it deals its sr is 4 so she could be at 7 no?

Correct, DEXSR 2 + SIZSR 1 + Dagger SR 4 = 7

I will send these to Jason and I've added them to the corrections page:

https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/catalogue/publishers/chaosium/runequest-roleplaying-in-glorantha-players-book-print/cha4028-runequest-roleplaying-in-glorantha-qa-by-chapter/cha4028-runequest-roleplaying-in-glorantha-chapter-03-pregenerated-adventurers-qa/

27 minutes ago, Westnovote said:

Does anyone know which virtual table top system will be used?

I've emailed the GM to ask they they fill in the missing info.