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Squaredeal Sten

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Squaredeal Sten last won the day on August 1 2023

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  • RPG Biography
    Began playing D&D in about 1980 - and Runequest the same year. GM'd The Fantasy Trip 1982-3. Came back to Runequest, 2020. GMing. Published two adventures through Jonstown Compendium 2022 abd 2023.
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    Runequest, currently on Zoom and play by forum.
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    San Antonio, Texas, USA
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    Not trying to rock the boat, just to navigate without capsizing.

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  1. I am looking at Caladraland as reflected in Tradetalk #5 and also Guide to Glorantha - and trying to project to about 1630 ST, five years after the Dragonrise: There are a lot of political players in and around Caladraland (see list below) , so what are the likely events and conflicts (adventure hooks)? There are thousands of ways these players can move. I have some ideas about how this will turn out, but would like your opinions. Personally at this point (subject to advice) I am probably going to go with: ◊ The High King of Caladraland tries to find allies where he can and to buy influence internally so that he can stay in office. Resistance to Solanthi and brown elf raids, and aid to the Hrennan tribe, will build his legitimacy but drain his treasury. He has essentially no taxing power, but the Mostali are used to dealing through a High King. He wouldn’t have gotten (or extended his tenure in) his position without Low Temple support, therefore High Temple tries to impede him, and he tries to get friends in the Three Tribes in order to affect High Temple. He reaches out to the Spear and Plow faction by promising a strong government, but with little success because he also needs foreign help. ◊ Solanthi raids from Maniria into and through Thomble continue. But without Greymane they don’t have the unity to raise a big army and invade Esrolia again. ◊ The Trader Princes of Maniria (https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/the-manirian-road-and-the-trader-princes/ ) try to re-establish dominance over the Solungi and Ditali clans, but have little success in that beyond keeping banditry down. They are peacefully inclined (trade is more profitable than war), but don’t have their pre-Opening revenue. They have little interest in common with Nochet except access to Nochet’s markets, because Nochet trades by sea, undercutting the Manirian Road to the West. ◊ The Brown Elves of the Arstola forest harass the Solungians (NW Caladralanders) while they also quietly attempt to reforest and dominate Thomble. Today Thomble, tomorrow the world. ◊ The Solungians (NW Caladralanders) look for help to anyone they can: Esrolia, even Argrath; and fund themselves through trade from Vinvale. ◊ Porthomeca and the Demivierge in Rhigos impede Nochet’s influence “just because” – and because Rhigos competes with Nochet. ◊ The Demivierge doesn’t want to alienate Sartar or Heortland because she wants Sartar’s trade. ◊ Nochet / Queen Samastina wants to dominate all of Esrolia and to control exports from Vinvale and Porthomeca, and maintain Nochet’s access to the Caladran timber and obsidian trade. Therefore Samastina wants to expand her influence in Caladraland but not to fight Rhigos and not have a public falling out with the Esrolian houses who are in the Warm Earth Faction. ◊ The Spear and Plow faction attempts to minimize Nochet’s influence, Argrath’s influence, the Demivierge’s influence – and also to resist the Solanthi & Ditali. They don’t like Brothers of Restorations’s program either. Isolationists, they are by nature opposed to having foreign allies in the long term, and Caladraland probably can’t resist all the foreign influences without either making some allies or instituting a strong central government. Therefore they are inclined to support the High King if they can influence him. ◊ The Warm Earth Alliance and Rule of Hot Spear factions together resist most things Queen Samastina does. .◊ Dark Doom faction members will try to kill any trolls (who are in short supply in Caladraland). They will also try to gain influence in Esrolia, however unlikely that may be given that Argan Argar is a Husband-Protector of Ernalda and the Only Old One was attached to Nochet for hundreds of years. ◊ Both Esrolian Warm Earth and Old Earth factions will oppose any re-formation of the Solunthi-Ditali alliance, and will send military aid against the Solanthi if asked. Political players Outside Caladraland: ○The Solanthi-Ditali alliance of Greymane can be expected to have fallen apart after his and his two sons’ deaths at Pennel Ford. Both those Maniarian valleys were formerly dominated by “western” Trader Princes, and may be again; but there will also be Orlanthi relatives of Graymane (maybe younger sons?) who may demonstrate leadership and legitimacy by resuming raids or warfare against both Caladraland and Esrolia. Thomble is presumably still depopulated / devastated and subject to their raids, though there is little to loot. ○ The Trader Princes of Maniria. ○ The brown elves of the Arstola Forest NW of Caladraland (and question; Are there no elves IN Caladraland’s jungle-ey terrain? Why? Forests are forests.) ○ Esrolia, ruled by Earth Priestess Queens, with Nochet / Queen Samastina (Old Earth faction) controlling much of the north and Rhigos / the Demivierge of Rhigos (Warm Earth faction) controlling much of the south. ○ Vinvale, which has evidently changed hands between Caladraland and Esrolia, dominated by ethnic Solungian Caladralanders, and is the source of the famous Vinvale Red wines exported to Esrolia and thence to Sartar, mentioned in RQG. ○ Porthomeca, another border state “under Calandraland’s influence” whose ruler is titled “Warlord”. Political players Inside Caladraland: Caladran Factions include: ● Policy based factions according to Tradetalk #5: ○ Spear and Plow, want Caladran self-rule, especially popular in western Caladraland. ○ Warm Earth Alliance: Solungians in Vinvale but also many Esrolian supporters including the Demivierge of Rhigos. Anti-Lunar, anti Red Earth Alliance in 1615ST. Politics may be redefining after the Dragonrise and death of Queen Hendira. ○ Brothers of Restoration, most numerous in Vinvale, want to find and revive Belintar. ○ Rule of Hot Spear, want to bring all of Holy Country under Caladran rule. Members overlap Brothers of Restoration. ○ Dark Doom, want to attack the Shadow Plateau to prevent any troll resurgence. ○ Prayers for Twins: Low Temple priests (but adherents in every temple) who pray that Caladran heroes Moray and Telerio come back. ● The High King, in the traditional but unimpressive palace at Low Temple, who seems to be turning a weak term limited elected office into his own possession for life. ● The High Temple and Low Temple factions of the cult of Caladra and Aurelion, whose political split dates to the Second Age. The High King must have the support of Low Temple but Low Temple does not need him very much, only uses him as a tool against High Temple. ● Tribes: These Include the Ajasi ( sea shore SE of the Vent), Hrennan (living around the Firepit volcano, and raided by Aldryami), Rillani ( SE of the Vent volcano), Holimin (cult of Caladril), The Three Tribes (Carrimin, Kralin and Serronan, around Holy Town), and Solungians (ancient tribal confederation of the Solung Plateau in northern Caladraland). ● The Mostali of Gemborg, inside Caladaraland but not part of it, and somewhat attached to the cult of Caladra and Aurelion, with and through whom they trade.
  2. In my unofficial opinion ( but it worked for my campaign) they don't get the cult skills or magic until after initiation. The only exception is their first rune spell, when they sac their first POW point to initiate. Then skills and spells not all at once, but the cult gives a free accelerated Training program (work half time, train half time] in the first year or two, in cult skills including Worship, and also magic. The same with occupational skills, really. Though a farmer or potter will learn some of the parents" skills in early childhood, a heavy cavalryman won't. (But once they come of age the village will train them to fight in the fyrd, the militia.) And no child has the 75% professional skill level at age 16. The family and village will train them to be productive adults. Look at RQG's advice on starting Adventurers younger than age 21. RQG page 25, top of the right column. But since your Adventurers will be starting at age 16 and not 21.and adventuring early, then by age 21 they should have professional skill levels. Actual play shows they will be beyond that at age 21 if they live and you challenge them. The actual pace of the free adulthood training should be adjusted to fit the adventures you plan to give them at ages 17-20, so you don't kill them off unnecessarily.
  3. In th 1625 ST time frame, it dies not make sense for the Kitori to raid tour neighbors without provocation or to practise banditry. They lost the last war very badly and are a shadow of their former strength. If they antagonize their neighbors the neighbors may combine against them. It is in their best interest to trade, follow the Argan Argar principle of equal exchange, and do favors which they may redeem in security.
  4. As far as I know, "Inspiration of Moonson" is a title and not an office, though it indicates a close personal relationship.. But what I say is not canon, not Chaosium official material.
  5. That's what happens when I try to touch type on my phone.
  6. Because the campaign started with a community. They had several adventures with and for the community in the beginning. If they left the community it was by necessity, and so they wanted to get back to it. The adventure seeds are mostly things for the community. This does not mean the adventures all have to be located in one little village. An example is the Smoking Ruin adventure. The adventurers are going to do it for the Clearwine Earth temple, and for the Colymsr tribe. So they go on a fairly long journey....
  7. Ii am sure that I can cite Real World examples of sociopaths rising to the top. I don't even have to get into present day political figures. I can cute as examples some who are dead.
  8. As you found, it is not the rule. I don't think tails have ever been an exception. And it's not " don't affect", it's a limit of GHP taking hit points rather than double hit points for legs. The arthropod rule on legs is because they have so many that the general hit point idea will break down without the exception as written in the Bestiary. I don't have a problem with tails as they are. Have been running Stone and Bone recently and the combat results for scorpion man tails do not rub me wrong.
  9. But back to the original topic: Of course Greymane might have a third or 4th son.... and certainly will have a clan full of cousins. So likely someone who might want to show legitimacy by continuing to raid Caladraland and maybe Esrolia.
  10. My vague recollection about Pennel Ford is that Harrek attacked Greymane and his army when they turned their coats. If that is reflected in your game, the players may be cleaning up after Harrek. or if they swoop down first he saves their asses. ? Perhaps develop Loyalty (Wolf Pirates)?
  11. Surrendering has to have some downside. Slaughtering the enemy til their bodies are piled waist high and then getting away with saying "my ransom is 500L" when you clearly have thousands of Lunars worth of iron and magic? Not believable. And it's pretty hard to keep someone captive when they still hold their magic sword, teleportation matrix, and Sandals of Darkness. It just doesn't make sense for the captors NOT to take it. Giving it back is to be negotiated.
  12. Looking at this from the Well of Daliath https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/west-of-esrolia-four-orlanthi-tribal-confederations/ For the context of my campaign now in 1630 ST, So who are the heirs of Greymane? To be written? And when Greymsbe's Ditali- Solanthi alliance collapses, what is the status of the Trader Princes? When Greymane was alive, what was the status of te Trader Princes (besides declining economically after the Opening of the seas?)
  13. My answer is different; That is not actually what the Bestiary says. It says something less sweeping: P.85 right column first full paragraph: "In wolf shape, the Wolfbrothers are immune to the effects of bronze weapons, which ounce off their hides. Only enchanted rune metals can harm them, as well as magic." Immune to bronze weapons. That is rather specific, and the whole passage deals with metal weapons. As i read it they are not immune to falls, to fire (and in the next sentence it specifically says not to fireblade on a bronze weapon), not immune to falling or drowning or being strangled with a rope. And most relevant, not immune to non-metal weapons, so you can beat one to death with a wooden quarterstaff. So in your Glorantha you can expand it to resemble movie werewolves if you want. But that is not Chaosium's werewolves, and it will cause problems when playing through Chaosium's or other people's adventures.
  14. Nick Brooke. Chaosium basically wants playable material on Jonstiwn Compendium. So it might go down better if it included a playable adventure. You could also take the next class from Storytelling Collective. On Jonstown Compendium look at the guidelines, also look at Chaosium's guidelines. Mechanically, you drop your text into the JC template, put it into two columns, add any art, add a cover, and export a PDF. Best to get someone to proof it before you upload to JC.
  15. Or perhaps if they see their prisoner would be especially good breeding stock. After all like other Praxians the Morokanth way of life revolves around their herd. Maybe they don't monetize thins as much as you and I do.
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