Stephen L

I am afraid there is irrefutable evidence against this: Also, there is a typo in your post: it should have read (including the Asterix comics) 😀

Off topic but perhaps interesting... French was the mother tongue of every English king from William the Conqueror (1066–1087) until Henry IV (1399–1413): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Norman_language

We've a lot of words from French, particularly from the warrior elite after the Norman Conquest. So, when it's on a plate its called beef, whilst the peasant will be herding a cow... Not to say we won't have mangled the pronunciation or indeed in this case spelling, but in our defence spelling had yet to be invented back then! Yet the Glorantha Bestiary, P32, has Duck typical armour as: Armor: Cuirboilli body (3 pts.), composite helm (3 pts.), and leather limbs (2 pts.). Indeed, it's not difficult to make it up, but I wondered if it's been omitted for a reason, or just an oversight. Perhaps this should go in the rules clarification thread.

Anybody know if it's intentional that the armour table (p215 core rules) doesn't have a Cuirboilli Cuirass? Apologies if this has been done to death, my searches on Forum posts seem sporadically successful at best.

It's a great scenario. An excellent introduction to both the Rules and Glorantha!

But RQ combat is the best combat system I have ever played, precisely because of the suspense of knowing your character might die. Or get a limb chopped off (when they generally count themselves lucky). Wading through bands of trollkin is exhilarating, in a way that orcs aren't (especially for the GM who knows that the trollkins' role is to disperse the party.) That's not to discourage the non-combat roleplaying, because the rules all round are generally very tight. You really do need someone in the party with high Cha and communication skills, and the character with the more thiefly skills is generally quite busy in our campaign.

A good idea. However, combat in our games is quite exciting enough. Another idea might be if the shield is completely shattered, or a huge blow (double AP of shield?), then its knocked aside, and the excess damage is through to the rolled location?

I’m running the Colymar campaign, from the adventures book, GM screen pack, for a group of players, a few kids (7-11) and their parents, all bar one new to RQ (with me an old hand, but lapsed…) Its progressing remotely during lockdown, via Microsoft teams, which is working fine. I’ve used two of the scenarios, Apple Lane, and Dragon of Thunderhills. The rest have been home written. The introduction scenario had the players rescuing the “prisoners” of the Lunar Slave Farms during the dragon rise liberation of Sartar. This means they’ve quite a number of useful contacts throughout the Sartar lands (though they offed an NPC whom I’d assumed would be an ally, the result of an unfortunate misunderstanding. So, they’re going to learn about blood feuds…) The last scenario had them finding innovative ways of disposing of a couple of Spinosaurs, without getting close enough to be eaten… A Lunar sorcerer had fled to the Spinosaur flats, using his magic to control said Spinosaurs, and, in his first step to world domination, eradicated a herd of Hadrosaurs, the last member rescued by the players (with a clutch of 5 eggs), earning it’s undying loyalty. The Hadrosaur’s going to move into Apple Lane (the youngest player is dying to become a Dinosaur rider). Next up is Kallyr’s failed Lightbringers quest, then Pegasus Plateau, Queen’s Battle, followed by a trip to Pavis, for a reprise of Vasana’s role in calling on Argrath to try to unite the tribes of Sartar, using the Salinarg’s Cairn hook. We’re having an absolute hoot…

I can see your logic. But for me, you're using your own life force (MP), so it just feels right to me that it takes time to channel it. Visually, I can see an adventurer, in agony, holding the wound, praying to their god, as it knits over a few seconds, and them feeling drained by it. It seems to fit the dramatic moment, and the spell. My adventurers don't have the capacity with wondering round with heal 6, so heal wound is a very important spell to them, and gets used an awful lot (and I'm afraid often for more than 6 points).

Time to reference an old thread that was a favourite of mine...

However, if you use the rules as written, heal wound might not be quick enough for "instant" death situations. You've to the end of the melee round to heal, and it's one SR per MP (i.e, HP healed) used, on average that 6 HP back.

I’m finding reduced lethality in my RQinG campaign, compared with my (admitted hazy) memories of RQiii/ii. I think this is largely down to 2 factors. The rules for where takes damage for a blow that is parried are a bit vague, so my interpretation is: If you parry with a shield, then any excess damage goes to the shield arm. If you parry with a weapon, then, any excess damage knocks the parrying weapon aside (damaging it) but damaging the originally rolled location That means that, if you use a shield, then, if you parry the massive blow or lucky critical, then yes, your shield arm is gone, and you’re in shock, but you’re alive. That’s how the party survived a critical from the Dragon of Thunder hills. Secondly, I’ve Yelmalians in the party. Do not believe the threads that say Yelmalian rune magic is rubbish. They have access to heal body. And as long as they get to the fallen comrade by the end of the round (or very soon after, as long as I’m impressed with how quickly they’ve responded), I’ll allow it to save a life. And it cures a limb being bitten off by an angry dragon. It's also good against poison. Lastly, my party are on excellent terms with Tarndisi (did I mention they’re Yelmalians), they’re based close by (One is Thane of Apple Lane). And hopefully the hints I’ve dropped about her mysterious powers have been clear enough that they’ve twigged she might be a good place to come if a resurrection is required/hoped for…

The UK warehouse seems to be out of the Eleven Lights and the Coming Storm. I'm assuming that there aren't plans to restock with the hardcover versions? In which case, it wouldn't be worth my while waiting, and I should just go ahead and get the PDFs.

Thanks - that's everything answered! And to just say again how useful the art is during roleplaying sessions - I find I'm now showing the players a lot of pictures.

Nope, the alignments wrong to be from the Paps – otherwise the line of sight would align almost directly with the line of the canal (which would therefore be mostly occluded by the Block), and the block would align right up against the shoulders of Stormwalk Mountain (I’m presuming the big mountain in the middle of the range with a visible corkscrew). This means the viewpoint is further south. Maybe not as far as Ginmuz Mountains, but not far off. If I could be bothered, I’d get out my protractor, or orienteering compass and work it out exactly. But either way, Paps or further south, the block came from almost due South West (clear in the RQii map, a link to the redbubble poster, https://www.redbubble.com/i/poster/RQ2-DRAGON-PASS-AND-PRAX-Map-by-Chaosium/24710029.LVTDI#&gid=1&pid=3). In the original image, this would be more where the marsh is shown as a line of green, so the mounds around the block don’t look like they could be skid marks. Anyone any ideas what they might be? Thanks for the map, which is a good visual for confirming the orientation is wrong for the Paps. Hender's ruins on the maps from the Gamemaster screen pack look like they’re at the base of the hills, rather than the top of a peak:

Quite so, a good point, well made. An experienced referee probably doesn't need such advice (or rather, is beyond help... I'll let the reader chose how to interpret), so probably such forum posts should be aimed at helping new referees. And by that criteria, my original post fails to be of any use to anyone! Although this only works if you want to quote the whole post, and I normally just quote an extract, otherwise it soon gets unreadable. Or so it seems, in the hands of someone who's a limited in "forum" skillsets.

Wow, Amazing art. Just working out the perspective for the Block image in Prax. I assume you’re standing Ginmuz Mountains in Eirtha Hills, looking across the plains with the Block standing between (far off) Stormwalk mountain to its left and Hender’s Ruins on the right. But are the Block's skid marks in the right place? I thought it fell from an alignment along the marsh, with a bounce in the depression marked “Ex” on the RQii map… Or am I misinterpreting the mounds around the block? Also, anyone know what’s at the top of the hill by Hender’s Ruins? I think that all means that I’m overanalysing things, particularly in the face of such good artistry! The great art for Runequest in Glorantha makes a huge difference for roleplaying sessions. I find I'm showing a lot of images to the players on any given adventure, and it's really helping.

No! Please! You've not met the players in my campaign! The duck will be going on for days, with all opposition quickly losing the will to live (and friendly forces...) Or could be a chaos feature? Was it Pendragon that some creatures were allowed atttacks as they died? More seriously, I agree with a previous point, that PC death is very important point in a campaign (but if I scroll back to the previous page to quote the right bit I'll lose what I've just written). I stick with the rules as written, but there are no rules lawyers in our campaign, so I interpret it as the character will be dead very soon, and, unless the rest of the party do something more or less instantaneous, they're a gonner. And I as GM will arbitrate based on if it feels as if they were indeed, quick enough, based on gut instinct. But that's generally my approach with the rules. I generally haven't found many changes that improve on Rules-as-Written, when applied to *general* situations, but I will interpret them (sometimes quite loosely) based on the details of a particular situation. Stephen.

Well, that's a fantastic campaign idea. But please, MOB, don't be distracted by forum posts *and finish the Casino Town Document* please! Thanks, Stephen.

Not in my Glorantha! The adventurer’s in my campaign have passions and backstory (and now means) to play the Vasana role of going to Argrath to petition him to relight the flame of Sartar post Battle of Queens. Argrath has his eye on the wider turmoil, Tarsh civil war, Lunar nomad troubles, Holy Land disintegration, and the Grantlands problem on his doorstep. The Grantlanders (possibly) represent an opportunity for him. They’re more or less exiles from the Lunar way to start with. They represent manpower, with a lot of regions recently depopulated and they’ve useful knowledge of Lunar ways, so if he can gain their loyalty, they could be very useful. Also, a reputation of mercy to conquered Lunars would be very useful if he’s an eye on involvement in the Tarsh civil war. And mercy to conquered enemies is hardly going to dent his credentials for the Anti-Lunar parties in Prax and Sartar… So I'm thinking of Argrath sending the adventurers to rescue Duke Raus and his family. Which will be excellent roleplaying, because they’re all a bunch of fully paid up lunar haters. However, if my ideas are wide of the mark, I’d be grateful to hear, before I invest too much thought. But this thread has given me lots of ideas for what might have happened, grantlands, Corfu and Duke Raus… Thanks muchly to you all!

I'm not sure the moral compass of the 20th century (at least), will be judged particularly well by posterity! A bit too early to say where the 21st Century is going... Also, I'm not sure a Bronze age "moral compass" is always particularly helpful. Glorantha is only relevant as a gaming setting if it offers intriguing moral dilemmas to 21st century players *imagining* that they are in a world that is a bit bronze age ish. And, judging by this thread, it seems that it's doing that quite well!

You could make it easier by taking off your modifier from the skill level, before looking up the increment. Is there a rational for why you want to do it by table? For calculating someone's skill level by age, you could do it from the rules as written, its an integration problem (simplified again if you take away the modifier before you start). Increase per season= Delta Skill / Delta t = 3.5*(1-skill/100) It's quite straightforward formula to calculate, and I can send the answer if integration isn't your cup of tea. Also remember that the rules are written for adventurers, rather than "background" characters, so my Glorantha would not be so generous for non-heroic folk. Stephen.

I'd suggest that if it's a normal spirit, then the binding rules on page 249, 250 imply that there is no reason, with the right control/command spells that it can't be released from the binding animal/object, commanded to fight a spell spirit and then stuffed back into the binding object. If it's source is a cult, then it's command cult spirit, and you'd be limited to what spirit spells that cult teaches. Otherwise, then a shaman would have access to the right spells. If I was your GM, I wouldn't want to make it too easy, so I'd think of some payment the cult or shaman required, which would just happen to be a hook to my next adventure. But then trying to get my players to head in any sort of helpful direction is always a bit of a task for me; they turned up late for the Battle of Dangerford...

Actually, Pavis/Sun County can run on quite naturally from Apple Lane… My campaign has started based on GM screen, but the characters generated have passions that are perfect to take on the Vasarna role, i.e. after the Battle of Queens they go to Argrath, to persuade him to try for the “crown” of Sartar. There’s even a hook in GM screen adventures for this, Salinarg’s Cairn. My lot have a couple of Yelmalians so Argrath might be sending them to help Rurik in his problems taking command of Sun County. Yelmalians from outside won't have the political issues of the county with Lunar links, or indeed extremists trying to purge the old order, and can keep any problems quiet from the rest of the hierarchy. Also, there’s a character from New Pavis, so there’s opportunity for adventures in the rubble… The very first Scenario of my campaign was the adventurers rescuing the slaves kept at the Lunar Manors during the liberation of Sartar. This means they’ve got some very important people well disposed to them, including a Lhankor Mhy sage, who will help untangle Argrath’s claims, and set the characters on the right path…

Thanks. I had noticed the source of the tales article was a certain Rick Meints...