Stephen L

Thanks, I'd missed the King of Sartar Reference. And yes, that's the map I was reading from.

There is a ruin, on the left bank (or East) of the Creek, just where it flows from the Upland Marsh - at the very South end of the Spinosaurus Flats. I'm guessing this is the ruins of the EWF city, Olorost. If any one of you good folk knows anything about it, I would be very grateful if you'd be able to share please! I've Tales #19, which mentions that the Elves of the Yellowflower Isle once tended it's gardens, and the rich blue clay found there. But is there any more anywhere? Out of interest, I'm also guessing that the ruins just downriver of Centaur Ford are Voss Varainu, of Stitched Zoo fame (though I'm not sure my lot of ne'er-do-well adventurers will get that far anytime soon...) Many thanks if anyone can help, Stephen.

Jajagappa near the bottom of the following post describes how he ran it: I presume you've read the Core Rules "Vasana's Saga" account, p138... Stephen.

You mention that you have the Slipcase set. That has everything you need for an excellent introduction to Glorantha. I get the impression that the good folk at Chaosium have given a lot of thought how to start people off, and this is working really well for my campaign. Though I'm an old RQ/Glorantha hand from the early 80's, my youngest player is 7, and he's really enjoying it, so it's a good enough start for him! If you want more background, then the Glorantha Source book, https://www.chaosium.com/the-glorantha-sourcebook-hardcover/, is good, focusing on what you need for a Dragon Pass (ish) 1625 campaign. But the Slipcase case has the essentials covered. These are amongst my favourite as well, and they're available online for free at the Well of Daliath (another excellent resource): https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/cot-history/cot-cosmology/ https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/cot-history/ Also lots of other stuff there, including maps of Glorantha (which are a bit sparse, particularly in Glorantha Source book): https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/glorantha-2/map-of-glorantha/ Also, I agree with pretty much everything runeblogger says in his article: There's *a lot* to enjoy in RQ/Glorantha, and it has the flexibility that you're not typecast, so you can (usually) pull it where you and the players want to go. Enjoy!

Yes, I’ve always felt that RQ combat was unrivalled for excitement, and indeed story telling. I've never been one to be impressed by realism that gets in the way of fun! I may be wrong, in that’s it’s ages since I’ve played RQii/iii but the main difference I'm finding is that weapons are breaking far more often then I recall them previously. Close inspection of the combat tables for specials and crits, indicate that there’re cases where the parrying weapon/shield take full damage, not just 1 hp. It means that combats are resolving quite quickly, rather than getting into endless slogs. A really good hit, even if parried, will damage the parrying weapon, leaving the parrier vulnerable against future blows. Another area of the combat rules that I've found takes a lot of reading, is parrying, particularly which location takes the excess damage. An interpretation that we've adopted is that damage on a shield (not weapon) parry goes through to the parrying arm. Which makes shield users somewhat more survivable (albeit with perhaps fewer limbs!). Which I think is a really nice touch. You decide, am I parrying with shield or weapon, based on how many AP each has left, and how much your shield arm hurts! Another area of great story telling in the rules is character generation, which is pretty amazing in RQinG. I don’t recall anything to match the vividness of the characters generated, with backstories that fuels lots of ideas for the referee. Gosh, I vaguely remember someone called Trotsky who was active on the RQ/Glorantha Forums, back in the day that I was following them, but that would have been decades ago… Stephen.

There are a few resource on the web to auto generate NPCs (which isn't quite what you asked, but might be useful): https://www.cradleofheroes.net/ Phil Hibbs has spreadsheets, covered in this thread. There's also a generator from Dan Z here: https://basicroleplaying.net/rqg/ I've one I've written myself, available on request (in c# .net), but I've output a range of NPCs and a few creatures for download here (added to when I need to for my campaign, I suspect Dinosaurs next, either that or undead...) Lastly there's NPCs on the Jonstown Compendium in Akhelas' Heortlings of Sartar https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/315742/Heortlings-of-Sartar If you don't mind conversion from RQ ii, you could use fangs: https://www.chaosium.com/content/FreePDFs/RuneQuest/Classic/CHA4002- FANGS - Monster Stats.pdf or indeed, there's a bundle of RQii stuff including packs of NPCs https://www.chaosium.com/runequest-old-school-resource-pack/

Actually, that's the best answer. Change the hawks name, and that's just added a little magic to the campaign. In years to come, everyone will have forgotten the epic battle against the dragon, but no one will have forgotten Rasputin the Hawk. The only one who came back... Stephen.

However, in my case, its a Siz 2 Hawk with 17 Con and 15 Hit points and 1 Hit location. I think there would be a great deal more caution if it were killable by a single arrow (without requiring specials, since I suspect a swooping hawk is a difficult enough target), or indeed a disrupt. And composite bows aren't standard in my campaign... Having said all that, my players aren't the type to exploit any rules loophole, so I've not yet had to make any ruling, because the hawk's keeping well out of trouble. But, damn it, it's got more hit points than some of the front line warriors in the party (like the lass with Siz 17, Con 12, who I can tell you, you really don't want to meet on a dark night)! Stephen.

I presume you've seen Jeff's posting on the subject? https://basicroleplaying.org/topic/12238-holy-country-notes/ If not, recommended. Even with maps!

Well, I'd bite your hand off. It would be messy, because I'm salivating at the thought...

I've send through the code, if I've succeeded with the BRP messaging system. Hope it's of use. I see you're a door keeper to cats. Ours is cute, fluffy and cuddly. Who'd have thought he could be such a mass murderer? I'm continually surprised how there can be any wildlife left near us... Stephen.

I’ve a (possibly similar) program that generates NPCs. It’s all data driven, so I think it can handle most in the Bestiary (I’ve only done humans, baboons, horses, and gargoyles) I’ve dropped outputs in the downloads section, so you see what it generates: https://basicroleplaying.org/files/file/833-npc-squads-txtzip-npc-squads-pdfzip/ It uses a data file to drives it all. Mostly lists of weighted probabilities for stuff. It weights cults/weapons etc. to the NPC’s runes, and it tries to be intelligent with the probabilities for weapons and armour, so the equipment doesn’t look completely random (whilst matching STR DEX and Enc limits). Anyway, what you see in the down loads are all computer generated, without moderation (or deletion/selection), and the first run sets. If anyone is interested, I’m happy to share the code, or design ideas, or collaborate. It’s windows .Net, C#, and driven by XML data files. However, it’s designed for my own use (written, in haste, precisely because I have very little spare-time to generate NPCs), I’ve made no attempt for it to be user friendly, and input is solely by editing a XML data file, fine for those who’re happy with XML and have a decent editor! Stephen.

Any Update on making Tales of the Reaching Moon available again? (Apologies, I know such e-mails aren't helpful, but I really can't restrain myself any longer!) Tales is easily my most "goto" resource for RQ (outside Chaosium). But my collection is sadly not complete, missing the earliest issues, and the odd one here and there later on. Presumably lent out. (Grrr, if you're reading give em back! Please. I miss them!) Stephen.

The rules aren't clear as to which hit location takes damage if it gets through the parrying weapon/shield. We play it that if you use a shield to parry, its the shield arm that's hit, and if its a weapon, it's knocked aside and the excess damage goes to the rolled location. Which sort of feels right, to me at least. However, that gives a big advantage to shields, as, the bug blow that would normally take you out (crits or big damage specials), has gone to your shield arm, so you often live to fight another day. So, if you think that's a home ruling, and it adds to the thread, great. But if that's Rules As Written and you're still not happy, apologies for disturbing the thread!

If I (cheekily) point out that I can't be the only person starting a campaign in 1625, and that as time goes on in the real world, so will in all those campaigns. Kallyr's quest will become a moot point for an increasing number of people! Thanks, Stephen.

Wow! Thanks, that's *exactly* what I need.

Gosh the thread that just keeps on giving. But back to Kallyr’s short Light Bringer Quest… I’ve got some pointers for the stages for a light bringer quest, King of Startar – thanks Jajagappa. And indeed whom might still be amongst Kallyr’s accomplices (lacking Minaryth Purple, eaten dead, and Orlaront Dragon Friend, exiled perhaps because Kallyr’s not happy with the whole Dragon business. On top of endless winters and all the rest, having dragons awaking in the Pass and eating everyone, whilst it might get rid of the Lunars, if it becomes a theme, I suspect she’d rather there was something left afterwards). I’m beginning to have some inkling as to a scenario for my players. The players, having just killed (or possibly been eaten, in which case this thread is rather academic, apologies for kicking it off!) by the dragon of Thunder Hills (and having some impressive Loyalty Kallyr passions), Kallyr looks about to find a replacement for Orlaront. Hmm, that new Thane of Apple Lane is mighty fine looking, she thinks. And they've killed a dragon. That’s just whom I need! And if her light bringers quest fails because there is a draconic element, and Orlaront isn’t there, then that would be great, because it throws the players right in the middle of things. There was a sea dragon in the light Bringers Quest, but if Orlaront is the scout I’m not sure how he'd tie in. Actually I’m not sure how a scout ties in at all. The darkness ambush is foiled by Issaries protection of the camp, and most of the tracking is Eurmal following flesh man, but I’m sure something will come to me. Also, any handy hints for Questing rules? I was planning to get Humakt, Raven, Wolf and also Six Seasons in Sartar, are these the best sources? Thanks, Stephen.

And are we so sure its the parallel history where the Lunars win?

My intent. Or indeed the original post, to see what I can crib for all the good folk here!

10 HP is for a hawk whos just maxed his Con roll (or in my case rolled 17 on 3d6). For the Gloranthan Bestiary, the Vrok Hawk, being a small animal, only has a single location (and 2 points of armour for feathers).

10 hp for a Siz 2 hawk still feels high to me. I think that a hawk being hit by an arrow, shouldn't *require* a special hit to kill. For me, a hawk should be at good risk of death from an arrow (and by that I'd think of a self bow). Co-incidentally, the average of the 17 Con, 2 Siz Hawk is also 10, which means it still isn't at risk of death from anything that isn't a critical or special. Thanks for the pointer that really does look like $5 well spent (well £4.04 where I live).

As good speculation as anything I can come up with. Thanks. I can work with that assumption. I was worrying about missing something obvious, which it sounds as if there isn't.

Yes, yes please. My campaign is getting perilously close to Sacred time 1625, and I really don't want Kallyr to make her big exit without player involvement!

Unfortunately not in my library - Vrok was the closest in in Glorantha Bestiary, and I needed to decide on the spot. Not for me, I want the possibility of a small guy who's really tough (just not in the extreme of a Siz 2 Hawk). Averaging, means the smallness cancels out the toughest to average HP. Only for extreme cases of small Siz. It sounds as If I'm being really negative to Gazza. I'm not, this is all pure speculation. Or I sincerely hope that there's no objective research into this particular subject! Would a boxer have intuition as to how Siz affect ability to soak up the punches? Don't know. Because how would we untangle the big guy punches being heavier? That leaves us with idol speculation. So I can accept that average of Siz and Con feels right. Just not for me. I like RAW, just modifying for extreme outliers. And knowing how others handle this is what I asked for. Given I've recently found the thanks icon...

Indeed the ones from the RQG Bestiary, but imposed a Siz of 2. I didn't give it too much thought, as my players are *really* not interested in rules. Their idea of the rule book is "what have I got on my character sheet?" If they find something there that looks plausible for the problem in hand, then the rest in my problem! That's a good way of making an all-case ruling. Given my lack of player involvement in rules, they are perfectly happy for me to be arbitrary (and in this case keep Enlo and Druluz always on the Con standard, no matter Siz). But it's nice for me not to have to make things up on the spot.