Stephen L

11 minutes ago, g33k said:

swapping the roles of SIZ & CON in the hp-calculation

In general I like Con based HP.  Rasputin wasn't large (at least in the photographs of him with his wife and family) and by all accounts took a *lot* of killing.  I like the idea of someone being small but really tough, able to take a lot of punishment.  The bigger they are the harder they fall, after all.

6 hours ago, Psullie said:

CON at 2d6

P161 of the Bestiary gives it 3D6 CON, and in this case rolled 17.  With Siz 2, meant that it was down to a mere 15 hit points. (it was an intelligent companion, from the Family Heirloom table in P83 of the Core RQ in G rules, so average Int and Pow, thankfully).

I'd probably invoke the swap Con/Siz rule for HP calculation for the lowest Siz category of 1-4 (so the Con 17 Hawk gets +2 on its Siz for a total of 4 HP).

28 minutes ago, g33k said:

Birds -- flying creatures -- are ALWAYS fragile

Agreed.  For the moment I've just made an arbitrary ruling, that there's no way that things flying around with 17 HP.

Although... we have a murderous cat, and I've seen it have a damn good go at a magpie, and it got away.  One of the very few things that has.

Well, the adventure book in the gamemasters screen pack has a rather splendid drawing of Apple Lane, so you get a very good picture of what the whole village looks like.

https://www.chaosium.com/runequest-gamemaster-screen-pack/

or if you go to red bubble and type in Apple Lane, you get to maps you can get, so you can see for yourself!

https://www.redbubble.com/i/canvas-print/Apple-Lane-by-Olivier-Sanfilipo-by-Chaosium/34385206.5Y5V7

The overall layout hasn't changed from RQii Apple Lane, but the buildings have changed in appearance, for example the timber walled Tin Inn is now stone.  But then I'm not sure how accurate the drawing is on the frontcover of RQii Apple Lane, as the ground floor of Gringle's has a sloping roof in the plans, not flat.

By the 1625 picture Gringles pawn shop is in partial ruins, but almost all of the ground floor and roof is intact so you get a good impression.

The Sartar Companion (HeroQuest) has an adventure revisiting Gringle Pawnshop, but there's no pictures or plans that expand on the RQii Apple Lane.

A adventurer in my campaign has a hawk companion.  It happens to have a rather good Con, which means that it has one of the best Hit Points in the party.

Which seems a bit wrong to me.  I've been tempted to swap round Siz and Con for Hit point calculation for small creatures (something like 5 or less).

Stephen.

The best resources I can remember seeing for Druluz, with a clan living on the fringes of the Upland Marsh, was in Tales of the reaching moon 19, sadly long out of print.  I've heard rumours that the PDFs might be made available at some time, but I'm not sure that will be on a timely enough timescale...

Lismelder was well covered... by Tales of the reaching moon 18!

Enjoy having a duck in the party!

Stephen.

Current game I’m running (a Colymar based campaign) 

• 2 Yelmalians
• 1 Humakt (duck)
• 1 Yinkin
• 1 Orlanth

This doesn’t reflect the normal make up, in that we actually have an Orlanth worshipper.  Which has doubled the overall tally (that I remember).  The only other Orlanth I remember is back in the early 80’s…

I do not recall *any* Ernalda worshippers in any campaign that I have *ever* played/run.  Oh, no, I think there might have been one a long time ago.  Maybe.

In the current set, all the adventurers rolled up where *really* interesting (the character generation for RQinG is quite amazing).  Except for one.  He was good, but just a bit boring.  And a god just didn’t really jump out as obvious, unlike for the other characters.  So, in the end he settled with Orlanth.

My current group are anti-power gamers, so the all the advantages you get from Orlanth won’t be a draw.  Personally, I think I'm not drawn to playing an Orlanthi worshipper because Orlanthi are good at everything.  Whereas specialist cults, like Yelmalio, with strengths and weaknesses, makes them more interesting.

Going forward, I imagine the Yinkin player will end up with a side helping of Orlanth, to round them out a bit.

On 6/18/2020 at 8:13 AM, Arcadiagt5 said:

• Between Adventures, also with some Roll20 screenshots
• Replenishing Runepoints - how, when, and where, and adjustments to the Worship roll

The latest version of the Gamemaster’s shield pack has useful extras over the original.

CHA4029-CP RQ Players Pack has 

• Between Adventures checklist 
• Sacred time check list.

Which I think is on your list.

I bought my original version from Chaosium, and, when I recently followed the download link from the original order e-mail, I could download the new stuff.  Don’t know if there’s another way of getting at them.

There’s no easy way of checking what’s changed.  But, from memory, I noticed the Calendar, and new player pack, and I think the maps, which are now all bundled together, had an extra one of Apple Lane.

As for worship, I’ve given up calculating the PC’s chance, they can easily sacrifice MP ‘til they get to 100% (P 184/5) of the rules, so now they automatically succeed unless they roll 96-100.

I’ve a summary of the spirit and rune spells that’s applicable to the adventurers in my campaign (Humakt, Orlanth, Yelmalio, Yinkin).  I think I also threw in Ernalda so it covered common spells.  Also rules summaries for stuff I find useful that isn’t in the GM ref. 

Any of that of use to anyone?  If so, I can add to the download section.
 

On 6/8/2020 at 11:31 PM, jajagappa said:

p.200 has Kallyr's Companions

Many thanks Jajagappa.

Of Kallyr's companions, I know that Minaryth Purple is eaten in the Dragonrise, and Orlaront Dragonfriend is exiled (anyone know why).

Does anyone know what happened to any of the others?

On 6/9/2020 at 6:11 AM, soltakss said:

I'll write it up for the Jonstown Compendium

Yes please.  I've no problem converting HQ to RQ...

Something I was planning to use for ruins in the Dragonnewt Wildlands:

CC BY-SA 2.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=276449

Its Van Fortress in Turkey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Fortress

There other good images on the web, but I'm not sure about attributing them!

I've added a troop of baboons that are inhabiting it in my campaign to the NPC stats download.

https://basicroleplaying.org/files/file/833-npc-squads-txtzip-npc-squads-pdfzip/

On 6/4/2020 at 11:01 PM, Tlalchitonatiuh said:

the Glorantha Sourcebook

The Glorantha Source Book is an excellent resource.

However, a couple of maps would make it more or less perfect. 

But the maps for the Well of Daliath cover exactly what's missing: https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/glorantha-2/map-of-glorantha/

On 6/6/2020 at 9:22 AM, David Scott said:

Finally, the Glorantha resource site: https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com. 

As the good David Scott says, there's quite a lot else there on the site.  The Cosmology and History sections from RQ2 Cults of Terror are a good read... 

Enjoy!

2 hours ago, Gamesmeister said:

realistic for the players to wear armour at the same time as wearing cold weather clothing

The climactic "Battle of the Ice" for Sergei Eisenstein's Alexander Nevsky wouldn't have been the same if the Teutonic knights were in their thermals rather than full armour!

However, despite the flippancy, the battle was a historical event, and I'm not sure the Northern Crusades would have been quite so successful if the locals could just wait for inclement weather to neutralise one of the main advantages of the Teutonic Knights (and other orders). 

25 minutes ago, claycle said:

I would hope that any forthcoming publications would extend this timeline rather than loop back upon itself and force us to somehow shoehorn a 1625

Indeed, hence my dilemma.  I can see the adventurers passions (Kallyr, Colymar and anti Lunar) as having very interesting interplay, the friction between Kallyr and Leika causing them real roleplaying issues.  Indeed they already are. In the celebrations following the Tarshite defeat (well more retreat) at Dangerford, co-incident with the appointment of a new Thane of Apple Lane, said Thane recklessly gave a speech about uniting behind Kallyr against the Lunars, and there was real angst amongst the other players about whether that is best for the Colymar.  

So, that's why I'd like the adventurers to play her failed Lightbringer's quest now.

39 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

I don't know if you have King of Sartar

Indeed I do, one of the very first.  Avidly read, and now falling to pieces, but I must admit I've not returned to it since stopping roleplaying, well, more or less at the time it came out.  I shall reacquaint myself with it, many thanks!

I’ve heard rumours that this is going to be the subject of an upcoming publication.

*but* given

• A lot of the adventurers in my campaign have passions with loyalty to Kallyr
• I’ve just got to dark season 1625 my campaign

So, I’m not sure I can last.  I don’t want Kallyr to disappear, with minimal involvement for the PCs

My plan was to run her quest involving the players, making something up.

I’ve just picked up the Heortling Mythology from the Stafford Library, and was going to start with the Lightbringer’s quest there.  Any other sources or ideas people have?

My other option is, if this is going to be published soon, to actually put it off for a year in my campaign.  I’d prefer that Kally’s reign is brief, so that Argrath is stepping into a mess.  But I suspect I’d have it that Kallyr fails to unite the tribes for a year, and that her lightbringer’s quest is an act of desperation that Sartar’s flame is unlit and the tribes are degenerating into open warfare, torn apart by quisling hunts, etc.

Thanks for any ideas / pointers.

Forgot, also from the Locaem Map (page 29):

It's not clear what are 2nd roads/trails or if any are boundaries.

• dashed - roads,
• dots - tribal boundaries/trails?

Hillsedge looping past Raven, and round to Gold Torch Inn looks like a boundary, but the other dotted lines look like trails, e.g. Bend to Two Top.

They'd be room on the legend removing the key for Large City (none on map), and places of interest (as these are all labelled on the map anyway, which applied to ruins as well I suppose)

On 5/10/2020 at 2:07 PM, Joerg said:

The map legend blots out the Aurochs Hills and the named feature Honor Rock

Also missing from the Locaem Map, page 29:

• Old tombs (presumably tumuli outside Famegrave, hence the name!)
• Slate ridge

Also the clans aren't marked (but probably intentionally, not to overcrowd the map)

Lastly the map legend swaps the key for bridges and waterfalls.

On 5/21/2020 at 4:19 AM, Videopete said:

What rune is this?

Hmm, Night + Life on its side.  The hangover rune?  

On 5/21/2020 at 4:34 AM, Richard S. said:

early Undeath rune

Sadly prosaic, but very plausible. 

1 hour ago, M Helsdon said:

Here's one of my sketches of one

Many thanks for a rather splendid sketch.

2 hours ago, dumuzid said:

probably something duck shamans with connections to some Great Turtle of the Creakstream River can make for the fighting drakes.

Not to mention that it comes with side order of a rather splendid soup!

22 minutes ago, Tindalos said:

hopefully that should have fixed it?

Thanks, a rather splendid looking piece.  

I was finding it difficult to visualise something that's just a list of ingredients... 

1 hour ago, Tindalos said:

turtleshell, wood, and bronze

Turtleshell Cuirass

I thought my skill in armour of the ancients was pretty good, but what is a Turtleshell Cuirass?  And does anyone have any links to pictures?

Thanks,

Stephen.

5 hours ago, GAZZA said:

Fair enough. Who is the solar warrior deity then?

Couldn't see the official answer of Tolat up there...

War is unfortunately as prominent in Solar life as any other culture.  Yelmalio is an obscure god on the margins of culture, on the edge of things, only important when everyone’s gone away to the underworld, or locked themselves away in the heavens beyond the sky, i.e. on the barbarian borderlands where they don’t know proper solar ways…  Or for players who LOVE ROLLING FOR GIFTS AND GEASES.

5 hours ago, Joerg said:

I never understood the attraction to or the rationale behind the randomly rolled gifts and geases

Is it just that I’m immature, but do you know how much fun it is rolling for the Gift and Geas?  Who cares about the rubbish rune spells *footnote*?  It’s that moment of tension rolling for the gifts and geases, wondering what those fickle gods will provide…  For me it’s an awesome moment of character creation.

I know I’m being immature.  My youngest player is 7, who is a Humakti duck (oh my word, is he good at it, he was born for it), and his expression when he rolled “eat no vegetables” as a geas.  That is a moment of pure joy that roleplaying can bring…

*Footnote*

I really don’t care about Yelmalio’s rune spells, my beef earlier in the thread is that I’d like a proper image of Yelmalio that’s mythically correct.  In my Glorantha, High King Elf gave Yelmalio a spear, shield and armour, because he didn’t really need his.  That’s why Yemalio looks so miserable in all the pictures, because his armour doesn’t really fit, and his spear has splinters in it…

On 5/16/2020 at 9:32 PM, Barak Shathur said:

Am I missing something here?

I'm pretty sure you are missing something.

I’m afraid my RQiii is up in the loft, and my planned weekend trip didn’t materialise.  I haven’t played RQiii for ages (a solid system, but lacked the *inspiration* of RQinG.  Really buy it, play it, tell everyone one you meet about it, and that's from an RQiii fan), but my recollection was that the knock back rules were quite clearly stated…  And one of the strengths of RQiii.

I remember it was a real killer, because of all the penalties (in addition to no damage bonus), and bonuses for your opponents.  Getting up was one of your possible actions (so you could only parry, otherwise you’d be mad, your attack's worthless).  Needed some sort of Dex roll in a combat situation?  Also, given you’re not much a threat on the ground, your opponents are probably all out attack, so I remember once you’re down repeatedly getting knocked down round after round.  I definitely remember just going all out defence and calling for help!

Whilst we’re on nostalgia for RQiii, in general the Fatigue rules were a faff, and not worth the effort (in the end, as the GM, I’d just count the number of combat rounds and only refer if rolls were close) But once I ran an adventure where the players were perused by Broo across the Plains of Prax.  The broo were no match for the players, but had numbers, and continually skirmished.  The players couldn’t rest, so weren’t recuperating fatigue, and the numbers got ridiculous, I can’t remember, but something like 75% penalties.  It was amazing how resourceful the players were, functioning when you’d think it was all over.  But the feeling of tiredness as we played was visceral…

8 hours ago, Glorion said:

Orlanth quite possibly took from Yelmalio

But *all* the images of Yelmalio have a Spear and Shield.  If he lost them, if I were a Yelmalian, I'd be removing all the spear and shield from every image I saw, as they'd be mythically *incorrect* and it would worry me.  Well, actually, I'd probably just tut...

2 hours ago, lordabdul said:

a lot of those NPCs with multiple cults are people in positions of power

I'm not so sure it's just people in positions of power...

A character in my campaign rolled up someone who was a natural Yinkin worshipper.  Looking at the rules, it wasn’t clear whether she’d be a Yinkin worshipper, or whether she was an Orlanth worshiper with a particular devotion to Yinkin, the line seemed very grey.

We left it intentionally grey.  At the moment they are Yinkin, they worship at Yinkin shrines at Orlanth temples.  As time goes on, and their character develops, I can see she’d gradually become more Orlanth, and it would be natural her to sacrifice the odd Pow for rune points for Orlanth.

I can see MGF for my campaign is for worship as an initiate is a devotion to a god in a pantheon, but it’s fairly flexible to spread that worship across a number of (compatible) gods in that pantheon.  It means that someone whose character is strongly drawn to “one deity” doesn’t worry that they get rubbish runespells because they’ll be able to easily develop a devotion to another aspect/God of that pantheon when they’re outgrowing pure Yinkin…

However, my players are the antithesis of mini-maxing, they don’t care about (or even, I suspect, understand) the rules.  And I can see such an approach could be open to abuse if they were…

I'll end with p228 of the core rules, when Vasana persuades the herd priestess to allow her to join the Eritha rites at the Paps...

Seemingly satisfied, Varaneena allowed me to
join with the other lay members gathering outside
the sacred caves.
The sacred caves were forbidden to all not
initiated into the Earth’s mysteries and all
guarded by copper-clad Axe Maidens, sworn to
kill any trespassers. We all stayed a respectful
distance away.
All except my sister, that is. Yanioth strode to the
sacred caves like a goddess. The Herd Priestesses
shouted that this place is forbidden to outsiders,
but as proud as any queen my sister said, “I am no
outsider. You may serve the Herd Mother, but she
is the daughter of the Earth Mother. And I am privy
to Her secrets.”
And with that, she marched past the Axe
Maidens into the Inner Womb of the goddess.

1 hour ago, AndreJarosch said:

A Critical is always also a Special

I think the problem isn't with Criticals (which as you say are Specials), it's with Specials that aren't Criticals.

58 minutes ago, AndreJarosch said:

1M%
1          Success/Special/Crit = Crit     
2-99     Fail = Success
100      Fumble = Fail

Unless you use the convention that 01-05 always succeeds, in which case:

1          Success/Special/Crit = Crit      
2-5       Success = Special
6-95     Fail = Success
96-00   Fumble = Fail

Which is the values I assumed.

2 hours ago, Stephen L said:

101% become 1% with 1 level of mastery, so its: 0% fumble, 5% fail, 90% success, 4% special, 1% critical.

I admit, it's largely prejudice, but I've never felt the urge to explore HQ as a system!