Introducing the Jonstown Compendium: community creator program for Glorantha (RuneQuest/HeroQuest Glorantha)

[g33k]

I just looked at DTRPG's "Community Content" link.  It shows, AFAIK, everything that every publisher has in these programs.

The top 5 items are all Jonstown Compendium.   😎

[Bill the barbarian]

11 minutes ago, g33k said:

I just looked at DTRPG's "Community Content" link.  It shows, AFAIK, everything that every publisher has in these programs.

 

Could not find that what is the link

[Lordabdul]

Left sidebar, scroll down, there's a "By the fans, for the fans" black & white banner with a yellow "Community Content" sticker thing.

The Jonstown Compendium items are the "hottest" things there, which I assume means they're selling faster than blueberry buns on a stick at a Boldhome holy day market.

Edited December 6, 2019 by lordabdul

[g33k]

1 hour ago, lordabdul said:

Left sidebar, scroll down, there's a "By the fans, for the fans" black & white banner with a yellow "Community Content" sticker thing...

Hit the DTRPG top level home-page (the instructions above are for DTRPG's desktop/fullscreen site; I'm not finding the same link on my phone).

OTOH, Martin's book currently appears on the mobile site's top-level splash-screen (labelled "Bestselling"), apparently the only one that's NOT a full-color offering from a publisher's core offerings!

Edited December 6, 2019 by g33k
Organization

[klecser]

I'm deeply intrigued by AaEoDP, but I'm a bit worried about getting it because all of the reviews I've read seem to emphasize that it "isn't for beginners." Can anyone here summarize what they find most appealing about the book? If I have a general interest in Bronze Age warfare, equipment and tactics might I find it attractive? I looked at the "Full size preview" and found it interesting, but that seems to before the book gets into the specifics.

[Joerg]

8 minutes ago, klecser said:

I'm deeply intrigued by AaEoDP, but I'm a bit worried about getting it because all of the reviews I've read seem to emphasize that it "isn't for beginners." Can anyone here summarize what they find most appealing about the book? If I have a general interest in Bronze Age warfare, equipment and tactics might I find it attractive? I looked at the "Full size preview" and found it interesting, but that seems to before the book gets into the specifics.

Dozens of sketches of Gloranthan warriors or soldiers, with textual context (although in many cases that context needs to be looked up elsewhere in the document). "... and this is how they look like." Not indexed (yet).

An army listing for the units of the Dragon Pass boardgame and a multitude of units from adjacent areas that haven't been put into a Dragon Pass game yet.

Trivia for many a unit your characters may encounter or even be offered to join.

[soltakss]

31 minutes ago, klecser said:

I'm deeply intrigued by AaEoDP, but I'm a bit worried about getting it because all of the reviews I've read seem to emphasize that it "isn't for beginners."

I would say the opposite. it is for beginners, as it approaches a lot of topics in a very straightforward, easy way.

It is big, so maybe that is off-putting.

32 minutes ago, klecser said:

Can anyone here summarize what they find most appealing about the book? If I have a general interest in Bronze Age warfare, equipment and tactics might I find it attractive? I looked at the "Full size preview" and found it interesting, but that seems to before the book gets into the specifics.

I skipped through it at Dragonmeet and posted a short video of me doing so, on Facebook. Have a look at the Glorantha fans or RuneQuest pages for a copy.

I have copied and pasted the Table of Contents, in case that is useful.

Basically, it goes into detail about the Armies of Dragon Pass, with descriptions and illustrations of each Army Unit. That could be invaluable for GMs and those who want to get to grips with the forces of the area. It has a Unit Card for many of the Units, which is good for using them in battles. So, if you want to know the relative strength of the Colymar to the Carmanian Queen's Regiment, you just need to compare the Unit Cards. It goes into armour and weapons in a ridiculous amount of detail that is fascinating to read. It even goes into Magical Warfare and the effects of runes on the battlefield, something which, to my knowledge, has never been covered before. Overall, it is an easy to read, clean and beautiful book. I have only skipped through it, as for me it isn't the "sit down and read it from cover to cover" kind of book, instead it's something you can dip into time and time again.

Introduction........................................................5
Fundamentals of Warfare ..................................6
Troop Types....................................................6
Unit Organization ...........................................9
Arms and Armor ...............................................26
Materials and Manufacture .........................26
Armor ...........................................................36
Weapons.......................................................48
Other Equipment..........................................62
Non-Human Arms and Armor ......................70
Regional Warfare..............................................72
Pelorian Warfare ..........................................73
The Holy Country..........................................88
The Horse Nations........................................90
Hsunchen Warfare .......................................93
Orlanthi Warfare ..........................................93
Praxian Warfare..........................................100
Other Facets of Warfare.............................104
The Battlefield ................................................121
The Battleground........................................121
Infantry.......................................................125
Cavalry........................................................139
Fliers ...........................................................150
Chariots ......................................................152
Vexillae .......................................................157
Artillery.......................................................157
Magical .......................................................159
War Dogs ....................................................159
Warships.....................................................160
Heroes ........................................................164
Bodyguards.................................................165
Transport and Mobility...................................166
The Campaign Year.................................... 166
Roads and Warfare .................................... 170
Water and Warfare.................................... 176
Terrain........................................................ 178
Fortifications and Siege Warfare ................... 183
Siege Weapons .......................................... 183
History of Fortification............................... 186
Fortifications.............................................. 188
Arcane Warfare.............................................. 203
Religion and Warfare................................. 206
Magical Warfare ........................................ 206
Gods of War................................................... 224
War Gods of the Lunar Empire .................. 227
War Gods of Sartar and Heortland ............ 237
War Gods of Esrolia ................................... 241
War Gods and Spirits of Prax ..................... 242
War Gods of the Horse Nations................. 243
Gods of the Wolf Pirates............................ 244
Armies of Central Genertela.......................... 245
Lunar Army ................................................ 245
Sartar Free Army........................................ 264
Independents............................................. 269
Hero Wars Army Lists .................................... 281
Lunar Army List.......................................... 282
Sartar Free Army List ................................. 316
Independents List ...................................... 331
Appendices .................................................... 351
Sun Dome Temples.................................... 351
Fazzur Wideread........................................ 356
Terminology............................................... 361
Index .............................................................. 367
Sources .......................................................... 380

[klecser]

As a new GM for Runequest, all of that information seems like it would be really useful for those of us that do not have practiced knowledge of Glorantha. My biggest barrier as a Runequest GM is descriptive capability: I can't describe effectively because I don't know enough. And this SEEMS like it would be really useful to help with that. 

[soltakss]

6 minutes ago, klecser said:

As a new GM for Runequest, all of that information seems like it would be really useful for those of us that do not have practiced knowledge of Glorantha. My biggest barrier as a Runequest GM is descriptive capability: I can't describe effectively because I don't know enough. And this SEEMS like it would be really useful to help with that. 

I would say so, yes.

You can point to an illustration of a weapon and show Players what it looks like, rather than explaining it. Want to know what a dagger-axe looks like? No problem, go to Page 49. Want to compare spears? Page 55. Swords? Pages 56 and 57.

[M Helsdon]

1 hour ago, klecser said:

I'm deeply intrigued by AaEoDP, but I'm a bit worried about getting it because all of the reviews I've read seem to emphasize that it "isn't for beginners." Can anyone here summarize what they find most appealing about the book? If I have a general interest in Bronze Age warfare, equipment and tactics might I find it attractive? I looked at the "Full size preview" and found it interesting, but that seems to before the book gets into the specifics.

As the author, perhaps I shouldn't comment, but:

The size of the book may seem daunting, but it is basically a reference book which grew out of the Army Lists. Hopefully not dry, but that's something I can't judge.

The first chapter provides an overview of the four types of fighter, warrior, militia, mercenary and soldier (these aren't 'classes') and then goes on to explore different facets of Gloranthan warfare. Whilst you can read it from cover to cover, it is also (hopefully) structured so as to allow someone to dip in to find general details or specifics. If you want to find out how bronze swords are made, what siege engines and types of ship are in general use, it is there; if you want some ideas about the side-effects of powerful magic, it is there. Etc.

It grew out of the Army Lists because it proved necessary to provide details about the weapons and armor used, the deities (some well known, others not), the type of unit, and an idea of how they fight, and their cultures. Each chapter commences with a brief piece of fiction intended to illustrate a facet of warfare, be it the approach of a pike-armed phalanx, or an assault on a city in an active siege. There are color-coded text boxes scattered throughout giving information about things as diverse as the Hero Light of different heroes to Logistics, which can be ignored or used as resources. There are also over a hundred illustrations - sketches of a Wind Lord, a Black Horse Trooper, several varieties of Yelmalion pike-men (and in these pre-industrial cultures, even in a unit there's going to be lots of variation) etc. so if you what to show your players a Dart Warrior, for example, there's picture.

And, as a Your Glorantha Will Vary it is intended as a resource, not a definitive canonical source.

Edited December 7, 2019 by M Helsdon

[Jane]

Just now, soltakss said:

I would say so, yes.

You can point to an illustration of a weapon and show Players what it looks like, rather than explaining it. Want to know what a dagger-axe looks like? No problem, go to Page 49. Want to compare spears? Page 55. Swords? Pages 56 and 57.

I'm glad I move in the circles I do. Between us, we can usually pick one  up, and say "it looks like this". And if we want to know if a fancy move will work, go out in the garden and try it. But no, this probably isn't normal
Don't think I know anyone with a dagger-axe, though. May have to look out at the next reenactors' fair.

[soltakss]

5 minutes ago, M Helsdon said:

And, as a Your Glorantha Will Vary it is intended as a resource, not a definitive canonical source.

Again, ha, ha, ha, ha!

It's canon now for many people.

If Chaosium produce something based on the same material that differs greatly from yours, I would be surprised.

[Steve]

I'm pretty sure that I heard @Jeff say at Dragonmeet that he's already been using Martin's book as a reference source.

[g33k]

13 hours ago, soltakss said:

...

If Chaosium produce something based on the same material that differs greatly from yours, I would be surprised.

If Chaosium produce something based on the same material that differs greatly from Martin's, it's like to kill some people from the shock!

[MOB]

44 minutes ago, Steve said:

I'm pretty sure that I heard @Jeff say at Dragonmeet that he's already been using Martin's book as a reference source.

and remember, the book is credited "with invaluable assistance from Jeff Richard".

[Paid a bod yn dwp]

*Rubs hands together* So this is a very useful guide on the “look” of the various cultures in dragon pass. When’s print on demand available? 

[g33k]

7 hours ago, Paid a bod yn dwp said:

... the “look” of the various cultures in dragon pass...

Well, the "look" of various cultures' military units, notsomuch the look of "ordinary citizens."

[M Helsdon]

Preview of a slim booklet I am finalising (only 20 pages instead of 280) using mostly things that have been languishing on memory sticks for the last year or two.

[Whilst the Paps has the cover and a page, I don't attempt to provide floor plans.]

Additional: It has been pointed out to me that the figure should be in the middle... Will see if I can extend the picture.

Now released into the wild. Altered cover to the right.

Edited December 11, 2019 by M Helsdon

[Puckohue]

I hope to be able to submit this soon. It's an edited version of the crowdsourced content by forum users here on BRP central.

[M Helsdon]

I have found up some more 'architecture' files and am slowly adding to 'Temples & Towers'. Hopefully will upload some more additions over the weekend.

File now includes rural 'Ernalda houses'.