Smoking Ruin - tribal edit thread

[Joerg]

P.42

Daravala Chan, Niece of Erannina Chan

That would make 35 year-old Darvala also a niece of 29 year-old Ereneva Chan. Eraninna is 35 years old, too...

Should this have been "Niece of Beneva Chan"?

P.45

The illustration shows Eraninna Chan (mirrored from her appearance in the Adventure Book - with the axe in her right hand here) rather than Ereneva Chan (whose portrait I would have expected here).

[jongjom]

Page 91

Rune Points: 6 (Kyger Litor). She has saved these up for the moment when she finds someone to help her perform her ritual.

- Makes more sense

Rune Spells: Harmonize.

- KL does not have Harmonize: but Gods of Glorantha may say differently...

 

Hate (Vamargic) 50%, Loyalty (Family) 70%, Loyalty (Grandmother) 90%, Loyalty (Braineater) 50%.

- 'Cause "What Vamargic ’doesn’t know is that One-Eye was...", not a sign of Loyalty? 

 

Skills: Choreography 85%, Dance 115%, Sing 85%, Spirit Combat 80%, Worship (Kyger Litor) 40%.

- However, it makes some sense she is a XU worshiper. Less canon-breaking reconning than having her as a KL Priestess.

 

 

[Grievous]

1 hour ago, Joerg said:

P.42

Daravala Chan, Niece of Erannina Chan

That would make 35 year-old Darvala also a niece of 29 year-old Ereneva Chan. Eraninna is 35 years old, too...

Should this have been "Niece of Beneva Chan"?

P.45

The illustration shows Eraninna Chan (mirrored from her appearance in the Adventure Book - with the axe in her right hand here) rather than Ereneva Chan (whose portrait I would have expected here).

Daravala is also listed as second cousin to of Erenava (p. 57), but this doesn't work out either...

Also, Ereneva should be Taraling, not Ernaldori? Daravala's clan affiliation is up in the air, too, really.

Edited December 24, 2019 by Grievous

[Joerg]

49 minutes ago, jongjom said:

Page 91

Rune Points: 6 (Kyger Litor). She has saved these up for the moment when she finds someone to help her perform her ritual.

- Makes more sense

Rune Spells: Harmonize.

- KL does not have Harmonize: but Gods of Glorantha may say differently...

Harmonize should be Harmony, as per RQG rules p.435. Only the spell effect available to Chalana Arroy is completely different from the pumpkin-head ability expressed as Donandar RQ3 rune spell or the RQ2 Battle Magic spell...

 

Harmonize is a Donandar spell, which makes sense as the Smoking Ruins are a magical spot for the Puppeteers, but how could a deceased ghost of a trollkin have learned this?

I sense a lost story here, with the trollkin being a member of the Puppeteer Troupe who chanced upon her grandmother's spirit, returning to save her and falling into the claws of the undead and burning Vamargic.

 

Quote

Hate (Vamargic) 50%, Loyalty (Family) 70%, Loyalty (Grandmother) 90%, Loyalty (Braineater) 50%.

- 'Cause "What Vamargic ’doesn’t know is that One-Eye was...", not a sign of Loyalty? 

There is also p.94

• . One-Eye fails a Loyalty (Vamargic) roll and alerts him to the adventurers’ presence.

If she has Loyalty Vamargic due to the loss of her eye, then her ghost should rightfully hover somewhere near the Eye Necklace.

But then she isn't the only Eye-Necklace victim that has a curious double afterlife. Makes Scratches curiously escaped to deliver the map to a trader while remaining as a centaur skeleton and the donor of an eye (when our friend Vamargic had ample opportunity to harvest centaur eyes in his victory over the joint forces of dragonewts, aldryami and beast men).

 

Quote

Skills: Choreography 85%, Dance 115%, Sing 85%, Spirit Combat 80%, Worship (Kyger Litor) 40%.

- However, it makes some sense she is a XU worshiper. Less canon-breaking reconning than having her as a KL Priestess.

A puppeteer initiate of Donandar would make sense with the old RQ3 spell Harmonize.

XU is a valid candidate for the RQG Harmony spell.

Edited December 24, 2019 by Joerg

[Grievous]

Also something funny going on with the lineage of Thinala-Pala-Treya, who are all listed Orlmarth in various places (which doesn't really make sense).

[Nick Brooke]

On 12/23/2019 at 10:40 AM, Sumath said:

Page 12

Description of Duck Point:

"Round reed-roofed huts are piled
practically on top of each other, wooden walkways stretch
over marshland and water, and big nets hang up everyone"

What does this mean? Re-word to make this clearer?

Typo: my original submitted text read “... and big nets hanging up everywhere.”

Cheers, Nick

[jenh]

Page 36: "perfect world, as is" -> "perfect world, so too is"

Page 43: It would be nice to have an illustration of Daravala instead of people already illustrated in the GSP Adventures book.

Page 59: "journey” from Duck Point.”" -> "journey” from Duck Point." (extraneous closing quotation marks)

Page 62: "Or Ate. One. Moment.”" -> "“Or Ate. One. Moment.” (missing initial quotation marks)

Page 104: Thinala presumably gave birth to Pala before initiating to Babeester Gor (though per page 93, she spent her early years as a temple guardian) but as a returned axe maiden, is adopting a child appropriate? Or am I confused about the familial restrictions placed on those following Babeester Gor? 

Page 105: Asmara is twice referred to as Amsara.

Page 105: In the first column it is said that Ernalda's stand-in is usually Ereneva, but in the second column it says for outcomes #1 and #3 that Ernalda is portrayed by Ereneva and the crowd goes wild because they were expecting Daravala.

Page 105: "steady thrumming bea" -> "steady thrumming beat"

 

[Joerg]

p.110

"Similarly, when King Pharandos of Tarsh gifted Sir Ethilrist with Muse Roost and the surrounding territory, the valley’s inhabitants simply avoided the Black Horse Company tax collectors."

This doesn't make sense and contradicts the timeline of Ethilrist's presence in Dragon Pass as described in the Guide or the Sourcebook.

Pharandros became king in 1610, had as little authority to grant Muse Roost or any Grazer territory next to it to the Black Horse Troop as had the Red Emperor (who did sign the deed) during the reign of Phargentes (1545-1579 as Provincial Overseer, 1555-1579 as King of Tarsh).

At the very least, amend Pharandros to Phargentes.

 

P.111

The Sinkhole is an important feature for the valley to remain lost to the rest of the world. Yet the Map of the South Wilds shows a river emerging from the valley and joining the one coming from the Smoking Ruins down Hiia's Valley.

 

p.115

"Chief Priestess of Ernalda. Female, age 70.
Long Home resident.
Jorendona has been the Ernalda Chief Priestess for the last 45 years. She is a small woman, wizened and white haired, her years as the voice of the Earth emblazoned in the wrinkles on her face—not to mention the tattoos on her body"

A post-menopausal Ernalda Chief Priestess? The Esrolian queen Bruvala may be one of the oldest mortals to have given birth at age 70, but she had to retire to the Asrelia cult afterwards.

 

P.121

"The residents of Long Home are mainly Tarshite in background, but the last 500 years have made them as different from Old Tarsh residents as Old Tarsh is from Lunar Tarsh."

At most 295 years (compare p.9)...

[Joerg]

Trying to make sense of the sorcery rules as applied in the scenario (look out for a separate, spoiler thread where I take a look at the application), I found

p.143

Zindaulo, the sorcerer among the Arkati, has Ward Against Weapons (Death, Dispel) but lacks the Death rune or the Fertility rune (to infer it at double MP cost). His runes are Magic, Man, Disorder and Truth, and he has a lavish three Techniques with Combine, Command, and Tap.

Neither should he have Bind Spirit, as he lacks the Spirit Rune.

And if you substract his spirit magic total (15) from his INT, he has three more sorcery spells than he can keep memorized.

Edited December 25, 2019 by Joerg

[Mad Ainsel]

pg. 133
The gamemaster should pay attention to the players to
see if any of them mention their adventurers closing and/
or {add: locking} the door behind them.

pg. 157
The Company of the Manticore’s cavalry {soldiers} are trained
to stay calm in battle but are not trained to fight on their
own as warhorses.

by context, I assume it should read "horses" or "mounts"

[Joerg]

p.26

Leana the Elurae Elura

While Elurae is a fantasy term, it has the look and feel of the latin female plural form, and the Latin female singular would be Elura rather than Elurae.

Using Fox-Woman instead of Elura(e) (like in the Bestiary and the Guide) would eliminate that nit-picking, too.

 

p.136

Missing pronoun added:

If they are expecting trouble, the Arkati are fully ready for battle, spells cast and weapons at the ready.

Alternatively, skip the "are"

If are expecting trouble, the Arkati are fully ready for battle, spells cast and weapons at the ready.

And to avoid the duplicate "ready", maybe

the Arkati have prepared for battle, spells cast and weapons at the ready.

 

p.137

Box: New Sorcery spell

See Rune Magic
Variable
Self, Temporal, Stackable
[Command + Magic Runes]
 

This is using the spell description matrix for divine rune magic, not for sorcery.

The sorcery version should be something like this:

See Rune Magic
2 Points
Self, Ranged, Temporal
[Command + Magic Runes]

 

Also this paragraph is missing the whereabouts of the third Arkati!

Quote

Most significantly, the room is occupied by the Black
Arkati, three figures clad head to toe in dark leather garments,
hoods covering their heads. If they have not been alerted to
the adventurer’s presence by now, two are here, tending to
Urvantan. One of them is holding a bowl and spoon with
some sort of greyish-green liquid (dreamweed) in it, as if it
is being fed to the unconscious sorcerer. The other is sitting
on one of the stone benches that lines the wall, reading
a leather-bound folio of some sort, tearing out pages and
dropping them into a bronze brazier at her feet, letting the
flames take them one by one.

Also, the word "adventurers" in the next paragraph has a strange broken underline in green, as if the pdf generation carried over an artefact of a comment or something like that.

 

p.141

a  woman  in  the  robes  of  a  Seven  Mothers  priestess accompanying the motely motley party.

 

Edited December 25, 2019 by Joerg

[Joerg]

p.23, Windwhistler's "INT spirit" artifact worth 8 points of Free INT:

While the spirit spells known by Windwhistler reduce his Free INT, they aren't tied to the artifact (or the stat, relying on CHA instead). If he loses that necklace, he would lose the ability to memorize 8 sorcery spells or have those 8 points less to manipulate them. (RQG rules p.390)

His spirit spells take up 14 points of his INT of 22, leaving 8 points to be used for sorcery (spell memorization and manipulation).

 

p.129
Comparing to the information on p.152, the skirmishers in the Company should have Speak Esrolian as their best language ability, rather than Tarshite.

This needn’t be true for the skirmishers at this point, though, as I find it likely that the company picked up stragglers from the extermination of the Lunar forces in Sartar, and may have added a few people growing up among the camp followers (although their heavy infantry parents probably would preferably introduce them to their own unit as trainees).

 

p.140 (stat block)

Leather hooded hauberk (1 and 2 pts.),

This isn't clear in the text. 1 point on the head and 2 points on chest and abdomen, if one looks at the hit location block.

The one fit for all three Arkati doesn't have a ransom, but have Treasure instead. Is this intentional?

 

p.142

Quote

The air still seems as if it is a physical thing: clear
currents move through it and it causes blurriness and
distortion, distances are hard to estimate, sound is curiously
muffled, and other senses are peculiarly dulled or confused.

This is a reference to the earlier statement

Quote

Getting past the guardian spirit and going through the gate
is like moving through a wall of thick gelatin the thickness
of the surrounding stone (about half a meter thick). It is
neither wet or slimy and has no smell, it is simply as if the
air is thicker through there.

But then, Air is a physical thing (as is Darkness, in Glorantha). It is even tangible to some extent, and has a haptic component where it moves.

The description is similar to underwater views through currents with different density (due to temperature or salinity. But "as if it is a physical thing" is a weird phrasing.

p.142

A noble-born son out of Helerdon, in Esrolia,

That's the old name for New Crystal City, no longer in use in maps or indices.

 

p.143

Quote

enchanted iron rapier with 3-pt. Bladesharp
spell permanently bound into it

Please don't introduce permanent magical +3 swords outside of Kostern Island (the environment of the Clanking City in God Forgot)! If absolutely necessary, make it a spirit-occupied weapon with the bound spirit casting the spell when drawn from the sheath or otherwise on demand... In case of doubt, place the spirit in the sheath.

 

p.144

Vroluxa is the only Arkati to have a Ransom value after the Treasure value. Is that intentional?

 

p.154
This may just be me as a native speaker of German who likes the grammar to have the relative tenses clearly staggered, but to me this sentence works better with past perfect. (It might actually be inappropriate for English grammar, though.)

There are only four manticores left in the Company. The others died in combat, abandoning having abandoned their comrades and getting gotten ambushed. These four have learned from that hard lesson.

p.155-156
I am missing the stats for Senginnius’ fetch.

p.163-164
Another case of mixing twp cults, although this time both already published (Babeester Gor and Maran Gor). I think that Maran Gor might make sense, although I wouldn’t have expected a Maran Gor priestess among House Hulta of Nochet.

Mariya the Dancer
Priestess of Maran Gor.
…
Rune Points: 5 (Maran Gor)
…
Passions: Devotion (Maran Gor) 80%,
...(p,164)
Skills: … Cult Lore (Babeester Gor) 35%, … Worship (Babeester Gor) 40%.

Languages: Speak Earthtongue 45%, Speak Heortling 75%, Speak Tradetalk 50%, Read/Write Heortling 40%, Read/Write Tradetalk 30%.

I miss Speak Esrolian (listed as a separate language in the homeland section of RQG rules, e.g. p.60. Heortling and (Old) Tarshite could (and really should) be second languages. Same for her Babeester Axe Sister guardians.

Quote

 

Typical Babeester Gor Initiates

...

Rune Spells: All common knowledge plus Axe Trance (1
pt.), Create Fissure (1 pt.), Shake Earth (1 pt.).

 

Sorry, but typical Babeester Gor initiates don't have Shake Earth (yet, no idea whether GaGoG will change that). Not even as associate spell from Maran, which is Blast Earth rather than Shake Earth. RQG rules, p.290

Edited December 25, 2019 by Joerg
More details

[Joerg]

A few last things I noticed reading through TSR:

p.169
This is a Rune Lord of the Gorakiki-Beetle cult (called an Imago) and his war party.

I don’t have seen GaGoG (or its preview) yet, but an Imago of Gorakiki used to be a shaman of the cult under RQ3 (Troll Gods Troll Cults Book p.32). RQ2 Troll Pak (Book of Uz p.19) has rune lords (“insect lords”) and rune priests (“insect (rune) priests”).

 

“Attacks are at –35% due to the darkness due to this modifier, though the dark trolls have cast Darksee on themselves and are at no penalty.”

What a waste of a rune point… Dark Trolls navigate well by Darksense, and require Darksee to see unhiindered in strong light. Darksee makes trollkin tolerate bright lite rather than being demoralized.

p.170
Trollkin warrior leader’s tattoos as magic items: quite pointless info. His minions have e.g. Disruption spells, too, but no such magic item listings.

p.187
Most importantly, there is now a new green elf forest with
a radius of 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the grove. Several
thousand green elves from other Gloranthan forests migrate
to the new elf forest, changing the balance of power of the
Elder Races in Dragon Pass.

Using a very rough estimate on aldryami population density for Erontree, I come to 1000 elves per 125 hexes, which is optimistically seven times (pessimistically ten times) the area described for the new elf forest. This forest becomes effectively the garrison of a huge and unsustainable warband (only waiting for the New Seeds to be brought into the deforested lands). The Redwood forest in Dagori Inkarth has three times the diameter (i.e. 9 times the area).

But then, that effect would be reached with several hundred elves already. A normal (peacetime) occupation density would be less than 200 elves.

 

 

[Lordabdul]

I was confused that the text from "The Black Arkati" on page 137 actually jumps and continues over to page 140, "skipping" over the write-up for Urvantan. Either the layout is wrong or, more probably, it's intentional but it would IMHO require the 2 Urvantan page spread to have a different background/design to indicate this isn't part of the normal flow.

[Joerg]

Not sure whether this is an error, but isn't it weird to introduce a new sorcery spell (See Rune Magic) as part of th scenario and then not to give it to any of the sorcerers in that scenario?

Neither Urvantan (p.139 ) nor Zindaulo (p.143 ) have this spell listed.

[Lordabdul]

p139, Urvantan has a "bronze necklace with magic point matrixes". Joerg mentioned in another thread that it's an old RQ3 term or something. It should probably be "a necklace with a Magic Point Enchantment", or some other official RQG term.

[Lordabdul]

p5: “These peaks rise abruptly from the surrounding hills and from a sharp, almost triangular, ridgeline.”

I’m not sure if it was meant to be “…and form a sharp, almost triangular, ridgeline”?

p5: “Vingkot the Victorious was the son of the storm god and Janeera Alone.”

Vingkot’s mother’s name is spelled “Janerra” in the Glorantha Sourcebook.

p6: “Korol Kandaros was the son of King Vingkot and the Summer Wife.”

In previous publications (like the Stafford Library’s Book of Heortling Mythology), Korol’s last name was spelled “Kandoros”.

p6: "Their champion was the hero Aram Udramson"

I guess he had multiple names, but for cross-references purposes it might be helpful to mention he was also known as “Aram-Ya-Udram”, since that’s his most common name in all the other Gloranthan books (actually, I found no reference to him under this new “Udramson” name).

p6: "After Aram died in 178, the Goddess appeared and proclaimed a contest"

I’m not sure which Goddess this is? Uleria? Ernalda? Kero Fin?

Edited December 26, 2019 by lordabdul

[Oracle]

2 hours ago, lordabdul said:

...

p5: “Vingkot the Victorious was the son of the storm god and Janeera Alone.”

Vingkot’s mother’s name is spelled “Janerra” in the Glorantha Sourcebook.

...

In King of Sartar the spelling is "Janerra" too ...

[Jason D]

Thanks for the feedback so far. We'll be reviewing it and making an update to the .pdf in the next week or so. 

 

[Hteph]

The Clearwine map (50-51) the numbers 8 and 10 are duplicated. I guess the left handed side are wrongly placed (unless I have misunderstood something about the map).

[Sumath]

On 12/24/2019 at 8:04 AM, Oracle said:

But that's exactly how the How Peace Was Made myth is displayed (printed) in King of Sartar (regardless which edition you use) ...

So either this has been misquoted from the beginning or there is some meaning in this wording ...

As a maxim, the wording "violence is always an option" is, I feel, pithier and invites interpretation - the unspoken parts of it being either "to be taken" or "and not a necessity".

Whilst "violence is always an alternative" could also be ambiguous, it's clunkier and doesn't scan very well.

[jongjom]

Page 17

Krola Sien

Chest 13–14 4/10

------Armor: ….. Ring mail cuirass (4 pts.),

Head 19–20 3/8

-- To be consistent with the Gloranthan Bestiary Page 31 (however this is at odds with the Gloranthan Bestiary Page 10)

Page 18

Dera Zarka

Head 19–20 1/7

- To be consistent with the Gloranthan Bestiary Page 31 (however this is at odds with the Gloranthan Bestiary Page 10)

 

Page 19

Felix the Satyr

Chest 12 6/7

-----Armor: 2-point skin, plus turtleshell cuirass (4 pts.) = 6 points 

 

‘Happy’ the Minotaur

Rune Spells: All common Rune spells, plus Face Chaos (1 pt.), Impede Chaos (1 pt.).

-- NOTE: Rune Points: 3 (Storm Bull). So what is his 3rd Rune Spell?

Passions: Devotion (Storm Bull) 85%, 

 

Page 20

Corsa the Lean

Rune Spells: All common knowledge spells, plus Flight (1 pt.), Leap (1 pt.), Mist Cloud (1 pt.), Shield 2, Wind Words (1 pt.).

---  This is not RQ Classic Rules, so no 2 points of Shield and can have one other Orlanth Rune Spall to take him to his 6 Rune Points.

Shortsword (iron) 90 1D6+1   7   18

--- enchanted iron

 

Page 21

Dinosaur Encounters

The table % for each type is not in a typical, useable format AND the numbers do not add up to 100%. Suggest:

D100     Encounter         Number

01 - 10    Allosaurs 1D6–3 (minimum 1)
11 - 20    …….
21 - 30    …….
41 - 50  …….
51 - 65 …….
66 - 75 …….
76 - 85 …….
86 - 90 …….
91 - 95 …….
96 - 100 …….

 -- This reduced the chances of meeting Triceratops from 10% to 5% 

 

Page 22

Osgamestus and Aysz trabel

Magic Points: 15 

-- POW is 15

 

Page 23

Scholar Wyrm

Magic Points: 19 (total) 

-- It's POW is 19; delete redundant (total)

 

Page 26 - 27

Keronorl

Shamanic Abilities: Discorporation, Second Sight
(Enhanced), Show Spirit, Spirit Defense.

-- For clarity, may be change to:

Shamanic Abilities: Discorporation, Second Sight
(Enhanced: Determine if an individual knows any Rune magic), Show Spirit, Spirit Defense (already factored in).

-- There should be space for this because....

Skills: Dance, Sing, Play Drum, Spirit Combat, Spirit
Dance, Spirit Travel, Meditate, Spirit Lore, Plant Lore,
First Aid, Cult Lore (Daka Fal) 85%,

 -- All of these are listed below with XX% except Plant Lore

Add Plant Lore 50%, after ….Orate 70%,....

 

 Page 28 - 29 (3 incidence on page 28, 1 incidence on page 29)

Spirit Abilities:....

-- Change to 

Spirit Powers:

 -- This is the same as Gloranthan Bestiary Page 165 

-- Could you please add a reference to the Gloranthan Bestiary Page 165 to help the reader. Also please add some basic guide to how "Control Spirits &  Physical Attack" works in play. 

 

Page 32

Typical Incarnation of King Ironhoof

Rune Spells: All common knowledge spells,....Shield 3, Spirit Block 3, Thunderbolt

---  This is not RQ Classic Rules, so just list Shield & Spirit Block

 

[jongjom]

Page 33

Hadra Fleetmane, Ironhoof’s Major Domo

DEX SR: 1

-- DEX is 17 

Rune Points: 4 (Lady of the Wild)

Rune Spells: All common knowledge spells, plus Axis
Mundi (1 pt.), Beastmaster (2 pts.), Draw Beast (1 pt.),
Soul Sight (1 pt.), Summon Household Guardian (1 pt.).

 -- Match up the Rune Points with the number of special Rune spells 

--- Delete "Soul Sight" as it is a Common Rune spell 

[jongjom]

Page 152

Koros

DEX SR: 0

---DEX is 19

 

Rune Points: 10 (Arachne Solara)
Rune Spells: All common knowledge Rune spells plus Fearless (2 pt.), Shield 2.

---  This is not RQ Classic Rules, so no 2 points of Shield, ALSO should Koros have more special Rune spells with 10 Rune Points?

 

Page 153

Centaur

STR 18 CON 12 SIZ 26 DEX 14

INT 11

--Change sequence to normal pattern

 

Page 154

Spirit Magic: Bladesharp 2, Countermagic 2, Heal 2,
Mobility (1 pt.), Slow (1 pt.), Speedart 2.

 

Page 155

Minotaur

Minotaur Hit Locations

Right Leg 01–04 3/6
Left Leg 05–08 3/6

Right Arm 13–15 3/5
Left Arm 16–18 3/5

--Armor above does not mention any arm or leg additional armour other than Tough skin 3-point

Great Axe  50   2D6+2+2D6   5   10

 

Page 156

Bound Spirits (Seginnius):

-- Can you please make the Stats block for spirits more understandable, possibly change to:

Vulture: POW 13, CHA 6; Spirit Combat 65%,
spirit combat damage 1D6; Spirit Power: Healing.
• Rat: POW 19, CHA 10; Spirit Combat 95%,
spirit combat damage 1D6+1; Spirit Power: Disease.
• Hyena: POW 22, CHA 11; Spirit Combat 110%,
spirit combat damage 1D6+3; Spirit Power: Affect Environment.
• Raccoon: INT 8, POW 8, CHA 11; Spirit Combat
40%, spirit combat damage 1D6; Spirit Power: Search; [semi-colon]Spirit Magic: [colon]….

 

Page 166

Illyssia The Dryad

ADD:   Spirit Combat Damage: 2D6+3

 

[Joerg]

3 minutes ago, jongjom said:

Page 152

Koros

 

Rune Points: 10 (Arachne Solara)
Rune Spells: All common knowledge Rune spells plus Fearless (2 pt.), Shield 2.

---  This is not RQ Classic Rules, so no 2 points of Shield, ALSO should Koros have more special Rune spells with 10 Rune Points?

Having a cult of Arachne Solara that gives rune magic may be one of the surprises I had when looking at these stats.