Secrets of HeroQuesting (Jonstown Compendium)

[soltakss]

Secrets of HeroQuesting is live at https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/326489/Secrets-of-HeroQuesting?affiliate_id=66807

 

All you wanted to know about HeroQuesting but were afraid to ask.

 

No acid, poison or nastiness in this one. Well, minimal acid, one mention for the Baths of Nelat.

[Pentallion]

Does this vary from what Jeff is working on?

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Pentallion said:

Does this vary from what Jeff is working on?

I'm sure the answer is "yes".  This is Simon's collection of information on how he's developed Heroquesting over the years.  It would not include current in-process work planned for release from Chaosium.

[soltakss]

2 hours ago, Pentallion said:

Does this vary from what Jeff is working on?

I have no idea what Jeff is working on, except for a few conversations at Conventions.

However, the basic structure of HeroQuests and HeroQuesting is likely to be similar as the source material is common.

Things like how I have interpreted the Hero Soul might be different in how they are implemented, but should be similar enough to use my material with whatever appears.

However, Secrets of HeroQuesting is out now and can be used as the basis for HeroQuesting now. Whatever Jeff is working on might be out this year, next year or the year after.

[Nick Brooke]

If anyone's planning a heroquest to swap Simon with Jeff, please reconsider: Jeff's art direction is phenomenal.

[Richard S.]

16 minutes ago, Nick Brooke said:

If anyone's planning a heroquest to swap Simon with Jeff, please reconsider: Jeff's art direction is phenomenal.

No no that's not proper God-learner-ism. We perform a heroquest to prove they're the same and combine them, y'see! Then we get both phenomenal art direction and already-released Heroquesting rules!

[soltakss]

11 hours ago, Richard S. said:

Then we get both phenomenal art direction and already-released Heroquesting rules!

Knowing my luck, we'd get something that comes out in a couple of years with a low art budget.

Anyway, crossing me and Jeff would probably be a bad idea. The only thing that keeps people sane around me is that I am quite reserved. Imagine me with Jeff's ability to project and talk! Nightmare.

[Dissolv]

Purchased.  Something in the bag now is 100x times better than a promise in 1980.  🤣

[Squaredeal Sten]

I like it.  Don't feel comfortable with some of it, love many other pieces, but it is presented as a buffet you can choose from, and has copious references in its bibliography.

 

[soltakss]

13 hours ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

Don't feel comfortable with some of it,

I'd be interested to know what you are not comfortable with. PM me if you don't want it in a public discussion.

[soltakss]

Secrets of HeroQuesting is now a Silver Seller, joining Secrets of Dorastor, hopefully not for long as it powers its way into Electrum.

[Squaredeal Sten]

On 9/2/2020 at 8:45 AM, soltakss said:

I'd be interested to know what you are not comfortable with. PM me if you don't want it in a public discussion.

It's a matter of  taste, I suppose:  Each heroquest or even heroquest "station" as its own rune spell.  It's hard to add to your stock of rune spells, as I understand it this generally happens when you sacrifice POW, which is slow to get and even slower when you are at the high levels who will survive heroquesting.  So it seems to me this channels the character into being a specialist in one particular cult legend or even slice of legend, and steers them to repeating one quest.  I had thought of my characters' goals as including expanding their cult lore in general, as part of their general goal to be a better _[insert cult] ___, as explained long ago by my first Runequest GM.  This just runs counter to that. 

Is it a big objection?  No.  The book presents a menu of heroquesting rules for the GM to use, rather than saying this is the way you MUST do it.  It's full of good ideas, and I appreciate the lessons of GMing experience being written out.

As an example of the very good ideas, the 'cross over' rune spell makes a lot of sense and fills a general-use gap, and gives a specific mechanic that matches the general concept that I already accepted. 

Edited September 4, 2020 by Squaredeal Sten
spelling. I am a bad typist.

[soltakss]

On 9/4/2020 at 12:17 PM, Squaredeal Sten said:

It's a matter of  taste, I suppose:  Each heroquest or even heroquest "station" as its own rune spell.  It's hard to add to your stock of rune spells, as I understand it this generally happens when you sacrifice POW, which is slow to get and even slower when you are at the high levels who will survive heroquesting.

In Secrets of HeroQuesting, you can gain stations, but don't have to. So, you could gain Hill of Gold by increasing your HeroQuesting Rune Pool, or you could gain the Orlanth and Yelmalio at the Hill of Gold Station for 1 POW and gaining 1 Rune Point. 

On 9/4/2020 at 12:17 PM, Squaredeal Sten said:

So it seems to me this channels the character into being a specialist in one particular cult legend or even slice of legend, and steers them to repeating one quest. 

HeroQuestors are specialists, to a certain extent. You can wield the HeroQuests that you have performed, which I think is important.

Also, you do not have to sacrifice for a HeroQuest to perform it, someone else can cast the HeroQuest.

Repeating a HeroQuest givers you more powerful/deeper abilities. So, a Humakti might perform a HeroQuest to gain sword magic, gaining Bladesharp 4 the first time, Bladesharp 8 the second time, Truesword the 3rd time, a magical Sword of Sharpness the 4th time and so on.

On 9/4/2020 at 12:17 PM, Squaredeal Sten said:

I had thought of my characters' goals as including expanding their cult lore in general, as part of their general goal to be a better _[insert cult] ___, as explained long ago by my first Runequest GM.  This just runs counter to that. 

An Adventurer can increase Cult Lore anyway, which gives them more knowledge about cult myths and so on. Having a HeroQuest gives you more information about that HeroQuest and the ability to Invoke the HeroQuest, giving you powers based on the HeroQuest.

I see it working in parallel with gaining cult knowledge.

 

[Frp]

Just finished. Can't say I had a major issue with anything you wrote. I'd use the heroquest points like a runepool rather than having each station as its own spell though. 

Judging by the hints we're getting about the official rules from RQG products I think your rules are not going to be far off the official rules. Since we've been waiting for official rules for forty years I'm impressed. 

And it's remarkable one of your players picked immunity to acid as a boon. 

[soltakss]

11 hours ago, Frp said:

I'd use the heroquest points like a runepool rather than having each station as its own spell though. 

HeroQuestors get a rune pool that they can use to Invoke or use HeroQuests. They can also use their cult rune pool to do the same.

Normally, people don't get stations as spells, they just use the main HeroQuest. But, if you specifically learned a Station as a HeroQuest then it should count as a spell, in my opinion.

That is what gives powerful HeroQuestors flexibility. So, you could use the Eurmal Slips Through a Crack station in the Castle of Black Glass station of the Lightbringers' Quest to slip through a crack in a wall, without dragging out all of the baggage of the full HeroQuest.

12 hours ago, Frp said:

Judging by the hints we're getting about the official rules from RQG products I think your rules are not going to be far off the official rules. Since we've been waiting for official rules for forty years I'm impressed. 

Thanks.

12 hours ago, Frp said:

And it's remarkable one of your players picked immunity to acid as a boon. 

I know, amazing isn't it? To be honest, I thought they all would take it, as they had just defeated a full incarnation of Cacodemon, complete with Vomiting Acid, but Mello Yello's Player took Vomit Acid, which was a bit of a surprise.

Mello Yello later used it in a Player-led scenario involving Ralzakark, begetting a child on a PC who was immune to acid, filling up said PC's ermm orifice with vomited acid, then letting Ralzakark burn off a certain part of him while begetting said child.

Spoilered for reasons of taste.

It is amazing how you can combine abilities in a later scenario.

[soltakss]

Another 5-star review for Secrets of HeroQuesting, by James Solow: The details of how to run heroquests in Glorantha and the catalogue of references of materials about the know heroquests makes this one of the strongest supplements that I have ever bought. Look forward to future works by the author and his collaborators.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/326489/Secrets-of-HeroQuesting?affiliate_id=66807

[jholen]

This looks incredible! I will be adding it to my library very soon.

[soltakss]

4 hours ago, jholen said:

This looks incredible! I will be adding it to my library very soon.

Thanks, only 25 more sales to Electrum, then I can think about looking at a POD version, as long as I can clear it with Chaosium first.

[coffeemancer]

Success is well deserved, this greatly helped me when it was time for my party to heroquest.

 

Need any art?

Edited November 2, 2020 by coffeemancer

[soltakss]

6 hours ago, coffeemancer said:

Success is well deserved, this greatly helped me when it was time for my party to heroquest.

Pleased to hear it. I never know if people are actively using things, so it is great to hear when they do use the rules.

6 hours ago, coffeemancer said:

Need any art?

Always!

If you PM me your email address, or we can connect on Facebook, that would be great.

I am building up a set of artists that I can work with, I have three for Cover Art and a few for interior art, but more is always good.

[soltakss]

Another 5* Review for Secrets of HeroQuesting by Leon K, bringing it to five 5* Reviews and another nine 5* Ratings, making 14 in all:

This is something which has been missing a long time from RQ. A must supplement if you are planning to get you player involved in HeroQuesting in Rune Quest.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/326489/Secrets-of-HeroQuesting?affiliate_id=66807