Heroquest vs. Runequest?

[GothmogIV]

Friends, what is the difference between these two games? They are both set in Glorantha but use different mechanics? Is Heroquest a different system than BRP?

[jrutila]

RuneQuest is a d100 based task resolution system with combat rules and specific rules for, for example, chases. It is representing, what you would call, old school play style. It is based on BRP. Or actually, BRP is based on it.

HeroQuest is a d20 based narrative story obstacle resolution system. It abstracts all dice rolling to important points in story and doesn't have special rulings for, for example, combat. It has nothing to do with BRP nor the boardgame with the same name. The HeroQuest next edition is called QuestWorlds.

Both are set in Glorantha and explore it with different play styles. Both have integration into Glorantha through runes and other stuff.

[David Scott]

7 hours ago, GothmogIV said:

Friends, what is the difference between these two games? They are both set in Glorantha but use different mechanics? Is Heroquest a different system than BRP?

Both have free SRDs (without Glorantha), please note that HeroQuest is now called QuestWorlds 

you can have a quick skim here:

https://brp.chaosium.com/basic-roleplaying/

https://questworlds.chaosium.com/game-rules-srd/

[soltakss]

HeroQuest/QuestWorlds is a more narrative game, with far less crunch and detail.

RuneQuest is far more detailed, but I run it more narratively, so that it feels more like HeroQuest/QuestWorlds in places.

Depending how you configure HeroQuest/QuestWorlds, you can have it as a very abstract game or make it almost as simulationist as RuneQuest, so it if very flexible. I find that Heroquest focuses on what is important to the story, so if you meet a gang of trollkin you can bush them aside in one roll, but courting someone from a nearby clan could take a whole sequence of rolls, if it is important or could be covered by one roll if it is just a means to an end.

Character sheets in HeroQuest/QuestWorlds could be done in a few lines and work well. The same in RuneQuest takes a whole page, if you are lucky.

[GothmogIV]

Interesting. I have not played a system like HeroQuest before. Side not: the incredibly pretty blonde woman from Daredevil--Deborah Wall--runs a game on Twitch called Relics&Rarities. I think (?) they use a similar, "Less-Cruch-Is-Better" kind of game, but I could be wrong. 

[David Scott]

44 minutes ago, GothmogIV said:

but I could be wrong

It's D&D played in a narative style: https://www.inverse.com/article/55999-dungeons-and-dragons-deborah-ann-woll-on-relics-and-rarities-season-2-cast

[Minion1stClass]

4 hours ago, GothmogIV said:

Interesting. I have not played a system like HeroQuest before. Side not: the incredibly pretty blonde woman from Daredevil--Deborah Wall--runs a game on Twitch called Relics&Rarities. I think (?) they use a similar, "Less-Cruch-Is-Better" kind of game, but I could be wrong. 

I love Relics and Rarities, which is narrative 5E, as said, because it gives crunchy game people a nice look into what a more narrative style can do. HQ/QW is fun for telling stories together with a GM who does the plot twists! And it works great no matter the character "level". At least, I think we managed to pull it off in Valley of Plenty with kid characters.  I am biased, of course. Because there's no stat blocks, there's no having to juggle things to make sure an obstacle isn't too easy or hard for the game with percentage juggling. For those not interested in such things. 

There's definitely room for all types of games. It all depends on what a person wants out of their happy fun times.

[creativehum]

I'd live to dig more into this topic!

Specifically, there is a part of me that wants to make sure to keep the harsh struggles of survival promised by Runequest... but I look at those stat blocks and all those combat rules and think, "Man, I really want to use QuestWorlds!"

For those of you who use HQ/QW for your Glorantha games, can you talk more about how you apply the mechanics to build the kind game play and experiences at the table you enjoy?

Thank you!

[soltakss]

2 hours ago, creativehum said:

For those of you who use HQ/QW for your Glorantha games, can you talk more about how you apply the mechanics to build the kind game play and experiences at the table you enjoy?

I use RQ terms as Breakout of HQ/QW Keywords.

So, I might have Orlanth as a keyword and could have Bladesharp or Flight as Breakouts.

I am very flexible over where things can sit, so an Orlanthi might have Flight under Orlanth, Movement or both, if both then I allow the lower score to automatically augment the higher score.

 

[creativehum]

Great. Thanks!

Can you talk a bit about conflicts? How you set them up and define them? What sorts of results are possible as you translate the results from the die rolls into the fiction?

[Ian Absentia]

On 9/9/2020 at 8:17 AM, Minion1stClass said:

I love Relics and Rarities, which is narrative 5E, as said, because it gives crunchy game people a nice look into what a more narrative style can do.

Narrative takes on "simulationist" mechanics also play better to non-player audiences in audio and video podcasts, like Deborah Ann Woll's and, frankly, the rules-lite approach to RQ seen in some podcasts.  You get to see the players eat the sausage instead of making it.

!i!

Edited March 8, 2021 by Ian Absentia

[Mugen]

On 9/9/2020 at 5:30 AM, jrutila said:

It has nothing to do with BRP nor the boardgame with the same name.

While both systems are indeed very different, I see HQ as an evolution of Pendragon, which was itself an evolution of BRP.

The original system for conflict resolution, with APs set to the value of the ability used in the conflict, was very reminiscent of RuneQuest Spirit Combat, where POW was opposed and Magic Points served as "Hit Points".

It's even more clear since HQ:G introduced "roll high wins" as a method to break ties.

Edited March 8, 2021 by Mugen

[jajagappa]

On 3/7/2021 at 10:29 AM, creativehum said:

For those of you who use HQ/QW for your Glorantha games, can you talk more about how you apply the mechanics to build the kind game play and experiences at the table you enjoy?

I run both HQG and RQG games.  There's not much difference overall in how I run games (or the types of Gloranthan games run).  My HQG games generally are a bit more clan-based, my RQG games somewhat less so.  They both tend to be expedition/quest-heavy with explorations, mundane/magical/otherworldly encounters, and some amount of combat. 

Mechanics in HQG is entirely "opposed rolls".  PC's have a challenge, they identify the ability (which includes skills, passions, runes, keywords, and characteristics) they are using to overcome the challenge, identify any ability being used to augment the primary ability, and make a roll.  I identify the Difficulty level and make the roll for that.  Masteries come into play in bumping up or down the result of each opposed roll.  At the end, the level of difference identifies the outcome (victory/defeat in achieving the results). 

RQG on the other hand, has 4 mechanics:  simple skill rolls, resistance rolls, combat, and opposed rolls (the last added in RQG). 

I use simple skill rolls for the basics (Scan, Listen, etc.) - sometimes players roll, sometimes I do.  In HQG, I would use an Opposed Roll with some low to moderate difficulty if important enough (and otherwise ignore).

I don't use a lot of resistance rolls in RQG except with magical resistance, and some tests like STR vs SIZ.  These easily convert to Opposed Rolls in HQG, but are always in context of whatever action is at hand. 

Combat in RQG is much more complex given the variety of actions possible.  Drama builds based on these successes or failures.  Inspirations, spirit and Rune magic, and other tactics all factor in to the result, including the lucky breaks of rolled damage, hit locations, etc.  In HQG, I take one of three approaches to combat:  single rolls (each PC makes an opposed roll vs. Difficulty of opponent); group rolls (each PC makes a single roll, but overall success/failure based on the sum of the individual rolls); or extended contests (where each single roll result adds to points against either the PC or the opponent - when a threshold is reached, that contest concludes; and this is done for each of the PC's).  I only use such extended contests at the center and final climax of a given scenario as those are the dramatic points for players (and avoids combat fatigue). 

I increasingly use more Opposed Rolls in RQG because I use them in HQG and like them.  Mechanically pretty much works the same.

[soltakss]

On 3/7/2021 at 6:16 PM, creativehum said:

Can you talk a bit about conflicts?

I like to keep things simple, otherwise things get bogged down far too much.

On 3/7/2021 at 6:16 PM, creativehum said:

How you set them up and define them?

How I set them up? the same as any other game. I identify the challenge and decide how best it can be resolved. Sometimes, the Players override me and ask for a challenge to be upgraded if they want a more complex solution.

• Simple roll: Just roll D20 to see how well you do compared to your skill, not an opposed roll. Critical - You do really well, Normal - You do OK; Fail - You don't succeed and need to try something else, Fumble - You screw up badly.
• Contest: Standard 2 opposed rolls, compare results, best result gets the prize.
• Sequences: A number of linked Contests to determine a more complex outcome.

 

On 3/7/2021 at 6:16 PM, creativehum said:

What sorts of results are possible as you translate the results from the die rolls into the fiction?

Basically, the higher the result score the better. 

Also, I use what I call simple Augments, but can't find the QuestWorlds term, basically you get +1 for every 10 of your Skill, or part thereof. I allow multiple Augments, one per relevant Keyword. In my games, I allow Breakouts to be added to the Rating that is used for the Augment, so if I had Super Speed 20 (Faster than a Bullet +5, Knock through Walls +10) then I could augment with 35, or +7.

The result depends on what Augments were used and what the outcome of the Contest is.

Narration simply puts that into the context of the contest.