These RuneQuest Classic titles will soon be available POD...

[MOB]

Rick thought you might like to see the RuneQuest Classic titles that will be back in print, very, very soon... All will be available, print-on-demand, at Chaosium.com, very soon...

[ThornPlutonius]

Are they going to be shown to us?

[Dissolv]

I'm in! 

🙂

[jajagappa]

26 minutes ago, ThornPlutonius said:

Are they going to be shown to us?

They are shown in the video in the OP.

[ThornPlutonius]

1 hour ago, jajagappa said:

They are shown in the video in the OP.

Thank you.

[ffilz]

Cool, I'd love to see the sales numbers on POD RQ1. I might have to get a copy just to have a backup of my original...

[Borygon]

Too bad these dont use japanese art. It is so damn good.

[Rick Meints]

We can't use art we don't own.

[Dr_Zarnak]

This month, or next?

[Lurking Grue]

Most excellent! Hopefully Pavis & Big Rubble will follow soon(ish).

[Paid a bod yn dwp]

Nice to see these coming back to print. Will there be hardback versions available? What about handouts and maps, will those  be included? 

[Rick Meints]

Most of the RQ2 books never had any handouts. Large poster maps are already available on redbubble.com

What few handouts there are for Borderlands and such can all be easily printed from the PDF. None of those were ever in color, nor did they go to the edges of the page.

Hardcovers MIGHT happen, but many of these books are a bit slim to do as hardcover anyway.

[g33k]

3 minutes ago, Rick Meints said:

... Large poster maps are already available on redbubble.com ...

Where such large maps were originally part of the product:  d'you think it'd be possible to link to the appropriate Redbubble page(s), right there on Chaosium's product-page, so folk who want to get "the whole package" don't have to figure out exactly what that IS, and also WHERE on Redbubble it's to be found...?

 

Also:  I'm concerned about the issue of a legend (for gaming purposes) vs. a "just-the-art" presentation for traditional wall-poster purposes...

 

TYVM for considering this!

[ffilz]

5 minutes ago, Rick Meints said:

Most of the RQ2 books never had any handouts. Large poster maps are already available on redbubble.com

What few handouts there are for Borderlands and such can all be easily printed from the PDF. None of those were ever in color, nor did they go to the edges of the page.

Hardcovers MIGHT happen, but many of these books are a bit slim to do as hardcover anyway.

Too bad the poster maps are about the cost of the original boxed set for most of them... I assume there's just no reasonable way to have these sorts of things POD for a few bucks to more closely compare to their contribution to cost of the original boxed sets.

Thankfully I have all the original poster maps...  🙂

[Rick Meints]

22 minutes ago, g33k said:

Where such large maps were originally part of the product:  d'you think it'd be possible to link to the appropriate Redbubble page(s), right there on Chaosium's product-page, so folk who want to get "the whole package" don't have to figure out exactly what that IS, and also WHERE on Redbubble it's to be found...?

Also:  I'm concerned about the issue of a legend (for gaming purposes) vs. a "just-the-art" presentation for traditional wall-poster purposes...

TYVM for considering this!

All of the red bubble maps for RQ2 are EXACTLY like the original map. We didn't remove ANYTHING from them. We specifically set them up to go with these books, not as some "piece of art" devoid of game useful details. If you take a look at any of them you will see they have a legend on them. Having redbubble links on chaosium is probably easy enough to do. Thank you for that suggestion. 

[Rick Meints]

24 minutes ago, ffilz said:

Too bad the poster maps are about the cost of the original boxed set for most of them... I assume there's just no reasonable way to have these sorts of things POD for a few bucks to more closely compare to their contribution to cost of the original boxed sets.

Thankfully I have all the original poster maps...  🙂

I'm sorry to continuously disappoint and underwhelm you. I'm sorry we can't compete with late 70s and early 80s prices. I'm sorry we won't be reprinting or creating more RQ1 material. Please do not hesitate to let me know how I can further disappoint you going forward. I would point out that the poster maps are actually better than the originals and don't come folded, but I suspect you would miss the folded versions like in the good old days. And I've added a smiley so it's all ok. 🙂

[g33k]

3 minutes ago, Rick Meints said:

All of the red bubble maps for RQ2 are EXACTLY like the original map. We didn't remove ANYTHING from them. We specifically set them up to go with these books, not as some "piece of art" devoid of game useful details. If you take a look at any of them you will see they have a legend on them.

TYVM, Rick!  I had looked at some, and not remembered whether the legend was there or not.  FWIW, I was mostly looking at the older ones that might just have a title, no "map legend."

 

1 hour ago, Rick Meints said:

Having redbubble links on chaosium is probably easy enough to do. Thank you for that suggestion. 

You're welcome, of course; I hope it is indeed "easy enough to do."


Living up (as usual) to your .sig -- it does indeed help!
 

[g33k]

1 hour ago, ffilz said:

Too bad the poster maps are about the cost of the original boxed set for most of them...🙂

Personally, I'd rather a rolled-in-tube poster than a folded one; I was *NEVER* satisfied with folded maps.  Creases suck!

YMMV, as may (will) YG.
 

 

1 hour ago, ffilz said:

... I assume there's just no reasonable way to have these sorts of things POD for a few bucks to more closely compare to their contribution to cost of the original boxed sets.

AFAIK, the Redbubble price *IS* the POD price.  You don't think Redbubble prints up thousands of these niche items and warehouses them... do you??!?

Edited September 16, 2020 by g33k
spacing

[craigm]

Honestly I'm tickled pink that as someone who never got to experience these with new-RPG smell I'll get that opportunity. I'd like to think that folks who imprinted on these classic titles would jump at the chance to share their love of the old stuff with folks like me.

I'm just happy that Chaosium is putting in the effort to keep their legacy from going out of print. I wish more companies had the will and means to do this.

[g33k]

52 minutes ago, craigm said:

... as someone who never got to experience these with new-RPG smell ...

TYVM!

That's a great POV, one I wish more people realized.

[DreadDomain]

On 9/15/2020 at 9:10 AM, Borygon said:

Too bad these dont use japanese art. It is so damn good.

I also like these covers and would I liked seeing them on some of the POD...

On 9/15/2020 at 1:04 PM, Rick Meints said:

We can't use art we don't own.

... but that is quite an understandable reason for not happening unfortunately...

[DreadDomain]

On 9/15/2020 at 12:19 AM, MOB said:

Rick thought you might like to see the RuneQuest Classic titles that will be back in print, very, very soon... All will be available, print-on-demand, at Chaosium.com, very soon...

That's fantastic news! I may not be the target market here as I believe I already have everything even if only collected as part of the Glorantha Classics. Still, I am quite happy to have the option. Would love to see RQ3 stuff as well (even if only in PDF but POD would rock).

[ffilz]

14 hours ago, Rick Meints said:

I'm sorry to continuously disappoint and underwhelm you. I'm sorry we can't compete with late 70s and early 80s prices. I'm sorry we won't be reprinting or creating more RQ1 material. Please do not hesitate to let me know how I can further disappoint you going forward. I would point out that the poster maps are actually better than the originals and don't come folded, but I suspect you would miss the folded versions like in the good old days. And I've added a smiley so it's all ok. 🙂

I really wasn't trying to gripe... I was just noting that the realities of POD production mean that poster maps are considerably more expensive while physical books are quite competitive in price to the originals. Really you folks are doing a great job and I'm glad to see modern POD production being used to return all of these titles to print.

And hey, I really can't complain, maybe you folks HAVE put out new RQ1 content, it's not quite clear if Sea Cave is RQ1 or RQ2... The monster sheets used are John T. Sapienza's first attempt (dated 1978) and pre-RQ2...
Seriously you folks are among the best at making early RPG material available. Without your efforts I would be very challenged to run RQ1 on Roll20, and now folks can get a nicely bound hard copy if they prefer.

13 hours ago, g33k said:

Personally, I'd rather a rolled-in-tube poster than a folded one; I was *NEVER* satisfied with folded maps.  Creases suck!

YMMV, as may (will) YG.

AFAIK, the Redbubble price *IS* the POD price.  You don't think Redbubble prints up thousands of these niche items and warehouses them... do you??!?

I agree that rolled rather than folded is superior, though I appreciate having my folded originals since they are easier to store with the books and put in backpacks and such. If I was inclined to put more maps up on the walls, then clearly the rolled would be superior. And obviously you can turn a rolled poster into a folded one...

Oh, and I totally understand the Redbubble prices. Yes, printing posters on demand can't compete with offset printing a run of 1000s. Book printing is more competitive because the shear volume of POD printing of books has led to development of the most efficient way to do it to keep prices affordable.

And hey, get license to the RQ3 era material and I might actually spring for a Redbubble version of the RQ3 Trollpak map which is my "canon" map for the part of Glorantha MOST of my gaming happens in... Maybe even a framed copy since I would actually want to put that one on the wall. I don't put my original on the wall because I use it too much in play.

 

12 hours ago, craigm said:

Honestly I'm tickled pink that as someone who never got to experience these with new-RPG smell I'll get that opportunity. I'd like to think that folks who imprinted on these classic titles would jump at the chance to share their love of the old stuff with folks like me.

I'm just happy that Chaosium is putting in the effort to keep their legacy from going out of print. I wish more companies had the will and means to do this.

Yes, I am tickled pink too. And I hope the continued attention to availability of the early material is cool. Check it out. Enjoy it. Play it (even RQ1!).

Meanwhile, eventually I will find cause to purchase some of the RQG adventures and spend the time to back port them to my RQ1.5 campaign... Tales of Sun County looks like it might have potential for my campaign for example.

10 hours ago, DreadDomain said:

That's fantastic news! I may not be the target market here as I believe I already have everything even if only collected as part of the Glorantha Classics. Still, I am quite happy to have the option. Would love to see RQ3 stuff as well (even if only in PDF but POD would rock).

Rick could disappoint me more by making the RQ3 material available in PDF and POD any time he wants 🙂 I'm sure I'd have to complain about the improved quality of any of the RQ3 boxed sets in POD! What are they thinking, nicely bound books printed on paper that won't tear if you look at it! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Hmm, I should get a Cults of Prax cover mug...

[Rick Meints]

6 hours ago, ffilz said:

And hey, get license to the RQ3 era material... 

We don't need a license to do the Avalon Hill era RQ3 supplements. Chaosium retained the copyright, especially on all the Gloranthan supplements. Greg got all that as his part of the split of Chaosium's assets when he left the company in 1998, and Moon Design bought it all from him in 2013. Many of the RQ3 supplements that were RQ2 updates, like Apple Lane, Snake Pipe Hollow, the Gloranthan Bestiary, and TrollPak aren't worth reprinting (at least beyond the TrollPak map). They aren't different enough. The Monster Coliseum and Griffin Island boxed sets, RQ Cities are too generic. Daughters of Darkness and Eldarad are a hard pass. Not much point in reprinting Gods of Glorantha, Troll Gods, Elder Secrets, or the Genertela boxed sets as that range of info is already in print in a more comprehensive fashion, or soon will be. Reprinting Vikings and Land of Ninja are tempting, but they are not a priority. That just leaves Sun County, Strangers in Prax, Shadows on the Borderland, Dorastor, and Lords of Terror. We might reprint the first three, and maybe do the last two as a combo reprint, but I haven't spent any time thinking about that. I would like to get the Troubled Waters scenario from River of Cradles reprinted, but I wouldn't reprint the rest of the book since Pavis and Big Rubble are both available again.

[ffilz]

52 minutes ago, Rick Meints said:

We don't need a license to do the Avalon Hill era RQ3 supplements. Chaosium retained the copyright, especially on all the Gloranthan supplements. Greg got all that as his part of the split of Chaosium's assets when he left the company in 1998, and Moon Design bought it all from him in 2013. Many of the RQ3 supplements that were RQ2 updates, like Apple Lane, Snake Pipe Hollow, the Gloranthan Bestiary, and TrollPak aren't worth reprinting (at least beyond the TrollPak map). They aren't different enough. The Monster Coliseum and Griffin Island boxed sets, RQ Cities are too generic. Daughters of Darkness and Eldarad are a hard pass. Not much point in reprinting Gods of Glorantha, Troll Gods, Elder Secrets, or the Genertela boxed sets as that range of info is already in print in a more comprehensive fashion, or soon will be. Reprinting Vikings and Land of Ninja are tempting, but they are not a priority. That just leaves Sun County, Strangers in Prax, Shadows on the Borderland, Dorastor, and Lords of Terror. We might reprint the first three, and maybe do the last two as a combo reprint, but I haven't spent any time thinking about that. I would like to get the Troubled Waters scenario from River of Cradles reprinted, but I wouldn't reprint the rest of the book since Pavis and Big Rubble are both available again.

Oh, good, I wasn't sure about the licensing, glad that's solid.

The TrollPak map would be a good one to get up on Redbubble. While RQ Cities is generic, it is an update of a very well regarded early supplement for RPGs so it would have appeal beyond the RQ/Glorantha community, otherwise I agree with most of the "not worth reprinting" (though for completion sake it would be cool if someday we saw PDFs of everything but get the low priority). With a Dorastor supplement in Johnstown Compendium, Dorastor would be nice to reprint in support of it. There's so much Praxian material in current production that the Sun County/Strangers in Prax/Shadows on the Borderland trilogy might get sort of lost.

I'm hopeful that RQG cults will be more easily usable in RQ1/2 than the RQ3 cults, so I don't have the least problem with not reprinting the RQ3 cult resources...