Suggested improvement for the RQ character sheet

[Graeme P]

One of the interesting and positive changes in RQG is the integration of Runes into play.  However, with this comes another bunch of things for the GM and the players to remember and so I have a suggestion.

Remembering that the Earth Rune is inspirational for communication skills and axes, whilst Air is swords and manipulation would be much easier if next to every skill category on the character sheet the relevant rune was shown. So the headings for each category would be Agility [water rune], Communication [Earth Rune] etc.  It would be right in front of the players and so no-one would have to remember or to double-check the rune information on pages 48-49 of the rule book. After all, if the play can flow with less breaks then there is more fun to be had.

If I was a player at a table that would be something I would write onto my character sheet to save time and to jog my memory.

I would also draw in the relevant rune on the weapon skills table for the same reason.  It would show at a glance which elemental rune the player needs to roll on to inspire their skill for the relevant weapon.

As a GM who is trying to keep across everything and who has a couple of players new to RQ at the (virtual) table,  if that was something which was in front of the players for them to track and use then it is easier for me to concentrate on the story and engaging those players.

Before anyone says that 'anyone can just do this so why don't you?' - I am suggesting it because if it was just there it would be helpful to everyone.  Also, many folk have electronic character sheets these days which are a bit harder to put these sorts of changes on to.

If anyone has already done this on an electronic character sheet (such as the fillable pdf one I have seen) and is happy to share it, then please let me know.

Thanks.

[Rodney Dangerduck]

Most PCs only have two strong element runes.  Their player should be able to remember what skills they augment.  However, in practice, this is not the case.  Good idea.

[Bren]

Try this version. It seems to work for me. I like the elemental runes for the skill categories, but the extra runes seems a bit cluttered in the weapon list.

RuneQuest_Glorantha-Character_Sheet_Fillable_Runes 1.0.pdf

[Graeme P]

Well, here I was just floating an idea and then in the blink of an eye someone helps out.  That is very kind - thanks Bren.

It looks good.  I'll be offering this to my players in tomorrow night's session.

Seeing it visually makes me think of another question. Are the category Elemenary Rune and the specific Rune both available to inspire a skill? So you can use both Fire/Sky and Darkness for listen?  Moon and Air can both be used for Sense Assassin and Sense Chaos?

 

[Arcadiagt5]

45 minutes ago, Graeme P said:

Seeing it visually makes me think of another question. Are the category Elemenary Rune and the specific Rune both available to inspire a skill? So you can use both Fire/Sky and Darkness for listen?  Moon and Air can both be used for Sense Assassin and Sense Chaos?

Whilst they would both be available, only one can be used at a time.

To quote RQG p144 Only one augment can be attempted per ability, and an ability can only be used once per session to augment a task being attempted.

So, in the example you gave an adventurer could use either Moon or Air to augment Sense Chaos but not both. 

However, should the adventurer need a second augment for Sense Chaos later in the same session (but in a different scene), then the other Rune could be used. 

[PhilHibbs]

Interesting idea... I went away to add that to my Google Sheets character sheet, but the challenge is that the skill layout is slightly different for different species (dwarf, elf, uz have a different set of percception skills) so I'd need to move the rune around. I might do that, and it would look like this:

[Bren]

13 hours ago, Graeme P said:

Well, here I was just floating an idea and then in the blink of an eye someone helps out.  That is very kind - thanks Bren.

 

You are welcome.

Sadly I haven't figured out how to remove the incorrect skill check box next to the Customs (_______) entry nor how to replace the specific entries for the Melee Weapons, Missile Weapons, etc. with fillable entries. Some parts of the character sheet don't seem amenable to change.

[AndreJarosch]

I would like to add, that at least in MY Glorantha the elemental runes can also be used to inspire reistance table checks based upon the characteristics: 

STR --> Air/Storm
CON --> Earth
SIZ --> Darkness
INT --> Fire/Sky
DEX --> Water
POW --> Moon
CHA --> ?
 

Edited June 6, 2021 by AndreJarosch

[Lordabdul]

17 hours ago, Graeme P said:

As a GM who is trying to keep across everything and who has a couple of players new to RQ at the (virtual) table,  if that was something which was in front of the players for them to track and use then it is easier for me to concentrate on the story and engaging those players.

Good idea, and I had a similar problem with my group of Gloranthan/RQ newbies. I just extracted the couple pages on Runes from the RQG rulebook and posted that on Roll20, but they still ask questions on a regular basis.

17 hours ago, Rodney Dangerduck said:

Most PCs only have two strong element runes.  Their player should be able to remember what skills they augment.  However, in practice, this is not the case.  Good idea.

The reason it's not the case for me is that they don't reason that way -- they reason the other way. So it's like: "I'm trying to do X in this scene... what Rune would that be?" and then they check if that's a Rune they have a good score in. When you add the Power and Form Runes (which you can also augment with), that's a fair number of things to remember.

Of note, the rules for Runic Inspiration and Passions are fairly strict about augments in the sense that you have to designate *one* thing (generally a skill) that you will augment for the duration of the scene. I'm a bit more lenient and allow applying the augment bonus to a general course of action. So if the player is using the Movement Rune to "Get The Fuck Out", it could augment Dodge, CON or DEX rolls for running away, and any other roll that helps them Get The Fuck Out.

[Trotsky]

I use this in Roll 20 - it seems to help remind the players (and me!).

Rune Inspiration.pdf

[Arcadiagt5]

1 hour ago, AndreJarosch said:

I would like to add, that at least in MY Glorantha the elemental runes can also be used to inspire reistance table checks based upon the characteristics: 

STR --> Air/Storm
CON --> Earth
SIZ --> Darkness
INT --> Fire/Sky
DEX --> Water
POW --> ?
CHA --> Moon
 

Shouldn’t Moon be against POW?

CHA isn’t associated with a characteristic bonus - instead players can use either the +1 or the +2 from their Runes for CHA instead of for the indicated characteristic.

[AndreJarosch]

42 minutes ago, Arcadiagt5 said:

Shouldn’t Moon be against POW?

CHA isn’t associated with a characteristic bonus - instead players can use either the +1 or the +2 from their Runes for CHA instead of for the indicated characteristic.

You are right, should be that way around.

Edited June 6, 2021 by AndreJarosch

[AndreJarosch]

If you toy around a little bit more with the elemental runes you may think that this is a game of "Nephilim: Glorantha". 😉

 

Edited June 6, 2021 by AndreJarosch