I sold my group on RuneQuest tonight (plus RuneQuest/Glorantha impressions from a newbie)

[glassneedles]

So I recently fell down the RuneQuest rabbit hole and purchased most of the available books and have spent the last few weeks immersing myself in the system. I’m lucky enough that my main friend group expanded out of a weekly D&D group and there’s a good 15 or so of us who are in various games and campaigns the others are running. It’s mainly D&D 5e that gets played but I ran a Call of Cthulhu game before the pandemic rudely interrupted and I realised how much I dislike running games online. 

We’ve started playing D&D in person again and tonight I took along a few books (Core book and Glorantha Sourcebook) to see if anyone was interested in playing it. Most of them had played in my Call of Cthulhu game so aren’t going in blind on the rules. Everyone loved the art and if anything that alone sold them on the system (I think they could see how enthusiastic I was about the system too). One of my friends is strongly considering just buying the books because he loves the art so much (I also shared the forum topic with sneak peak art from the gods book and Belintar alone might of convinced them). I’m going to spend the next few months learning the system inside out and hopefully will have the starter set at that point to ease me in. I do have Pegasus Plateau but the starter set looks so good!

On a first impressions side I’ve never been more impressed or enthralled by a setting than I have Glorantha. I’ve been playing 5e (and pathfinder before that) for years and I do not care about the Forgotten Realms or any of the other settings like I now do Glorantha and I haven’t even played in it yet! It’s just so in-depth and weird (in a good way) that I can’t look away. I’ve got a long way to go in my studies but I’ve got a copy of the guide sitting ready for when I need to go in depth. In the mean time I’m trying to absorb the info from the sourcebook and rule book. I also have to say the more I read the more cool ideas for adventures and even campaigns I get. 

[Godlearner]

Welcome aboard. There are a number of good adventures both from Chaosium and Jonstown Compendium for you to get started. 

[RandomNumber]

14 hours ago, glassneedles said:

Everyone loved the art and if anything that alone sold them on the system

The art is amazing. Glorantha allows some fabulous adventures to be had and tales to be told. And Runequest meshes so very well with the background. Particularly with the innovative new approach to character generation. The learning curve is sometimes steep but worth the journey. 

My friends and I were playing AD&D in 1981 (?) when I got the GW RQ2 boxed set, probably on the strength of a review in White Dwarf. We never played AD&D again after our first RQ session.

Welcome.

[glassneedles]

14 hours ago, Godlearner said:

Welcome aboard. There are a number of good adventures both from Chaosium and Jonstown Compendium for you to get started. 

Thanks! I went a bit crazy and own all the RQG books (except Red book of magic as it came out physically as I was placing the order) and all the RQ2 stuff available. I got some unexpected money in and put some of it towards the new system. I'm probably going to run the Pegasus Plateau after the starter set ones then do The Smoking Ruin book afterwards, by the time I get through all of that will hopefully be some more books released. 

With Jonstown Compendium I am definitely going to buy  Six Seasons in Sartar (Andrew's blog along with Refereeing and Reflections reviews convinced me that buying everything at once was a sensible idea), do you have other suggestions for Jonstown content that is good for newbies?

4 hours ago, RandomNumber said:

The art is amazing. Glorantha allows some fabulous adventures to be had and tales to be told. And Runequest meshes so very well with the background. Particularly with the innovative new approach to character generation. The learning curve is sometimes steep but worth the journey. 

My friends and I were playing AD&D in 1981 (?) when I got the GW RQ2 boxed set, probably on the strength of a review in White Dwarf. We never played AD&D again after our first RQ session.

Welcome.

 Well thankfully I have been going through these forums and reading advice so I am started small. I'm working my way carefully through the sourcebook and paying particular attention to the history of Dragon Pass and the history of the Lunar Empire. I'm going to focus on the Colymar tribe for the moment then work my way out but knowing the broad strokes of Dragon Pass and the Lunars seems like it will be helpful. I have to say the most intimidating bit is learning about the gods and how they interact with the world. Is the Theogony chapter in the sourcebook the best place to start?

[Runeblogger]

36 minutes ago, glassneedles said:

...do you have other suggestions for Jonstown content that is good for newbies?

Yozarian's Bandit Ducks! is good for newbies. You can play it, get a feel of the rules, and then create your actual PCs.

[glassneedles]

1 hour ago, Runeblogger said:

Yozarian's Bandit Ducks! is good for newbies. You can play it, get a feel of the rules, and then create your actual PCs.

You sold me at ducks! Just as a general thing the ducks were what interested me in Glorantha in the first place, I saw someone joke that RuneQuest had ducks and that seemed weird enough that I looked into it and liked what I saw. I also saw some people on forums argue that RuneQuest would be much more popular without ducks so feel free to use me as an example of someone who saw there were ducks and went out and bought everything. 

Also Runeblogger, thanks for your site, I went through all your reviews of the latest edition when deciding whether or not to buy in and you were part of my decision to buy in 🙂

[Godlearner]

5 hours ago, glassneedles said:

With Jonstown Compendium I am definitely going to buy  Six Seasons in Sartar (Andrew's blog along with Refereeing and Reflections reviews convinced me that buying everything at once was a sensible idea), do you have other suggestions for Jonstown content that is good for newbies?

Yeah, I am biased though being a co-author on the Holiday Dorastor books. I think both the Temple of Heads and the Spider Woods would work for even starter groups. There are scenarios there for any power level. 

[RandomNumber]

7 hours ago, glassneedles said:

I have to say the most intimidating bit is learning about the gods and how they interact with the world. Is the Theogony chapter in the sourcebook the best place to start?

I'll preface what I'm saying by being clear that Glorantha is interesting to me as a setting in which to play RQ. I'm here in the RQ forum, not the Glorantha one. Glorantha appeals to me on many levels including by being a coherent setting with its own depth; its denizens are not simply a bunch of 'extras' there to amuse or antagonise the PC's.

My advice is not to worry too much, or to be intimidated. Because Glorantha has been around for so long and has such a committed fanbase the quantity of content is overwhelming. I'm no Gloranthan scholar but what I think can take a while for newcomers to understand is that there is often no one true answer to the way Glorantha "is". In many RPG's the setting information is a monoview universal truth. What we read in the published materials on Glorantha is how it is perceived through the eyes of the (imagined) narrator/reporter/scribe whose work we are reading. Another account may vary or contradict.  In the Glorantha Sourcebook you can read one version of events in 'History of Dragon Pass' (pp9-37) and another slant in 'The Redline History of the Lunar Empire' (pp.153-189).  I'm sure the Theogeny section is interesting but I haven't read it, I refer to it. I've dipped into the second half of the book and have enjoyed what I have seen but I haven't read much of it. I don't need to know it to run an RQG game. But... I've probably built up more baseline knowledge since 1981 than I care to think about.

So... I would definitely recommend the GSB and tend to think of the level of relevance as starting high and waning as you progress through the book (to me at least) for a campaign set in Sartar.  The History of Dragon Pass chapter is excellent. The sections on the Elder Races and the Theogeny will be great primers. By that stage you've read 128 pages on top of the RQG rule book and if your objective is to run a fun RPG session for your mates then I'd venture you're into the zone of diminishing returns by that stage in terms of reading up on the background.

I do recommend the Adventures Pack from the GM Screen - this is first class and a credit to all involved. The early sections on the Colymar complement the History of Dragon Pass in GSB very well indeed. The setting information, the scenario hooks, the NPC's - this is exactly what an RPG product should be - high levels of playable content. All that I see tells me that the RQG Starter Set will be the same.

What gave me the greatest 'feel' of Glorantha so many years ago were the 'Tales of Biturian Varosh' in Cults of Prax (https://www.chaosium.com/cults-of-prax-pdf/). Whilst that is set in Prax, the commentaries on well known gods are first class. As a teenager I was bewitched and knew immediately that I was onto something that would offer me more than any AD&D scenario ever would. Horses for courses though...

Overall my advice would be to read what you feel you need to run a game.  Don't try and 'catch up' on background knowledge. Much depends on how much time you have available. My free time for gaming is limited and must be used judiciously. I find Glorantha very interesting and have to resist the urge to go down rabbit holes of research. The published works (GSB, G2G etc) are great references but are not 'required reading'. If you were going to commit to reading one, then make it the GSB (it's far shorter).  In terms of 'other' scenarios/material - the Tales from Sandheart series is absolutely worth a look as it is set in Sun County which is a way from anywhere and its locals are quite content with having nothing to do with the outside world.

Hope this helps. Other opinions are available etc.

 

[21st Century Moose]

3 hours ago, RandomNumber said:

What gave me the greatest 'feel' of Glorantha so many years ago were the 'Tales of Biturian Varosh' in Cults of Prax (https://www.chaosium.com/cults-of-prax-pdf/)

This is what I've recommended to newbies for years as the single best bite-sized introduction you could possibly get. It also functions as a great mini-gazetteer of Prax for prospective GMs. The only downside is that you might end up falling in love with Prax, whereas the bulk of RQG content is for Dragon Pass. 

[glassneedles]

15 hours ago, Godlearner said:

Yeah, I am biased though being a co-author on the Holiday Dorastor books. I think both the Temple of Heads and the Spider Woods would work for even starter groups. There are scenarios there for any power level. 

I shall check them out! You negate any penalties for being biased by being up front about it 🙂

13 hours ago, RandomNumber said:

I'll preface what I'm saying by being clear that Glorantha is interesting to me as a setting in which to play RQ. I'm here in the RQ forum, not the Glorantha one. Glorantha appeals to me on many levels including by being a coherent setting with its own depth; its denizens are not simply a bunch of 'extras' there to amuse or antagonise the PC's.

My advice is not to worry too much, or to be intimidated. Because Glorantha has been around for so long and has such a committed fanbase the quantity of content is overwhelming. I'm no Gloranthan scholar but what I think can take a while for newcomers to understand is that there is often no one true answer to the way Glorantha "is". In many RPG's the setting information is a monoview universal truth. What we read in the published materials on Glorantha is how it is perceived through the eyes of the (imagined) narrator/reporter/scribe whose work we are reading. Another account may vary or contradict.  In the Glorantha Sourcebook you can read one version of events in 'History of Dragon Pass' (pp9-37) and another slant in 'The Redline History of the Lunar Empire' (pp.153-189).  I'm sure the Theogeny section is interesting but I haven't read it, I refer to it. I've dipped into the second half of the book and have enjoyed what I have seen but I haven't read much of it. I don't need to know it to run an RQG game. But... I've probably built up more baseline knowledge since 1981 than I care to think about.

So... I would definitely recommend the GSB and tend to think of the level of relevance as starting high and waning as you progress through the book (to me at least) for a campaign set in Sartar.  The History of Dragon Pass chapter is excellent. The sections on the Elder Races and the Theogeny will be great primers. By that stage you've read 128 pages on top of the RQG rule book and if your objective is to run a fun RPG session for your mates then I'd venture you're into the zone of diminishing returns by that stage in terms of reading up on the background.

I do recommend the Adventures Pack from the GM Screen - this is first class and a credit to all involved. The early sections on the Colymar complement the History of Dragon Pass in GSB very well indeed. The setting information, the scenario hooks, the NPC's - this is exactly what an RPG product should be - high levels of playable content. All that I see tells me that the RQG Starter Set will be the same.

What gave me the greatest 'feel' of Glorantha so many years ago were the 'Tales of Biturian Varosh' in Cults of Prax (https://www.chaosium.com/cults-of-prax-pdf/). Whilst that is set in Prax, the commentaries on well known gods are first class. As a teenager I was bewitched and knew immediately that I was onto something that would offer me more than any AD&D scenario ever would. Horses for courses though...

Overall my advice would be to read what you feel you need to run a game.  Don't try and 'catch up' on background knowledge. Much depends on how much time you have available. My free time for gaming is limited and must be used judiciously. I find Glorantha very interesting and have to resist the urge to go down rabbit holes of research. The published works (GSB, G2G etc) are great references but are not 'required reading'. If you were going to commit to reading one, then make it the GSB (it's far shorter).  In terms of 'other' scenarios/material - the Tales from Sandheart series is absolutely worth a look as it is set in Sun County which is a way from anywhere and its locals are quite content with having nothing to do with the outside world.

Hope this helps. Other opinions are available etc.

 

I have already internalised YGWV so I'm not worried about running a game exactly by the book but more this system seems so cool to me and I want my players to get as much of that as possible, without it dissolving into them sitting around while I give lectures on Glorantha for 3 hours at a time. At this stage I know Orlanth and Issaries as gods. With Lunar Gods I'm aware of the red moon and she was resurrected by 7 people who are now also gods and there is an emperor who is her son? I'm not even sure if the red moon goes by another name I can easily look stuff up by, at one point I thought it was Yelm but I think that's the sun god who Orlanth killed? As you can tell I haven't gotten to the chapters on Theogeny or the Lunar Empire yet. (If anyone has any further things they think I should read as a primer on the topics above please do let me know). 

I have done a quick pass through the Colymar tribe bit in the GM screen pack and it was really interesting. I started reading the GSB afterwards and bits have already started to click together! I do like what I've read of the scenarios in the screen pack but I'm going to wait to read the ones in the starter set first to see if being the thane of Apple Lane might limit how far the characters might travel for stuff from other books. 

With Cults of Prax the Tales of Biturian Varosh are the equivlenet of Vasana's saga from the main book right? Short segments to ground the stuff with a character throughout the book? I already own Cults of Prax so can easily read it, would you recommend reading it all or just going through the tales bits and if I see something interesting reading more about the cult?

As I said I do have the guide but I'm not planning on reading it cover to cover. I mainly bought it as I had the money for a new RPG system and I figured even if I ended up not liking the system I could probably sell it for close to retail and not lose too much. Thankfully this won't be needed. My short term plans for the guide are to use it if there is something I see in another book that I'm curious about. So far it's mainly been to find out stuff about Upland Marsh and Delecti, I started of reading about the ducks and how they were usurped from the area by the Colymar but then the zombies came and the deal was struck. My main question has been what makes the ducks so suited for zombie killing? So far not found the answer. 

So far on my list of Jonstown content to look into I have:

• Six Seasons in Sartar
• Yozarian's Bandit Ducks! 
• Temple of Heads and the Spider Woods from the Holiday Dorastor series 
• Tales from Sandheart

That is probably enough to keep me going for a while, especially considering I'm still digesting the main books but if anyone else has any suggestions please let me know!

10 hours ago, 21stCenturyMoose said:

This is what I've recommended to newbies for years as the single best bite-sized introduction you could possibly get. It also functions as a great mini-gazetteer of Prax for prospective GMs. The only downside is that you might end up falling in love with Prax, whereas the bulk of RQG content is for Dragon Pass. 

I shall bear that in mind! The main thing that would put me off Prax currently is the lack of RQG material for it. I know the books are all very compatible with the latest edition but the material is written during the Lunar Occupation so I imagine I'd need to do some fairly heavy lifting to move it forward to 1625 and the character creation stuff in RQG is geared for that timeframe and I'm not comfortable enough yet with the system to change something like character creation.

[Nick Brooke]

12 minutes ago, glassneedles said:

I'm not even sure if the red moon goes by another name I can easily look stuff up by...

We usually just call her "the Red Goddess"; her cult knows that her name is Sedenya, but that is seldom used.

Quote

My short term plans for the guide are to use it if there is something I see in another book that I'm curious about. So far it's mainly been to find out stuff about Upland Marsh and Delecti, I started of reading about the ducks and how they were usurped from the area by the Colymar but then the zombies came and the deal was struck. My main question has been what makes the ducks so suited for zombie killing? So far not found the answer. 

You might want to pick up Wyrms Footnotes #15 (a Chaosium title that's available in print from Lulu here, or in PDF from DriveThruRPG here), which has a map of the Upland Marsh plus 15 pages of fascinating details about locations and Delecti.

There's a fan-made scenario, The Howling Tower, on the Jonstown Compendium which includes RuneQuest mechanics for various hazards in the Marsh, as well as details of one specific site. (Plus! Bonus Duck content!). In the spirit of full disclosure, I helped wrangle those RQ mechanics into shape (inc. advice on staging and avoiding overkill).

Finally, Andrew Logan Montgomery's epic campaign The Company of the Dragon (the sequel to Six Seasons in Sartar) has a pivotal episode involving Delecti the Necromancer (pages 227-239).

I'm limiting my recommendations to stuff that's easily available in print or digital formats, or I could go on!

[RandomNumber]

6 hours ago, glassneedles said:

I'm not even sure if the red moon goes by another name I can easily look stuff up by, at one point I thought it was Yelm but I think that's the sun god who Orlanth killed?

That's right. GSB and G2G will have more on this. For a "Need to know" of Orlanth, Yelm and the Lightbringer quest, read p.58 of Cults of Prax (the Chaosium PDF version).

6 hours ago, glassneedles said:

With Cults of Prax the Tales of Biturian Varosh are the equivlenet of Vasana's saga from the main book right? Short segments to ground the stuff with a character throughout the book? I already own Cults of Prax so can easily read it, would you recommend reading it all or just going through the tales bits and if I see something interesting reading more about the cult?

Yes, Vasana's quest is akin to the Tales of Biturian Varosh.  Vasana's quest illustrates RQG game mechanics, ToBV introduces you to the cults in CoP.  I would certainly recommend reading ToBV start-to-finish to get a 'feel' for Glorantha. There's no need to read CoP cover to cover - the Pavis cult is of less relevance to a campaign set in Sartar.  If you want to familiarise yourself with major cults then each cult write-up has a 'Mythos and History' section which is worth reading. How the cult actually works 'in-game' is covered in the Rune cults chapter of the RQG rules (many of the RQ2 mechanics in CoP have been updated). Your strategy is on point - read ToBV and decide to go deeper if you discover a cult that sounds interesting. If your campaign will be in Sartar then the Lightbringer gods (plus Humakt) are worth dwelling on.  The Seven Mothers are worth a look on the basis of 'Know Thine Enemy'.

I did have a deeper look at the Theogeny section of GSB last night. If your objective is to immerse yourself in Glorantha then definitely read it. OTOH, if your objective is to know enough to run an RQG game in Glorantha then I'd recommend only referring to the bits that seem interesting to you. I found some sections I'd like to read for interest so will most likely do that.

 

[glassneedles]

On 7/15/2021 at 5:20 PM, Nick Brooke said:

I'm limiting my recommendations to stuff that's easily available in print or digital formats, or I could go on!

Thanks for that Nick! I decided a while ago to limit my RPG purchases to things available new or POD to save my sanity and wallet. I have added all of those to the list 🙂

17 hours ago, RandomNumber said:

I did have a deeper look at the Theogeny section of GSB last night. If your objective is to immerse yourself in Glorantha then definitely read it. OTOH, if your objective is to know enough to run an RQG game in Glorantha then I'd recommend only referring to the bits that seem interesting to you. I found some sections I'd like to read for interest so will most likely do that.

Thanks, I think I will read all of the chapter and see how it goes. the GSB is both less daunting as bedtime reading and light enough that I don't risk breaking my nose if I fall asleep while holding it. 

[coffeemancer]

now show them kodp and ride like the wind