What rules do you use from other editions?

[DreadDomain]

13 hours ago, Kloster said:

This is one of the reason why we use RQ3 combat rules (the whole chapter: 10 SR round, split skills for attack and parry, only 2 actions per round, SR as a measure of time and move per SR, special manoeuvers, no hit matrix, AP for weapons and shields, ...). We have added the various specials for slashing and crushing, and a few other things from RQG combat.

This is interesting. I suspect it doesn't require a lot of fiddling to make it work within the framework of RQG.

• Are you creating your characters are per RQG (cultures, occupations, skills, etc.)? I suspect you can with no issues at all.
• What about attributes that do impact combat specifically (HP, SR, Movement). I suspect that you need to use RQ3 Move but can use the rest no problem.
• Do you use weapon stats from RQ3 or RQG?

By "no hit matrix", I suppose you are referring to the Attack and Parry Results table from RQG p.199 and p.201? It probably makes combat simpler.

Without having tried it, to use RQ3 combat (plus what you like from RQG) with RQG, I suspect the only thing you need to adjust is the Move value. Am I close to the mark?

[Paid a bod yn dwp]

10 hours ago, DreadDomain said:

The strike rank system as used in RQG is just an initiative system. The actions you take, the weapon you yield, the moves you make, the spells you cast are all factored in to tell you when you strike/act in the round. That is why the statement of intent is important in RQG. It is the moment you decide what you do and compute the effect to the action order.

But it's an initiative system that is more involved than most and one could only use only DEX ranks and INT ranks to determine who acts when and be done with it.

What some see as a "slippery slope to action economy", others would describe as the "benefit of tactical combat". Isn't great that we can choose? I think it is.

Yes I find so much to recommend BRP based games. You can pick and choose bits you like depending on your preference. 

If you wanted more tactical movement in RQG you could (i imagine) use RQ3 movement mechanics with the 12SR round in RQG without too much work. 
 

Or introduce a simple ruling for pressing forward and retreating in RQG combat, whilst staying engaged? 

Edited August 8, 2021 by Paid a bod yn dwp

[Kloster]

4 hours ago, DreadDomain said:

Are you creating your characters are per RQG (cultures, occupations, skills, etc.)? I suspect you can with no issues at all.

Yes.

4 hours ago, DreadDomain said:

What about attributes that do impact combat specifically (HP, SR, Movement). I suspect that you need to use RQ3 Move but can use the rest no problem.

Everything created with RQG rules. We hesitated to use Skill category modifiers calculated RQ3 way to avoid the breaking points, but finally, only the move and the SR calculation had to be changed.

4 hours ago, DreadDomain said:

Do you use weapon stats from RQ3 or RQG?

RQG, except for SR, for which we use the RQ3 or an equivalent.

4 hours ago, DreadDomain said:

By "no hit matrix", I suppose you are referring to the Attack and Parry Results table from RQG p.199 and p.201? It probably makes combat simpler.

Yes and Yes.

4 hours ago, DreadDomain said:

Without having tried it, to use RQ3 combat (plus what you like from RQG) with RQG, I suspect the only thing you need to adjust is the Move value. Am I close to the mark?

Close. SR calculation has to be changed because the 10 SR round of RQ3.

We also change a few other things, but not with other edition rules, so are not concerned by this thread

[Lordabdul]

On 8/7/2021 at 5:40 PM, DreadDomain said:

What some see as a "slippery slope to action economy", others would describe as the "benefit of tactical combat". Isn't great that we can choose? I think it is.

Apologies, I didn't mean "slippery slope" in a pejorative way. I meant it only as "once you start moving that way, you can't really stop at just a few new rules, you have to keep going until you have a new tactical combat system". I actually love and enjoy a couple combat systems that are as tactical and crunchy (maybe even more!) than RQ3.

As for the OP, I'm actually tempted by a couple RQ3 rules such as special attack knockback and weapon reach (closing on long weapons) but I think I would tinker with the rules enough that it would qualify more as "house rules" than anything.

I've also once run an RQ chase using CoC 7e chase rules. Those are very easy to port over, and they're easy enough that they almost feel like the GM is ruling on the fly.

Edited August 9, 2021 by lordabdul

[DreadDomain]

2 hours ago, lordabdul said:

Apologies, I didn't mean "slippery slope" in a pejorative way. I meant it only as "once you start moving that way, you can't really stop at just a few new rules, you have to keep going until you have a new tactical combat system". I actually love and enjoy a couple combat systems that are as tactical and crunchy (maybe even more!) than RQ3.

No worries lordabdul. Based on your many interactions here, I knew you were not using the expression in a negative way. And I am with you. I enjoyed various style of combat in the past including Pendragon, Stormbringer, Harn, Call of Cthulhu, RQ3, RQ3 with house rules, RQG with some RQ3 (mainly what you mention right below), HERO, GURPS, Mythras...

2 hours ago, lordabdul said:

As for the OP, I'm actually tempted by a couple RQ3 rules such as special attack knockback and weapon reach (closing on long weapons) but I think I would tinker with the rules enough that it would qualify more as "house rules" than anything.

I've also once run an RQ chase using CoC 7e chase rules. Those are very easy to port over, and they're easy enough that they almost feel like the GM is ruling on the fly.

 

[DreadDomain]

On 8/5/2021 at 6:29 PM, DreadDomain said:

I am 100% confident many people would have preferred this rule from Mythras, that rule from RQ3 and another from CoC 7e.  These games, and others in the BRP family, are all great games and are stronger than RQG in one area or another, or at the very least will appeal more to individual preferences. However, RQG has successfully tightly integrated the rules and the setting, and makes it an overall stronger Glorantha rpg, so adding from previous editions might be tricky. 

Still here are a few rules that I like and actually taking very little to no effort to implement:

1) From King Arthur Pendragon and Call of Cthulhu: Melee rounds last an elastic amount of time ranging from an instant to 10s of seconds depending on what makes sense in the narrative.

2) From RuneQuest 3: Special Melee Tactics that are missing from RQG (more specifically Close Combat), Special Knockback for special success on Crushing attack (but not slashing) and quick experience system to replace the RQG's additional experience sidebar. 

3) From RuneQuest Quickstart: If both parties roll the same level of success in an opposed roll and a tie does not make sense, whoever rolls highest win. There is still a chance for a tie if both contestant roll the same number. In that case, the contest could be given to the highest skill/characteristic or be rerolled.

4) From RuneQuest: Aventures dans Glorantha (not sure if it is also in other translations), the adjusted starting skills for a small number of occupations.

5) From Call of Cthulhu and the Big Golden Book: Hard/Difficult tests for skills (this is difficult, you need to roll  under half of your skill to fully succeed).

Let's add two more rules that I like:

6) From Call of Cthulhu with a hint of RuneQuest 3: On 0 HP characters go unconscious with no danger of dying unless they had a major wound previously. In RQ, it means that if no locations have sustained equal of more than double their local HP, on 0 (not 1 or 2), they go unconscious. If at least one location has reached that point, they are dying. At the end of the next MR and every one thereafter, they must succeed a CONx5 roll or die. If healed (magic), stabilized (first aid) or if rolling CONx1 and better, they are saved from death  and do not need to roll thereafter. 

7) From RuneQuest 3 or Mythras: Use the RQ3 Missile Hit Location table for missile and trusting attacks. Alternatively, if two tables is to difficult to manage by the players, use Mythras Hit Location (it feels better balanced for generic usage)

[RandomNumber]

The more I read this thread I confess I wonder what version of RQ I am playing. I'm enjoying reading aspects of RQ2, 3 and G which I had forgotten or never noticed. Or noticed and ignored in favour of house rules and MGF. I do know that the write-up of impales, slashes and crush hits in RQG was almost incomprehensible compared to the simple write up in the back of RQ2 (IIRC). Fortunately those rules are implemented in the Roll20 character sheet macros so I really don't need to know them.

I read RQ2 in 1980 and played it until 1984 when I read RQ3 and then played some version of that until the late 90's. Then went into a deep freeze. I skimmed through the RQG rules in April this year as I thawed out.  I'm not intending to play anything other than RQG but I wouldn't want to be audited by Chaosium. Thankfully they aren't the Orderium and an audit seems unlikely. Whatever version I am playing, my players and I are enjoying it.

In the meantime I stop by here every day to see whether there's an announcement that the Starter Set is on now sale so thanks all for keeping these threads going while I wait 🙂

[DreadDomain]

16 hours ago, RandomNumber said:

The more I read this thread I confess I wonder what version of RQ I am playing. I'm enjoying reading aspects of RQ2, 3 and G which I had forgotten or never noticed. Or noticed and ignored in favour of house rules and MGF.

I hear you. I had quite a bit of joy having cracked open on my desk RQG, RQ3, RQ2, CoC, BGB, Magic World, Mythras, etc. just for the fun of this thread.  The reality is while some of these games might have wildly different sub-systems, the chassis is so similar than I often forget where specific rules come from. Nowadays, I prefer to house rule with a light touch and my list above is a good example of that. When you look at the 7 items, one could argue that 1) and 5) are already implied into the core book (the length of a MR is an approximation, examples with skills divided by two can by found in the book here and there), 3) and 4) are really benign and are rules coming from... uh... RQG.

16 hours ago, RandomNumber said:

I do know that the write-up of impales, slashes and crush hits in RQG was almost incomprehensible compared to the simple write up in the back of RQ2 (IIRC). Fortunately those rules are implemented in the Roll20 character sheet macros so I really don't need to know them.

Personally I find RQG better explained than RQ2 (generally, not specifically on that point) but your comment made me think about Movement, which I think is underexplained in RQG. I went and read it's description in RQ2 and thought it was much better explained and still concise. 

16 hours ago, RandomNumber said:

In the meantime I stop by here every day to see whether there's an announcement that the Starter Set is on now sale so thanks all for keeping these threads going while I wait 🙂

In this post Rick Meints mentions that it should/could be in their US warehouse by end September, and they should be available to distributors some time in late September.

 

 

[21st Century Moose]

On 8/6/2021 at 3:21 AM, dvdmacateer said:

Knockback for damage > SIZ from RQ3

I always felt I must have been missing something about this rule. 

With total HP being the average of CON and SIZ, damage in excess of SIZ has a fair chance of killing you outright, and will definitely disable the location hit. Any appreciable level of knockback must vaporize you. 

To this day I still don't get it. 

Edited August 14, 2021 by 21stCenturyMoose

[SDLeary]

33 minutes ago, 21stCenturyMoose said:

I always felt I must have been missing something about this rule. 

With total HP being the average of CON and SIZ, damage in excess of SIZ has a fair chance of killing you outright, and will definitely disable the location hit. Any appreciable level of knockback must vaporize you. 

To this day I still don't get it. 

Total Damage greater than SIZ caused knock back... not damage that made it past your shield or through your armor.

SDLeary

Edited August 14, 2021 by SDLeary

[dvdmacateer]

2 hours ago, 21stCenturyMoose said:

I always felt I must have been missing something about this rule. 

With total HP being the average of CON and SIZ, damage in excess of SIZ has a fair chance of killing you outright, and will definitely disable the location hit. Any appreciable level of knockback must vaporize you. 

To this day I still don't get it. 

As per SDLeary and the knockdown part is the more important part not the throwing people around the room part. 

 

Edited August 14, 2021 by dvdmacateer

[HreshtIronBorne]

4 hours ago, 21stCenturyMoose said:

I always felt I must have been missing something about this rule. 

With total HP being the average of CON and SIZ, damage in excess of SIZ has a fair chance of killing you outright, and will definitely disable the location hit. Any appreciable level of knockback must vaporize you. 

To this day I still don't get it. 

I am not sure if our campaigns were unusually high powered but, a Shield 3 or 4 and a Protection 6 with as much Iron Armor as a SIZ 10 frame can slap on was enough for my main PC to get slapped around the battlefield pretty often and only lose a limb every few seasons. The allied spirit and lots of healing spells make a big difference, thank the Gods for Heal Body. Lol. 

 

Our campaign also used Strengthening Enchantments but, they were given out as blessings from heroquests or you got a single one for becoming a Rune-Level. We didn't use them as enchantments after the first campaign we ever ran quickly scaled too far too fast. 

[Shiningbrow]

On 8/14/2021 at 4:14 PM, HreshtIronBorne said:

thank the Gods for Heal Body. Lol.

Goddesses... Aldrya, Chalana Arroy, & Ernalda... and I presume Xiola Umbar, when we see her write-up.

[g33k]

Opening/Closing Range - I think it was a HR we played back in  '80 / '81  but maybe it was in the book...?

If the weapons/reach of one combatant were 3SR's greater than their foe, that foe had to FIRST attack JUST to "close range."  No damage to the long-weapon combatant (though maybe to the weapon).  If this attack succeeded -- and wasn't successfully parried -- then you were "inside the foe's reach" and they couldn't effectively *USE* their long weapon... until they attacked (and weren't parried) to OPEN the range again.

Spears > swords > shortswords > daggers  etc.

===

When someone's skill-improvement roll says they get to increase their skill, they roll 2d4% for how much skill.

I give a skill-check on a fumble - learn from your mistakes!

===

Our campaign doesn't yet have anyone over 100%, but I expect to keep the critical/special/fumble chances at their over-100% odds, not reduced to those of Skill=100.

===

Alter Creature (Prax spell)
 -- Applies to Praxian's everywhere, succeeds on rolls 95% & under
 -- Applies within  Prax & the Wastes  to everyone below Rune-Level, on a POW-vs-POW roll.

Morokanth are as omnivorous as the average human, unlike the nerfed "official" vegetarian-except-for-ceremony version.

My Bolo-Lizard tribe pitch family tents on the backs & sides of thunder-lizards like Bronto/Apato's; like oversized saddlebags & such.  My Bolo's & baby Bronto/Apato's are virtually indistinguishable, except to the Bolo people.

[StephenMcG]

Hmm.  The most significant change in my game is imported from Heroquest rather than Runequest.

I organise each players character sheet to reflect three keywords.  So one character is defined simply as: Initiate of Lankhor Mhy, Clerk to the Ingizzi Family and New Pavis, born and bred.

Each of these has a word descriptor (poor, good, skilled, master, heroic) which relates to a skill level (15%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90%).

Players can use those keywords as very broad skills.  For example, he can follow someone through the streets unnoticed as he us "pavis born and bred". In that circumstance, I adjust the keyword ability based on the stealth modifier and if he is successful, the player writes "Shadowing" under the relevant keyword and gives it a tick.  Ticks are resolved as usual and, if the skill increases, Shadowing has a +% written on the sheet. 

If a keyword has the Good descriptor, any skill/action attributed to the keyword gets 30% chance (plus or minus modifiers) of success. Once five skills within a keyword labelled Good have been raised to 50% or above, the descriptor is changed to skilled. All skills within the keyword are now base 50%.

I allow some free-floating skills that cannot be accommodated within the keywords and these are administered as regular RQG.

I allow for some drift in keywords.  Sometimes play has made a keyword redundant.  some free-floating skills can become important and a keyword less so.  The "Clerk to the Ingizzi Family" is spending more time as a "Member of the Grey Company" and so we re-arrange things to find out what descriptor best fits that based on known skills. I would be open, after re-arrangement" to leave Clerk to the Ingizzi Family as a free-floating skill that cannot spin off sub-skills or be advanced through experience to retain that historical element to the character.

My players, I think, appreciate the slightly greater flexibility this provides. It gives the characters a bit more narrative colour and means they are never short of a skill (at a relevant skill level) that their history suggests they should have.  The keyword progression also means that minor colour skills (my mind always drifts to "walk in snowshoes" from Hero Wars) keep pace with the character, reflecting the offscreen time doing cult and community action.

Stephen

[StephenMcG]

2 hours ago, g33k said:

Opening/Closing Range - I think it was a HR we played back in  '80 / '81  but maybe it was in the book...?

If the weapons/reach of one combatant were 3SR's greater than their foe, that foe had to FIRST attack JUST to "close range."  No damage to the long-weapon combatant (though maybe to the weapon).  If this attack succeeded -- and wasn't successfully parried -- then you were "inside the foe's reach" and they couldn't effectively *USE* their long weapon... until they attacked (and weren't parried) to OPEN the range again.

Spears > swords > shortswords > daggers  etc.

I loved the idea of this rule but it failed hard in my group due to the admin burden of tracking it round by round...I still pander to the idea that I will try it with them again.

[Kloster]

Another one we used from RQ3. As we don't play with 1 adventure per season, but with 3 weeks of non ordinary activities per season, we reverted to RQ3 experience rolls: rolls are per adventure, if you have roughly 1 week downtime.

[albesias]

Freeform professions. 250 + INTx10 (BGB)

Skill category modifiers (RQ3)

Movement (RQ3)

The magic book (RQ3) (I love sorcery and ritual magic)

SR10 (RQ3)

Difficult (BGB)

Complementary skills (BGB)

Combined skills (BGB)

Demons (Stormbringer)

Fatigue (Halfway BGB simple fatigue and Mythras fatigue)

Experience, training and research (RQ3)

Sacrifice, orate and other things from Mythras 

Edited August 19, 2021 by albesias