Thought experiment: Let's make a wargame

[Elcid321]

Hello everyone. So, as the name implies, the idea of this experiments is that we design a wargames based on runequest: glorantha (chaosium, your free to use the idea if you want to). The idea came to me as i was walking around and talking with my brother about how to make wargames based on tabletop rpgs, but i decided not to talk about runequest with him (he's not that interested in the setting), so i thought to share this idea with all of you, and see what ideas you come up with, like for example, the kind of units each faction would have, their abilities, each unit cost, etc.

[Ladygolem]

I think this already exists, it's called White Bear and Red Moon and Nomad Gods...

At the very least that's where I would start. I've also seen adaptations of Hordes of the Things for Glorantha - super old school, but thematically versatile! I think there's also a skirmish game set in Glorantha coming out at some point but I know nothing about it.

That said, there's design space here, and it's definitely a topic I'd thought about before. Especially if you decide to use RQ:G as a mechanical base. d100 roll-unders using a form of the Attack/Parry table could be central here, with a simplified character sheet for each unit as opposed to each individual (with many units being controlled at once, you don't want to keep track of a lot for each one!). The setting's emphasis on Heroes would require support for single-person units with perhaps more detailed stats as well.
 

[Elcid321]

34 minutes ago, Ladygolem said:

I think this already exists, it's called White Bear and Red Moon and Nomad Gods...

At the very least that's where I would start. I've also seen adaptations of Hordes of the Things for Glorantha - super old school, but thematically versatile! I think there's also a skirmish game set in Glorantha coming out at some point but I know nothing about it.

That said, there's design space here, and it's definitely a topic I'd thought about before. Especially if you decide to use RQ:G as a mechanical base. d100 roll-unders using a form of the Attack/Parry table could be central here, with a simplified character sheet for each unit as opposed to each individual (with many units being controlled at once, you don't want to keep track of a lot for each one!). The setting's emphasis on Heroes would require support for single-person units with perhaps more detailed stats as well.
 

maybe, i was thinking more in the line of something similar to warhammer, but now that you reminded me of the dice system that is used, it might actually work. And indeed, as you said, heroes would be the most important units in the game.

now, the first faction to create would be the sartarites, with it's most basic units being the fyrd militia, the thanes and the chieftain, with special units being humakti deathlords, storm bull bullzerkers, orlanthi windlords, hyaloring cavalry, chalana arroy healers, and so on.

[Squaredeal Sten]

The first thing for you to decide is what scale you are going to work in.

White Bear and Red Moon and Nomad Gods are strategic scale. 

It looks to me as though the minis rules being discussed at Chaosium will be skirmish scale, though i wouldn't bet much on that.

 

 

[Elcid321]

2 hours ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

The first thing for you to decide is what scale you are going to work in.

White Bear and Red Moon and Nomad Gods are strategic scale. 

It looks to me as though the minis rules being discussed at Chaosium will be skirmish scale, though i wouldn't bet much on that.

 

 

yeah, i'm talking about a wargame warhammer style. you know, with all the minis and stuff.

second, chaosium is making a runequest skirmish game?

[Steve]

1 hour ago, Elcid321 said:

second, chaosium is making a runequest skirmish game?

A miniatures company called Mad Knight is making a Glorantha skirmish game. 

[g33k]

Mad Knight is making Glorantha mini's already.  They (obviously) have a license from Chaosium.
Their skirmish-level wargame rules got badly-delayed in playtest phase by covid, but they are getting back on track.

If you are on FB, check here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/272645093680305 (general "Glorantha Mini's" group, not exclusive to Mad Knight)

 

Also of some interest to the OP would be Sandy Peterson's The Gods' War (which has some not-so-mini mini's).

 

[Elcid321]

2 hours ago, g33k said:

Mad Knight is making Glorantha mini's already.  They (obviously) have a license from Chaosium.
Their skirmish-level wargame rules got badly-delayed in playtest phase by covid, but they are getting back on track.

If you are on FB, check here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/272645093680305 (general "Glorantha Mini's" group, not exclusive to Mad Knight)

 

Also of some interest to the OP would be Sandy Peterson's The Gods' War (which has some not-so-mini mini's).

 

huh, neat.

[Revilo Divad Of Dyoll]

3 hours ago, g33k said:

Also of some interest to the OP would be Sandy Peterson's The Gods' War (which has some not-so-mini mini's).

Sandy Petersen also did a simple rule set called Warhamster (IIRC), published in Tales of the Reaching Moon (?).