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HQs and Mastery of Runes....


Shiningbrow

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Without the rather obvious "We don't yet have the rules for that", I'm curious as to what people have interpreted as acquiring "Mastery" of a Rune.

(Obviously, this comes from the discussion about the stats for Jar-Eel and other heavy hitters.)

How does one do it? What sacrifices (if any) are required? Where do you get them from?

Do you give players a menu to choose from, or do they just come up with their own appropriate ideas? Is there an order or a list? Do you have to attain X before any others?

How many can you acquire/Master at any one time, and how many abilities at any one time?

And, of course, how does that work mechanically???

(I am presuming that much of this has been determined by HQ rules - but I haven't looked into that).

 

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I can only speak about my own system, which I did mention in the Jar Eel thread.

The main drivers were to put runes into Runequest, as in the 90s that was not as evident as it is now. And I started with the indication that mastery of the infinity rune is what puts Superheroes apart, as well as dragons.

The actual written framework is lost to magnetic entropy, devoured by Kajabor.

This is what I remember and extrapolate, as well as who was the character that I used as a reference.

In my system, in your cult heroquests you can really get close to your deity, so you can achieve mastery of their runes. However, to really become a Hero you need to transcend the limit of the cult lore, and that requires the mastery rune. You do not need to be illuminated, but it helps, at least to join different cults and master opposing runes.

Each rune has a common effect from mastery, but you can go deeper and get additional powers out of it. It did not get fully developed because the players did not heroquest extensively, but I also used it to create my own version of heroes, and I gave them rune masteries as well. I did not have a ranking, but many powers have as prerequisites other powers.

Rune mastery can be an unexpected reward in a heroquest, usually linked to a strong rune holder, but usually you need to do a heroquest with the specific purpose of getting closer to that rune. Mastery is exceptional as it is awoken when you take control and change a myth (even if you rationalize it as discovering a variant or a deeper truth. Orlanthi have a kind of advantage here, as they have a long tradition of rediscovering facts, as shown by Orlanth’s link with the mastery rune. Physical heroquests can also bring masteries. Travelling to the Underworld bodily is a good way to get Darkness mastery, for instance. Returning from Hell does require either Life or Death mastery, unless someone pulls you out.

I will try to write up more details later if I have time.

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1 hour ago, JRE said:

I can only speak about my own system, which I did mention in the Jar Eel thread.

The main drivers were to put runes into Runequest, as in the 90s that was not as evident as it is now. And I started with the indication that mastery of the infinity rune is what puts Superheroes apart, as well as dragons.

The actual written framework is lost to magnetic entropy, devoured by Kajabor.

This is what I remember and extrapolate, as well as who was the character that I used as a reference.

In my system, in your cult heroquests you can really get close to your deity, so you can achieve mastery of their runes. However, to really become a Hero you need to transcend the limit of the cult lore, and that requires the mastery rune. You do not need to be illuminated, but it helps, at least to join different cults and master opposing runes.

Each rune has a common effect from mastery, but you can go deeper and get additional powers out of it. It did not get fully developed because the players did not heroquest extensively, but I also used it to create my own version of heroes, and I gave them rune masteries as well. I did not have a ranking, but many powers have as prerequisites other powers.

Rune mastery can be an unexpected reward in a heroquest, usually linked to a strong rune holder, but usually you need to do a heroquest with the specific purpose of getting closer to that rune. Mastery is exceptional as it is awoken when you take control and change a myth (even if you rationalize it as discovering a variant or a deeper truth. Orlanthi have a kind of advantage here, as they have a long tradition of rediscovering facts, as shown by Orlanth’s link with the mastery rune. Physical heroquests can also bring masteries. Travelling to the Underworld bodily is a good way to get Darkness mastery, for instance. Returning from Hell does require either Life or Death mastery, unless someone pulls you out.

I will try to write up more details later if I have time.

Nice. But, what *IS* "mastery"? Just dropping a point of POW? To someone or something?

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No, it is like illumination. You have a marker, and each time you add some points you test to see if you get it. Then if you keep exercising it you can get additional abilities. 

I only gave points for HQs, and the roll was a percentile...

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These are the details I remember. If I were doing it today I wold require also Rune affinity, and I would make it play a role in acquiring the mastery points. Probably succeeding at a Rune challenge while in a Heroquest. Normally, unless a long or deep heroquests, only a point per HQ, but the player can choose if he tested several runes. 

Conditions

Mastery. The Hero rune. It marks your independence. The basic effect is mastering your surroundings, with the game effect of being immune to criticals (but not Specials) and being immune to Fumbles and automatic failure. Infinity is just the top level of Mastery, when you achieve total control of your surroundings.

Magic. Basic mastery gives you an unlimited MP pool. Higher levels would give you overwhelming magic or unlimited Rune Points.

Infinity. See above. It also requires Magic mastery.

Elements

The basic effect of mastery is that you no longer can be hurt by the element, though you can still be trapped, moved, or pushed by it, if applicable. Higher levels of mastery let you bring the material in the world and manipulate it. A frequent effect of Air mastery is constant flight, and that is typical of many faithful Orlanthi heroes.

Obviously most Lunar Heroes have Moon mastery. An advanced level of mastery, that is forbidden to males, is to have a personal glowspot, so all cyclical magic is always at maximum.

Argrath did not have Wind mastery IMG in 1621, though he did in 1626.

Sir Ethilrist had Darkness mastery.

Protection from water includes not drowning, so that is a basic effect from Water mastery.

Powers

As they oppose each other, here I envisioned a mastery content when the masteries compete, with each mastery ability from each opposing rune adding 25%, so 5 against 2 is a contest between 125 and 50%. Draws (both success or both failures) means the masteries do not work as they neutralize each other.

Death. Basic effect is that people you kill are hard to heal and resurrect, though return from Hell still works. The masters are also hard to heal (except themselves) and cannot be resurrected, unless they also have life mastery, though they are already able to return from hell normally. A very frequent mastery for killers such as Arkat. IMG Sir Ethilrist has it, following his footsteps. An advanced mastery is getting the lifeforce of those you kill to heal yourself.

Life. You heal faster, you are fertile and will guarantee fertilization if having sex with a fertile (even if only marginal) member of the right sex and species. Additionally with additional mastery you can heal others, make others fertile, and even resurrect the recently dead, as well as neutralize the powers of a Death master.

Truth. Basic effect is that you cannot perceive or be affected by illusions or lies, unless they come from someone with Illusion mastery which forces a mastery contest.

Forms

No real work on this.

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6 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

Without the rather obvious "We don't yet have the rules for that", I'm curious as to what people have interpreted as acquiring "Mastery" of a Rune.

I have been toying with an ideavthat Mastering a Rune would give the character access to all Divine spell tied to that rune irrespective of which cult they belong to, or any at all. In effect allowing them to setup a <rune> Rune Pool. Also thinking of setting up some different rules for Sorcery in regard to spell associated with the Mastered Rune.

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IMHO, the mastery of Runes would make a great deal of difference when the player is undertaking the role of a deity in an HQ. For example, to know the correct action Orlanth might take in 'Orlanth and Aroka', it would depend on any one of Orlanth's Runes as the specific decision would require [blowing poisonous gas away would be Air Rune, bypassing an unnecessary conflict would be Movement, etc.].

In addition, there will be times when a given action or decision would come down to a given PC's actual skill numbers and the boosts for inspiration would be vital in such an event.

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On 6/13/2022 at 7:31 AM, Shiningbrow said:

Without the rather obvious "We don't yet have the rules for that", I'm curious as to what people have interpreted as acquiring "Mastery" of a Rune.

In my games, you can gain the Master if [Rune] ability by reaching 90% in the rune and then connecting with the raw rune itself,. normally on a HeroQuest.

On 6/13/2022 at 7:31 AM, Shiningbrow said:

How does one do it?

By HeroQuesting, by reaching the source of the Rune. Perhaps you emulate how someone gained the Rune, or you walk your own path to the Rune.

On 6/13/2022 at 7:31 AM, Shiningbrow said:

What sacrifices (if any) are required?

That depends entirely on the Rune, how you reach it and, more importantly, your GM and how your campaign works.

On 6/13/2022 at 7:31 AM, Shiningbrow said:

Where do you get them from?

The Owners or Founders of the Rune.

So, the Celestial Court, the Greater Deities and so on.

Maybe you find the Rune itself, as an impersonal power.

On 6/13/2022 at 7:31 AM, Shiningbrow said:

Do you give players a menu to choose from, or do they just come up with their own appropriate ideas?

I give them a freeform ability to manipulate the Rune. 

However, you could go down a route similar to Shamanic Abilities, by having Levels in the Rune and unlocking some powers per level. If you treat the Levels as a Rune Pool, some powers might cost more Rune Points than others to use.

On 6/13/2022 at 7:31 AM, Shiningbrow said:

Is there an order or a list? Do you have to attain X before any others?

I don't play it that way.

However, if my Adventurers unlock an ability, they can use that ability from that point afterwards.

On 6/13/2022 at 7:31 AM, Shiningbrow said:

How many can you acquire/Master at any one time, and how many abilities at any one time?

One Rune Mastery at a time, because you are questing to that Rune.

You are unlikely to be able to HeroQuest to the Owners, or Source, of multiple Runes at the same time, as few Deities are the Sources, or Owners, of multiple Runes.

On 6/13/2022 at 7:31 AM, Shiningbrow said:

And, of course, how does that work mechanically???

If you have proven yourself to the Rune, in some way, or have shown your mastery of the Rune to the source, or done something similar, then you gain Mastery of [Rune].

You can then put points into that to increase your understanding and power over the Rune.

You can then wield the Rune. 

So, if you were Master of Earth, you could raise a wall of earth, collapse a fire into the earth, open up a pit in the earth and so on.

A Master of Truth could see through illusions, tell if someone is lying, force someone to tell the truth, read a book without knowing the language it is written in, and so on.

On 6/13/2022 at 7:31 AM, Shiningbrow said:

(I am presuming that much of this has been determined by HQ rules - but I haven't looked into that).

In HQ/QW, I would give someone a Keyword of Master of [Rune] and have the various abilities as Breakouts of the Keyword.

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

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