So when is the GM guide coming out?

[Zelmor]

I got the boxed set 3 years ago, been waiting since. Any news of this? I'm kinda bummed how abandoned this product line feels. 

[soltakss]

There are several big things coming up.

These things take time.

We have been waiting for over 40 years for the HeroQuesting rules, so I, personally, can wait a little longer.

[Soccercalle]

I think that Zelmor has a point. Big things takes a time. But the GMs guide Is mentioned a couple of times in the core rules and I think that most people assumed that the GMs guide would come in 6-24 months. Its not the same thing as waiting for a new book about Ralios or Pamaltela. 

We who keeps updated here and on FB knows that there are a lot of things in the pipeline and we knows about all the good stuff in JC. But a casual consumer looking for a new TTRPG system would think that the product line is about to be abandoned if you look at what is published. 

2020 gave us one book with scenarios, a coloring book and a book with spells. 2021 gave us a (great) starter set and the pdf of Weapons & Equipment. 2022 will in a week give us a hardbound copy of W&E. A causal observer would easily think that Chaosium is abondoning the RQG product line. I know that there are many great things in the pipeline. But we can't expect most potential customers to join forums or FB groups to be aware of that. And in the long run the system is dependent on new customers.

[Zelmor]

3 hours ago, soltakss said:

There are several big things coming up.

These things take time.

We have been waiting for over 40 years for the HeroQuesting rules, so I, personally, can wait a little longer.

This is not a defendable position I'm afraid, that something didn't happen for 40 years so we have to wait more. I will be selling my books it seems. I purchased the box set, source book and the red cow campaign book in the hopes that the company has a release schedule and will be slowly filling the void that is left by not including a GM book in the initial release. Keep in mind Earthdawn's newer editions did include the GM book in the initial release line when they decided to split the core book into two volumes. And that is not a new and hip product line or fantasy world either.

The lack of a GM book is why I'm not not able to realize my dreams of running the Red Cow Clan campaign. I need some guidance as an inexperienced RQ GM who didn't start in the 80s, and no, not in the form of forum posts from old-timers.

Not to derail, but I didn't understand the the need for a started package either, when there is no GM book. I'm not being helped as a new player by that release, and thus skipped it altogether. The reason we don't play RQ in my group is because I as a GM I have no grounds on which to build my work. So we play other things while our interest in Glorantha slowly fades away.

[Zelmor]

1 hour ago, Soccercalle said:

2020 gave us one book with scenarios, a coloring book and a book with spells. 2021 gave us a (great) starter set and the pdf of Weapons & Equipment. 2022 will in a week give us a hardbound copy of W&E. A causal observer would easily think that Chaosium is abondoning the RQG product line. I know that there are many great things in the pipeline. But we can't expect most potential customers to join forums or FB groups to be aware of that. And in the long run the system is dependent on new customers.

This strikes the nail on the head. No communication, no release date, not a whole lot in the form of expanding the product line in a meaningful way. In the meantime, look at Mongoose pushing hard on their Traveller edition. You might not like the way things are done there, but as a new Referee, I'm showered with options and products on a regular basis. I bought and kick-started all the JTAS volumes, bought adventures, got the core books. That got me interested in older editions of the game, so I even gos the original books and older source books to read for fun. Most importantly, we play that game and people love it.

 

Compare this to the RQ books on my shelf, which have by now accumulated a thick later of dust, with no change is sight. It may not be the legal state, but for all intents and purposes, it is a dead and abandoned game. 

This will keep me from buying into Pendragon also. I wish Cthulhu was my thing, alas it is not.

Edited August 1, 2022 by Zelmor

[Squaredeal Sten]

Runequest began in the 1980s with no GM guide.  And plenty of people are GMing now without one.  Maybe most of us already have a pretty good idea of how to gamemaster. 

It would be nice to have the heroquesting rules, which we know have been playtested in various versions, but that's not a deal breaker as we already have at least two fan-based models plus Arcane Lore.

So,  I could GM better, "there's always room for improvement' as the cliche goes, and I'm willing to read advice.  But I'm not stuck doing nothing waiting for that book.  It's too bad Zelmor feels that way.

 

[Zelmor]

1 minute ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

Runequest began in the 1980s with no GM guide.  And plenty of people are GMing now without one.  Maybe most of us already have a pretty good idea of how to gamemaster. 

It would be nice to have the heroquesting rules, which we know have been playtested in various versions, but that's not a deal breaker as we already have at least two fan-based models plus Arcane Lore.

So,  I could GM better, "there's always room for improvement' as the cliche goes, and I'm willing to read advice.  But I'm not stuck doing nothing waiting for that book.  It's too bad Zelmor feels that way.

 

Wow, what a great attitude. This sure is a welcoming and supportive community I'm glad to be participating in. 

Please allow me to add a couple decades of experience to my meager existence that started in the mid '80s and haven't rotated around this RPG since.

Truly I am to blame.

[Baron Wulfraed]

1 hour ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

Runequest began in the 1980s with no GM guide.  And plenty of people are GMing now without one.  Maybe most of us already have a pretty good idea of how to gamemaster.

While it didn't have a formal GM guide, the RQ2 book at least included information for basing "treasure" values based on opponents' capabilities (which, in a way, also assists in /sizing/ the opponent party as one could apply the scoring [valuation] criteria to the adventurer party to get an overall "strength" level), a random encounter table, and (page 3) an implication that scenarios were expected to be created by the GM.

RQ:RiG, OTOH, gives a vague impression that everything is based upon published scenarios... and little guidance in fitting a published scenario to the size of the actual players' party (presuming the scenario doesn't rely upon pre-generated characters supplied with it).

Yes, RQ:RiG does stay closer to "Glorantha" than RQ2 -- which was loose enough that RQ3's original rule set focused on "Fantasy Earth" (generic deity /types/: war god, storm god, agriculture god(dess), map to desired culture; it required Glorantha specific supplements to provide named deities). Gryphon Mountain got morphed into Gryphon Island to make it usable in any setting that had oceans.

[Rodney Dangerduck]

Having recently (past few years) GMed D&D 3.5, about which I know very little, and RQ, about which I know a lot (40+ years of experience), RQG makes far far higher demands upon the GM.  This is arguably a good thing.  However, it does mean that a GM guide would be very useful.

[Ethereal]

1 hour ago, Baron Wulfraed said:

While it didn't have a formal GM guide, the RQ2 book at least included information for basing "treasure" values based on opponents' capabilities (which, in a way, also assists in /sizing/ the opponent party as one could apply the scoring [valuation] criteria to the adventurer party to get an overall "strength" level), a random encounter table, and (page 3) an implication that scenarios were expected to be created by the GM.

RQ:RiG, OTOH, gives a vague impression that everything is based upon published scenarios... and little guidance in fitting a published scenario to the size of the actual players' party (presuming the scenario doesn't rely upon pre-generated characters supplied with it).

Yes, RQ:RiG does stay closer to "Glorantha" than RQ2 -- which was loose enough that RQ3's original rule set focused on "Fantasy Earth" (generic deity /types/: war god, storm god, agriculture god(dess), map to desired culture; it required Glorantha specific supplements to provide named deities). Gryphon Mountain got morphed into Gryphon Island to make it usable in any setting that had oceans.

As an older Player/GM I started playing RunestQuest with Edition 2. I would recommend buying Editition 2 and one or more of the supplements to go with it. Snake pipe hollow was the first adventure I played in. The rulebook had everything one needed to start playing and run a game except an adventure. Whenever I introduce new players to Runequest,  I always run RQ2. Then if they want to play another version, I go with RQ3 (Avalon Hill), RQ4 (Unpublished, played in, never run.), and Mongoose versions. A friend ran RQG, but I found it slow and overly complicated to get started playing. Maybe with the starter set (which I have acquired) it would be easier, but no one I know is currently running it. On Chaosiums website and Drivthru there are multiple supplements, adventures and the rule book for RQ2. Somewhere on BRP Central there is a listing of all the versions and supplements for Runequest. (except perhaps RQ4: Adventures in Glorantha, as it was never published). The ones I myself have used most have been 'Duck Pond' and 'Duck Tower' by Judges Guild. (Can also include 'City of Lei Tabor' and 'Broken Tree Inn') which gives a good layout for creating your own sandbox adventures. Unfortunately long out of print. Don't get discouraged about what you have to wait for, explore what is available and have fun.

[g33k]

4 hours ago, Zelmor said:

Please allow me to add a couple decades of experience to my meager existence that started in the mid '80s and haven't rotated around this RPG since.

I think you miss the point.

RQG -- as it stands right now -- has far, FAR more material available to GM's than RQ2 did, back in 1980; and yet, RQ2 was very very playable back then.

It's not that you need to stretch back to those days for resources & experiences that were only available "back in the day."
It's that what sufficed then, for RQ2, can suffice now, for RQG... but doesn't have to, since there's so much more!

###

That said, I more-or-less agree with you that there has been a wait for the GM's book that is becoming a bit absurd.  It was already disappointing not to be part of the original release, and every other book released since) is another instance of "But why, Chaosium?  Why u do dis to me, to us?"

Edited August 1, 2022 by g33k

[g33k]

6 hours ago, Zelmor said:

... The lack of a GM book is why I'm not not able to realize my dreams of running the Red Cow Clan campaign. I need some guidance as an inexperienced RQ GM who didn't start in the 80s, and no, not in the form of forum posts from old-timers ...

This, I think, is the crux of your complaint:  Insufficient "support" for the GM.

Let's get down to details.  What -- exactly -- do you want from the GM's book, to begin running the Red Cow material?

Personally, I'd want a bit of  HQ/QW - to - RQ  conversion material (since they are entirely different rulesets); but honestly, I don't expect that in the GM's book.  What is it you want?

[Jason Farrell]

Btw, I've read both Red Cow books, and there is copious guidance for a prospective GM, and it has the benefit of being information specific to that campaign, not general advice and info.

General information on gamemastering can be found in lots of places.  Advice and info on how to handle Glorantha specific stuff (clan and tribal organization, for example) is often found directly in books like the Red Cow books, and Andrew Logan Montgomery's books.

What I'm personally more interested in from the Gamemaster book are heroquesting rules (which can be cobbled together from elsewhere, if one is so inclined) and more stuff about magical treasures, something I think has been lacking so far.

Not that I don't agree with the OP that it's more than a little disappointing that a book expllcitly mentioned in the back of the rulebook still isn't out 4 years later.

Edited August 1, 2022 by Jason Farrell

[jajagappa]

5 hours ago, g33k said:

Let's get down to details.  What -- exactly -- do you want from the GM's book

If you go back to this thread on the GM's guide: 

You'll find El Runeblogger had reported the following as the planned content.  I've annotated with some notes as some of these items have been carved out and delivered.

1. Introduction,

2. Glorantha,

3. Adventurers,

4. Cults and Gods, - probably covered in the upcoming Gods of Glorantha

5. Runes and Magic, - probably carved out as the Red Book of Magic

6. The environment,

7. Guilds and associations, - maybe covered in Weapons & Equipment

8. Goods and services, - carved out as Weapons & Equipment

9. Time,

10. Combat (personal, skirmishes, mass, naval, sieges, etc.),

11. Directing the game (all kinds of basic and advanced tips),

12. Adventure Design (create campaigns, adventures, encounters, etc.),

13. Heroquesting, 

14. Travel, - some coverage in Weapons & Equipment

15. Encounters,

16. Treasures and Rewards, 

17. Conversions (more details on how to transfer data from RQ2/3, HeroQuest and other games to RuneQuest Glorantha)

------------------------------------

If coming in new as a GM, I'd particularly want the items I've highlighted in red.  Now, scattered through the books I can find encounters and example rewards, but understanding how to design those into an adventure and how to direct the game flow can be a challenge when getting underway with GMing the game.  

[Zelmor]

Please do not try to sidetrack the conversation into 'what kind of guidance do you need' or point at older product lines to spend time and money hunting for things. I don't know what I want in a GM guide. It is not my job to figure that out. I am the end consumer of the product and would like assistance on running the game, so that I have a reason to come back and buy the next book they publish. My time is mine to spend as I see fit, and it doesn't involve copious hours of researching old editions and their source books.

This derailing attitude is apologist bullshit. CoC has a Keeper's Handbook and an Investigator's Handbook, 300+ page beginner friendly campaign books, campaigns for different settings along the globe, god knows what else. What does RQ:G has, three years down the line? TWO (!) beginner products, an unfinished main product that is the slipcase set, one book with some spells and one with some weapon tables, and two loosely connected adventure books. This is what you roll out in the first year of a well planned out product like to keep a heartbeat for the game. No setting info, no material for a new GM to work with. Three years down the road after relaunch, why doesn't RQ:G is treated the same by Chaosium as CoC is? 

I spent money in hopes that there is a vision for the line, that they want to stand on two legs and not just ride the Cthulhu train until retirement. The unfinished slipcase set is sold as an entry into Glorantha, with a promise of a GM guide following soon. Yet, this promise seems to have been forgotten. There are no books on the peoples, cultures, cults, societies, the setting that is the strength of this whole product. Not to mention the supporting material in a proper GM guide to help GMs sell the game onto their players who haven't played King of Dragon Pass.

What I would like is communication. From @Jeff or anyone in the position to say something, anything, beyond the vague 'we can't communicate nor estimate so there's that' thing that I've already found while looking for some clarification on the timeline.

I was expecting people defending the current situation, but this is absolutely ridiculous. I'm not as emotionally invested like many here are, so I'm not making excuses for a for-profit company not delivering on their promises and seemingly not giving the smaller child the attention it would need to grow up and become an adult. As it is, Glorantha is obscure and hard to get into past the content of the beginner pack. Even harder than GURPS and Transhuman Space. No wonder people just play DnD and never hear about this setting.

[hipsterinspace]

1 hour ago, Zelmor said:

There are no books on the peoples, cultures, cults, societies, the setting that is the strength of this whole product.

They exist in abundance to the point of being a little overwhelming, but it's mostly in the form of supplementary resources. The Glorantha Sourcebook is a great place to start, and the enormous 2-volume Guide to Glorantha together with the numerous Stafford Library titles add a lot of depth. While they're not officially part of the same product line, they do exist, and have helped me get to a point where I understand the setting well enough to both play and now run campaigns as someone totally new to Glorantha. I do understand your frustration, especially as someone who does want more clarity and structure to build things on, but over the last six months it really hasn't been that disruptive to running a game.

Edited August 2, 2022 by hipsterinspace

[Squaredeal Sten]

56 minutes ago, hipsterinspace said:

They exist in abundance ..... While they're not officially part of the same product line, they do exist, ...

And they are to be found on Chaosium's web site.  No real need to be buying obscure stuff second hand.

Though for some reason it is a little harder now to find the RQ2 stuff, it really is on Chaosium's web site.  And they do link to Jonstown Compendium too. (https://www.chaosium.com/runequest-community-content/  )   And RQ2 is very compatible with RQiG.

But I agree that Chaosium could make the older background material a little harder to miss on the web site.  I'll plug links in here:

Old gods book, obviously shorter than new gods book: https://www.chaosium.com/cults-of-prax-softcover-pod/

New background   https://www.chaosium.com/the-guide-to-glorantha-pdf/  

Old background      https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/      https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/        https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/search-tips/    

   Stafford library, here is an example, https://www.chaosium.com/the-book-of-heortling-mythology-pdf/search Chaosium web store for more.

Old sandbox campaigns (incl their regional encounters and background)   https://www.chaosium.com/runequest-classic/ by the way tis same link is another path to old background stuff.

Old adventures:  https://www.chaosium.com/runequest-old-school-resource-pack/

Treasures & magic stuff   https://www.chaosium.com/plunder-softcover-pod/        

What I don't agree with is the expectation that Chaosium can somehow compress all this stuff into a single chapter of a GM book, or maybe a couple of pages.  Yes, if you want to take advantage of the most detailed fantasy world WITHOUT running pre written adventures, you have to devote time to it.   You don't have to do it all at once.  And no one will shoot you for running pre written adventures while you read background.  The pre written stuff IS big swathes of the background, buy Borderlands or Trollpack or Griffin Mountain and you get both, and GMing it is the best way to study it.  Just like teaching a class is the best way to learn mateiral really well.

Edited August 2, 2022 by Squaredeal Sten
added links

[ffilz]

The current edition of the game IS supported with setting books, both the Guide and the Sourcebook are for the current edition. The Starter Set also has a nice starter level of information. I think this is plenty well covered for the current edition. Between the RQG core book and the Starter Set I think cults are well enough covered to get rolling. If you REALLY can't wait for the new cults book, pick up one of the Classic era cult books.

There are more than enough adventures for years of play.

Sure, there are some missing topics that the GM guide will cover and it would be nice for it to be available, but it seems to me the current edition of the game is plenty able to be run now, and has been since the core book was released. I have heard of plenty of folks new to RQ and Glorantha picking it up and playing. A huge boon is the compatibility with the classic era products that meant RQG hit the shelf with years of adventures in print and ready to play.

Optionally, if this all stresses you out, take my suggestion for getting into Glorantha: Pick up Classic RQ (RQ2 - or even RQ1...) and Cults of Prax, grab an adventure, and start playing. You don't NEED anything more than that to play. If you want to run the latest edition, add RQG and use RQ2 to cover any GMing topics (like treasure and encounters) missing from the RQG core book. Really, that's all there is to it. Heck I started with less, I started with RQ1 with only 3 crude cult descriptions and some adventures.  But of course gamers today have more expectations...

Oh, and I've been waiting 44 years for heroquesting rules, I can wait a few more...

In the classic era, official product may have come out a bit more frequently, but not really that much when you consider the scope of the product that is coming out now compared to the scope of much of the classic era product (maybe someone can post a comparison of classic era and current edition release schedule to show how close or far apart they release schedules are).

 

[SDLeary]

Come on all... seriously! The OP has a valid point, from the perspective of someone who has not spent that last 30-40 years with this game/world. 

Someone coming into the game/setting cold, who wants to run the game for their friends, is NOT going to find the same published GM support as they would find in many other popular systems. This is NOT the first time this issue has been brought up here.

Sure we have bits and bobs here and there, but even for many of us they can be hard to piece together. 

So rather than belittle their position, is there something concrete we can help them with? The Guide and Sourcebook (probably more this) are excellent starters for a new GM to get an overview of the world, but neither product offer much in the way of guidance as to how to place this information into a game or campaign.

@Zelmor, I'll DM you a suggestion. Its certainly not ideal, but its all I've got at the moment.

SDLeary

Edited August 2, 2022 by SDLeary

[g33k]

1 hour ago, Zelmor said:

Please do not try to sidetrack the conversation into 'what kind of guidance do you need' ...

Umm.  Trying to help, here.

You come in hot, pointing to a problem, going "I need this thing!"
...

1 hour ago, Zelmor said:

... I don't know what I want in a GM guide. It is not my job to figure that out ...

And then it turns out that you're unable or unwilling to even attempt to describe what it is you want?  Apparently, even being asked is... I guess(?) ... offensive to you?

The core book is all you really "need."  Other resources are nice.  But the core book, right there, has the essentials.

You said you got the slipcase set.  The Bestiary has a bunch more useful GM material; and the "GM Screen Pack" has even more (leaning-in on mechanical support).
As others have noted, the Glorantha Sourcebook is great for lore-support... or the massive Guide to Glorantha, but that's a bit of a "high-altitude" view, honestly; not great for a GM at the table.
 

1 hour ago, Zelmor said:

... I am the end consumer of the product and would like assistance on running the game ...

And that's exactly what people here are (trying) to offer you.  You know... when one gamer tries to help another?
Bluntly:  "assistance on running the game" is not what you are asking for in this thread.

I don't know if you honestly believe you are, but it's not what you're doing... because when offered assistance... well...

1 hour ago, Zelmor said:

... This derailing attitude is apologist bullshit ...

Oh, I see.  You're here to win friends and influence people.
Or, y'know, just attack them?  Because everybody loves being randomly attacked, for trying to help!

 

2 hours ago, Zelmor said:

... What I would like is communication. From @Jeff or anyone in the position to say something, anything, beyond the vague 'we can't communicate nor estimate so there's that' thing that I've already found while looking for some clarification on the timeline.

OK... what I *think* I hear is that you want "official" answers regarding the GM's book.
None of us (answering so far in-thread) are "official," and none of us can guarantee anyone "official" WILL answer; but I can relay what I've seen.

Paraphrasing -- and from memory -- but I think it's a reasonably faithful rendering (I welcome corrections and/or addition from anyone better informed than I):

Chaosium has said (and this IS communication!  but it may not be the message you want...), and said consistently for some years now, that they don't announce dates until they can be very sure of them; their experience is that more of the customers & fans are angrier over missed dates & slipped deadlines, than they are by "status-updates-only" announcements (i.e. product <X> is at such-and-such a place in the production pipeline).

I don't think they will change this policy, no matter how much the wailing, the teeth-gnashing, the rending-of-garments.

Chaosium has seen huge slowdowns in actual delivery dates, from multiple factors outside their control.  Paper-supplies disrupted, shipping disrupted, critical personnel sidelined by illness, etc.  And sometimes, delays from stuff that's "nominally" within their control, but humans gonna be human, and creatives gonna be creative, so when "inspiration strikes" maybe product <X> gets a bunch of work sooner, while product <Y> slips down the queue.  Also, sometimes it makes good sense to re-prioritize:  if art is delayed on <X>, product <Y> may advance into layout sooner, and hence get out to the printers sooner, and thence into players' hot little hands sooner.

For example -- the Red Book of Magic.  What that was, was Chaosium's in-house "spell bible," that they used to make new supplements consistent.  They suddenly realized that they had an almost-complete draft manuscript, needing only a bit of art & layout, and it would be ready to publish.  So they did that.  It came somewhat "out of left field," from not-on-the-radar very quickly to "coming soon."  It probably delayed other projects by a bit; but not by all that much, because so much work was already in it.

The RQG products currently heading their production-queue, all quite far-advanced, are these (last updated 10 May 2022):

• Dragon Pass Atlas/Gazetteer
• Slipcase set: The Cults of Glorantha
• Gamemaster Book (including heroquesting rules)
• Sartar Book

The list is explicitly un-ordered.  As noted above, "real life" may strike at any moment, suddenly advancing one product up (or retreating it down) the queue.
 

[g33k]

42 minutes ago, SDLeary said:

Come on all... seriously! The OP has a valid point, from the perspective of someone who has not spent that last 30-40 years with this game/world. 

Someone coming into the game/setting cold, who wants to run the game for their friends, is NOT going to find the same published GM support as they would find in many other popular systems. This is NOT the first time this issue has been brought up here.

Sure we have bits and bobs here and there, but even for many of us they can be hard to piece together. 

SDLeary

It's frankly a bit embarrassing for Chaosium to have promo'ed the GM's book 'way back in the RQG core, and have it un-published all this while later!

And it's a bit of an own-goal for them.  I think they've substantively re-scoped that thing more than once.

But the core rules really are sufficient to run the game; and there's more in the slipcase set.

[Soccercalle]

I think a lot of us can help Zelmor with tips for GMs. And link to great old products from Chaosiums history and JC. But the main problem is that there is difficulties for a new GM to find products easy from the main och official product line. The Sourcebook and Guide is great. But not for helping a new GM create adventures. Bricks and mortar stores dont sell RQ2 products or products from the JC. The fact is that 2020 only gave us one book with scenarios, a coloring book and a book with spells. 2021 gave us only a (great) starter set and the pdf of Weapons & Equipment. 2022 will in a week give us a hardbound copy of W&E. You can't critisise a new or causal observer from thinking that Chaosium is abondoning the RQG product line.

I know for certain that so is not the case. There is huge and great products coming in the not-so-distant future.

But that is because I am active here and on the FB community. But that is not enough for beginners. You must have a product line and an output that makes new GMs players feel that this is a product line there things are happening. And now, not in 2023 or 2024. For gods sake. The core book from 2018 mentioned the GMs book. The GMs screen pack mentioned the Cults book as if it a product that is on the market.

"I have waited for (hero questing rules) for 40 years and can wait some more" is not at good answer to a new customer. And saying that there is some unofficial rules out there on JC is probably not a satisfying answer either. (Even if I love that book written by @soltakss).

Edited August 2, 2022 by Soccercalle

[JRE]

The problem I see with the current rebirth of Glorantha is that it is set up not as a commercial venture (even if the rights owner would like to earn money) like Call of Cthulhu or the other succesful RPGs out there. It is a work of love, and oriented to the thousands of Gloranthaphiles (most in the 40-60 age range, so more money than time). It is not a game for new players, unless one of the players is one of the mentioned Gloranthaphiles guiding other people in the labyrinth.. So the now usual launch of several books and then supplements and scenarios of any new RPG is not taking place in the same order, as the main priority is quality, and for a small team that takes a lot of time. And most fans prefer it this way.

It is the many people who have been playing for 40 years what makes it so difficult for new people to come in. Please start by reading the 800 pages of the guide and you will have the initial background on the world, but we have this arcane abstruse pieces of writing if you really want to know more...

And I am sure deep down (myself included) many people stick to it precisely because it is not a mass market RPG, but one that requires an investment of time, and probably money. In many cases the investment of time was spread through many years, but for someone coming new, it is just excessive when most other games can be explained in ten minutes and require maybe one hour of preparation if you are already familiar with RPG systems. 

It is a secret society, with codes, secret languages and arcane knowledge hidden. A trickster founder that left contradictory scripture and now is dead so he can no longer clarify them. With several levels of priests, hierophants and knowledge masters that control access to the Truth.

So I am afraid we cannot help the OP, because the game, its fandom and the setting are set this way. And the attempts to break this set up (HeroWars/HeroQuest, MongooseRQ) failed, because we, Glorantha fans, are like that.

[French Desperate WindChild]

26 minutes ago, JRE said:

The problem I see with the current rebirth of Glorantha is that it is set up not as a commercial venture (even if the rights owner would like to earn money) like Call of Cthulhu or the other succesful RPGs out there. It is a work of love, and oriented to the thousands of Gloranthaphiles (most in the 40-60 age range, so more money than time). It is not a game for new players, unless one of the players is one of the mentioned Gloranthaphiles guiding other people in the labyrinth.. So the now usual launch of several books and then supplements and scenarios of any new RPG is not taking place in the same order, as the main priority is quality, and for a small team that takes a lot of time. And most fans prefer it this way.

It is the many people who have been playing for 40 years what makes it so difficult for new people to come in. Please start by reading the 800 pages of the guide and you will have the initial background on the world, but we have this arcane abstruse pieces of writing if you really want to know more...

And I am sure deep down (myself included) many people stick to it precisely because it is not a mass market RPG, but one that requires an investment of time, and probably money. In many cases the investment of time was spread through many years, but for someone coming new, it is just excessive when most other games can be explained in ten minutes and require maybe one hour of preparation if you are already familiar with RPG systems. 

It is a secret society, with codes, secret languages and arcane knowledge hidden. A trickster founder that left contradictory scripture and now is dead so he can no longer clarify them. With several levels of priests, hierophants and knowledge masters that control access to the Truth.

So I am afraid we cannot help the OP, because the game, its fandom and the setting are set this way. And the attempts to break this set up (HeroWars/HeroQuest, MongooseRQ) failed, because we, Glorantha fans, are like that.

that's probably the biggest issue with glorantha, that's true 🙂

It is more a master piece, a work of life (or lives) than a traditional business. Both great and frustrating (for some just, great, for some just frustrating, for me both)

It is clear that telling new people "read 800 pagesd and you will find the answer" is hard (I have not yet read it fully) but for those who want to know the world there are guide of glorantha and source book.

However, the RQG core rule book tries to restrict the setting, and it may help new comers to discover Glorantha.

That exists, that is background  for RQG.

But yes new (and some old) consumers would probably prefer homeland supplements (like the expected sartar book), lighter , easier to discover and find what people may need.

 

Now if you already gm another rpg, I don't know what is missing to start a RQG game.

Scenario are fine (official or not).

The cults description in the core book is enough to start (for sure at a time you need really more, but how long tilme before ?)

The core system (actin, fight, etc...) are clearly described (and easiy when you already have played other d100 games)

If you want to create your own scenario, the bestiary gives you a lot of thing too.

Yes you may feel hard to create a full campaign, with all the flavors and lore (like cults, settings), and all the rules (like heroquesting) you expect (but it depends on people too, some are fine with what exists already).

And after few years, well yes if you did not fell in love wiht Glorantha, it may be difficult without what is already planned but not yet published.

But the goddess merits our efforts and patience, I think

 

[Nick Brooke]

My takeaway from this is that it was a mistake to mention a hypothetical future GM's Guide in the core rulebook. But that's just me.