Glorantha supplement

[Mark Mohrfield]

Is there a general Glorantha supplement in the pipeline? I notice that there’s no mention of one in the Glorantha Publications thread, though Dragonrise and Fonrit supplements are mentioned.

[Squaredeal Sten]

The Guide to Glorantha would appear to fit that description, and it's already available.

https://www.chaosium.com/the-guide-to-glorantha-slipcase-set/

 

[Mark Mohrfield]

1 hour ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

The Guide to Glorantha would appear to fit that description, and it's already available.

https://www.chaosium.com/the-guide-to-glorantha-slipcase-set/

 

I meant one for using the Questworlds rules in the setting. 

[Joerg]

16 hours ago, Mark Mohrfield said:

I meant one for using the Questworlds rules in the setting. 

What would you expect in such a book? Character creation rules or rather keyword suggestions for various regions of the world?

There hasn't been any such treatment since the switch from HQ1 to HQ2. Both the HQ1 rules and Men of the Sea had homeland descriptions for regions other than Dragon Pass, but using HQ1 rules. HQ2 and HQG give all the basics for creating characters for those incarnations of HQ but don't offer much in the way of cult information for deities outside of the core region. All the information that would have gone into such a supplement is now worked into the RQG Gods books, which will become the canonical backdrop for any Questworlds Glorantha treatment. I don't expect Chaosium to divert any resources on separating out the stuff relevant only for RuneQuest out of that opus - at a guess, 80% of the content would not be affected. All the Mythos and History, inter-cult relationships etc. will remain applicable. The Red Book of Magic contains much of the rulesy parts of the Gods Books.

Tackling specific areas like e.g. Fonrit, presenting the major cults of that region, drawing on what is found in the RQG Gods books is what we can realistically expect for a QuestWorlds Glorantha line. Probably loaning quite a bit of imagery and text passages from the Gods Book where myths need to be repeated - there are similar duplications of earlier sources in some of the RuneQuest line books. Repurposing perfectly fine artwork makes sense.

A book for all of Glorantha, from the same distance as the RQG cults books, doesn't seem to make much sense. A somewhat closer look on a region than the Guide provides would be more sensible.

 

There seems to be quite a bottleneck in Chaosium's resources for art direction and art production, while there are numerous Jonstown Compendium works which have fairly high standards using resources outside of Chaosium's immediate circle. Of course Chaosium will "poach" on these ressources, getting pre-trained talent for their official products, but that won't necessarily speed up Chaosium's Glorantha lines much.

I expect a few more Jonstown Compendium products for Questlines once we have a printed or POD rulesbook in our hands. Preparing an adventure or a campaign for the HQG rules takes a lot less work on things like stat blocks, which allows a faster turnover for such products. Background books like The Children of Hykim have fewer RQG-specific content and will probably sell better by pleasing the bigger RuneQuest crowd by offering some of that while still being perfectly fine for players of QWG.

Unless you are aiming for hardcover print publications, the Jonstown Compendium (JTC) makes it fairly easy to add a RQG booklet pdf with RQG stat blocks for a QWG campaign. In the old Avalon Hill RQ3 material, these extra booklets were used to good effect.

There are also a number of "generic" stat block pdfs on the JTC for RQG that serve a similar function, reducing the necessity of such products.

[Mark Mohrfield]

6 hours ago, Joerg said:

What would you expect in such a book? Character creation rules or rather keyword suggestions for various regions of the world?

I suppose that what I'm looking for is what was in the HeroQuest: Glorantha main rulebook; rules and cults for Dragon Pass characters. Or would that be included in the Dragonrise book?

[g33k]

I think the QW jargon for this is going to be "genre pack."

I recall seeing (some time ago; plans change, no guarantees until you're fondling your own necrotic Aldryami) that a Gloranthan genre pack was planned to be among the first few on offer.

 

[svensson]

I had asked about a genericized RQG rules set suitable for Questworlds or other milieux a few months ago and was told quite emphatically that nothing like that is in the works.

This isn't altogether bad, however. BRP is the generic d100 system and it's relatively easy to module in any specific mechanics you like to create your own take on things. It's one of the great things about d100 - - you can add or subtract elements of the system without having to completely rewrite a game system.

[Steve]

From the QuestWorlds group on Facebook, back in January 2022 (see attached screenshot).

 

[g33k]

On 8/27/2022 at 4:49 PM, svensson said:

I had asked about a genericized RQG rules set suitable for Questworlds or other milieux a few months ago and was told quite emphatically that nothing like that is in the works ...

If you specified a "RQG" set for QW, then no -- I wouln't expect such a thing.
They are fundamentally-different rulesets.

[jajagappa]

On 8/27/2022 at 7:49 PM, svensson said:

I had asked about a genericized RQG rules set suitable for Questworlds or other milieux a few months ago and was told quite emphatically that nothing like that is in the works.

That sounds like you are thinking of the old Questworld setting (which was RQ-based though outside of Glorantha) vs. Questworlds which is the rebranded HeroQuest system (and is expected to include genre packs for both Glorantha and non-Glorantha).

[svensson]

33 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

That sounds like you are thinking of the old Questworld setting (which was RQ-based though outside of Glorantha) vs. Questworlds which is the rebranded HeroQuest system (and is expected to include genre packs for both Glorantha and non-Glorantha).

I was unaware that HQ was rebranding itself as QW. I was thinking of the old QW boxed set.

I really didn't like the HQ rules that much... they were too 'narrative' and open to power-gamer misuse for me. YMMV, of course, but that definitely not the rules I'd be running with.

I'd wholeheartedly support d100 genre books... in fact I've bought several BRP titles that did that.... but I won't be collecting any HQ material.

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, svensson said:

I was unaware that HQ was rebranding itself as QW. I was thinking of the old QW boxed set.

Yes, Hasbro and Chaosium worked out the return of the HeroQuest trademark to Hasbro a year or more ago now.  That's why none of the HQ material is currently available - Chaosium can no longer sell material under that trademark name, and has renamed that RPG line as QuestWorlds.

2 hours ago, svensson said:

I'd wholeheartedly support d100 genre books... in fact I've bought several BRP titles that did that.... but I won't be collecting any HQ material.

From the list of RQG content in plan, I saw that a Mythic Iceland d100 setting was planned.

But this thread is explicitly in regard to the QuestWorlds (formerly HQG) line and potential supplements/genre packs for that.

2 hours ago, svensson said:

I really didn't like the HQ rules that much... they were too 'narrative' and open to power-gamer misuse for me. YMMV, of course, but that definitely not the rules I'd be running with.

I like both RQG and HQG myself, and still run both.  

[Richard S.]

At least with how QuestWorlds runs things you can pretty much use RQG as a Glorantha supplement as-is. A QW specific supplement I think would have pretty much the same fluff, just stripping out the rules and giving some broad advice for character creation and magic. RQ spells can easily be reflavored as Abilities.

On a bit of an aside, I've begun to feel the attempts to differentiate the three systems through rules aren't really needed anymore, and would like if any genre pack in the future softened or outright did away with them except as flavor (which of course is almost as strong as mechanics in QW). Who cares if "Thunderbolt of Heaven" is a feat broken out from a rune, a charm, or a spell broken out from a grimoire - it's an ability, put it where you want and use it how you think it should be used. Magic is magic.

[Mark Mohrfield]

On 9/7/2022 at 2:36 AM, Richard S. said:

On a bit of an aside, I've begun to feel the attempts to differentiate the three systems through rules aren't really needed anymore, and would like if any genre pack in the future softened or outright did away with them except as flavor (which of course is almost as strong as mechanics in QW). Who cares if "Thunderbolt of Heaven" is a feat broken out from a rune, a charm, or a spell broken out from a grimoire - it's an ability, put it where you want and use it how you think it should be used. Magic is magic.

Agreed, and the subject of a previous thread.

Simplifying Gloranthan Magic.

[jajagappa]

On 9/7/2022 at 2:36 AM, Richard S. said:

I've begun to feel the attempts to differentiate the three systems through rules aren't really needed anymore, and would like if any genre pack in the future softened or outright did away with them except as flavor (which of course is almost as strong as mechanics in QW). Who cares if "Thunderbolt of Heaven" is a feat broken out from a rune, a charm, or a spell broken out from a grimoire - it's an ability, put it where you want and use it how you think it should be used. Magic is magic.

That's pretty much what I did in my HQG campaign.  Aside from distinct breakouts of keywords (Runes, grimoire, ...) or an occasional special ability standalone, it didn't matter to me which/how the characters used their magic.

[AndreasDavour]

On 8/17/2022 at 9:57 PM, Mark Mohrfield said:

Is there a general Glorantha supplement in the pipeline? I notice that there’s no mention of one in the Glorantha Publications thread, though Dragonrise and Fonrit supplements are mentioned.

Don't hold your breath. QW is as close as unsupported as a game line can be. RQ sells good, so it gets the attention.

[Mark Mohrfield]

4 hours ago, AndreasDavour said:

Don't hold your breath. QW is as close as unsupported as a game line can be. RQ sells good, so it gets the attention.

Well, it’s not actually out yet.

[AndreasDavour]

Which kind of proves my point.

[Mark Mohrfield]

Delays are near universal in this industry. Don’t give up hope.

[Richard S.]

A game line that doesn't exist can't be unsupported

[Doug]

5 hours ago, Mark Mohrfield said:

Don’t give up hope.

I don't want to give up hope, but this was supposed to be the year of QuestWorlds. It seems unlikely that anything can be printed and in the hands of the public (ie - my hands) before the end of the year. I guess a PDF isn't yet off the table, but I'm a dead tree person, so 2022 isn't my year.

[AndreasDavour]

Considering how careful Chaosium is these days of saying that something will be coming out at a specific time, I think the fact that this was claimed to be the year of QuestWorlds, and we have seen nothing yet, means that other things have taken precedence. I think that probably is RQ, as it sells...

For piece of mind, I think it's best to consider Robin's design a bit too much for most people, and act like we'll probably never see it again.

That being said, I'm very thankful Chaosium have provided us with the SRD document, so you can use it at home.

[Amontillado]

On 9/21/2022 at 11:25 PM, AndreasDavour said:

Considering how careful Chaosium is these days of saying that something will be coming out at a specific time, I think the fact that this was claimed to be the year of QuestWorlds, and we have seen nothing yet, means that other things have taken precedence. I think that probably is RQ, as it sells...

For piece of mind, I think it's best to consider Robin's design a bit too much for most people, and act like we'll probably never see it again.

That being said, I'm very thankful Chaosium have provided us with the SRD document, so you can use it at home.

I did try to run HQ:Glorantha, but the rules baffled me. I'm a fan of Robin's, but the assembled text seemed to be repetitive and possibly contradictory and kind of shuffled. The last time I looked at the SRD, it was as not-user-friendly as one would expect from an SRD, so I dunno. I want to play this game more than any other, but I need the "one-sheet" guide to how to do so.

 

[soltakss]

7 hours ago, Amontillado said:

I want to play this game more than any other, but I need the "one-sheet" guide to how to do so.

There is an excellent one sheet guide in the QuestWorlds forum.

[jajagappa]

9 hours ago, Amontillado said:

I want to play this game more than any other, but I need the "one-sheet" guide to how to do so.

I pretty much boil it down to this:

• your character gets some "set" of abilities.  Some are keywords (categories) and some are specific.  
• at plot points in a narrative/story, you apply an ability in order to achieve some goal
  • the character identifies the relevant ability;
  • the GM assigns a difficulty to the task;
  • both roll and each gets a level of success;
  • the levels of success are compared to see whether the character achieved the goal, or not.
• the level of difficulty generally varies based on where you are in the narrative arc of the story (though certain events might have a set level of difficulty) 

The actual mechanics are fairly minimal working on a D20 scale, but as an ability goes above 20, instead of going to 21, 22,... you gain a level of Mastery at that point.  A level of Mastery allows you to potentially bump up your level of success on your roll, or bump down the opposing difficulty, so that the character can achieve certain types of things more readily.  If both you and the difficulty are at the same level of mastery, that cancels out.

Everything else is just an elaboration on the above.