What's your favourite aspects of RQG?

[Barak Shathur]

To balance out the criticisms I have been leveling at this game system, here's a celebratory thread. I guess I could say in terms of game mechanics, RQ/BRP as a whole is the worst system, apart from all the other ones! There's none I'd rather play. It combines simulationist realism (a must for me) with playability (a must for my aging brain, I just can't spend any more time flipping through the tables of Rolemaster or adding up the armour layers of HarnMaster). And in terms of gaming experience, as a player in a long running RQG game I've had some of the most fun I've ever had in table top rpg, even ranking with the glorious experiences of childhood, which doesn't say a little. So my list of great stuff:

Skill based progression (of course). No chasing XP by slaughtering everything in sight. Skill based games tend to become more story driven in my experience, apart from simulating the real world better.

Attributes have a real impact. In some other games, only exceptionally high scores make a difference.

Combat, at its best, is scary, intense and dramatic. I would tweak a few things, but that's pretty minor.

Passions. What a great innovation! What a way to drive character motivation.

But the top thing I think is the world building. I have not come across a game that situates a PC so firmly in its environment, culture and history. And in this company I don't really have to mention it, but Glorantha is as unique, magical and fascinating as a fantasy world could be. Thanks to this, RP:ing in Glorantha is always meaningful. Adventures float on a river of deep structure, where everything ties into something greater than itself. It's a remarkable accomplishment, so hats off to all who contributed.

I'm sure I can think of more. What's yours?

 

[Godlearner]

I am greatful to RQG for all the new gaming material generated both from Chaosium and through JC.  

[smiorgan]

1. Better integration with Glorantha (Runes, Seasonal Play, etc.). Passions.

2. Compatibility with RQ2 and RQ3- a ton of classic stuff I can use

3. Rune points and revised Rune Magic in general - love them rune points!

4. Inspiring art - great to show to players to immediately grasp the setting 

5. Jonstown Compendium - amazing!

6. Colymar - Jonstown campaign setting (GM's book an Starter Set) provide a very playable campaign 

These are the new things I specifically love in the latest edition. But take in mind that this is on top of my deep love for BRP and RQ's previous editions. 

[g33k]

For me, there's really twin pillars of delight, the BRP/RQ mechanics, and the setting of Glorantha.

There are elements that cross over, linking the pillars, such as the new Rune mechanics, the "family/generational lifepath" character creation, &c.  But everything comes back to one or both of those two pillars.

[Mugen]

Concerning RQG specifically, I'd say Rune Points, Rune affinities and Passions.

[soltakss]

Regarding RQG in particular, as opposed to RQ in general:

• Passions work really well
• I like how Runes become important and can drive your personality
• Rune Pools work really well
• Common Runemagic not needing to be learned is great
• The Sacred Time rules for wealth seem to be good, although we haven't used them, it stops micromanagement of property
• The Jonstown Compendium resource is fantastic

 

[Nick Brooke]

I'll second everything @soltakss says, and give a shout-out to the artwork as well: it's phenomenal! Between the core rules (especially art for homeland cultures and all the full-page Vasana's Saga illustrations), the Red Book of Magic (showing what magic looks like) and Weapons and Equipment (for Bronze Age material culture), we have never been better served.

I'm also a big fan of seasonal adventures. Once your players get used to them, they make game mastering a breeze!

Edited January 6, 2023 by Nick Brooke

[Scornado]

The fact that unlike RQ2 (last version I played) it is so much more complete - so Runes particularly

 

[DreadDomain]

Pretty much what others have said so far and only focusing on what stand out from previous RQ editions:

• How runes link magic, personality traits and overall emulation of your god
• Passions and augments (although it is in RQ6)
• Sacred time rules
• The art and art direction

More generally, it is Glorantha and it is BRP.

[Shiningbrow]

Other than (and directly related to) the lack of classes and levels (aka, skill progression), and again not specifically the RQ side of things, but ..... magic! Not merely the Rune magic, but the spirit magic and sorcery. And much more importantly, that being a mage while wearing armour and wielding a sword isn't that much of a life choice, but rather a standard. My character doesn't need to 'multi-class' to be able to do this, and isn't limited (too much) by it.

The more obvious lack of balance - again an effect of not having levels. (although, honestly, that's more a GM thing than a system thing... but I still find it frustrating that some games need to 'balance' everyone.)

Glorantha! I'm in a chat group for mostly D&D, and they recently had a discussion about how much GMs try to incorporate non-human races into an environment, be it a city or town, or just generically. I found it amusing that, after about 50 years, that's going on ...

Related to the above - moral ambiguity.

Sacrifice! Sure, choosing a class is a sacrifice, but in a very different way. I do like that in RQ, you need to sacrifice to actually empower yourself. And that there's (especially in RQG) a lot more ways to do this. How the hell does a character devoted to healing and a healing god have the same sort of combat skills as so many others?

Uniqueness. In class-based systems, most characters are the same (or within a set cookie-cutter). The concept of a 'build' is actually limiting. And at each level, you have various 'choices' (ie, usually 1 out of only 2 or 3). "oh, there's a mage. What type are they, and thus how do we handle them?" Pretty predictable to me. (I wonder if I should start a "Best builds" thread 😛.

 

On 1/5/2023 at 10:44 PM, Barak Shathur said:

or adding up the armour layers of HarnMaster)

Actually, I'd love to play HarnMaster... It doesn't look that difficult. Although, I do wonder how mages are supposed to progress their spells - such as those that can't be repeatedly cast. I especially like the different damage types & protections.

[Kloster]

On the game itself (compared to previous editions): Rune Points, Rune affinities, economics abstraction, non bland sorcery, augments.

On the production itself: High quality art, a pretty complete rules book.

[Barak Shathur]

I want to add that I, also, find the artwork incredible and highly contributing to the immersion. Immersion, maybe that’s the key word here. That’s what RQ as a whole is so successful at. 
 

6 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

Actually, I'd love to play HarnMaster... It doesn't look that difficult. Although, I do wonder how mages are supposed to progress their spells - such as those that can't be repeatedly cast. I especially like the different damage types & protections.

HarnMaster, at least 3ed, actually runs pretty smoothly, once you get all those armour layers tallied up. I find the huge amount of hit locations excessive and overly laborious to manage. Everything else is fantastic, especially the damage types and protections. Columbia Games actually just released a QuickStart version, where they reduce the hit locations to about the same as BRP. I think this really is a direction for them to go. 
 

Anyway, back in topic! Good points everyone. 

[Rob Darvall]

Art aside (it's wonderful) I'd have to say augments. It vastly expands the range of usable PCs.

[DreadDomain]

On 1/7/2023 at 10:30 AM, DreadDomain said:

Pretty much what others have said so far and only focusing on what stand out from previous RQ editions:

• How runes link magic, personality traits and overall emulation of your god
• Passions and augments (although it is in RQ6)
• Sacred time rules
• The art and art direction

More generally, it is Glorantha and it is BRP.

Actually, I forgot to add:

• Graphic design

Chaosium is really good at this and it is surprising how a good layout and graphic design enhance a book.

[Kloster]

7 hours ago, DreadDomain said:

Chaosium is really good at this and it is surprising how a good layout and graphic design enhance a book.

I agree with you that a good layout and graphic design enhance a book and, as I explained before, the look of RQG if far better than any previous editions (and many other games), but for readability, for me, RQ3 is still the golden standard (Ugly, but ...).

[Rodney Dangerduck]

I find it humorous that, at the same time, this thread is praising Passions, while another thread Negative Passions During Character Creation) points out flaws or confusions in the implementation.  I agree with both.

[Beoferret]

What I appreciate about RQG:

- much of the combat system: hit locations, armor as damage resistance, active defense against attacks, etc.

- much of the art - evocative and cool.

- Passions and Runes - 

- the character background history minigame - at little too focused on big events, to my mind, but overall a fun way to link characters and players to the setting.

- Rune magic and how belonging to a particular cult is directly linked to what magic a PC has access to.

- social skills and similar magic (Bless Pregnancy) can have a real purpose in a game.

[Ian Absentia]

As stated by others (because it can't be emphasised enough), what really sets RQG apart from its forebears is Common Rune Magic and its broader availability.  I really like Passions and Affinities, but it's Rune Magic that opens the doors and windows.

!i!

[TrvShane]

I rather like that it gave me a fresh "in point" for Glorantha. This new edition has to be accesible for new people, I reasoned, and so far it has been*. I'm aware there are many years of Gloranthan publications but I am restricting myself to the core Chaosium ones** so as not to overwhelm myself - this new edition start is perfect for that.

I started in 2019 after picking up the QS at the Chaosium Essen booth - before that my sole RQ or Glorantha exposure was one *terrible* (for a few reasons) con game that left me cold at GenCon Reading. Something about the new QS and chatting about it with the booth staff really fired my imagination and I am glad that the new edition was there to pull me in - I can confidently say if it didn't exist I wouldn't be engaged with Glorantha today. That conversation post QS read led to me impulse buying the core set and guide before the end of the con using my splurge budget (not that i have used the guide much - but it's a cool artefact).

* = I wish the starter set was there at day 1 though for a more gentle intro than the full core set, though the GM screen booklet with Apple Lane et al did give me a decent "what you do" idea to back up the QS.

** = I did pick up a few JC titles early on, and I like Six Seasons in Sartar for example, but to make it easier for myself and my non-RQ-experience group only what is in the official books is common understanding for the upcoming game - everything else will be solid YGWV territory.

Edited January 11, 2023 by TrvShane

[TrvShane]

14 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

As stated by others (because it can't be emphasised enough), what really sets RQG apart from its forebears is Common Rune Magic and its broader availability.  I really like Passions and Affinities, but it's Rune Magic that opens the doors and windows.

!i!

This is interesting having not come to RQ before RQG. I couldn't see the idea of Rune Magic that you learn and lose being anywhere near as compelling. In essence then it just fills the gameplay (not setting) niche that scrolls or potions do in other fantasy games - an occasional benny but not core to the character. And by the end of any D&D or Skyrim game who doesn't have bags full of unused scrolls or potions being either a) saved for the "right moment" or b) forgotten about. It seems odd that the gods-granted magics (central to the setting I would argue) wasn't more availible in earlier editions.

[Dragon]

My take:

• Runes and passions fill in more of the environment of magic
• The expanded Glorantha story
• The artwork is fantastic
• Characters begin capable, but with plenty of room to grow. (meaning more skills than previous versions - appropriate for the start of the Hero Wars)
• The rule set is more complete, with the seasonal rules, the W&E, etc.
  even though we still await more details in Gods and Goddesses, with Sorcery, and with Heroquesting.
• The interaction with the Chaosium staff: Q&A, Jeff's posts on FB, the Forums - phenomenal
• The Jonstown Compedium is great for us all to participate
• The stories are not just a bunch of monsters to overcome for levelling. The skill set is so much more.

And I agree with much of what was said above.

[Nick Brooke]

17 hours ago, TrvShane said:

It seems odd that the gods-granted magics (central to the setting I would argue) wasn't more availible in earlier editions.

Yup. I pointed this out back in the early nineties, in an article for Tales of the Reaching Moon proposing initiates should get reusable Rune magic. At around the same time, David Cheng was lobbying for something called RunePower, which is remarkably similar to the Rune Points pool in RQG (only without the need to learn specific spells). Literally decades ahead of our time, yo!

(our contributions have been generously acknowledged by the creators of RQG, and no snarkasm is intended)

Edited January 12, 2023 by Nick Brooke

[metcalph]

Just now, Nick Brooke said:

Yup. I pointed this out back in the early nineties, in an article for Tales of the Reaching Moon proposing initiates should get reusable Rune magic. At around the same time, David Cheng was lobbying for something called RunePower, which is remarkably similar to the Rune Points pool in RQG (only without the need to learn specific spells). Literally decades ahead of our time, yo!

(our contributions have been generously acknowledged by the creators of RQG, and no snarkasm is intended)

I note with some amusement that in the Stafford House Campaign Book (p49 - originally Dragons Past #9) there is mention of a proposed rule to allow initiates with 18 POW to have reusable divine magic.  I think it didn't get adopted into RQ3 because the RQ2 rule that Priests must have 18 POW was abolished and they couldn't think of a replacement rule.