RQ2: Character Creation Questions

[Bahntah]

I am reading through RQ2/RQC and trying to understand all the options in character creation.

If a character joins the mercenaries, the book lists the weapons and armor of their company. They gain skills relevant to those weapons, but no details are provided about the armor.

Do they start with all the weapons/armor of that mercenary company? Or do they still have to buy them?

 

EDIT: If I can add a second question, can you take credit from only one guild, or can you take it from both (eg) the fighters guild and your cult?

Edited April 14, 2023 by Bahntah

[Squaredeal Sten]

What is listed as possessions & equipment for any occupation, is assumed to be earned during the adventurer's prior experience from ages 16 to 21.  

Now, just me - When I started a campaign with 16 year old adventurers I did not start them with all that, but they did have what was provided by the clan and family for their status.  Which includes fyrd equipment.  No loot acquired in prior mercenary experience though.

Edited April 14, 2023 by Squaredeal Sten
Removed white space.

[Godlearner]

1 hour ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

When I started a campaign with 16 year old adventurers

Not in RQG, unless you never expect them to leave their village.

[g33k]

1 hour ago, Godlearner said:

Not in RQG, unless you never expect them to leave their village.

Yes, but the OP specifically cited RQ2/RGC  -- RQG doesn't enter in.

 

[Squaredeal Sten]

1 hour ago, Godlearner said:

Not in RQG, unless you never expect them to leave their village.

Not accurate.  I am running a Six Seasons in Satar campaign.  They leVe the village at about age 17 .5.  At this point we are about 13 Gloranthan years into the campaign.  You don't HAVE to start RQG characters at age 21.  And you could run Six Seasons with earlier rules. Though the treatment of Runes does enhance the game.

Edited April 14, 2023 by Squaredeal Sten
Last sentences

[g33k]

Hey, @Bahntah -- welcome to BRPC, and the RQ tribe!

 

3 hours ago, Bahntah said:

...
EDIT: If I can add a second question, can you take credit from only one guild, or can you take it from both (eg) the fighters guild and your cult?

I embed them in their community.
When they go out on an adventure, everyone knows it.  When they come back with loot, everyone knows it... and all the guilds&cults that had extended credit now expect to be paid back.

They don't likely have enough loot to make everyone happy.

The key question is:  how unhappy will they make each of their creditors? 

 

The answer, to me, is "whatever makes the best further plot-hooks and storylines."

Edited April 14, 2023 by g33k

[Baron Wulfraed]

11 hours ago, Bahntah said:

I am reading through RQ2/RQC and trying to understand all the options in character creation.

If a character joins the mercenaries, the book lists the weapons and armor of their company. They gain skills relevant to those weapons, but no details are provided about the armor.

Back in the day (real RQ2 hardcover) my GM basically had us start characters as 16 year-old punks finally allowed to go out on their own. We never used the supplemental prior experience rules. Our first combat experience -- barring random encounters -- tended to beating up the operator of the "troll bridge" a half day out of town. Of course, they kept reinforcing the staff until we finally conceded it was better to just pay the troll.

Weapons & Armor? We started with tree branches (wooden clubs: "Light Mace", maybe "Singlestick") and the equivalent of a poncho made of thick carpeting (basically what became the under-padding when we gained access to real armor: "Leather Hood", 1pt "Leather" or, per footnote, quilted) -- or whatever we could buy with the "starting money" on page 12 (and pretty much no body was allowed the three noble categories -- most hoped for Barbarian as horse [mostly], armor, and weapons were included). Oh, and base equipment -- page 15

[soltakss]

On 4/14/2023 at 4:49 PM, Bahntah said:

If a character joins the mercenaries, the book lists the weapons and armor of their company. They gain skills relevant to those weapons, but no details are provided about the armor.

We always played that you started with the armour and equipment.

On 4/14/2023 at 4:49 PM, Bahntah said:

EDIT: If I can add a second question, can you take credit from only one guild, or can you take it from both (eg) the fighters guild and your cult?

If you belong to both Guilds you can get Credit from both Guilds.

 

[svensson]

On 4/14/2023 at 8:49 AM, Bahntah said:

I am reading through RQ2/RQC and trying to understand all the options in character creation.

If a character joins the mercenaries, the book lists the weapons and armor of their company. They gain skills relevant to those weapons, but no details are provided about the armor.

Do they start with all the weapons/armor of that mercenary company? Or do they still have to buy them?

 

EDIT: If I can add a second question, can you take credit from only one guild, or can you take it from both (eg) the fighters guild and your cult?

1. If you look in the description of each type of Warrior profession [Heavy or Light, Infantry or Cavalry], you'll find the armors listed there. Those are 'free' in that they're part of the equipment by which you earn your trade. The character generation does not say whether or not you are still a member of a mercenary company or not because that's for the referee to decide once he sets up the parameters of the campaign.

2. There is no 'Fighters Guild' in Glorantha. The god Humakt uses his temple as a hiring hall for mercenaries and in wartime will recruit mercenaries to fill out the ranks of a company based out of that temple for the duration. The best place to leave your money is with your cult. This is VERY handy when you need to tap your cash for ransom. Depending on how nasty a fight was and how desperate you captors are, you may have to pay far more than the listed average ransom for someone of your social status.

Also note that the Humakt temple is not the only place a mercenary can get hired. Some larger and more formal companies recruit under their own flags based on their own reputation. If you need to be equipped by such a company, you'll have to negotiate any deficiencies in equipment with them.