RuneQuest Rules Q&A

[Scotty]

10 minutes ago, Runeblogger said:

Having a look at this old thread, it seems the amount of MPs needed to cast a sorcery spell is still unclear to many people (me included). So, could you please create an example of the casting of a spell that costs 4 times the normal amount of MPs (as it says in the rulebook "and if a sorcerer tries to cast a spell with a Rune and a technique they have not mastered, the magic point cost is multiplied by 4 (essentially, doubled twice)") and that uses at least 3 runes/techniques?

Does it work like this?
- double the amount of MPs if it uses at least one Rune or technique that the sorcerer has not mastered

Like this?
- double the amount of MPs for every Rune or technique that the sorcerer has not mastered (f.ex. if a spell uses two runes you have not mastered and 2 techniques you have not mastered, does it cost 4x2=8 times the normal amount of MPs?

Or like this?
- double the amount of MPs if it uses at least one Rune or technique that the sorcerer has not mastered, and
- four times the amount of MPs if it uses at least one Rune and at least one technique that the sorcerer has not mastered (in this case, four times the normal amount would the maximum multiplier that could be applied to any sorcerous casting).

Thanks! 🙂

See 7.2 Mixed Mastered & Unmastered Magic Point Costs in the Q&A

 

[Richard S.]

21 minutes ago, Runeblogger said:

 

Per the Q&A, the initial cost is 1 MP for each mastered rune or technique, or 2 MP for each unmastered rune/technique.

Additional levels of intensity cost 1 MP if all runes and techniques are mastered, or 2 MP if any are unmastered.

So a spell cast with 1 mastered rune and 2 unmastered, that is then boosted by 4 levels, would have a base cost of 5 MP (1 for the mastered rune, 2 each for the unmastered), and cost 8 MP to raise its intensity (2 per level as it includes unmastered runes, x4 levels), for a total cost of 13 MP.

The rulebook phrases it very weirdly.

[Scotty]

10 hours ago, Jonas said:

Page 148, the example where Harmast gets hit in the head seems to imply that the rule about limbs only transferring twice their HP to total HP loss also applies to other body parts. Because if all of the 9 damage he took went to total HP he would be at 1, not 2. Is this a mistake?

Please see the correction 5.5 Harmast Example (page 148) on the Well of Daliath:

Change

Correction

It knocks him out. Harmast is now unconscious, with 1 total hit point remaining and will lose 1 hit points each melee round until First Aid or healing magic is applied.

 

10 hours ago, Jonas said:

Healing of severed or maimed limbs. There's a long thread about this where some forumites say that the discrepancy on page 149

No one asked for an official answer. So I am unaware of this.

10 hours ago, Jonas said:

(do you need a Heal 6 applied all at once or just enough total healing over 10 minutes) is because the text makes a difference between severing and maiming. However, the rule on page 148 doesn't provide any means of making such a distinction. What's going on here?

• There is no difference mechanically between a maimed and severed limb (it's just how it was damaged).
• You have ten minutes to restore magically the hit points of a maimed or severed limb.
• It does not state what healing magic you can use to restore the limb.

Separately

• Heal states: 6 points of Heal will restore a severed limb to the body if both parts are available. (page 262)
• Heal Wound: The caster must simultaneously spend magic points equal to the points to be healed. (page 330)
• Heal Body: Any severed limbs are reattached if available, or regenerate as if new. (page 330)

Note

• If you have a limb with more that seven hit points, and apply Heal 6, you will need to apply more magical healing to bring it up to its maximum
• Healing Trance will not work as it will take longer than 10 minutes.
• A Healing Spirit will not work as it will take longer than 10 minutes.

3 hours ago, Jonas said:

So, when page 149 states "Only a 6-point Heal spell (or its equivalent" (emphasis mine) will restore a severed limb, that's an error?

No, there is also an or that states or its equivalent. The magical equivalents are Heal Wound or Heal body.

3 hours ago, Jonas said:

You can actually just heal it up 1 point at a time, as long as you do it within 10 minutes?

Not with Heal spirit magic, as that specifically says Heal 6. But with Heal Wound you could in theory cast multiple Rune spells within ten minutes and build up to completely healing the limb (although I've only ever seen players use Heal Wound to completely heal adventurers). Note that Heal Body needs no magic points so a single casting will reattach limbs. 

What you can't do is use non-magical techniques to reattach limbs, no matter how well you roll on First Aid.

 

[Scotty]

33 minutes ago, Jose Luis said:

I have some doubts concerning the correct use of shamans in the game:

1) One of my characters, a shaman, started as a shaman apprentice as the background profession (which is logical).  The first question is: at what age did he become a shaman apprentice? The rules do not seem to say when a character starts with the backgorund profession. 

See Your History, RQG 29. Your adventurer comes of age at 18 and that's when their story begins.

33 minutes ago, Jose Luis said:

This is very relevant in this case, because in the rules it is stated that a shaman apprentice gains POW every year (and also when he becomes a shaman).  So when he starts adventuring after character's creation, has he gained this additional POW (that in this case needs to be added to his starting POW)? For example, if he was a shaman apprentice at 15, and he starts adventuring at 21, does this mean that he gains the additional POW for six years to be added to his already starting POW?  This seems very overpowered, but I cannot find and alternative...

No. You only receive these increases after play begins at age 21. Everything else before is considered what makes your adventurer what they are when they start play (skills, magic, characteristics).

33 minutes ago, Jose Luis said:

2) In one instance, the player had a shaman that wanted to talk to a spirit that was bound to a physical place in the "real" world.  This physical place was extremely far from the shaman's location.  So what the player wanted to do was to initiate an astral trip and reach this spirit travelling through the spiritual plane, arguing that this should be quick and easy, as he kew where the spirit was located.  Is this possible?

Yes. But it's not quick, discorporation is an hour long ritual. If they are a shaman, they spend five magic points and then spend an hour discorporating (see Discorporation RQG 357), and then takes 1D6 hours of travel / activity.

33 minutes ago, Jose Luis said:

The player seemed to be resembling the physical world with the spiritual world, as if each location in one place had an equivalent in the other, so for one spirit to go from Sartar to Esrolia (for example), it would simply do and equivalent trip in the spiritual plane but just much faster.  Is that so?  How does it really work?  Can he avoid the hazards of the astral trip just because he knows the physical location where the other spirit is bound?  Obviusly this question only applies to trips where bound spirits are located (as I suppose free spirit have no equivalent location in the pysical world).

If the shaman knows where the spirit is it makes it easier: see Finding Spirits (RQG 374). If they know the spirit's location I would treat it as At an appropriate Spirit Place and allow the minimum +20%. If they had met it before, I would allow +50% to there spirit travel roll. Remember, that for one magic point added to the discorporation, they can add +1% to their spirit travel if done in the discorporation ritual. Standard discorporation allows one spirit travel roll and one spirit encounter, and takes 1D6 hours. For example:

• Spirit Travel 70%
• Know where the spirit can be found: +20%
• Spend 10 extra magic points in the discorporation ritual: + 10%
• Consider augmenting to get another bonus.
• Total spirit travel Roll: 100%, then roll a d6 for the number of hours.

If they succeed, they meet the spirit and can do what they intended (bind, ask questions, ally, etc.).

If they fail, they encounter a different spirit (see Finding Spirits, failure (RQG 375)

33 minutes ago, Jose Luis said:

3) Maybe this is in the rules, but I am not sure: how does a shaman looks for (and finds) a very specific spirit?  For example, the shaman wishes to capture a unique individual, not just a spirit of a defined type.

Unique spirits on the Spirit Rarity table (RQG 375) are -50% to spirit travel to find. The shaman should be specially prepared and may need to use extended discorporation to allow more time. 

[Scotty]

2 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

I've just noticed that Illusory Sight has a Moon Rune as one of its casting options, yet Seven Mothers doesn't have the spell listed here.

Is the inclusion of the Rune an error,

No.

2 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

or is it going to be updated as part of the sub-cults in the upcoming book?

No. It was included as the Moon Rune is associated with illusion (it also supports cults such as Donandar and tricksters in the Lunar Empire).

Edited Thursday at 09:08 AM by Scotty
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