RuneQuest Rules Q&A

[Scotty]

On 4/20/2024 at 2:52 PM, Gamesmeister said:

Pg 144 Augmenting Abilities says that an ability, whether a rune, passion or skill, may be used to augment another ability. In the results section it states that a failed augmentation results in a -20% penalty to the ability being augmented.

Pg 236 Using Passions repeats the rule that a passion can be used to augment a skill, but this time it gives the penalty for failure as a -10% rather than a -20%

Which is correct?

Here is the correct table - note that it does not contain the duration (see the appropriate section)

[Scotty]

1 hour ago, glarkhag said:

I play that gaining rune magic from a god is facilitated by a priest (or Lord) with instruction and a "hand-wave" ritual. Mechanically the instruction would be the talking through the (fractional) Cult Lore of the magic and the ritual would entail Worship (deity) if I were to roll it I suppose.

Note that within the rules, initiates have a direct link to their god upon initiation (which needs a Rune level). To get Rune magic, a temple (minimum a shrine) or a sanctified area (per the Sanctify Rune spell) is needed, plus a sacrifice of (usually) 100L is needed (so five cows etc). It can be done without a Rune level, but is likely to be easier than doing it on your own.

Personally I combine this with a worship ceremony as it makes sense (I use the Worship roll outcome to reflect the Rune magic received. eg, fail or succeed).

1 hour ago, glarkhag said:

Thinking about the mechanics of it came to me in considering how to gain rune magic from cults or sub-cults (particularly folk-hero cults) that have no priests or lords. Orgorvale Summer from the Gamemasters Adventures book for example, or the forgotten hero sub cult I have created in one of my own adventures.  With no spiritual leader to guide the way this feels like it ought to be a bit trickier and not necessarily a "hand-wave". I'm curious to hear what other people do around this.

Joining a sub or hero cult requires the spending of POW to gain the link per RQG, Joining a Subcult, 282 (You get a Rune point and a Rune spell in return for the POW). As the adventurer is already an initiate, you don't need a Rune level, however if the sub or hero cult has one it makes sense to seek them out for assistance. The adventurer needs to attend  an appropriate shrine, temple or sanctified place to do this.

In the case of Orgorvale Summer GMSP 115:

Spoiler

Due to her ancestry, she can be a subcult of Orlanth and Ernalda. Members of those cults can effectively join as above immediately by sacrificing POW. It would make sense to involve local Rune levels in this too (obviously after the adventurers have joined her). Basic information on her is likely well known by most Orlanth initiates as Vinglot is a well know hero (See LB 33) along his wives including Orgorvale's mother, Summer wife. For specific information on her descendants, I'd probably ask for Cult Lore rolls.

Note that The Smoking Ruin & Other Stories, page 40, tells us that Clearwine was:

Founded in 1325, this fortified town is the oldest human settlement in Sartar. Legends hold that Orgorvale, daughter of the demigod Vingkot, built its cyclopean walls in the Lesser Darkness to house her treasures. 

So the Earth temple ar Clearwine is a good place to start her cult.

There's a bit more info here

1 hour ago, glarkhag said:

A simple cult lore and/or a worship roll?

Information on these individuals maybe common knowledge, but Cult Lore, Lhankor Mhy sages, Divination are all useful ways for finding out more.

1 hour ago, glarkhag said:

Do you make them do a minor heroquest to anchor the spell? Handwave some personal instruction from the divine being over a period of a week perhaps?

Only if it adds to the story. 

1 hour ago, glarkhag said:

Given Priests and Lords have POW and CHA of at least 18 respectively then some sort of abstract characteristic roll?

If adventurers want to become Rune levels in these specific cases, follow the guidelines in the Universal Cult Format (Mythology 135, RQG 269)

1 hour ago, glarkhag said:

Assuming this is possible what are the implications for cults where priests and lords do exist and characters started learning stuff on their own..? 

Great story hooks for furthering your game. So it depends on whether the adventures have high Loyalty to their temple or Rune levels. Is there a power struggle going on, etc.

1 hour ago, glarkhag said:

The second question coming from that is perhaps how much of the cult hierarchy is middle world driven - the work of the cult hierarchy - as opposed to deity driven?

All of it is Middle World driven - that's where the adventurers are. See the Nature of the Cult and Organization sections of the Cults of RuneQuest series.

1 hour ago, glarkhag said:

Does Orlanth care if an initiate sacrifices POW and learns his magic without the aid of a priest or lord?

No.

1 hour ago, glarkhag said:

The hierarchy might care - the political leaders of cults could very well feel undermined by independent spell learners!

As above - if you want that kind of story in your games

1 hour ago, glarkhag said:

Also is there an official response on this?

Yes.

[Gamesmeister]

Can an allied spirit or fetch cast a spell that is stored in a spell matrix, assuming the character is in physical contact with the matrix?

Edited 8 hours ago by Gamesmeister