Out in Print!: Treasures of Glorantha 2

[Austin]

Treasures of Glorantha: V2 — Relics of the Second Age is now available in PDF on DriveThruRPG! 😄

It's also now available in Print on Demand!

***

I'm delighted to share that the promised follow-up to Treasures of Glorantha V1 is in production! This magic item compendium is your essential guide to powers lost in the Second Age. Coming on February 23rd, 2024!

 

Edited April 10 by Crel
Out in Print!

[Murf]

Nice,

Several members of our group have embraced the Draconic Way and will certainly get some use out of this product.

[Austin]

Still churning forward on this - here's a spread from the free PDF preview I've uploaded for purchasers of Volume 1. 😄 (http://tiny.cc/treasures-v1)

Imperial mosaics by Zed Nope, "Eurmal's Backdoor Key" illustration by Armazém Fantastico.

[Austin]

Sorala lifts a midnight crystal amidst the Clanking Ruins. This chunk of the Machine God's blood emanates eldritch light. The trollish spirit Babaka Fegh looms behind the trespassing adventurer.

Treasures of Glorantha 2 is the essential guide to lost magics of the Imperial Age. This magic item compendium describes wonders from the God Learners, the Empire of the Wyrms Friends, and other conquerors which lie quiescent across the world. Delve into the past and claim tools with which to shape Glorantha's future!

Want a peek into the book? A free preview is available on DriveThruRPG to all purchasers of the Gold-bestselling Volume 1. Go to "My Library" to find the PDF! Those who don't have Volume 1 can pick it up here: http://tiny.cc/treasures-v1

Also, I evidently forgot to post the following production update here on the forums:

Quote

Good News, Bad News.

The Good: I'm pleased with how Treasures of Glorantha 2 is shaping up. Layout pass 1 is in progress, and I'm enjoying trying to improve my graphic design. I want this book to match the high quality of this year's JC releases. My work speed has been sub-optimal, but there is real progress. The next teaser should be the cover.

The Bad: Treasures of Glorantha 2 *probably* won't release in 2023. There's a world in which I do pull it off, but it's unlikely. Essentially, I messed up "order of operations" and began editing and production before having a finished manuscript. I believed I could edit my sections (and then process my editor's excellent feedback) while seeking contributors and writing art direction. A useful lesson, but it will probably delay the book to early next year. Mea culpa!

It's important to me that I follow through on public commitments to release windows, content in progress, etc. So, please do accept an apology. I view this as a learning experience - not a disaster - and the book is still coming, as quickly as I am able.

Thus, Treasures 2 is currently coming "whenever I finish it."

[Austin]

Short update - I entered Graphic Design Hypnosis last night and hammered out the first draft of layout. Remaining tasks include:

• Finish editing an article
• Write remaining art direction
• Source stock art and other resources as needed
• Layout pass 2 to fully integrate text and art
• Proofread, proofread, proofread

 

• ?Send out review copies?
• ?Prep POD files?

[Austin]

Treasures of Glorantha 2 is basically complete! There are two art pieces still in-progress, and I need to give it an actual proofread (rather than fiddling during my second graphic design pass), but the main production is done.

I've got a release date in mind, but I want to double-check with artists before committing to anything.

[Bill the barbarian]

YAY! That’s an auto buy!

 

[Austin]

(That's February 23rd in 2024, for you pedants. 😉)

[Bill the barbarian]

On 2/13/2024 at 4:31 PM, Crel said:

(That's February 23rd in 2024, for you pedants. 😉)

Yes, but—which calendar—ST, CE, BCE, or UCE? 
ST we all know, let me add a couple of odd ones from a postulated (but never proven) other dimension: Common Era, Before Common Era or Uncommon Era (my personal fave!).

Edited February 16 by Bill the barbarian

[Austin]

55 minutes ago, Bill the barbarian said:

Yes, but—which calendar—ST, CE, BCE, or UCE? 
ST we all know, let me add a couple of odd ones from a postulated (but never proven) other dimension: Common Era, Before Common Era or Uncommon Era (my personal fave!)?

I prefer Harshax, myself. Naturally I need not state the year, for all proper persons know the proper year by the True and Right calendar. Hail Harshax!

Spoiler

(For those who don't know, the Harshax calendar is a bad joke in King of Sartar.)

 

[Bill the barbarian]

pedants of the world unite!

 

[Austin]

Interested in winning a free copy of the new release? Actual play group DMs After Dark is giving away a PDF of Treasures of Glorantha 2 on their Twitch stream this Friday. Tune in at 7PM EST if you're interested (and also to enjoy some liveplay hijinx!).

I'm planning on hanging out in chat, too, so if you want a bit of Q&A I'm happy to field it - so long as it doesn't distract from the game, that is!

[Austin]

It's hard to pick favorites, but I'm quite pleased with how "Vows of Power" came out. This article provides a new common Rune spell, "Swear Vow," which any adventurer can cast to petition their deity for customizable boons.

This article was the most difficult piece in the new book. Vows of Power entwine roleplay & mechanics. Driven by the adventurer's Passions and structured by their cult obligations, vows offer magical rewards for roleplay.

In the days of the God Learners this magic was much-abused. Using myth-warping sorcery to loosen the bonds of one's oaths proved too great a temptation. Thus, in the Third Age failing to honor a Vow of Power is accompanied by dire consequences!

"Treasures" will be releasing in just a few days! DMs After Dark will be giving away a free copy on their stream, so tune in Friday at 7PM EST if you're interested!

[Austin]

To even my own surprise, Treasures of Glorantha 2 is live! You can get it here.

This book is the essential guide to lost magics from the Imperial Age. It's filled with wild ideas inspired from all across Glorantha. Within you will find lost secrets of a dragon-worshiping empire, powers stolen by god-manipulating sorcerers, and other arcane mysteries.

There was a technical hiccup in the site's scheduling, and I ain't going to try reeling it back. So we'll just stay live early! (Don't worry, the file is OK.)

Cover art by the fantastic Laura Galli.

[Jason Farrell]

Stunningly illustrated book, brimming with Gloranthan goodness.  Ideas per square inch ratio, as always with Austin's books, is very high. 

[Austin]

19 hours ago, Jason Farrell said:

Stunningly illustrated book, brimming with Gloranthan goodness.  Ideas per square inch ratio, as always with Austin's books, is very high. 

Thank you kindly, Jason - always a pleasure to hear you've liked my work. I love the concept of "ideas per square inch!"

End of day one, and doing quite well! Huge thanks to everyone who's picked up a copy and helped support my work! 🥰 Oh, and 9 of the top 10 community content are either Jonstown Compendium or Miskatonic Repository!

That's #10 on DriveThru overall, #1 in community content, if the image turns out to be unreadable.

[Nick Brooke]

I've reviewed your book (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐), and added it to the Jonstown Compendium Index:

A second collection of plunder for RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha. All of these treasures originated in the fabled Second Age, being creations of the sorcerous Middle Sea Empire, the draconic Empire of the Wyrms Friends, or stranger powers yet: a handful even come from distant Pamaltela. An opening chapter has rules allowing any adventurer to swear mighty vows and gain powerful boons, effectively creating their own gifts and geases or heroquest rewards. After that are thirty new magic items, each described using the classic Plunder format. Every item is woven into Gloranthan myth and history: many are unique (e.g. Alakoring’s sword Dragonbreaker; Tolat’s Red Sword of Victory), some are more common (potions of Liquid Hate, brewed from distilled tears; Mythographic Wheels, running permutations of mythology as they spin), others can vary in power (did you merely inhale the breath of a True Dragon, or the greater Inner Breath of Arangorf?), and most bring as many potential complications as advantages to their users. Reading this collection provides many valuable insights into the wonders of the lost Second Age, the abuses of the God Learners and the perils of Draconic self-mutilation. The book is beautifully illustrated throughout, comparable to Chaosium’s own publications; one picture of the Machine God Zistor is a work in progress sketch, and I can’t wait to see it finished!

Edited February 23 by Nick Brooke

[Austin]

8 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

I've reviewed your book (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐), and added it to the Jonstown Compendium Index:

Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed the book. "comparable to Chaosium's own publications..." - very high praise indeed!

[Brian Duguid]

I also have a review of Treasures of Glorantha 2 over on DTRPG:

Quote

 

If you've seen the previous Gold best-selling volume in Austin Conrad's Treasures of Glorantha series, you'll have some idea what to expect from this new book. The previous volume was a very cleanly presented compendium of interesting magical items, every one of them historically and mythically appropriate to the game setting, alongside two more powerful magical materials, and useful advice on treasure rewards and sharing.

This new volume is an impressive step forward, with art and layout pretty much as good as it gets on the Jonstown Compendium - very close to professional quality. I'll be buying the print version the day it comes out, as this is a genuinely gorgeous looking book. I'll especially highlight the art by Armazém Fantástico and Ludovic Chabant, which is top notch, as is the cover by Laura Galli. The text is well-written, edited, and proof-read throughout. The PDF is properly bookmarked and internally hyperlinked, which is a helpful feature that I wish more authors would provide.

Treasures of Glorantha Volume Two presents relics from Glorantha's Second Age - a period where vast transgressive magical empires transgressed against the norms of reality, ruthlessly exploiting myth, magic, and draconic power, until the world rebelled and left them in ruin. It also offers an optional new system for magical powers: "Vows of Power" made to the gods in return for magical boons. These initially feel a little on the too-powerful side - but they do come with associated commitments and risks, emphasising character passions and behaviours rather than being purely transactional, as most RuneQuest magic is.

The main "plunder" section lists 30 items, all with detailed histories that place them firmly within the setting, and often very detailed descriptions of their powers, and the associated requirements to activate them. As the author says, there are no +1 longswords here. Indeed, many of the items have complex multi-tiered powers, some with effects at a scale that can make these items the focus of several scenarios, or in one or two cases even an entire campaign. These more powerful items tend towards the legendary end of the scale, and I think some of them may sit best in the hands of NPC antagonists. Three items are supported by spirit cults, and there are related new Rune and Sorcery spells.

Fans of Gloranthan lore should be particularly delighted. Amongst the book's pages there are artefacts relating to the machine god Zistor, Alakoring Dragonbreaker, Arkat, EWF dragon powers, Kimos, Errinoru, Tolat, Jajagappa, Lopers and more. For those less well-versed, the powers of the items remain largely self-explanatory.

This high quality book is clearly a labour of love. It describes many fascinating artefacts, most of which could inspire a GM's scenario or campaign plans (some may be too geographically or culturally specific for any given game). It will likely take some thought for a GM to work out how best to use them, especially for the more powerful items - there's nothing here that will just be found randomly on the floor of a cavern, hidden under some debris. These are treasures that can drive a storyline - and in some cases, perhaps make history.

 

 

[Austin]

"Treasures of Glorantha 2" has reached Copper!

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who has picked up the new volume, and to Nick & Brian for saying wonderful things about my work. I'm humbled.

[Austin]

The last piece of art is in the updated PDF! You can find the new file in "My Libary" on DriveThruRPG. 😄 @Lordabdul's done a brilliant job with it, don't ya think?

Also, I've submitted the POD files for Treasures of Glorantha 2! It's basically impossible to predict when it'll be available, but the process is under way.

[Runeblogger]

WOW 🤩

[Austin]

Good news, everyone—I've just ordered the print proof for Treasures 2! Now I must merely be patient and not chew off the door while waiting for it to print and ship…

[Austin]

The Print on Demand edition is imminent!

The POD coupon is up if you previously purchased the PDF. It'll be in "My Library" on DriveThru (you should also receive an email notification from them). The PDF looks like this, but if you click the "Click Here" button it'll actually add a discounted POD order to your Cart.

If you don't already have the PDF, you'll have to wait until tomorrow cuz I ought to force myself to stop doing work things for the evening. It'll go live (along with an unboxing video) tomorrow!

[Austin]

And it's now available in POD! If you're interested in hearing me ramble and/or seeing my reaction to the book, I filmed the unboxing for funsies. It's over on YouTube. (I hit the age-restrict option because I used a few four-letter words, so figured better safe than sorry. 🙂 )