How have you simplified your Runequest?

[roberrober]

On 11/18/2024 at 11:38 AM, narsilion said:

Most of the time i play with people who are completely new to RQ. So i had to simplify it.

First, I removed most skills.
Just left main categories, with Knowledge divided into Culture, Nature and Technics, and with separate Combat skill.
But i added Specialisations (+10), that make PCs more competent in some areas. I give 2 initial specialisations, allowing players to choose the rest during the session. This way i do not need to deal with ultra-prolonged skill list when i create characters.

Also, i removed runic charts, leaving only three most important runes. But i added runic descriptors/inspirations, borrowed from The Company Of The Dragon. When new players choose which descriptor reflects the impact a rune will have on their character, it's as if they were automatically aware of how important a role runes play on Glorantha.

On the other hand, i try not to change most of the rules. Most players come to the session to see what the famous RuneQuest is all about, so it would be very unfair to give them a very simplified version, modified to suit the GM's tastes.

But the main simplification is to set player characters to the bit-over-commoner lever. Becouse as my experiences showed, those pregens provided in Starter Set are overwhelming for begginers: too much things at once, too many spells, summoned creatures, passions etc. I prefer starting small.

Here are some character sheets I made. Unfortunately, they are not in English, but I think you will easily figure it out

Really interesting! Tell us more about it! I like the idea very much. 

[Mugen]

@narsilion I'm surprised you kept strike ranks and localised hit points, which are the rules I would remove first if I wanted to make a simplified RuneQuest. 😄

I guess your skill list is based on skill categories. Even though I don't know Polish, I can easily understand what Komunicacja and Manipulacja mean 🙂

+10 for specialties seems loo low to me. I would let characters have +20 or even +30 in some.

[DreadDomain]

12 hours ago, Mugen said:

 I'm surprised you kept strike ranks and localised hit points, which are the rules I would remove first if I wanted to make a simplified RuneQuest.

I suspect this might be true for most. Me, it's the attack vs parry/dodge matrix that I steamline or remove first (using BPR, RQG Quickstart or RQ3). Localised HP would be second (probably using GURPS as inspiration) and strike ranks third (using BPR action ranks or RQ3 SR) would only be third.

Having said that Narsilion still wants the full RQ experience so can't do away with locations or strike ranks. 😉

Edited December 24, 2024 by DreadDomain

[Mugen]

12 hours ago, DreadDomain said:

Having said that Narsilion still wants the full RQ experience so can't do away with locations or strike ranks. 😉

I disagree. I consider what really makes RuneQuest shine amongst BRP-based games is its different magic system(s), and POW economy.

And reducing the skills number already changed the "full RQ experience" anyways...

[DreadDomain]

On 12/25/2024 at 9:25 AM, Mugen said:

I disagree. I consider what really makes RuneQuest shine amongst BRP-based games is its different magic system(s), and POW economy.

And reducing the skills number already changed the "full RQ experience" anyways...

I suspect what "makes RuneQuest" will vary from people to people depending on how (and when) they experienced the game, and that appreciation of what "makes RuneQuest" will highly influence how they may want to simplify the game. They wouldn't want to simplify the essence out of the game.

What you mention forms part of what is part of what I feel is the RuneQuest essence but in a secondary fashion. Just to be clear, I am not disagreeing or arguing in any shape or form that my view is somehow better than yours, I am just sharing what influences me when I simplify (or house rule) the game.

RuneQuest's essence for me is the layered character creation (race, culture, occupation, cult) and gritty combat (including strike ranks, location hit points and tactics and movement in combat). This is clearly influenced and shaped by RQ3. 

I really like RQG's character creation and case in point, it closely follows how characters were created in RQ3 (down to occupations being very similar to RQ3's occupations but set at "add 5 years of development" instead of year per year increments. Clearly, I do not tend to simplify that bit beyond maybe allowing less extra skill points at the end.

RQG combat is a different animal. While it does retain a lot of the grittiness that I like in RQ combat, I find the attack/defenses matrices have complexified the resolution mechanics in a way that doesn't really bring anything to the game play - so this is what I tend to simplify the most. I also tend to simplify (aka remove) what I call the "strike ranks exceptions" - this always happens on SR12, this always happens on SR1...

... and I have now completely lost my train of thoughts...

I guess it was just a long-winded way to say that people will simplify their games in a way that will most likely not jeopardize what they feel is the essence of the game, and that essence effectively varies from people to people.

Not to mention that what some people find complex, might not be for others. 

[narsilion]

First of all, i needed to simplify the sheet, to be easily used by newbies and casual players during one-shots. In Poland almost everybody is new to RuneQuest. I tend to use pregens, so i spend a lot of time creating them. CraddleOfHeroes helps, but its still lengthy process. And long list of skills was annoying during play - my players spent a lot of time looking for skills. Moreover, completing the list of skills is the most tedious and time-consuming part of character creation. So - shortening the list was obvious solution.

I simply took RQ skill groups, but divided knowledge into 3 aspects and extracted Warfare from Manipulation. Thus, I ended with 10 main skills: Agility, Communication, Knowledge: Cultural, Knowledge: Natural, Knowledge: Technical, Manipulation, Perception, Stealth, Warfare, Worship&Magic.

 

How do I create a character?

Distribute the following numbers between these skills:

50,

40, 40,

30, 30, 30,

20, 20, 20

10

Then, choose 4 characteristics and add them to 4 choosen corresponding skills. ("Corresponding skill" is purposefully not strictly defined, i,e. you can add POW or INT to your Warfare, why not? As long as you find reasonable justification. On the other hand, it will be usually hard to justify adding STR to some Knowledge skill...).

To make characters more specific, add 5 specialisations (+10%). I choose 2 of them creating pregens, the rest can be declared by players "on the fly", during session. I also allow players to add an empty slot to an existing specialization, so that, for example, a warrior can get "sword fighting +20%".

 

According to localised hit points:
in fact, I do not count HP on each location, but use them as a treshold of major wound to the location. Only general HP are counted.

 

According to strike ranks:
I had positive feedback about strike ranks, as they give more elasticity than D&D fixed round order. But i added one rule, that if two characters have the same SR, the one with higher skill acts first, faster just by a hair.

 

According to magic:
I didn't change much, except that I put full sets of spells for each character on the back of the sheet. Usually it's a few spirit spells and one runic spell. For newbies, that's still a lot, and they don't use those spells that often. So, Im afraid that different magic systems and POW economy do not play the biggest part in my sessions for newbies.

Edited December 27, 2024 by narsilion

[roberrober]

On 12/27/2024 at 3:15 PM, narsilion said:

First of all, i needed to simplify the sheet, to be easily used by newbies and casual players during one-shots. In Poland almost everybody is new to RuneQuest. I tend to use pregens, so i spend a lot of time creating them. CraddleOfHeroes helps, but its still lengthy process. And long list of skills was annoying during play - my players spent a lot of time looking for skills. Moreover, completing the list of skills is the most tedious and time-consuming part of character creation. So - shortening the list was obvious solution.

I simply took RQ skill groups, but divided knowledge into 3 aspects and extracted Warfare from Manipulation. Thus, I ended with 10 main skills: Agility, Communication, Knowledge: Cultural, Knowledge: Natural, Knowledge: Technical, Manipulation, Perception, Stealth, Warfare, Worship&Magic.

 

How do I create a character?

Distribute the following numbers between these skills:

50,

40, 40,

30, 30, 30,

20, 20, 20

10

Then, choose 4 characteristics and add them to 4 choosen corresponding skills. ("Corresponding skill" is purposefully not strictly defined, i,e. you can add POW or INT to your Warfare, why not? As long as you find reasonable justification. On the other hand, it will be usually hard to justify adding STR to some Knowledge skill...).

To make characters more specific, add 5 specialisations (+10%). I choose 2 of them creating pregens, the rest can be declared by players "on the fly", during session. I also allow players to add an empty slot to an existing specialization, so that, for example, a warrior can get "sword fighting +20%".

 

According to localised hit points:
in fact, I do not count HP on each location, but use them as a treshold of major wound to the location. Only general HP are counted.

 

According to strike ranks:
I had positive feedback about strike ranks, as they give more elasticity than D&D fixed round order. But i added one rule, that if two characters have the same SR, the one with higher skill acts first, faster just by a hair.

 

According to magic:
I didn't change much, except that I put full sets of spells for each character on the back of the sheet. Usually it's a few spirit spells and one runic spell. For newbies, that's still a lot, and they don't use those spells that often. So, Im afraid that different magic systems and POW economy do not play the biggest part in my sessions for newbies.

Thank you!!! I will try something similar for group of newbies. 

[Oldskolgmr]

Nice to see I'm not the only person who thinks about this.

[Zit]

On 12/25/2024 at 12:25 AM, Mugen said:

On 12/24/2024 at 11:55 AM, DreadDomain said:

Having said that Narsilion still wants the full RQ experience so can't do away with locations or strike ranks. 😉

I disagree. I consider what really makes RuneQuest shine amongst BRP-based games is its different magic system(s), and POW economy.

you do not have a true Runequest experience as long as your character doesn't lose a left leg 😁

[narsilion]

1 minute ago, Zit said:

you do not have a true Runequest experience as long as your character doesn't lose a left leg 😁

I'll think about it

[Mugen]

6 minutes ago, Zit said:

you do not have a true Runequest experience as long as your character doesn't lose a left leg 😁

So, if you lost you right leg and both arms it doesn't count ? 😛

Also, Major Wounds can definitely provide that kind of experience, too. 😉

Edited January 5 by Mugen

[jajagappa]

47 minutes ago, Mugen said:

So, if you lost you right leg and both arms it doesn't count ? 😛

Only a flesh wound. 😉

[Alex]

14 hours ago, Mugen said:

So, if you lost you right leg and both arms it doesn't count ? 😛

Then you've had the Draconic RQ Experience, which may be the same mechanically, but is ineffably different in some manner!

[Darius West]

On 10/29/2024 at 12:11 AM, Aurelius said:

I'm considering running a Glorantha game for a bunch of friends who are not eager to learn 100+ pages of rules to jump into the deep end of a crunchy system. 

How have you simplified RQ, with house rules or by dropping out rules, to make it faster to learn and play?

Trim it back to BRP.  Take out hit locations.  Personally I would never do any of that though.  It is easy enough just for the GM to fill in the character sheets and teach the players in game.

[radmonger]

The thing that is llkely worth skipping is tracking hp per-location. Very little is lost, and a lot of paper is saved, if you just treat the hit location as a  simple check of 'what did that hit do to you?'

Did it take a location to zero?  - it is incapacitated.

Did it take it to below -6? it is broken or severed. 

Either way, subtract damage solely from general hp, remembering that non-critical locations limit the damage taken.

It's unlikely a different major wounds system could do something as flavourful and integrated as simply and quickly.

 

 

 

 

[PaulJW]

I have simplified the character generation for my players.  This is mainly at their request (I wasn't personally that bothered by it).  Their main complaints they had was that randomly rolling your family history is such detail took too long and could potentially provide a character background they did not want.

Under the simplified rules they can write in what they like for the character history & pick what events they/their forebears were / were not involved with.  They can pick passions and I have drawn up a very basic background experiences list from which they are permitted to pick one thing.  For those who are interested, this is the list I have come up with:

Pick one of the following:

You have a famous ancestor who died heroically in battle:

o   +1d3% reputation

o   You have the option to gain Honor Passion

Spoke/told stories at several tribal or clan moots, feasts or festivals. +5% Orate.  Make Oratory roll:

o   Fumble, your efforts largely created a negative impression, -1d3% reputation.

o   Success +1d3% reputation

o   Special or crit, +1d100 Lunars, +1d6% reputation

You have often performed (acting, singing, dancing or playing an instrument) at clan festivals. +5% to any one of these skills.  Make a roll in this skill:

o   Fumble, your efforts were mostly poor.  Your performances are looked forward to with some dread by those who know you.  -1d3% reputation.

o   Success +1d3% reputation

o   Special or crit, +1d100 Lunars, +1d6% reputation

Fought in important battle(s) or skirmish(es). +5% Battle.  (see below). You have the option to pick Honor as a passion.  Make battle roll:

o   Fumble, receive a distinctive scar

o   Success +1d3% reputation

o   Special or crit, +1d100 L plunder, +1d6% reputation

Rid your community of an evil spirit. +5% Spirit Combat.  Make spirit combat roll.

o   Fumble, your still have occasional nightmares about your experience.

o   Success +1d3% reputation

o   Special or crit, +1d100 L reward for service to your community. +1d6% reputation

Participated in your clan’s summer games. +5% in one of Climb, Drive, Jump, Ride, or Swim.  Make a roll in that skill:

o   Fumble: Injured during the games, receive a distinctive scar

o   Success +1d3 reputation

o   Special or crit, +1d100 L prize money. +1d6% reputation

You worked at your temple for several seasons. +5% Worship.    Make a worship roll.

o   Fumble: -1 pt of spirit magic from your cult at start.

o   Success: +1d3% reputation

o   Special or crit, your devotion earns you +1 pt Rune point from your cult at start. +1d6% reputation

At some time in your past, your community endured a desperate struggle for survival (due to floods/crop failure/raids/ harsh winter).  +5% Survival.  Make a survival roll.

o   Fumble: You suffered malnutrition. -1 STR.

o   Success: +1d3% reputation as you assisted others to survive the hard times.

o   Special or crit, your efforts to keep your friends/family alive earn the blessings of your god, +1 Rune point at start. +1d6% reputation.

If you are a thief belonging to the Lanbril cult, you were involved with an (in)famous burglary.  +5% Devise.  Make a Devise roll.

o   Fumble: You were (and remain) outlawed by the Lunar authorities.

o   Success: +5% thieves’ argot

o   Special or crit: Gain d100 Lunars of swag. +5% thieves’ argot.

You participated in a hunt for a ferocious wild beast (rogue tusker, Sabre-toothed cat, Bear, Lion etc).  +5% Track. Make a track roll.

o   Fumble: Injured during the hunt, receive a distinctive scar

o   Success +1d3 reputation

o   Special or crit, you gain a necklace made from the claws/teeth of the beast you slew, worth 75L. +1d6% reputation

You spent several seasons working in an archive, working on an important research project.  +5% Library Use.  Roll Library Use:

o   Fumble: You miscatalogued something important.  Librarians are reluctant to allow you access to important documents without a successful Charm or Oratory roll.

o   Success: +1d3 reputation

o   Special or crit, you gain a Lhankor Mhy mark (equip p126), +1d6% reputation

Edited January 8 by PaulJW

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, PaulJW said:

I have simplified the character generation for my players. 

That's one reason why I added a Quick Character generation in my Nochet: Adventurer's Guide. Rather than working through the generations (which could be either player choice or random), the Quick generation is single roll/choice.

I like your inclusion of skill roll with the potential events.

[Tiný]

On 1/6/2025 at 12:10 AM, jajagappa said:

Only a flesh wound. 😉

"what is best in runequest, player ?"

"the fleet wind in your face, ducks by your side , a crutch and missing leg below the knee !!"

"HAAA that is right!!"

[soltakss]

On 1/5/2025 at 10:22 PM, narsilion said:

On 1/5/2025 at 10:19 PM, Zit said:

you do not have a true Runequest experience as long as your character doesn't lose a left leg 😁

I'll think about it

Seriously, try whatever options you think you'd like and see how they play.

People, including me, have strong ideas what makes a "RuneQuest", "BRP", or "D100" game and can be very defensive about those ideas, I know I can. However, you are the one running your game and if you think that, for example, having hit locations slows things down and doesn't add anything to the game then get rid of them.