styopa Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 1 hour ago, goldenwheeldancer said: Don't try and present it as a serious "historical" game. Present it as a crazy, wacky, unique collision of the real and the absurd. While I understand the point of your post, I think as a basic rule one is on pretty thin ice telling someone how to present their campaign. Some people *want* an historical feel as much as possible. And by the by, I've never really understood the response: "well there are (fantastical) dragons so why not X?" - by that logic why not let characters wear 14 layers of armor or change their skin color every day? Obviously - and the 800+ pages of the guide to glorantha are relevant here - different people want different levels of verisimilitude* to help in their suspension of disbelief. *note that I didn't say realism Personally, I *do* use ducks very sparingly because I feel their absurdity IS useful ... in very, very tiny doses. Oh, and murderous sociopathically bad-tempered waterfowl are a thing in IRL: https://www.wired.com/2014/10/absurd-creature-week-vicious-duck-beats-crap-anything-moves/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deleriad Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 2 hours ago, Mankcam said: In my experience Ducks have been used to ridicule Glorantha, rather than promote it. That has been my experience. In as much as it is an issue it's one which Chaosium and Avalon Hill made worse. The starter scenario in RQ3 featured a duck and tree that grows money. In retrospect that looks more like Greg Stafford giving a big FU to Avalon Hill. Similarly the "Keep on the Borderlands" equivalent for RQ3 featured a Warner Bros style cartoon duck on the cover. By the time you've bought RQ3 and the recommended starting scenario, ducks are looking pretty central. Clearly Chaosium aren't going to be making the same mistake with RQ but there's now 30+ years of folk memory out there. If anyone knows next to nothing about RQ the next to nothing they're likely to know is that it's the game with ducks where everyone gets their arms chopped off. Personally, I love the strangeness of Glorantha. It makes it, oddly, more real to me. Bears with pumpkin heads, angry ducks, a hero with a pot on his head, baby giants floating down a river in cradles, occupying authorities making adventurers fill out forms to go adventuring. These all feel like the kinds of things that you wouldn't make up. For me it's fun and creative but I do think that a setting has to "earn" that right rather than just sticking a cartoon duck on the front of the first scenario a new player should buy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 I'm going to say this wearing my writer's hat - I don't really care if for some people having humanoid ducks is a bridge too far. They are in the setting since White Bear & Red Moon. To me, they are no more ridiculous than gnomes, halflings, Scottish dwarves, talking monkeys, satyrs, Acephali, Dactyls, Skiapodes, or Panotii. I don't disagree that Avalon Hill and Issaries made some strange art decision - and I am not a fan of the RQ3 Apple Lane cover. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pentallion Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 2 hours ago, Jeff said: and I am not a fan of the RQ3 Apple Lane cover. What? that cover is a HUGE improvement over the original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manfriday Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 When I first started getting into Glorantha, it wasn't the ducks that threw me for a loop. It was the mobile plant people. And the fact that I couldn't figure out if Dwarfs were literally made out of rock or not. In fact, I'm still not completely sure if dwarfs are literally made of rock or not. But the ducks? Never seemed weird or silly to me. When I first started pitching Glorantha to my adult children, all of them pretty much said the same thing "Wait, what? Ducks? we can be ducks?! I WANT TO BE A DUCK!" 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelm's Light Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 I've played probably 30 or 40 different RPG's in my life. RQ wasn't the first, but it was definitely the class of the field. (Of course, this implies a certain willing suspension of disbelief anyway.) Personally, anthropomorphic ducks existing is a pretty shallow reason to come up with for not playing a game. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g33k Posted November 1, 2016 Share Posted November 1, 2016 3 hours ago, manfriday said: When I first started getting into Glorantha, it wasn't the ducks that threw me for a loop. It was the mobile plant people. And the fact that I couldn't figure out if Dwarfs were literally made out of rock or not. In fact, I'm still not completely sure if dwarfs are literally made of rock or not. In my Glorantha (as it evolves) the Mostali are actually closer to "mytho-cyborg" beings, I think... They can be both "healed" (via normal organic healing methods (including magic)) and "repaired" (mechanically, in a shop (also "repair" spells)). Quote C'es ne pas un .sig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiorgan Posted November 1, 2016 Author Share Posted November 1, 2016 On 31/10/2016 at 2:25 AM, Nick J. said: It may or may not be of interest to you, but there is a community-made RQ2 that works as an extension for the BRP ruleset in Fantasy Grounds (which is FG2 based). https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?25979-RQ2-Extension Very interesting! Enough to dig emails for those old Fantasy Grounds and BRP ruleset licenses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiorgan Posted November 1, 2016 Author Share Posted November 1, 2016 On 25/10/2016 at 11:00 AM, Jeff said: When RuneQuest is launched it is going to be released with a large number of products - I don't want to just release a rules book and then dribble out new product. Prior to launch, we'll have the RQ Quickstart rules ready. Sounds like a very wise strategy! Quite the opposite of what happened with the BGB, or, to some extent, with RQ3. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankcam Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 (edited) Yes, moving on from my rather contentious views of our avian friends, I am really looking forward to RuneQuest being released with some supports closely following the initial release. This is very welcome news! Edited November 2, 2016 by Mankcam Quote " Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrippyHippy Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 14 hours ago, Jeff said: I'm going to say this wearing my writer's hat - I don't really care if for some people having humanoid ducks is a bridge too far. They are in the setting since White Bear & Red Moon. To me, they are no more ridiculous than gnomes, halflings, Scottish dwarves, talking monkeys, satyrs, Acephali, Dactyls, Skiapodes, or Panotii. Exactly. Moreover, you'll always find players that want to play such things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenwheeldancer Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 To me, taking the absurdity out of Glorantha is like taking the Istari out of Middle Earth. I prefer my ducks to look like silly cartoons. I imagine that's not going to happen though. "You can take Glorantha out of the Ducks. But you can't take the Ducks out of Glorantha." (Duckpoint Annals, ch.273) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonL Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 On 10/31/2016 at 5:23 PM, Mankcam said: If truth be told, I kinda do have a soft spot for Quackjohn, but I just wish I'ld met him in the Wind In The Willows rather than in Glorantha When my group met Quackjohn last year, they immediately reacted, "We're not going to call him 'Quackjohn,' that's like 'N. Jim' in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His name is 'John,' and he deserves our respect as Grimble's right-hand." Next Glorantha game we played was set in Pavis County, and a player made a Duck Initiate of Zola-Fel to fill the 'party ranger' role, and he made it awesome. (Of course, we are of an age to have enjoyed Duck Tales in our formative years, so make of that what you will. ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankcam Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 Ah, Gloranthan Ducks - ruffling feathers since 1976! Could make a good game-con shirt... 1 Quote " Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
styopa Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 42 minutes ago, Mankcam said: Ah, Gloranthan Ducks - ruffling feathers since 1976! Could make a good game-con shirt... or rather 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankcam Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 (edited) Brilliant !!! Edited November 3, 2016 by Mankcam Quote " Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
styopa Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 13 hours ago, Mankcam said: Brilliant !!! Dare I reference the informal 1d4chan entry on RQ, and the iconic picture they chose to use to reference RQ thematically? NSFW language, nor for those whose sensibilities are easily offended. https://1d4chan.org/wiki/RuneQuest 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noita Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 10 hours ago, styopa said: Dare I reference the informal 1d4chan entry on RQ, and the iconic picture they chose to use to reference RQ thematically? NSFW language, nor for those whose sensibilities are easily offended. https://1d4chan.org/wiki/RuneQuest Nailed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankcam Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 Perfect !!! They definately know Glorantha Quote " Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g33k Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 I'm curious -- is it just snark, or were there actually cute (wiccan or otherwise) girls that Greg was trying to impress at the time, with what he did/didn't put into Glorantha? Quote C'es ne pas un .sig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Meints Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 In interviews Greg has said he told stories about Glorantha to the women he went on dates with while in college, starting in 1966. He didn't really elaborate more than that. Quote Hope that Helps,Rick Meints - Chaosium, Inc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g33k Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 2 hours ago, Rick Meints said: In interviews Greg has said he told stories about Glorantha to the women he went on dates with while in college, starting in 1966. He didn't really elaborate more than that. Close enough for government work (or internet trolling (is there a difference these days?)). Thanks, btw! Quote C'es ne pas un .sig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
styopa Posted November 11, 2016 Share Posted November 11, 2016 g33k was actually just trolling to politely see if there were still live humans at Chaosium, lacking other updates on RQ. :\ But yeah, we can all guess what the action was like in the Age of Aquarius if chicks got the sense that that you're going to be a shaman. Don't hate the playa! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g33k Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 8 hours ago, styopa said: g33k was actually just trolling to politely see if there were still live humans at Chaosium, lacking other updates on RQ. :\ Actually, it was an honest query: both the RQ & Glorantha pages on 1d4Chan mention this. 1 Quote C'es ne pas un .sig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
styopa Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 13 hours ago, g33k said: Actually, it was an honest query: both the RQ & Glorantha pages on 1d4Chan mention this. Of course. I just thought it was funny because I saw your post at the exact moment where I was thinking "hm, maybe I should just post some innocuous question just to see if they're still alive out there".... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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