Summarizing some of my key takeaways thus far

[klecser]

I wanted to post about what some of my key takeaways of the game have been so far. I think I'm understanding it a lot better, especially since I've run it now, but I just wanted experienced eyes to see what I'm thinking:

1) You can play a Duck. I'm not really sure much else needs to be said from this point forward, but I'm going to anyway.

2) Skill and Rune augments are a huge part of the mechanics of the game. My impression, as a new player/GM, is that this single aspect is drastically different from many RPGs.

3) Specific Runes interact with specific skills and weapons. You need to read which spells use which runes to cast to select your Cult wisely and select spells that your Runes allow you to cast.

4) The benefit of low strike rank weapons is that they may allow you to attack more than once in a round even though they have generally lower damage.

5) A major step of the beginning of combat is buffing, whether through magic or rune/skill augments.

6) Ranged weapons provide a huge tactical advantage in the game.

7) Combats to the death among "socialized" beings (Humans, Elder Races) are rare. Ransom and bargaining are major aspects/mechanics of conflict resolution.

8 )Posturing, in general, is a huge aspect of the social exchange in Glorantha. Threats are common. They are not always followed through on. There is a "serious coyness" to the culture.

9) Rune magic is almost always "more powerful" than Spirit magic on a point-by-point basis. However, it is scarce and significantly harder to regenerate and gain more. Examples of ways to increase POW include: casting offensive magic that causes a POW vs POW resistance check (because it procs a POW improvement roll?), meditating to a God in the right season, and...other ways that I'm blanking on.

10) Other obvious things that you think I'm forgetting/missing?

 

Edited June 30, 2019 by klecser

[Bill the barbarian]

4 hours ago, klecser said:

I wanted to post about what some of my key takeaways of the game have been so far. I think I'm understanding it a lot better, especially since I've run it now, but I just wanted experienced eyes to see what I'm thinking:

 

Well, you can play s duck (or even a baboon), that about covers it, we can close this conversion down and now go for broos, I mean brews.

On the off chance there is more to say...

4) starts off right but you take a blind alley half way through Low SRs usually (but not necessarily) do more damage.

8) note that boasting in a poetic and grandiose way is a little more potent than posturing and threat and is is considered totally socially acceptable (by the orlanthi at least, others... not so much) while posturing and threat would be a first step down the rung toward (but not all the way to or even close for that matter) unacceptability.

11) yes you forgot to say that  it was incredibly FUN!

[g33k]

4 hours ago, klecser said:

...

10) Other obvious things that you think I'm forgetting/missing?

Depending on the players' RPG backgrounds, the swords/armor/magic details (which RQ shares with Certain Other Games) may lure them into highly-dubious tactics/strategies/mindsets that work in those Other Games much better than they work in RQ.  Some sort of low-stakes preliminary session -- to make some of the differences clear -- is (often) a Very Good Thing:  run a "bar-room brawl" with smashing pottery doing half-damage of a "real" weapon; or a "training session" with wooden swords where survivable broken bones & knock-out / concussion injuries replace lost limbs and negative-HPs in the head; or throw in a canon-fodder NPC whose ONLY purpose is to die messily so as to educate the players about the dangers (if necessary, GM-fiat a roll to be a crit that could have been a PC); etc...

By the same token, only having played Class/Level based games can cause some players to be a bit nonplussed or confused during character-creation.  The GM should be ready with additional explanations/support (if needed).

 

Edited June 30, 2019 by g33k

[Bill the barbarian]

15 minutes ago, g33k said:

By the same token, only having played Class/Level based games can cause some players to be a bit nonplussed or confused during character-creation.  The GM should be ready with additional explanations/support (if needed).

 

Too many options are not good for the newcomer.

When I demoed the Broken Tower for a group of newbies and strangers  at Free Games Day a couple of years back it went mostly well till the final battles. With everything happening at once and the tension mounting one of the characters was the classic nonplussed at the number of rune spells he had to make a choice from. Back when the rules threw every single spell a cult had into the possibilities.  Didn't know with to do or think for a moment before his girlfriend leaned over and helped him out.

But for that moment...

[creativehum]

On 6/30/2019 at 10:09 AM, klecser said:

4) The benefit of low strike rank weapons is that they may allow you to attack more than once in a round even though they have generally lower damage.

I think you might be wrong on this point. I say think only because I have found the writing of the RQG rules slippery, and I might be misunderstanding what you are saying. 

With that in mind:

I asked Jason in the Big Thread of Rules Clarification how many physical attack a character may make in a round, and unless one is splitting the attack, the answer is 1.

 

The lower striker rank lets you attack earlier, which could be very helpful and important. But it doesn't allow you a chance to cram more attacks in with that weapon.

[Bill the barbarian]

24 minutes ago, creativehum said:

and I might be misunderstanding what you are saying. 

Alas, Creativehum, I think you are. you may be missing the word may not will.

24 minutes ago, creativehum said:

On 6/30/2019 at 11:09 AM, klecser said:

4) The benefit of low strike rank weapons is that they may allow you to attack more than once in a round even though they have generally lower damage.

 

My emphasis...

Cheers

Edited July 6, 2019 by Bill the barbarian

[PhilHibbs]

On 6/30/2019 at 6:09 PM, klecser said:

4) The benefit of low strike rank weapons is that they may allow you to attack more than once in a round even though they have generally lower damage.

2 hours ago, creativehum said:

I asked Jason in the Big Thread of Rules Clarification how many physical attack a character may make in a round, and unless one is splitting the attack, the answer is 1.

Technically @klecser is right - your weapon might have such a high SR that when added to your SIZ an DEX SR, you can't even split it despite a high skill. I think that that is unusual, you have to be fairy small and/or clumsy in combination with a short weapon, but it can happen.

There have been "early attack" house rules proposed whereby you can mitigate a slow SR with high skill, I might consider that if I ever had a character with that problem in my game.

I'm not sure about "generally lower damage" though, big weapons with low SR usually have good damage.

Edited July 6, 2019 by PhilHibbs

[Bill the barbarian]

12 minutes ago, PhilHibbs said:

I'm not sure about "generally lower damage" though, big weapons with low SR usually have good damage.

Said that a few posts ago... not word for word, but...

 

On 6/30/2019 at 3:36 PM, Bill the barbarian said:

4) starts off right but you take a blind alley half way through Low SRs usually (but not necessarily) do more damage.

Pedantically yours

Bill

Cheers

Edited July 6, 2019 by Bill the barbarian

[Jason D]

On 6/30/2019 at 7:09 PM, klecser said:

Examples of ways to increase POW include: casting offensive magic that causes a POW vs POW resistance check (because it procs a POW improvement roll?), meditating to a God in the right season, and...other ways that I'm blanking on.

Yep. 

You can improve POW through the following: 

1. A successful Worship roll made on the High Holy Day of the cult or during Sacred Time lets you attempt a POW gain roll. 
2. Winning a POW vs. POW struggle during adventuring lets you attempt a POW gain roll (if the resistance roll chance was below 95%). 
3. Spending 500 L and training for a full week at your temple lets you attempt a POW gain roll. 
4. Accepting a geas from either Humakt (page 296, result 3) or Yelmalio (page 309, result 7). 

 

[soltakss]

On 6/30/2019 at 6:09 PM, klecser said:

4) The benefit of low strike rank weapons is that they may allow you to attack more than once in a round even though they have generally lower damage.

Troll Mauls have a low SR and high damage, combined with Trolls' generally higher SIZ and they can attack really early in the round and deal massive damage.

Lances have a low SR and attack with the charging beast's SIZ, so again do a fair amount of damage quickly.

 

On 6/30/2019 at 6:09 PM, klecser said:

9) Rune magic is almost always "more powerful" than Spirit magic on a point-by-point basis. However, it is scarce and significantly harder to regenerate and gain more. Examples of ways to increase POW include: casting offensive magic that causes a POW vs POW resistance check (because it procs a POW improvement roll?), meditating to a God in the right season, and...other ways that I'm blanking on.

We play that participating in a HeroQuest gives you a POW gain roll, as does participating in a High Holy day worship ceremony.

 

Agree with all the other points. They are what makes RQ such a good game for me.

 

I'd add that membership in a Cult defines you are a PC and gives you a sense of belonging and lifestyle rules to follow.

[Shiningbrow]

Some of my key takeaways have been - 

Salt and Pepper Chicken from a now-defunct Chinese restaurant;

Guo ba rou (sort of like Lemon Chicken, but with pork);

Special Fried Rice;

Thai Yellow curry;

Butter Chicken.

 

[Austin]

On 7/13/2019 at 9:23 AM, Shiningbrow said:

Some of my key takeaways have been - 

Salt and Pepper Chicken from a now-defunct Chinese restaurant;

Guo ba rou (sort of like Lemon Chicken, but with pork);

Special Fried Rice;

Thai Yellow curry;

Butter Chicken.

What, no duck? What kind of Glorantha board is this, anyway...

[d(sqrt(-1))]

The Yellow curry could have included Elves, they are vegetables anyway...

[Bill the barbarian]

On 6/30/2019 at 11:09 AM, klecser said:

I wanted to post about what some of my key takeaways of the game have been so far. I think I'm understanding it a lot better, especially since I've run it now, but I just wanted experienced eyes to see what I'm thinking:

 

Based on the preceding posts I am very surprised that "the first take aways so far" is how sick, sick, sick the denizens of this "board" are.

<gr>

Edited July 15, 2019 by Bill the barbarian

[g33k]

3 hours ago, Bill the barbarian said:

Based on the preceding posts I am very surprised that "the first take aways so far" is how sick, sick, sick the denizens of this "board" are.

Nah, most of us aren't sick.

We just make sure our Elves are nice&fresh -- and not sourced somewhere like the Poisonwood, of course!