From: owner-rq-rules-digest To: rq-rules-digest@hops.wharton.upenn.edu Subject: RQ Rules Digest: V3 #53 Reply-To: rq-rules Errors-To: owner-rq-rules-digest Precedence: bulk Content-Return: Prohibited Return-Path: owner-rq-rules-digest RQ Rules Digest: Saturday, 31 August 1996 Volume 03 : Number 053 TABLE OF CONTENTS John R. Snead Re; Real-World RQ Pedro Arnal Puente RQ Rules Digest: V3 #50 Teri & Jon mdrstu@westga.edu Psionics Rules afben1@student.monash.edu.au Elves, Magic, and other good stuff! RULES OF THE ROAD 1. Do not include large sections of a message in your reply. Especially not to add "Yeah, I agree" or "No, I disagree." Or be excoriated. If someone writes something good and you want to say "good show" please do. But don't include the whole message you praise. 2. Use an appropriate Subject line. 3. Learn the art of paraphrasing: Don't just quote and comment on a point-by-point basis. When paraphrasing you demonstrate exactly how well you understand the point someone was trying to make. 4. There is no number 4. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "John R. Snead" Date: Sat, 31 Aug 1996 01:28:58 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re; Real-World RQ David Weihe wrote: >The only period that can survive the high levels of magic that RQ magic >rules assumes is the period that it was set in, the Bronze Age. In fact, >I would probably put it before the coming of the Achaeans (sp?) to >Greece. That would be about 2000 BC. Anyone know what was happening, >then, with any accuracy? Good choice. Actually, my preference would be for around 1500 BCE. We have Hatshepsut ruling Egypt, with lots of trade and the height of the new kingdom. In Crete Minoan civilization is thriving, and up in the far North the early Scandinavian bronze-age cultures are in full flower. The whole 2000-1500 era would be a great time for real-world RQ. The thing which surprises me is that no one has done it yet. You have the whole age of heroes in Greece, the Argonauts can sail out to the Black Sea, Herakles can perform his labors, and PCs can have lots of fun. Take a look at some of the books by Thomas Burnnet Swan such as _The Green Phoenix_ for some low- magic, mythic ideas on this era. Egypt, Crete, the Near East..., the whole Mediterranean area is a perfect gaming setting. The only other era which springs to mind (mainly because I'd love to see a game set in it, RQ is perhaps a bit too hero-oriented) would be Hellenistic Greece and Egypt. - -John Snead jsnead@netcom.com ------------------------------ From: Pedro Arnal Puente Date: Sat, 31 Aug 1996 15:49:25 +0200 Subject: Re: RQ Rules Digest: V3 #50 Hello all Colin Watson wrote: >I agree with you on this point. In some areas/periods it might be >difficult to incorporate RQ magic and still maintain a historical feel. After refereeing two campaigns in spanish VII century and the vikings setting, IMHO, the most dificult part of adapting RQ magic to a historical setting are spells. The rules are enough elastic to be fitted to near every historical orientation (not as well as Ars magica, though) with only minor changes. But the spells often don't fit historical magic. >IMHO this nothing but a good thing. Having real history to work with >provides a much richer background than any fictional world. Before >I'd played Ars Magica I thought the idea of a historical FRP >setting was a bit lame (for no real reason). After my experience with >Ars Magica I'm a total convert to the idea of a real-world setting. I agree with you. I have played AM too and i found mithic europe is the setting i would have liked playing with RQ rules quite a long time ago. >Well, real-world settings have had some success in FRP games. Pendragon >and Bushido spring to mind along with Ars Magica. Then there's >Vampire: The Dark Ages, which I have no experience of. > >The problem for RQ might be finding a niche in the market which is not >already occupied. There was some dicussion recently on the ArM list >concerning the possibility of an Ars Magica supplement to cater for >non-wizard characters, such as knights. Concern was expressed that it >would never fly because it could not compete with Pendragon... > >RQ might have the same problem if it tries to use medieval Europe. >Which is why I think an Ancient setting might be more successful. >Certainly a polytheistic setting would fit better with the cults system >which seems ingrained in RQ. But RQ has had a long life. Why Chaoisum published Stormbirnger and Hawkmoon as seperate games instead of making them world settings for RQ (AH?)? Why Bushido (tough a excellent suplement) doesn't include all material of bushido (a toast for charrette's work ;-) )? And so on... Here we think RQ is a wasted rules system, perhaps too much centered in glorantha (just my two cents). Settings like Mythic Greece (Rolemaster) or The Bronze age that someone has commented would have been great if published when RQ was more a competitive game and less a classic legend in RPG games (by the way, this is more or less its status in spanish RPG market, when its translation was published back in 1988). ...La vida es dura. El hormigon es duro. Larga vida al hormigon!!! - ----------------------------------------- .Saludos Mercenarios. Pedro Arnal Puente. .Internet: parnal@lander.es.............. .http://www.lander.es/%7Eparnal/......... - ----------------------------------------- ------------------------------ From: Teri & Jon Date: Sat, 31 Aug 1996 10:22:47 -0400 Subject: Psionics Rules Could someone tell me where I can find the psionics rules for RQ that I have seen mentioned here? I have searched the net rather vigorously, but to no avail. Thanks in advance... Lady Briseis of Windhold ------------------------------ From: afben1@student.monash.edu.au Date: Sun, 1 Sep 1996 13:32:14 AEST-10 Subject: Elves, Magic, and other good stuff! Greetings! I have just started playing RQ and I am after some information/clarification of some of the stuff. For starters I should also mention that I am using what I think is RQ I rules (I borrowed them from a friend and they all seem to have been published early 80's ish) Ok here goes *smile* and apologies if these have been discussed before or are inappropriate for this list. Elves: In the Cults Book under Aldrya it says that there are Friends of the Forest, High Elves, a Shamans type, Wood Lord and Gardener. How does this work exactly? What is the progression? Is it Friends -> High Elves OR Shaman -> Wood Lord -> Gardener ? or is it Friends -> High Elves -> Shamans -> Wood Lord -> Gardener ? or some other variation ? Also can an Elf become a Sorcerer (I say no, as it seems that they would be deserting their Goddess and wither away.. ) And also a comment on Magic... After reading the rules several times now, it seems to us that to use magic to a large degree requires you to be a Ass Shaman/Shaman , Initiate Priest/Priest, Apprentice/Adept and to become the above then your parents have to be similar ie Shaman, Priest or Adept. Is this right or am I missing something about how the system works. How does a char become a Ass Shaman if his parents were not shamans? Roll Pow x 1 for the fetches approval after 25% in various -- this seems nigh on impossible. Similar for Apprentice Sorcerer and Initiate Priest. It seems that RQ has some nifty magic, but players do not seem to have a lot of access to it? Is this right? All that said I like the system that RQ has. The percentile skills, as well as how it determines MPs, FPs, and the rest. All very neat. I have yet to try running the system (we are in the char-generation phase ;) which is taking a while) but hopefully once I iron out some difficulties we will see how it all goes. :) One last point if anyone has any house rules that they think would augment help me, or if anyone has any tips for a new RQ GM then please drop me a line!! I am after all suggestions (we are playing in Glorantha just before the Hero Wars ie standard setting.. I will be starting in Sun County) Again I apoligise if the above comment is not suitable for this list, and forgive me as I am new here :) Ciao! Andrew Bennett e-mail: kryndal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au URL: http://yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au/~kryndal IRC: #aussies (undernet) ------------------------------ End of RQ Rules Digest: V3 #53 ****************************** This is the bottom of the RuneQuest Rules Digest. RuneQuest is a trademark of Avalon Hill, and Glorantha is a trademark of Chaosium. 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