sra (04/01/83)
I am interested in converting my AD&D world to Runequest. I have seen
many RQ books at game stores, but there are too many to figure out
what I need. Does anyone out there know what books I need to buy to
get started? Any information, critiques, reviews would be appreciated.
Scott Abbot
BTL-MV
{mvuxt|mvuxw|mvuxb}!satim (04/02/83)
[This started as a personal reply, but many of you who have only heard of RuneQuest without knowing anything about it may find it interesting.] There is a book of rules for RuneQuest and many optional supplemental books which flesh out the world (Glorantha) that comes with RuneQuest. If you're planning on converting a pre-existing world, the supplements probably won't be of much interest. Just get the rulebook. If you need an address for Chaosium, let me know. A summary of the game: Characters are defined with seven attributes (STR, CON, SIZ (size), INT, POW (power), DEX, CHA). Instead of experience levels, you have skills, which are numbers from 5 up which you must roll on d100 to succeed. (If your Climbing skill is 50 and you roll 50 or less, you have successfully climbed.) There are combat skills and others (thief, alchemist, sage, etc.) Anyone can learn any skill. Experience is gained by succeeding with the skill during an adventure; training is also available. Anyone can learn battle magic. There are about 50 battle magic spells. Learning one costs money and takes a week. You can cast battle magic spells as often as you like, but each time you do your power goes down temporarily (hours). The battle magic is sort of like AD&D psionics in this sense. If it is a spell that is cast against another being (like Befuddle or Demoralize), the being can resist: compare your POW (power) against the other being's. If they're the same, you have a 50% chance of getting the spell through; there is a 5% adjustment for every point of difference. This removes any need for tables of saving throws like AD&D's. The goal of RuneQuest is to become a Rune Lord or Rune Priest (or both, eventually). This requires that you ally yourself with a cult. Rune Lords are heavy-duty fighters -- among other benefits, they can use iron armour and weapons, not the bronze most beings use. (The game is set in a period cognate with our own late Bronze Age.) Rune Priests are heavily into the magical side of things -- among other benefits, they get to sacrifice for Rune spells, which are a great deal more powerful than battle magic, but which can only be used occassionally, and require a *permanent* sacrifice of power to obtain (but none to cast). There are many aspects of the game I'm not going to go into deeply here, but will only mention. There is a very workable hit-location system (the best I've ever seen), a well-done fumble table, rules for spirits (Rune-level characters get allied spirits, any character can have bound spirits), and the game is compatible with all other Chaosium role-playing games, inviting crossover play. I recommend RuneQuest very highly. Tim Maroney decvax!duke!unc!tim