Supplement #5
First Distribution: June 1, 1990
This supplement:
Heroquest Version 2.0 (Steve Maurer)
---
From: steve@vicom.com (Steve Maurer)
Subject: Heroquest Version 2.0 ( WARNING: LONG )
The following is an improved version of the Heroquest rules
published a while ago. Thanks to a large number of people who
helped point out flaws and suggest solutions.
Steve Maurer
steve@vicom.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
HEROQUEST rules for Variant Runequest(*)....
Author: Steve Maurer
Copyright(C) 1989,1990 Steve Maurer (permission to copy for personal
non-profit use is hereby granted, as long as this copyright
notice is included in the text. All other rights reserved.)
NOTE: THIS IS NOT A CERTIFIED VERSION OF GLORANTHA. I HAVE NO
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHAOSIUM, OR ANY OF ITS STAFF.
Foreword
Having suffered through 4 convention games of "Heroquest playtest",
I came to the conclusion that the official Heroquest was still as far
off from completion now as it was back in 1979. The Chaosium remains
one of the best "gameworld material" producing companies around, but
their ability to design working rules systems has deteriorated dramatically
since their heyday in the late 70's. In addition, since Heroquest is
a uniquely Gloranthan(*) game, it can never be completed until Greg Stafford
decides to put in the effort to fill in his world more completely.
In short, I decided that if Heroquest was ever going to come out,
someone else would have to do it. Thus, this rules set. In the
convention games I ran, I was amazed at how positive their reception
was ( unanimously compared favorably to every 'official' Heroquest! ).
So much so that I decided to put in the effort to write them down.
Even so, this rough draft cannot provide all the necessary background
for Heroquesting. This you must do yourself. For me, I used the various
legends from the "old-Glorantha" found in Wyrms Footnotes(*), and used hints
and hooks from other Gloranthan sources, and used them as a basis of the
games. It seemed to work reasonably well.
As a final note. Heroquest, in whatever form, is not for everyone.
There are limited number of RQ players, only a subset of those have
adventures in Glorantha, and even fewer have PCs at a high enough
level to really have a chance on the Hero Plane. Finally, since they
are usually rather dangerous, even powerful PCs will tend to go on such
quests rarely. Perhaps it is for marketing reasons that the Chaosium
has never pursued Heroquest.
Steve Maurer
3/20/89
(*) Runequest, Glorantha, Wyrms Footnotes, are Trademarks of Chaosium Inc.
- - - - - - - -
Introduction
The Heroquest System is simply a way to deal with high powered
RuneQuest characters. "Heroquesting" is the uniquely Gloranthan
ritual of passing through the veils of the goddess Time, to enter
God-time so that you may fundamentally alter the nature of the
Gloranthan universe (usually for the base purpose of accumulating
personal power, but sometimes for other things). These rules cover
both aspects of Heroquesting.
This article is written with the assumption that you are not only
an intelligent and experienced RPG player, but that you are already
very familiar with the RQ system. These are essentially short "game
designer" notes. They are terse, but do explain the entire system.
HEROQUEST SYSTEM RULES
The Heroquest system is a Variant of RuneQuest. Some RuneQuest
rules are altered under Heroquest. The following is a list of the
RQ rules which are modified under Heroquest. Where possible the
changes are marks with a star (*).
Success Levels
Success Level Chart (as basis of character's skill "<%>" )
Type Level from.... to.... unless its......
Fumble (-1) 95 + <%>/20 any
Miss 0 above <%> 94 + <%>/20 above 94 + <%>/20
Hit 1 above <%>/5 <%> above 94 + <%>/100 *
Special 2 above <%>/20 <%>/5 above 94 + <%>/400 *
Critical 3 above <%>/100 <%>/20 above 94 + <%>/1000 *
* Supercrit 4 above <%>/400 <%>/100 etc.... *
* Hypercrit 5 above <%>/1000 <%>/400
etc....
All fractions are rounded down, except in the "unless its" column
which are all rounded up.
A "00" automatically decrements the Success Level by 1.
Text explanation:
RQ has the concept of a "level of success". Roll less than your
skill percentage and you succeed, roll less than 1/5th your percentage
and you "Special". Heroquest expands on this, defining extra levels
of success, beyond "mere" criticals.
Heroquest also redefines the "automatic miss". When you roll a
95-00, you used to automatically miss. In Heroquest this "missing"
percentage is decreased just like fumbles are when you are below 100%.
Any roll that's less than: 95 + <%>/100 to hit will (at least) hit,
even if the actual die roll is from 95-00. Thus, a 200% fighter
will miss only on a 98-00.
Example:
A hero with a 210% skill level achieves a success level by
rolling the following numbers:
Roll Level Type
00 (-1) Fumble (a "Miss" -1 level)
98-99 0 Miss
43-97 1 Hit
11-42 2 Special
02-10 3 Critical
01 4 Supercrit
when he reaches 500%, he will have
Roll Level Type
00 0 Miss (a "Hit" -1 level)
96-99 1 Hit
26-95 2 Special
05-25 3 Critical
02-05 4 Supercrit
01 5 Hypercrit
On the Hero Plane, a level 1 success (a "hit") is such a common
everyday occurrence, that it really isn't anything special. The
dangers are so enormous, the opponents so powerful, that just making
your roll doesn't usually work. To really succeed, you must "Special"
your skill roll. Because the Hero Plane is so tough, "Hits" are,
for all intents and purposes, effectively misses. When you "miss"
against a danger from the hero plane, you've REALLY blown it -- much
like a Fumble.
Thus in Heroquest, percentages are referred to by their chance to
Special, not their chance to Hit. If you encounter the vast flowing
rapids of one of the primal rivers, a simple Swim roll will not get
you past it. In fact, you may very well die unless you Special.
A Runelord beginner on the Hero plane with only a 120% chance to
hit, has a 24% chance to Special. He is a starting character --
likely to be killed if he opposes all but the weakest opponents.
Success Level Results
Heroquest redefines the method of applying skills above 100% vs
each other. You may NOT subtract your skill percentage above 100%
from your opponents skill. Instead, if you Special and your opponent
merely makes his roll, then the result is exactly as if you made your
roll and he missed.
This is codified by the Success Level Result (or "SLR"). To
obtain this value, perform the following calculation:
Attacker Success Level(+) - Defender's Success Level(+)
(+) in combat, a Fumble is just a SL of 0 with other problems.
The SLR can be positive or negative, depending on who did better.
Weapon Success Level Results
In RQ, depending on the weapons used, various results happen from
relative success levels (examples are: Ignoring Armor, "Impaling"
rules, weapon damage, etc). Heroquest extends these results, and
and modifies them slightly. The following is a condensed table.
Note the change in slashing/crushing.
Attacker's Weapon type
SLR Cutting Thrusting Crushing Natural Pole Arm
+5 OVRCRT OVRCRT OVRCRT OVRCRT (as type)
+4 2CRIT 2CRIT+IMP 2SMASH+CRIT DSRM+2CRIT "
+3 CRIT CRIT+IMP 2SMASH DSRM+CRIT "
+2 SMASH* IMP SMASH* NWD+DSRM* "
+1 NWD NWD NWD NWD "
0 WDVP NE WDVP NE NE
SLR Defender's Weapon type ('dodge')
-1 PWD NE/(PND)(+) PWD NE NE
-2 CRIT+PWD PWD/(IMP) PND NE NE
-3 CRIT+PND PND/(CRIT+IMP) 2PND DSRM PWD
-4 DSRM CRIT+PND/(2CRIT) 2PND+CRIT DSRM+DMG PND
-5 OVRCRT DSRM/(OVRCRT) OVRCRT OVRCRT CRIT+PND
(+) Parenthesized Impale results are used when parrying natural
weapons.
Pole Arms are treated as Pole Arms, unless it says "(as type)",
in which case they revert to the "head" of the weapon.
Key:
CRIT - Bypass normal armor (defensively this removes weapon armor)
2CRIT - "Double Crit": Bypass critical resistant armor
IMP - RQ Impale rules (weapon damage + max + damage bonus)
NWD - Normal Weapon Damage (roll full damage vs opponent's armor)
PWD - Parry Weapon Damage; weapon damage (w/o damage bonus)
vs attackers's weapon or natural weapon hit location.
WDVP - Weapon Damage vs Parrying (damage parrying implement/location)
PND - Parry Normal Damage, weapon + damage bonus.
2PND - "Double parry": 2x Parry Normal Damage
SMASH - Double Weapon Damage or Damage Bonus (your choice)
2SMASH - "Double Smash": Double Weapon Damage + Double Damage Bonus
DSRM - Parrying or Attacking weapon/shield rendered ineffective
DMG - Defender does rolled damage to an attackers hit location
OVRCRT - "Over Crit": Whatever you want to happen, does.
There can be further modifiers to the combat SLR:
+1 SLR if attacker is taking victim completely by surprise
if attacker can see and defender can't
if defender is held immobile or unconscious
.... these are non-cumulative bonuses
-1 SLR to choose hit location after you roll. Example: A +2
("Crit" result vs a missed parry) may be turned into a +1
"Special" vs a hit location of the attacker's choice.
Certain weapons have special results on the SLR table. For instance
a "Sword Biter" does a "DSRM" (disarm) on a -2 and -3 SLR. In all
other respects it acts like a Cutting weapon.
Other Combat Mechanics
There are a number of other Heroquest combat mechanics which
deserve mention.
Strike Ranks -- are a measure of how effectively you can get
in an effective blow. The higher your attack percentage, the more
quickly you may do this. At 75%, and every +50% thereafter, your SR
drops by one. For determining first strike, this value cannot go below
Weapon SR, but the combatant with the highest extra "SRs" at a particular
rank hits first. If an attack is Split, figure the SRs from the split
percentages; however weapon SRs CAN be reduced to 1 on secondary attacks.
Multiple Attacks/Parrys -- You may split ANY attack, and ANY parry
vs any opponent(s) you choose, as long as you have the Strike Ranks
for them. 01 is not an automatic Crit on secondary attacks/parrys.
Example: A 200% Fist attack (DEX 21/SIZ 18), gets its attack on 4
(base weapon SR). Split into two 100% attacks gets strikes on 4 and
8; split into a 75% and a 125% gets strikes on 4 and 7. Trying to
split into three attacks 75%/75%/50% would give strikes on 4/8/13
(13 - too high). The PC must reach 225 before getting a 3rd attack.
Dodge -- For RQ3 fans, "Dodge" is redefined. "Dodge" is simply a
"natural weapon parry". You may attempt a "dodge" whether you have a
weapon or not, but under most situations doing so is worse than a weapon
or shield parry. On full defensive, you may "Dodge" and "Parry", just
like you may parry with weapon and shield.
Weapon Difficulty Modifiers -- Though it makes little difference at
the level Heroquest is usually played at, Weapon Attack difficulty is
changed. (Weapon Base Percentage - 20%) is the weapon's attack/exp
difficulty modifier. A Greatsword, for instance, has a -15 difficulty
modifier. This means that every attack is made with such a weapon as
if it was -15%. Because of conversion problems, we assume that weapon
skill levels of existing characters are actually at a level which offsets
these negatives (i.e. a PC with a Greatsword % of 130%, is actually
145% - 15% difficulty). Rolls for experience are made at the true
skill level.
Example Combat:
Grunnik, a Rune Lord of Zorak Zoran, is running about the Hero Plane
Berserk, reveling in the power and glory of true release. Normally he
only has a 30% chance to special, but while Berserk he has a 45% (60%
vs Chaos). For this, he always "misses" his parry (he doesn't
even try).
Grunnik comes upon a lesser demon -- about the level of a standard
Cacodemon summoning). The demon has a 30% chance to special with two
claws, coated with venom. Grunnik luckily has the chance to go first,
since he has the reach on the demon.
First round: Grunnik rolls a 87%. Bad Luck. Only a hit. The
demon makes its 30% special parry, but this doesn't
matter as a -1 SLR on "natural weapons" doesn't do
anything. However it is now the demon's turn.
The demon rolls a 38%, and a 14%. Things look
bad for Grunnik. He took not just a hit, but
a special - a +1 and +2 SLR result for the demon.
The demon's natural weapons (Claws), would disarm
Grunnik if he had been parrying, but since he wasn't,
he doesn't loose his Maul. The demon does 21 and
19 pts of damage to Grunnik against his armor,
which staggers him in his berserk state.
Second round: Grunnik rolls a 13. A Critical. Good blow.
Even better, the demon rolled a 97, barely missing
its parry. (it parries on a 96-). This is a
combined SLR of +3 for Grunnik. A Maul is a Pole
Arm, but in this case, it refers to Crushing damage.
Grunnik does a 2SMASH vs the demon. For Grunnik,
this becomes 4d8 + 4d6 (+ 4d4 for his Crush spell)
against the demon's armor. Grunnik rolls just
slightly above average: 45 pts, which is still enough
to remove the rolled hit location -- a 4 (one of the
demon's 5 legs).
The combat continues.....
THE HERO PLANE (The God-Time)
The God Time is a very weird place, even for a Gloranthan. It
is both the history of Glorantha, and yet also runs somewhat concurrently
with time within Time. You can think of Heroquesting as a very magical,
and very weird form of time-travel.
In this text, Hero plane, God Plane, and God-time and the are used
interchangeably. However there is a subtle distinction between them.
The Hero Plane is everywhere beyond Time. The God-Plane is the place
in the Hero Plane where the various gods reside (their respective domains);
these are called the Heavens (or Hells -- for gods you don't like). The
God-Time is the furthest 'back' the Hero plane goes, the mythical time
before wars or Chaos invaded; to enter the God-Time, a Hero must fight
through both the Lesser and Greater Darkness, and the Chaos wars.
The Child Time
Time is the god(dess) who now orders the universe. The power of
time is such that even the gods cannot individually oppose him/her.
Time is also called Compromise, or "The Compromise".
Time's function is fourfold: First (and foremost) Time prevents
Gods from fighting. Gods, even eternal enemies, may only act in
accordance to the rules set forth when s/he was born. The rules are
set in God-tongue, and thus not understandable by mortals, but they
can be roughly translated to:
o No direct fighting.
o No cursing or harming those who do not worship you (but you
may send a minor curse on those who spurn you).
o No claiming the souls of spirits that are not yours.
o No helping worshipers unless called upon. The more you are
called upon, the more you can help. But even when you can
help, you may only help your worshiper, not harm another.
This is the basis of RuneSpells. It is perfectly all right for a
god to "help his/her worshiper" by giving the worshiper a part of
the god's abilities -- even if these abilities are used to hurt others.
In fact, this practice was common even before the child Time came into
existence.
Time's second function is to order the universe, to make sure that
events happen in sequential fashion. To allow only cause and effect,
and outlaw effect-and-cause. Thus all augury magic is useless in
Glorantha, except for the occasional glimpses that Arachne Solara
(Time's mother) may give.
Time's third function is to insure that the powers and curses which
were in effect at Time's birth are still in effect, and to give each of
the great powers places in Glorantha all their own. In simpler terms,
this means that Time is responsible for all "natural processes": the
seasons, the process of birth, growth, and death, that weakness and
death results if mortals do not eat (even if they do not exert themselves),
that creatures descended from the gods conquered by the air gods must
breathe air or die, that those descended from gods who were killed must
always meet inevitable death. All these "processes" Time enforces.
Note that "natural processes", are sanctioned by Time. They are
not, under the rules of The Compromise, a direct interference. If a
creature foolishly challenges one of Valind's blizzards during the time
allotted to that god, then Valind is not responsible for any harm which
comes to the creature. Note also, that even these "natural processes"
may be opposed, by those strong enough to oppose them. Time, like all
gods, is not immune to change.
Time's final function is to provide a direct communication between
the gods and the world within time. With a few exceptions, a worshiper
may ask for divine aid, no matter where he is.
The Absence of Time
The reason why it is important to know the rules of Time is that Time
does not exist on the Hero Plane. NONE of the Laws of Time work on
the Hero Plane automatically. Each must be specifically invoked.
This means:
o If you personally meet a god, and the god doesn't like you, the
god can smunch you into tiny little bits. (Or do other things
that are much worse).
o "Natural Processes" do not occur, unless someone specifically
wills it. You can be smunched into tiny little bits, but you
will not die unless Death is specifically applied to you (or you
will Death upon yourself). By passing beyond Time, you pass
before Death (Death knows this, and often tries to block the
paths of which he is aware). Your need to breathe, eat, and sleep
is diminished to almost nothing. Fire does not burn (unless it
wants to), ice does not freeze you (unless it wants to). All
natural powers/events still may occur (and many of them do),
but only because someone (or thing) invokes them against you.
Many deserts, for instance, are a part of the realm of the god
of Thirst -- so in them thirst will incapacitate you.
o You cannot ask for Divine Intervention, unless you are actually
at the feet of your "present" god (who knows you). On the other
hand, your God isn't restricted from giving you all the help you
need.
o You do not regain Temporary POW ("Magic Points") naturally. This
is another "natural process", Time is responsible for. Luckily,
it is relatively easy to regain Temporary POW for many questers.
o All magic you have in effect before you go onto the Hero Plane
usually disappears in the ritual which sneaks by Time. If it
doesn't, then it only lasts only for its subjective time.
o All magic with a Duration, that is actually cast on the Hero plane
remains in effect permanently (until you exit).
o Any Rune Magic that you use on the Hero plane is gone permanently.
Time does counts the spell as being uncast, and your god (once you
get back onto the normal plane) is not allowed to replenish it.
(If you manage to meet your god on the Hero Plane, you can get
all your Rune Magic back).
o Elementals can't be summoned unless you are in their primal plane.
However, Elementals stay around forever until they are "killed".
While in their primal plane, they must be spiritually killed, as
they can simply remanifest any body which has been destroyed.
o The one exception to the loss of Rune Magic, is that magic which
is stored in Truestone while inside Time may be regained inside
Time; the spell may be cast on the Hero Plane. This is one of
the many reasons why Truestone is so valuable (in addition to
its holy significance to most cults).
o You do not have to (nor can you, unless you concentrate on it)
strictly obey the laws of causality. If a group of Heros on the
Hero Plane split up and then rejoin, it is expected that each
group will remember different subjective time than others (much
like relativity, actually). Typical Heroquests take many years
of subjective time. Sometimes hundreds.
o Because causality doesn't always exist, you may run across "earlier
versions" of Gods, Heros, or other creatures. The god that you
worship may not recognize you unless you go to his final resting
place ( basically where the god is "now" ). In general, the
further back in God-Time it is, the harder it is to get there.
o You may eat portions of the enemies you defeat, not only deriving
sustenance, but gaining a portion of their power. The more you
try to eat however, the more difficult it is to "digest" the
power. In addition, if you eat too much, you may become more like
what you just ate, than what you are yourself. This can happen
even to the gods ( Lodril is a classic example ). This form of
power acquisition is shunned by most (except for creatures of
Darkness and of Chaos).
o Time actively works to prevent those who would contravene the
compromise from entering the world. When attempting to exit
the Hero Plane, Time will extract a toll. For every heroic
ability, you must spend temporary-POW points (ranging from
50-temp points for a small ability, on up into the thousands).
You need not supply these temp-POW points yourself. Worshipers
may supply them for you.
o The track that you take through the Hero Plane is never washed
away by time. Paths not only travel between PLACES, but also
travel between particular EVENTS. You may follow a path made
by another, and it will follow to all events that person found
(including ambushes, treasures, etc.) However see the caveat
on this below....
Rules Before Time
Even before Time, the Universe enforced a few rules which not even
the gods had the power to change. The most important is that an event
cannot happen more than once (can't be reversed). What happens happens.
This has several effects:
o You can never meet yourself.
o You can't change the history of the gods. For example, you may
not go back and try to jump in front of Orlanth's killing blow
against Yelm. What happens if you do, is that you find an echo
of the original event, and "become" one of the players in it.
This, Sorcerors call a "re-enactment", or a "shadow" of the
event. If, in the course of the re-enactment, you DO manage
to change bad "history" then you do not suffer the curse associated
with the act; if you re-enact a triumph, then you get some echo
of what the originator of the path received.
Following the various gods this way is called "walking in a gods
footsteps", and is one of the most common forms of Heroquest.
Many cults make a big mystic thing out of this, saying you BECOME
your god. But as any Sorceror or Shaman will tell you, that's
simply wrong.
The Universe doesn't prevent people who don't worship a god from
following the god's path, but as matter of practicality, only
the god's cultists do. Not only are they the only ones who know
their god's paths and its dangers, but often the rewards are
something that would be prized only by a cultist of that god.
It is VERY dangerous to walk an unknown path, for not only do
many lead to certain destruction, but many others lead to rewards
you do not want. (The God Learners resolved to discover the
paths of various Gods and Heros, and abused them -- earning the
emnity of nearly everyone).
o If you make your own path, you will not become part of any
re-enactment. This is far far more dangerous than following
a known path, but can also lead to greater rewards.
o If something bad happens to you on the Hero plane, you can't
later try to stop it from happening (not even a god can do that).
The BEST you can do is try to repair what has been done, but
again this usually requires another Heroquest to find a cure.
It is usually beyond the scope of the gods. ( Hero Plane curses
and blessings are usually quite permanent. )
o Even in their present state, the Gods are not immune to change.
If you decide to go where the god is "now", and take him or her
on in one-on-one combat (and you win -ha-ha-) then you may injure
the god (and perhaps derive some benefit). You may persuade
a god to do something, or may teach a god some new craft.
This is the way to become a "hero of the cult". Gods, in general,
are far more tolerant of Heros than they are of any other cultist.
Simply meeting your god is often a way of freeing yourself of a
god's minor restrictions (not curses!).
o If you are destroyed by some forms of Chaos on the Hero Plane,
even the memory of you may be removed from the world.
MAGIC OF THE GOD PLANE
Magic on the God plane is much more primal than that of the normal
plane. This is not just because of the function of Time, but also
because the God plane is a much older aspect of creation. (In
computerese, it's the Operating System). Hence, many magics are
possible on the God plane, that are not in mundane Glorantha.
Will
Though it is not important to RuneQuest, there is a form of inner
strength which is often tested on the Hero plane. This is called WILL.
It is a new characteristic.
Will is the spiritual strength of the character, the ability to
presevere despite opposition or difficult circumstance. It is assumed
that characters who have achieved great status among the cults already
have a high WILL. In addition, as a character overcomes difficulties,
WILL tends to increase (though rather slowly).
A "Player Character" receives WILL by the following formula:
WILL 3d6
+3 For being a Player Character
+1 For being a Lay Member / Student
+2 For being an Initiate / Apprentice
+3 For being a Rune Priest / Shaman
+6 For being a Rune Lord / Sorceror
+8 For being a Rune Lord-High Priest / Adept
( bonuses above are non-cumulative )
+10 For being a Hero ( acknowledged by a god )
....bonuses above are non-cumulative
+1 For every "mastered" (100%) skill above 5; natural
skills are not counted in this (i.e. walking
for humans, swimming for ducks, etc). "Similar"
skills (ride horse, ride rhino) don't count twice
(this includes extra languages after the 3rd).
+1 For every x2 pts permanent POW invested in rune
spells (or objects you have enchanted yourself).
+? Any time the character accomplishes something
extraordinarily difficult through constant
perserverence. (Not just a blind luck out.) GM bonus.
Minimum WILL (for Player Characters):
13 For Initiates
15 For Rune Priests / Shamans
20 For Rune Lords / Sorcerors
... reroll until WILL at least matches this number.
Temporary (for the Heroquest) WILL increases:
+1-30 If there is great personal interest in the quest
(your life, or loved ones life, depends on it)
+5 For every x2 people, for whom you are similarly
questing (lots of people's lives depend on it).
+1 For each point of Permanent POW or associated Rune
Magic thrown into a specific task.
Normal Use of WILL
As the "unknown" characteristic, it is assumed that the PCs have
made their WILL rolls up until this point. However, for starting
PCs, or to perform incredible feats of heroism, the following is a
reference guide of typical WILL x (X) rolls necessary to get up
the courage to perform/resist an action:
WILL x ROUGH EQUIVALENT
10 Doing a chore you don't want to do right now
9 Not falling asleep when you are very very tired
8 Cutting yourself
7 Risking your life, when there's a chance of resurrection.
6 Doing a Divine Intervention
5 Risking your life when there's no chance of resurrection.
4 Risking your soul being destroyed (fighting a Vampire)
3 Volunteering for a suicide mission (certain death)
2 Forcing yourself into activity, when you have broken bones
1 Not screaming when tortured
1/2 Volunteering for certain destruction of your soul (troops
fighting the Crimson Bat)
etc.
Magic Use of WILL
With enough inner strength, you may change the Universe by
sheer force of Will. This is the most basic and fundamental form
of magic, embodied by the Magic Rune. However, Willing a change
is extremely difficult. A roll of WILL as a percentile is the "base"
necessary to make a minor change, but the multiplier varies depending
on the difficulty of the change you are attempting to accomplish.
(More on this below).
You may even do this within Time, though the Universe is much
more "solid", and hard to manipulate. Subtract 100 from the final
Will roll. Any number below 0, has no chance of success.
Forcing your will upon the universe isn't exactly physically painful.
However, it is incredibly exhausting, not only to the body but to the
Spirit. This is discussed later.
Disadvantages of WILL
People who have high Wills are stubborn, single-minded, uncompromising,
and question all authority. They are often extremely difficult to get
along with. As WILL increases, so does the tendency to take on tasks
(and Heroquests) individually.
While this is mainly for roleplaying, a game mechanic is also provided:
any time two heros get into an argument, they must roll under:
100 - (combined WILL/2) to keep from escalating it. Each failed roll
escalates the argument by stages: trifling, minor, major, extreme, final.
(Some invocations of the Harmony or Disorder runes by others may modify
this progression).
Characters with high WILL will also have a tendency to become obsessed
with certain objects, people, or situations. Again, if a character is
presented with the opportunity to fulfill a long sought after goal, he may
go for it (take, use, find, etc) despite the feelings of others.
Curiously enough, the Gods understand the Willfulness of Heros, and
tolerate it. So Heros are traditionally freed from most godly
restrictions. This includes minor Geases, cult ties (90% time, and 90%
tithe), and minor cult restrictions (such as not having certain spells).
Note that you are NOT a Hero (even a minor hero) in the eyes of your God
until you actually meet your God in person. This isn't always easy.
Also, major restrictions, such as the Humakti love of Death (i.e. No
Resurrections), is NOT something a hero can ignore. Finally, the Gods do
not actively encourage their Heros to break restrictions, they simply
understand and forgive if their Heros do.
Spirit
NOBODY likes to "use" their Will. Even legendary Heros don't.
After a while, if your WILL seems to have little or no effect on the
situation, characters will become desperate, and then eventually give up.
To simulate this, there is other "Temporary" characteristic called
Spirit. Spirit is to WILL what "Magic Points" are to Power. The
Spirit starts at WILL, but drops by one ( 1 ) from every usage of Will.
If a character's Spirit reaches 0, their "Spirit has been broken". A
character with a broken spirit may make NO voluntarily Will rolls, and
any involuntary Will rolls (resistance) are at 1/2 normal WILL.
There is an exception: if an unopposed WILL roll is over 100%, then
no Spiritual loss is charged. It's easy.
There is no "storage" of Spirit in magical items, however at the
GM's discretion certain actions or events may cause to "sustain one's
Spirit". ALL rewards are at the GMs discretion. The standard list is:
o "Success" -- On completing a task which needed several Will
rolls, most or all of the Spirit lost will be
regained. If the character's Spirit was broken,
a maximum of 1/3 the Spirit may be regained.
o "Hope" -- If a character suddenly sees a way out of a
predicament, s/he may receive a number of Spirit
points to either A) Get out, or B) Hang on a bit
longer (when others are effecting the release).
o "Responsibility" -- When a character knows the fate of others
rides on his or her success, an extra starting Spirit
bonus of up to x1 WILL may be awarded. Note this is
NOT usually the case in a "power gathering" Heroquest.
o "Hate" -- Hate can make you strong. If success means the
destruction of a hated enemy, then an extra starting
Spirit bonus of up to x2 WILL may be awarded. Note
this is NOT often the case in most Heroquests.
o "Love" -- When the fate of a loved one rides in the balance, the
Spirit may be sustained at a minimum of 1 point, no
matter what other considerations apply. Essentially,
the character gains infinite numbers of Will rolls.
This is extremely rare.
In addition to the limitation of Spirit, the character must pay
a minimum of 1 Temporary POW (Magic) Point for each use of WILL.
Actually, this number follows a very complex formula, however since
Temporary POW is so cheap for most Heroquesters, I will not go into it.
(GMs recommendation: if the Heros try to make large scale changes,
charge from 5 - 30 Magic Points).
Modifiers to Will Rolls
The difficulty of forcing the universe to respond depends on various
modifiers: the Scope (the area over which the change has effect), the
Magnitude (the power of the effect you are attempting to achieve), and
Runic Associations (the relationship the hero has to the Rune of the task
he is attempting to accomplish). The mechanic is simple: each Modifier
acts as temporary MULTIPLIERS to the character's WILL, for the completion
of the task. All are subject to GM discretion.
GM guideline to Temporary Will Modifiers:
WILL x Scope
1/8 Attempt to change the nature of Glorantha (*)
1/4 Attempt to make changes over an entire domain (*)
1/2 Attempt to make changes over a battlefield area
1 Attempt to make changes to a specific target (line of sight)
2 Attempt to defend yourself in a direct attack (not just
because you happen to be in combat)
4 Attempt to defend yourself from a second, similar attack,
from the same enemy(s).
(*) Note that you must also overcome the WILL of all those within the area
to make the change. For overly large areas, this makes it basically
impossible. See WILL vs WILL below.
WILL x Magnitude
0 Alter the Universal Laws
1/8 Incredible alterations (e.g. Superhero/Dragon/God Magic)
1/2 Huge alterations (e.g. Hero/Chaos Magic or Features )
1 Major alterations (e.g. Standard "D.I.", non-reusable R.M.)
2 Minor alterations (e.g. Rune Magic)
3 Negligible alterations (e.g. Battlemagic)
WILL x Runic Association (the relationship with the Task's Rune)
0 Invoking a Severed Rune
1/4 Invoking a Fractional Rune
1/2 Invoking a Minor Rune
1 Invoking a Major Rune
2-5 Invoking an Tied Rune
6-9 Invoking an Allied Rune
10-20 Invoking an Embodied Rune
( See Runic Associations below )
WILL x Extraneous
1/2 If the character acts against a Runic Trait (can be lower
-- see below)
1/2-1/8 To make a permanent change (can be lower -- also almost
always requires additional prerequisites.)
1/2 If the WILL usage is trivial. ( This divisor increases
for extra rolls -- see below )
1/2 If the character is in spirit form, attempting to affect
an embodied spiritual object (living creature) (*)
2 - 1/4 Previous successes: Unfamiliar (x1/4) 1-10, Familiar (x1/2)
11-100, Practiced (x1) 101-1000, Mastered (x2) 1000+; Very
Mastered (x3), and Utterly Mastered (x4) not practicable.
1/2-1/8 Seems (to PC) very unlikely to succeed.
1/4 A spirit attempting to affect an inanimate object. (*)
4 - 1/8 Acting with/Attempting to Overcome the original result of
a reenactment (depends on original's "finality")
(*) When reduced to 0 HP, you may only act as a Spirit until healed.
WILL vs WILL
Opponents often WILL opposite effects to occur, especially in combat.
Resolving contests like this is simple: whoever makes the better modified
WILL roll (as a multiple) wins. Ties go to the status quo.
Length of WILL Use
There is NO duration on the Hero Plane. WILL rolls either effect
a permanent change, or must be maintained by concentration. (The vast
majority are the latter). The character may usually only concentrate
on one thing at a time. Unopposed Will rolls over 100% can usually
be maintained while doing other things, however.
Rerolling WILL failures
Characters may reroll WILL failures, but there is a caveat. In
addition to the loss of Spirit, the character may never achieve a result
more than twice as good as the initial roll. Example: If the original
roll was WILL x 4, the best future result could be only WILL x 2. Also,
if the usage is trivial (i.e. the character doesn't REALLY care about the
outcome), the WILL divisor fraction increases: 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, etc.
This is determined by the GM.
Example: An Orlanthi decides to Fly. He has a 23 WILL, this is a Minor
Alteration of one of his Major Runes (explained later). He isn't all
that worried about not doing this, since it's just to save him from having
to climb over 50 miles of rocks (would take a few subjective "days" -- big
deal). His final roll is: 23 x 2 x 1 x 1/2 = 23% chance. He rolls a
36, and can't quite get off the ground. Being stumped, he decides to
try again. He now has a: 23 x 2 x 1 x 1/3 = 15% chance. Rolling an 11,
he is off and flying. He will continue to fly, until he decides to use
his WILL elsewhere.
RUNIC ASSOCIATIONS
The Runic Associations described above are the association that the
character has with the rune of the change he is attempting to perform.
The Runes are more than symbols. They represent the fundamental aspects
of creation, and allow the character more power over that aspect of
creation. For example, a character Tied to the FIRE rune, can make
things burn.
ALL skills and spells have runic associations. However, due to space
considerations, they will not be listed here. GMs are encouraged to use
common sense. For every rune, look at a cult who has it as a major aspect,
and examine the "1/2 price" skills and spells. Some skills and spells are
associated with multiple runes; average a PC's rune masteries in this case.
Every character has a relationship with all Runes (yes, including
Chaos). In Heroquest, this is called "Rune Mastery" of a particular
rune, and ranges from 0% to 100%. Most mortal beings start with a 10%
(Fractional) relationship with ALL runes. There may be alterations
depending on race and gods worshiped. (There are relationships above
100, but they are unattainable by mortals -- runes above 100% are called
"Aspects" of your nature)
% Mastery Relationship
(0) Severed Rune
01-19 Fractional Rune
20-39 Minor Rune
40-59 Major Rune
60-79 Tied Rune
80-99 Allied Rune
100 Embodied Rune
A PC gets a Allied (80%) relationship when:
- The PC becomes a Major Hero of the god who is the embodied
Aspect of that Rune.
- The PC finds the elemental Rune, and Allies himself directly
with it.
A PC gets a Tied (60%) relationship when:
- The PC becomes a Major Hero of a god who possesses this rune
as a Major Aspect.
- The PC becomes a Hero of the god who is the embodied Aspect of
that Rune ( Hero of Chalana Arroy is Tied to Harmony, Hero of
Humakt is Tied to Death, Hero of Red Moon is Tied to the Moon,
Hero of Orlanth Thunderous is Tied to Air)
- The PC finds the elemental Rune, and Ties himself directly
to it.
A PC gets a Major (50%) relationship when:
- The PC becomes a Hero of a god, who possesses the rune as a
Major Aspect. ( Hero of Orlanth Rex is Major in Mastery,
Hero of Zorak Zoran is Major in Death, etc )
- The PC becomes a Rune Lord High Priest of the god who is the
embodied Aspect of that rune.
- All Shamans have a 50% relationship to the Spirit Rune.
- The PC is a member of a Great Race associated with that rune...
Mistress Race Trolls have a Major association with Darkness.
Iron Dwarfs have a Major association with Stasis. Etc.
A PC gets a Major (40%) relationship when:
- The PC becomes a Rune Lord High Priest of a god who possesses
the rune as a Major Aspect.
A PC gets a Minor (30%) relationship when:
- The PC becomes a Rune Lord High Priest of a god who possesses
the rune as a Minor Aspect.
- The PC becomes a Rune Lord or High Priest of a god who possesses
the rune as a Major Aspect.
- A Shaman PC allies himself with a Great Spirit who possesses
the rune as a Major aspect.
- The PC is a member of a Race associated with that rune...
All men are Tied to the Man rune, Dark Trolls are also Tied
to Darkness, Elves are also Tied to Plant, Dwarves are
also Tied to Stasis, Wind Children are also Tied to Air,
Agamori are also Tied to Fire, Broos are Tied to Beast
and Chaos (but not Man), etc, etc.
A PC gets a Minor (20%) relationship when:
- The PC becomes a Rune Lord or High Priest of a god who possesses
the rune as a Minor Aspect.
- The PC becomes a simple-Priest (Acolyte) of a god who possesses
the rune as a Major Aspect.
A PC gets a Fractional (15%) relationship when:
- The PC becomes an Initiate of a god who possesses the rune as
a Major Aspect.
- The PC is a member of a cursed Race associated with that rune...
Trollkin have a 15% relationship with Darkness,
Ducks have a 15% relationship with beast.
A PC gets a Fractional (5%) relationship when:
- The PC is a member of a Race Tied to the opposite of that
rune.... Trolls only have a 5% relationship with Fire,
Dwarves have 5% relationship with Mobility, etc.
Sorcerors' spells may also impart a relationship. For every 10% of a
spell Tied to a rune, the Sorceror has a minimum 1% relationship.
These are NOT cumulative. If the Sorceror has Burn and Summon Fire
Elemental at 130% and 170%, he has a 17% (Fractional) relationship with
Fire. The maximum gainable in this fashion is 30%.
This effect is two way. A sorceror cannot go beyond 10 x his
Runic Mastery in any Spell which uses that Rune in a major aspect. This
means all sorcerors are normally limited to 10 x 30 = 300% in most spells
until they gain more runic mastery from somewhere.
You MAY NOT "turn down" a relationship with a Rune. Getting rid of a
relationship is just as hard, or even harder than gaining one.
Other Prerequisites for Spell Use of Runes
While Will can be used to create spell effects, this is by no means
automatic. In addition to the higher WILL rolls, the character must
know the "formula" for the particular Rune spell-effect. Simply having
the FIRE rune doesn't give you a Sun Spear. You may develop this though
gift, or just enough enough practice "under stress". (See "Previous
Successes" in the WILL roll section.) Runemagic use counts as a
"success", even within Time, but only up to the level of Practiced.
Thus, most long time Priests will be Practiced in their god's runic
abilities (that they have sacrificed for).
Other Costs for Spell Use of Runes
Permanent effects also cost the character permanently. This depends
on what kind of effect the character is attempting to make. ANY Permanent
Major effect costs the character 1 - 10 pts Permanent POW for each
use (GM determines cost). ANY Permanent Huge effect costs the character
2 - 20 pts Permanent POW, plus 1 - 5 pts WILL. Permanent Incredible
alterations are beyond the scope of normal Heroquest, but REALLY cost.
Runes and Skills
It is easy to learn skills Associated with your Runes. A WILL roll
allows you to train in a skill every time you have an opportunity to do
so. As time does not exist, a character may spend several hundred years
perfecting a skill (as long as it interests him). This bonus lasts up
until the Special Chance is equal to the Rune Mastery of the associated
skill. Note that you can't be "trained", unless you have either gotten
a check, or have a source of knowledge. You don't get extra WILL training
in this fashion, except with special GM permission.
Example: Takir, Rune Priest of Lankhor Mhy has just found a book of
Ancient Law. In it is +10 Special (50% normal) training in Law, +3
Special (15% normal) training in Jrusteli History, and +1 Special (5%
normal) training in World Lore: Cults. As Takir has a 25% association
with the Truth rune, with a Will roll he may study the book until he has
learned it to a max of 25% Special. Since his Law is already 20%, his
lack of Truth Mastery prevents him from learning all the book has to
teach him (he can't quite remember it all). When he achieves a 30%
association with the Rune of Truth, he may find new interest in the book,
learning it up to the max 30% it can teach him.
POW vs POW
Basic Power vs Power does not change on the Hero Plane. In addition
to making WILL rolls, a character must overcome a targets POW with his
own for any ranged spell to work. As both WILL and POW must be beaten,
this makes ranged spells slightly less powerful than within time.
Runes In Opposition
Many Runes have opposites. Truth/Illusion, Luck/Fate, Harmony/
Disorder, Light/Darkness, Movement/Stasis, Life/Death. A characters
Rune Mastery total may not exceed 100% for Runic opposites. (i.e. 60%
Movement means you may only have a maximum of 40% Stasis). This is
one of the chief reasons to attempt to sever a relationship with a rune.
Exception: Runes which have been twisted/modified by Chaos may ignore
this rule. Many Chaos heros, and even some Chaos Gods, have opposite
Chaos runes.
Disadvantages of Runes (Runic Traits)
At higher levels of Runic Mastery, the character does not so much
have control over a Rune, but rather becomes part of it. This affects
the personality. The exact effect is left up to the individual GM,
but the mechanic is the same. A percentile die roll under a PC's:
(Runic Mastery) - (WILL / 5) means the individual acts in accordance
to his Runic Personality.
This isn't necessarily bad. Any act in accordance with a Runic
Personality Trait is automatically NOT a "trivial use" if the Runic Trait
roll is made. However, acting against a made Runic Trait roll requires
a Will (x 1) roll. Even if this is made, the WILL of the character is
halved on any act which works against the character's Runic Trait(s).
Note that certain spells have the same effect as "making" one's Runic
Trait roll. Specifically Berserker is the standard Runic Trait of Death,
Seduction is the standard Runic Trait of Fertility, Peace is the Standard
Runic Trait of Harmony, etc. Runic Traits are similar between characters,
but not always the same. Humakti, for instance, don't go Berserk;
they become extremely brave (ala Morale).
Note that characters don't HAVE to attempt their Will roll to stop
acting against their Runic traits. The PC must make the WILL roll,
only made if they want to act contrary to their natures.
Spirits vs Embodied
Spirit Combat also exists. All spirits are visible, and travel at
twice the speed of embodied creatures.
Spirits of ANY power may attack an embodied character. They get the
number of attacks they did in normal form, however (with rare exceptions)
do only the normal "magic point" (temporary POW) damage.
Magical weapons work against the spirits POW as if they were Hit
points, and magical Shields may be used to parry (forcing the Spirit to
Impale to hit). Disembodied spirits are at an extreme disadvantage,
unless they massively overpower those whom they are attacking.
Spirits also have a reduced WILL when attempting to attack the physical
plane. Their WILL is halved on all interactions with physical things
occupied by a Spirit (such as living creatures), their WILL is quartered
when dealing with inanimate objects.
Spirit Blood
Temporary POW which is lost as a result of spirit combat does not
disappear. It remains and pools like glowing blue blood. This may
be ingested by characters, restoring Temporary POW lost.
All Inclusive Example Exercising The Rules:
Grunnik, has just polished off the lesser demon. It lies, alive but
broken on the field before him. Despite its broken body, the Demon is
not dead. This is a natural process within Time, but does not have
any effect on the Hero Plane.
As Grunnik is Berserk, he automatically makes his Runic Trait: Death.
Screaming "DIE DIE DIE", he attempts to part the demon's spirit from
its broken body.
Grunnik has a Will of 32, and Death as a Major aspect (he is a Rune
Lord High Priest of Zorak Zoran). He is attempting a permanent change
(Death), satisfying the prerequisites for this change: destruction of
the target's body. (This is one of the easiest permanent changes to
make - Death is a powerful rune). His final roll is: 32 x 1 (Major)
x 1 (applied to a Target) x 2 (Minor alteration) x 1/2 (Permanent
Change: Death) = 32. He rolls a 17, under x1 his WILL, but just
missing 1/2 his WILL roll.
To save itself from Death, the demon must counter with its own Will
roll. It has a WILL of 41, but unfortunately also has Death as a
Major aspect (55%). The demon must first roll more than (55 - 41/5 =)
47% to avoid following its own Runic Trait: Death. It rolls a 96,
making it easily. If it had not made this, it would have had to roll
its Will roll (41%) to avoid applying Death to itself. Even so,
its Will would have been halved to resist Grunnik's Will.
The demon is defending itself from a personal attack (WILL x 2), and
is attempting a Minor Alteration (defense). However, must use Life
in defense of the Death from Grunnik, for which it only has a 8%
(Fractional) association. Also, because its body is broken, it can
only act as a Spirit. Its roll is: 41 x 2 (personal defense) x 2
Minor Alteration x 1/4 (Fractional) x 1/2 (Spirit) = 21% Will roll.
The demon rolls an 85%, getting Will x 4. Not good enough. It dies.
The Demon isn't finished yet however. It decides to attack, clawing
at Grunnik's spirit. The Demon has two claws, and a 51 POW. As
Grunnik has no special protections, the spirit only needs a Level 1
success (a hit). It easily overcomes Grunnik with both claws,
draining 2 and 1 point of temporary POW.
Grunnik replies with his Maul. The Maul does no damage, however the
4 points of Crush and Bludgeon do. Grunnik hits doing 16 points
of temporary POW damage to the spirit.
At this point the demon decides to flee. Grunnik decides to leave
it, feasting on the 16 pts of spiritual blood left.
Prizes of Victory/Agony of Defeat
Few creatures have the ability to actually apply Death to those whom
they defeat. However, there are other things you may do with/to those
whom you defeat. A character may attempt to wrest something from a
defeated foe, or curse them, etc.
When reenacting a shadow, it is very difficult to gain more than what
was gained in the original event; same thing can be said for loosing
things as well.
Here are a few classical prizes of victory:
Annihilation -
A Permanent "Huge alteration". Invoking the primal RUNE of Chaos
to utterly destroy the foe. Even the victim's memory fades.
Corruption of Chaos -
A Permanent "Major alteration". Gives the victim extra Runic
Mastery of Chaos. This will lead to the victim being forcibly turned
chaotic. (Note: The Death rune can sever this like anything else, but
at the cost of the character's life).
Absorbing your Victim -
Take a portion of your foe and eat it, attempting to absorb
a Rune power contained therein. A Major alteration to remove it
from your victim preserving its nature, a Permanent Huge alteration
to incorporate it into yourself. (Via Runes of Darkness or Chaos.)
Using a piece of your Victim -
Take a portion of your foe, and attempt to use it independently
of yourself (using a scorpion's stinger, the victim's head, etc). A
Major alteration to remove the body part preserving its nature, a
Minor to Major alteration to use the item. (Via various Runes -
Mastery is one; Chaos is another)
Robbing your Victim -
Take an item from your foe (if it has one). A Minor alteration
to use the item. ( Via Rune that activates the item )
Recruiting your Victim -
Persuading your foe to become one of your followers. ( Harmony
or Mastery Rune ) Many permanent relationships are formed this way.
A classic Orlanthi prize.
Enslaving your Victim -
Using your foe as an unwilling slave. ( Death, Darkness, Chaos,
Disorder, or Mastery Rune ) Often the slave may escape or be freed.
Imprisoning your Victim -
Freezing the victim where he is, ending his path permanently (or
until freed). ( Stasis Rune )
Killing your Victim -
A permanent "minor alteration" which parts the spirit from the
physical form. (Via the Death rune)
Stealing Magic (Temporary POW) from your Victim -
Stealing temporary POW up to your maximum from your victim.
(Via the Magic, Spirit, or Undeath Rune )
Stealing permanent POW from your Victim -
Stealing Permanent POW. (Via the Undeath Rune )
Healing your Victim -
Undoing curses of violence or chaos. Creatures who have been
unwillingly turned chaotic usually must be subdued before they can
be healed ( Harmony or Fertility Runes ). Note also, that some
creatures (such as Vampires) do not WISH to be "healed".
Pacts with the Old Powers
Not all encounters on the Hero plane are ones of violence. Often
you may be treated favorably if you treat other beings with respect
( often this must be fawning bootlicking ). Having Mastery of the Harmony
rune is often a good thing if you wish to talk to some creatures --
failing that, Mastery of the Mobility rune is another big plus.
When Time was born, many immortal beings were frozen out. There
were many reasons for this, but the biggest two were either that they
were unable or unwilling to support Time. "Now" they want back in.
Those Unwilling to Support Time
Chiefly these were chaos demons, but there were a few holdouts
among the great spirits. These creatures wish to directly oppose
the will of Time, and seek a conduit to bring their physical form
into Time so as to continue their physical existence. However,
they need mortal sponsors to help get them past the barriers Time
has erected. The classic archetype of this type of creature is
the Crimson Bat.
Those Unable to Support Time
Wounded gods, Great Spirits who too busy defending themselves
to give Time any power, and Chaos gods who see which way the wind
is blowing. These gods originally did not (or could not) accept
Time, and so were locked out. However, they now accept the rules
of Time, and wish mainly to start a cult within time to gain
worshipers. Again, they need help from mortal beings to do this.
Gods, demons, and great spirits cannot, of course, force characters
to worship them. However they can offer enticements. Power is one.
Additional Runic Mastery is another. These may be sealed with pacts
strong enough to affect one's Word, Power, and Soul.
Word Pacts
A simple agreement. I'll do this if you do that. You bring this
to me, and I'll give you that. This is not the easiest pact for a
character to forge, because there is often little that a great spirit
wants. ( It's easier with demons, because often all they want is IN. )
Sorcerors, and Priests of Issaries are the greatest masters of this kind
of pact. Gods are not usually jealous of you having a Word Pact with
other spirits, as long as they aren't Chaotic -- it is even expected
of Issaries heros.
There is no penalty to breaking such a pact, unless the character is
foolish enough to return to the same spot on the Hero plane. On the
other hand, there is no guarantee that the Spirit or Demon will keep its
pact with you!
Power Pacts
Most Characters are intimately familiar with Power Pacts, for this is
what it means to become a Cultist. Being an Initiate, Priest, or Lord
are all power pacts, as are binding spirits.
A Power Pact requires the sacrifice of 1 or more permanent points of
POW. The minimum 1 POW is not given to the other being, but rather
sets up a Link between the two creatures by which other things may be
granted. Both sides are wary of making such a pact, because it is a far
more intimate relationship.
Because of this, Gods and Spirits are jealous of their Power Pacts.
They prefer worshipers have no other pacts, or at the minimum, pact with
friends they have pacted with (Associated Gods). It is a very exceptional
individual who can persuade gods into simultaneous Pacts. It is easier
for Shamans, because Great Spirits are often much more desperate for
worshipers.
Creatures in a Power Pact understand each other very well. They
can often influence each other with their opinions. The gods especially
fear this, knowing that too many worshipers who secretly wish to change
them may accidentally do so. This is why cults are so restrictive
in their membership, even in a polytheistic society.
Breaking a Power Pact cannot be accomplished before the injured party
gets to curse you. Although this is usually from spurned god to mortal
(in the form of a Spirit of Retribution), few realize that the opposite
holds true as well; if a god reneges on a promise, you may curse him.
Don't laugh. It's happened.
Soul Pacts
These are the most intimate Pacts of all. Powerful and dangerous,
they are also called Will Pacts. Each bargainer gives an elemental piece
of him/herself into a merged whole. This does many things. Both may
share all knowledge, magic, innate powers, rune masteries, and the Will
of both may be brought to bear on things that all agree upon. However
if there is a disagreement, a WILL vs WILL roll is necessary to determine
which course is taken.
Soul Pacts may be limited in nature, so as not to subsume either
personality. The more Limited, the less power that is shared. However,
even limited Soul Pacts often eventually result in a slow merging of
personalities. It depends on the exact nature of the pact.
Breaking a Soul Pact is extremely difficult, if not impossible.
The character must first WANT to break the pact, which requires a Will
roll; if one member of the pact wants the pact to remain, then this
Will roll must overcome the other. Second, breaking a Soul Pact is
at least a Major alteration (for the most limited of Pacts). For
greater Soul pacts, it's a Huge or Incredible alteration.
Final Notes
Much of what has been discussed previously is known to the peoples
of Glorantha. Much of it is not. And most of it is truth filtered
through one perspective or another. While you or I might think it's
crazy to consider a Soul Pact with a Chaos Demon, such things do happen
with reasonable regularity.
---
The RuneQuest(tm) mailing list is a courtesy of Andrew Bell.
All opinions and material above are the responsibility of the originator, and
copyrights are held by them.
RuneQuest is a trademark of Chaosium, Inc.
Send submissions, mailing list changes, requests for old article lists, etc.
to:
bell@cs.unc.edu ...!mcnc!unc!bell
Request old articles by volume number and issue number.