To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM
From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM
Subject: RuneQuest Digest Volume 8, no 8
Comments: Revision @(#)v8n08 1.3 93/01/26
Precedence: junk
Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM
(RuneQuest Digest Submission Address)
Errors-To: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM
Sender: Henk.Langeveld@Holland.Sun.COM
Contents:
STEVEG Re: the More (semi-official) Kralorelan stuff
jacobus A Pebble in a Pond...
Jon Murray New recruit
Andrew Bell RQ III Errata
Ghost Dancer 1621: The Cradle - Details Wanted
Henk Langeveld Re: 1621: The Cradle - Details Wanted
Ghost Dancer RE: Re: 1621: The Cradle - Details Wanted
Thom Baguley River of Cradles - First Impressions
Editorial:
I've got some transcripts of RQ discussions in rec.games.frp (.misc &
.advocacy) that may be interesting to the readers of RQ Digest.
Some of these are a couple of months old, so I'd like to get your input
on this matter. Subjects include: DI, Rune Metals, King of Sartar, Red
Goddess.
What do you say: Include them or not?
Send your replies to RuneQuest-Request.
--
disclaimer: My words, not Sun's # # #
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My home is my ruin...
--------------------
From: STEVEG@arc.ug.eds.com (Entropy needs no maintenance)
Subject: Re: RQ Digest V8.7 & the More (semi-official) Kralorelan stuff
Message-ID: <01GTJ3GIWYIA000ITU@MDCBBS.COM>
Date: 14 Jan 93 17:36:25 GMT
Thanks, Oliver, for your material on Kralorela (sounds of furious scribbling &
revision in the background) : it certainly shows the difference between those
who have access to word-of-mouth, and the rest of us who have to struggle to
read between the lines of the scant published material for whatever part of
Glorantha takes our interest, if it isn't Prax.
With only the material in the Genertela box (and the passing references in
earlier material) I found it a lot easier to tweak China (reference materials
copiously available) to account for those few peculiarly Gloranthan features
that needed to be accommodated; some of which may have been in fact artefacts
of interpretation of the Kralorela chapter (and those of adjacent regions).
Trade was one such issue, where the impression was given that traffic across
either Pent or the Wilderness was negligible. [But then again, I get the
feeling from comparing the descriptions in Cults of Prax and those of the
Genertela book, that the attitude to the Wilderness has changed, and it is
regarded as being more hospitible now than it was ten or more years ago.]
It does seem, the more we find out about Kralorela, the less it is anything
like China, and the more something uniquely of itself, thus making the
analogies that have been drawn in past published material less useful than
they might have been.
Still, it was fun making the bridge between what I knew of each : in fact I
find creating such constrained solutions to un-answered Gloranthan mysteries
is more fun than whole-cloth creation. [The same spirit motivated the Earth
Cult society of mine in Reaching Moon#7; the problem being to reconcile a
feminist pastoral "utopia" with a Gloranthan setting. The eventual solution
was not in keeping with "official" material, but still fun to derive : but if
any one does want to use that material, they can make it "more official" by
replacing the Pamaltelan goddess Nyanka, with the Ernaldelan equivalent,
Eninta, consequently replacing the water-rune affiliations.]
--------------------
From: jacobus@sonata.cc.purdue.edu
Message-Id: <9301151557.AA14151@sonata.cc.purdue.edu>
Subject: A Pebble in a Pond...
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 93 10:57:43 -0500
There is currently a discussion going on in USEnet news about HeroQuesting,
and I'd like to share my latest input here.
I was walking home from work one evening, thinking about how hungry I was,
when I suddenly was struck with a notion. Removing the item from my face,
I was amazed to see that it had writing upon it. It said "A hero is nothing
but a pebble, a pebble in a pond." It was signed with the initials "C.A."
I thought nothing of this and put it down to my normal late-night
hallucinations. However, the image stuck with me (the notion evaporated
into the land of phantoms, by the way) of a large, burly fellow being
heaved into the middle of a lake, and the people on the banks counting the
waves.
Finally, it hit me. I kicked it in the groin, brought my knee up in its face,
and finished it off with a double-fist to the base of the skull. At that
moment, I just realized that I had beaten the shit out of a metaphor.
Since metaphors of any sort are few and far between in this world, I quickly
tied the sucker up and pumped it for everything it had. What I got was this:
Heroquesting is dropping a pebble in a pond. The pond is Godtime. The shores
are Time. What effects one has upon Time depends upon MANY things--the size
of the pebble, the location of the drop, what other pebbles may be doing at
that particular moment in the pond. The point is that the shore co-exists
with the pond. In fact, it is the shore that defines the pond, but it is
the pond which gives the "final" shape to the shore, which provides it with
the water it needs for life, etc.
A hero is a pebble, just a piece of the shore, who enters the pond.
The effects of that hero's actions are as ripples in a pond. If the splash
is strong enough, it alters the shore to the extent that it is very difficult,
if not impossible, to discern its former shape--thus "changing history". If
the splash is weaker, the current shape of the shore is what exists, but the
former shape can be seen by those with discernment.
Remember, the pond and the shore co-exist. Time and Godtime co-exist in
non-time. Think of non-time as a matrix which permits the very existence of
existence.
As for the Godtime being changeless--remember, it is a pond, and for all
the turbulence a pond surface may have, it is ultimately seen as a changeless
single entity, yet for all the solidity a shore may have, it is ultimately
seen as a turbulent, temporary thing, constantly shaped by the waves of the
pond.
I hope my excursion into mythopoetic language has helped.
---------------------
From: jmurray%cfa4.DECNET@cfa.harvard.edu
Subject: New recruit
Message-ID: <9301181957.AA24011@cfa.harvard.edu>
Date: 18 Jan 93 09:57:17 GMT
Hi,
I have just taken up running RQ adventures and have been told that
you can supply me with additional information and some scenarios. I
would be grateful if you could e-mail this over to me as well as putting
me on any future list for info.
Regards, Jon Murray.
---------------------
From: bell@cs.unc.edu (Andrew Bell)
Subject: RQ III Errata
Message-ID: <9301230000.AA10349@beethoven.cs.unc.edu>
Date: 22 Jan 93 14:00:24 GMT
RUNEQUEST ERRATA
Copyright 1988 Chaosium, Inc. I have received explicit permission
from Ken Rolston for this to be distributed via the net "as I wish."
I typed this in by hand, so there may be transcription errors.
PLAYERS BOOK
Page 33:
SIMPLE SUCCESS ROLLS, fourth paragraph. Add this sentence:
"The adventurer's category modifiers do not apply to a skill with a
00% base chance until he has gained a positive ability in that skill."
Page 37:
TRAINING INCREASES AND DECREASES, second paragraph. A player who
foregoes the die roll may add 1 percentile to his skill, not 2 percentiles
as written.
Page 38:
REQUIRED TRAINING TIME, add this paragraph:
"To initially learn a skill with a 00% base chance, the character must
spend 50 base hours training. At the end of the training period, he
gains 1D6-2 percentiles in the skill, plus his category modifier. If
this does not bring him to a skill of 1% or higher, he must train
another 50 hours, and so forth, until he either gives up or has attained
a positive skill percentile. The character only adds his category modifier
the first time he trains in the skill."
Page 43:
RESULTS OF FATIGUE LOSS: delete the third paragraph. Fatigue loss only
causes unconsciousness at the gamemaster's discretion.
Page 44:
NON-HUMAN ENC. -- change the first paragraph:
"When determining weights carried by creatures with a SIZ of 21-30, refer
to the SIZ equivalency table. Find the SIZ of the weight carried by the
animal, then halve the kilograms beside the number. The result represents
the actual ENC subtracted from the animal's fatigue points. If the creature
has a SIZ of 31-30, divide the kilograms carried by three. If its SIZ is
41-50, divide by four, and so forth."
Page 48:
HOW TO PARRY. Delete the last two sentences of the first paragraph, and
replace with:
"In either case, no character may attack and parry with the same weapon
on a single strike rank."
SUCCESSFUL PARRY VERSUS UNSUCCESSFUL ATTACK. Add:
"A successful parry by poleaxe or halberd only damages an unsuccessful
attacking weapon if the parry is a critical success."
Page 52:
HIT LOCATIONS OF MOUNTED TARGETS. Add:
"Mounted characters fighting footmen also get the advantages of high ground
(page 54)."
Page 54:
HIGH GROUND. Delete the third sentence and replace the second sentence
with:
"This means that his player may subtract one strike rank from his
adventurer's hand-to-hand weapon attacks against a downhill foe and rolls
1D10+10 for all hit location rolls for his attacks with one-handed weapons."
Page 59:
TWO-WEAPON USE. Add to the first paragraph:
"He may both attack and parry with the same weapon, so long as he does
not do both in the same strike rank."
Page 60:
MELEE WEAPONS TABLE. Special hits with all daggers are impales.
Page 61:
MELEE WEAPONS TABLE. Impaling damage with the thin-bladed Rapier is
3D6+3, not 2D6+2. Also, unlike other two-handed spears, the Naginata
does not impale.
Page 64:
MISSILE WEAPONS TABLE. Sling Rate of Fire is 1/SR. Javelin damage is
1d10, not 1d8.
Page 68:
SPECIAL EFFECTS OF ARMOR COVERAGE. Add new section
BLUNT WEAPONS VS. SOFT ARMOR
When a flail, mace, or maul is used against soft armor, the value of the
armor protection is halved (round fractions up). Soft armor overlapped
with hard armor counts as hard armor.
POINTS FOR OVERLAPPING ARMOR
As described above, it is possible to wear soft armor under another armor
to provide added protection. Hard armor may not be worn under any other
type of armor. In any case, the outer layer of armor must be heavier than
the inner (i.e., have more armor points).
The interior soft armor adds its normal AP to the total armor at TWICE
normal ENC cost.
Page 72:
AGILITY SKILLS. Add a second paragraph, reading:
"The skills of Dodge, Jump, and Swim are affected by ENC as described
below for human-sized creatures. For creatures with a SIZ of 21-30, it
takes 2 ENC to reduce the skill chance by 1 percentile (by 5 percentiles
in the case of Swim). With a size of 31-40, 3 ENC reduces the skill by 1
percentile (or 5, for Swim). A SIZ of 41-50 takes 4 ENC to reduce skill
by 1 percentile, and so forth."
MAGIC BOOK
Page 9:
Covert Possession. Alter the second sentence of the third paragraph to
read:
"Normally, when the target's magic points are reduced either to 0 or 10
points less than those of the spirit, it covertly possesses its target."
Page 10:
Active Spell: add
"The target of an active sepll must remain within the caster's view or
the spell ends."
Page 16:
Spell Casting Ability. Replace first sentence with:
"A spirit magician has a percentile chance of successfully casting
non-ritual spells equal to his POWx5, plus his Magic skill category bonus."
Page 19:
Coordination: each point increases the target's DEX by 2.
Page 21:
Protection: delete the last sentence.
Page 22:
Silence: each point adds 15 percentiles to Sneak.
Speedart: duration is Temporal.
Page 27:
Learning and Using Spells. Replace the fourth paragraph with:
"A user of divine Magic skill category modifier, but this chance is
reduced by 1 percentile for each ENC carried. (With no ENC there is
still a chance of failure with a d100 roll of 96-00%.)"
Page 28:
SPELL LIMITS, add to first paragraph:
"Initiates cannot learn spells that are one-use for priests."
Page 29:
TEMPLE SIZES. Worship Diety is also available at shrines. Minor temples
also provide Worship Diety and Spellteaching.
Page 30:
Add the following spells to the named dieties: Earth Goddess -- Command
Gnome; Night Goddess -- Command Shade; Sea God -- Command Undine; Storm
God -- Command Sylph; and Sun God -- Command Salamander.
Page 31:
Absorption: delete the last sentence.
Page 33:
Command (Species) is a 1 point spell, and is capable of affecting
intelligent creatures.
Excommunication: this can only be cast on an initiate sworn to the priest
casting the spell.
Extension: replace the last two words of the first paragraph of the spell
description with "strike rank".
Page 34:
ILLUSIONS: replace the last two words of the general description with
"strike rank".
Page 36:
Shield: delete the first sentence of the last paragraph of the spell
description.
Soul Sight is a 1 point spell.
Page 37:
Spirit Block: delete the last sentence.
Page 42:
MULTISPELL. delete the entire description and replace it with:
"With this skill the sorcerer can cast multiple spells at a reduced cost
in magic points. each spell may be directed at a different target
provided that all targets are within range and sight of the caster.
"Each point of Multispell permits one additional spell to be cast.
First the sorcerer determines the amount of Intensity, Range, and
Duration he will use, limited by his Free INT, and all spells are
affected identically. However, Touch spells gain no range this way,
and Instant spells gain no duration, even when combined with ranged or
temporal spells.
"The cost of the spells in magic points is equal to the total points
of manipulation, counting the Multispell. Ritual magic cannot be
Multispelled.
"The time need to cast the spells is equal to the total Free Int used,
multiplied by the number of spells being cast. This is the major
exception to the usual rule for time taken in spellcasting."
Delete Cormac's Saga on this page.
Page 43:
SPELL DESCRIPTIONS: Instant spells can be neither Passive or Active.
Ignore such references.
Page 44:
Create Familiar Characteristic. Replace the third paragraph with;
"Each Create Familiar Characteristic spell permanently transfers the
specified characteristic points from the sorcerer to the familiar. If
the spell is intensified, more characteristic points are transferred
at once. Since these spells have no effect on a complete creature, they
cannot be used on a familiar, but only on a creature which is about to
become a familiar."
Page 46:
Diminish characteristic is a ranged spell. Every third characteristic
point drained by the Diminish SIZ spell is STR, not SIZ. Thus, an
intensity 5 Diminish SIZ would drain 4 points of SIZ and 1 point of
STR.
Form/Set Substance: delete the second sentence of the second paragraph.
Replace the last paragraph with:
"While the sorcerer is actively manipulating the appropriate substance
with the Form/Set Substance spell, he can cause the substance to arc
toward the target for a magic point cost of one per kilogram (or per cubic
meter, as appropriate) of substance thrown. The magical lance of
material has a chance of hitting equal to the caster's DEXx3 as a
percentage. If successful, the target sustains appropriate damage from
the type and amount of substance thrown. Hard substances such as rock,
wood, or metal do 1D3 points per kilogram thrown. Liquids do no damage
unless extremely hot or acidic. Fire does damage depending on its
intensity. Darkness does nothing unless it is part of a shade. If the
lance misses, the sorcerer still loses the magic points. Armor and
spell which protect against physical damage work normally. The substance
under the effect of the Form/Set can be used again and again as a Lance,
for the Form/Set spell's duration."
Page 49:
Phantom Sense: alter the Sample Sight Intensities table:
Sample Sight Intensities
1 smooth, clear glass
2 rippling water
3 lightly stained glass
6 murky water
10 opaque
Regenerate: duration is Temporal, not One Hour. Replace the first
sentence in the third paragraph with:
"Levels of intensity equal to the target's normal hit points in his
limb must be provided. The tissue will regenerate one hit point per
week if the spell is applied within 10 melee rounds after the limb
has been mangled or lost."
Page 51:
Summon Creature is a Summoning Ritual.
Tap is a Passive spell.
Treat Wounds. Duration is Temporal, not one hour. Replace the fourth
sentence of the first paragraph with:
"The treated creature recovers 1 point of total hit point damage and
1 point of damage in the affected location per hour (until the location
is healed) for each point of intensity in the spell."
Replace the last sentence of the first paragraph with: "This spell
requires enough Duration to last at least one hour."
Page 57:
Armoring enchantment: Each point of Pow adds 1D3 armor points, not 1D6.
Magic Point Matrix Enchantment: Each point of POW stores 1D10 magic
points, not 1.
Spell Matrix Enchantment clarification -- a spirit magic enchantment is
needed to create a spirit spell matrix. The divine enchantment is needed
to create a divine spell matrix. Sorcery is needed to create a sorcery
matrix.
GAMEMASTER BOOK
Page 36:
Change the first paragraph of the page to read:
"...tegrity of the ship protected the cargo and crew despite the captain's
incompetence and the ship suffers no loss. If the seaworthiness resistance
roll falls reduce seaworthiness by one point."
CREATURES BOOK
Page 10:
Brontosaur: the tail lash should do 4D6 damage, not 7D6 damage.
Page 19:
Elephant: the Indian elephant (Elephas maximus) actually has a STR of
6D6+30 and SIZ of 6D6+38. The extinct African forest elephant has a
STR of 6D6+22 and a SIZ of 6D6+30. Normal African elephant STR and SIZ
should be 6D6+34 and 6D6+42 respectively. Other characteristics are
unchanged, except that Move is 4.
Page 21:
Ghost: ghosts have no STR but do have INT of 2D6+6.
Page 35:
Skeleton: The last three words of the creature description should read;
"... and 3 current POW expended on DEX."
Page 43:
Wyverns: the wyvern's sting injects poison with a POT equal to the
creature's CON.
GLORANTHA BOOK:
Chaotic Features Table: add the following possible results:
89 One hit location (choose randomly) is invulnerable to damage from
any source.
90 Endearing: match INT versus the creature's APP (of 5d6) when
encountered. If overcome, the character tries to make friends
with it, accompanies it in the future, and acts as its bodyguard.
It already has 1d6 bodyguards. The character fights with it against
his friends if they attack.
Possible Chaotic Creatures Table: add Hellions to the list. They
normally have no chaotic features.
---------------------
From: SPB1@vms.bton.ac.uk (Ghost Dancer)
Subject: 1621: The Cradle - Details Wanted
Message-ID: <9301251429.AA11479@Sun.COM>
Date: 25 Jan 93 14:28:00 GMT
Hi all,
Just a simple question, I am about to start running a group of adventurers
through a little bit of fun set in Sun County and I noticed that in 1621 (the
current year in my game) a Giant Cradle comes/came down the river. Well my
party will be stopping off at Harpoon and I wanted to include some reference to
the event, maybe even letting them witness it.
Unfortunately none of my sources give any more details of the event other than
the year. I don't have "River of Cradles", is it out yet??? So if anyone could
fill me in with any more details about this monumental event I would greatly
appreciate it.
._
/! \ Alternative
/-!-/ Realities Jarec
/ ! \ Games Club e-mail: SPB1@VMS.BTON.AC.UK
---------------------
From: henkl@glorantha (Henk Langeveld - Sun Nederland)
Subject: Re: 1621: The Cradle - Details Wanted
Message-ID: <9301251528.AA01225@glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM>
Date: 25 Jan 93 17:28:02 GMT
The old 'Pavix' Box for RQ2 included a scenario around
the cradle. Basically, it involves a group of rebels
(led by one "Garrath Sharpsword") who defend the cradle
from looting by the Lunars.
Is this included in the current "River of Cradles?"
--
[For info about the RuneQuest mailing list: |TM: RuneQuest is a role-]
[RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM|playing game of Chaosium/AH]
---------------------
From: SPB1@vms.bton.ac.uk (Ghost Dancer)
Subject: RE: Re: 1621: The Cradle - Details Wanted
Message-ID: <9301251620.AA21754@Sun.COM>
Date: 25 Jan 93 16:20:00 GMT
If somebody who has the old RQ2 "Pavis" box could possibly tell me what
happened to the Cradle at Harpoon and the date when it passed that point, or a
close approximation that would serve my present purposes wonderfully. Unles of
course "River of Cradles" says something different.
I have always found that the history going on all around you aspect of
Glorantha was one of its strongest features and I would like to try to instill
this wonder into my group, who are mostly new to RQ and Glorantha.
._
/! \ Alternative
/-!-/ Realities Jarec
/ ! \ Games Club e-mail: SPB1@VMS.BTON.AC.UK
---------------------
From: T.S.Baguley@open.ac.uk (Thom Baguley)
Subject: River of Cradles - First Impressions
Message-ID: <9301252305.AB24179@Sun.COM>
Date: 25 Jan 93 09:34:42 GMT
River of Cradles U.K. price #163#13.99
This is my first proper posting to the digest. I've just bought River of
Cradles and read through most of it. Here are some first impressions.
Overall presentation is good (the maps of the River of Cradles, Pavis and the
Big Rubble are excellent). I'm not sure how much is repeated or reprinted from
old sources (a fair chunk I would guess, but I think that they have presented
it differently and rewritten it a little).
The background - a history of the area, information about the communities and
trade along the valley and so on is very useful. They are careful to list other
(in print) sources of information in a number of cases.
There follow sections on New Pavis, The Big Rubble, Sun County, The Grantlands
and Sun County. Detail varies, but is generally an overview similar in style to
the Glorantha Boxed Set except for the size of areas covered. New Pavis and the
Big Rubble are not described in much detail (apart from Gimpy's tavern).
A scenario series (Troubled Waters) provides an interesting introduction to the
cult of Zola Fel and the area of the river for beginning characters.
Finally, seven cults are given a full writeup; Orlanth, Storm Bull, Issaries,
Chalana Arroy, Lhankor Mhy, Daka Fal and Zola Fel. These are very welcome, as
they include several of the most popular player cults. The writeups are shorter
than the Cults of Prax originals but closely based on them.
Overall a very useful product - essential for those running Dragon Pass
campaigns. My only complaints are minor ones - not enough detail on Pavis
(probably an unfair criticism given the nature of the product), no where to
keep the superb maps (no the largest one doesn't fit in the boxes), and a
couple of puzzling omissions e.g. no writeup of the Pavis cult.
Maybe we can expect a more detailed Pavis release soon? Please?
Oh yes ... possible errata - does it really require 19 STR to wield a trident,
yet another Lhankor Mhy inititiate without 90% in a cult skill.
These are only first impressions - I probably missed lots out ...
Thom
_/ _/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ Human Cognition Research Lab
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ The Open University
_/_/_/_/ _/ _/_/_/_/ _/ Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, U.K.
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ Tel: +44 908 65-4518 Fax: -3169
_/ _/ _/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/ Internet:T.S.Baguley@open.ac.uk