(Message rqd:76) Return-Path:Received: from Holland.Sun.COM (sunnl) by homeland.Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA01513; Thu, 20 May 93 17:17:20 +0200 Received: from glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM by Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1e) id AA22763; Thu, 20 May 93 17:17:03 +0200 Received: by glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA03579; Thu, 20 May 93 17:15:41 +0200 Date: Thu, 20 May 93 17:15:41 +0200 Message-Id: <9305201515.AA03579@glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM> From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RQ Digest Maintainer) To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest) Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RuneQuest Daily) Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Thu, 20 May 1993, part 2 Precedence: junk Status: OR The RuneQuest Daily and RuneQuest Digest deal with the subjects of Avalon Hill's RPG and Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha. Send submissions and followup to "RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM", they will automatically be included in a next issue. Try to change the Subject: line from the default Re: RuneQuest Daily... on replying. Selected articles may also appear in a regular Digest. If you want to submit articles to the Digest only, contact the editor at RuneQuest-Digest-Editor@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM. Send enquiries and Subscription Requests to the editor: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Henk Langeveld) --------------------- From: s.phillips@vme.gla.uk Subject: INTRODUCING HARRY SIGERSON Message-ID: <19_May_93_17:49:44_A109B5@UK.AC.GLA.VME> Date: 19 May 93 16:49:44 GMT X-RQ-ID: 821 A big hello from Sam Phillips. An Even Bigger Hello from Harry Sigerson (Sam's GM and the person who gets all the printouts of this most splendid digest/newsletter/thingy..) FROM SAM: Oliver. ------- i) Thank-you for the info on your runefont. I can't access Internet from here. I would, therfore, be most grateful if you could send me a binhexed copy for the Mac (but only if you can be bothered and have large amounts of time to waste etc..) ii) Thank-you for RQIV. (I hope it was OK to get it from a 3rd party). As soon as the exam season is over we are going to try out a lot of the new ideas. It looks rather splendid though. I am a little concerened that some things have been complicted further rather than simplified and/or clarified. I would awlays seek to simplify as long as it doesn't detract from the feel of realism that RQ provides. I particularly liked the new sorcery draught. Harry liked the Fatigue rules, the previous experience rules. I am most taken with the ideas about adding flair and panache (sp) to combat. Having extra skills however semms to complicate the issue. i would have thought that a master swordsmaan could do all these things anyway. We would play it (in our own RQLite) that anyone could attempt to do another action (from a quick slap to a handful of dirt in the face to a silly hand gesture or complicated manoeuvre if they stated it before rolling on attack, received a special, and succeeded on a roll for the extra action (throw, kick, slap etc). We probably won't use the manoeuvre skill as we have always assumed it to be an integral part of the attack skill - and wouldn't manoeuvring be different with different weapons? Consider a Greatsword vs a Dagger! Still, good stuff none the less. -- Thanks. Was it Ken who brought up the idea of RQLite? --------------------------------------------- On the subject of RQLite. I think this is the way forward. Away! with all ye fiddley-forgetty-OhEff-I'll-just-fudge-it! rules. I bet there isn't an individual on this mailing list who doesn't drop at least one rule. I would be interested to see who drops what and why? We drop strike ranks for one! Nasty horrible things. ptoo! We hardly use fatigue either. yeeuch! What do YOU drop?... Rob Mace, ducks. ---------------- Sorry for being so familiar. I know I barely know you. but, I LIKE ducks. And I think you can treat them seriously while still retaining a healthy level of amusement by them. They ARE a bit silly. I prefer the idea of them being like Daffy Duck than the idea of them just as Ducks that talk. Mind you, Daffy can fly. Sometimes. Ducks were one the things that first attracted me to Glorantha. That and all the rest. But I know what you mean. Some lesser mortals sneer at Glorantha and its' ducks. But then who wants their sort anyway. (okay AH needs their cash to print a DuckPack but can't we just mug them or something).;?) On the GREEN MOON debate ------------------------ Stilton?.. NOW OVER TO HARRY ----------------- (My G.M. for 10 yrs - bless his little socks) Hello everybody, RE: D.E.B. ---------- >From my limited knowledge of DEB and it's earthly history (early morning Open University Programmes on the venetian merchants, -- the advantages of being unemployed few as they are). I get the basic principles but what I don't understand is what it allows you to do. *Specifically* What differences at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic levels, would not having DEB make ? In what way would the magical element of Glorantha enable an empire to be run without DEB? after all, if your bookkeeping can't tell you where that one million Lunars went to a well thought out Divination could do the trick! I ask due to an incident in my campaign during the Garhound adventuree. A Luna in Pavis (Sam's character) got work as a clerk for the Rugbagian family and worked as a "bookie" agent for them in Garhound. He rigged a series of false bets all placed on the assumption that the Lunar stooge would win the Ladies' contest. When he did win, the character was forced to pay out (to himself via a runner), losing the Rugbaggian family a lot of money. He was dismissed and he and his accomplice made off post haste. (The bets were recorded in place of real bets that weren't placed on the Lunar stooge. Then if the Lunar lost anyone who came to collect a winning would still get paid. The scam wouldn't get found out until the books were checked. I would be off by then. If the Lunar did win no-one would come and complain. We had to duplicate receipts. But since I was issuing them it was not a problem. -- Sam) My problem was I did not know how bookies record the bets they take or ensure the honesty of their agents. How far could such a traitor actually go before being detected? My solution was simpler and I feel very Gloranthan and Lunar. I decided that a Divination check (I mentioned earlier) at the end end of the festival would be S.O.P for the family to weed out Dishonesty among their employees. They didn't get where they are today (rich) by trusting people! The PC's got away with the loot but their faces are on wanted posters everywhere! This leads to my second question: How widespread is the use of letters of credit and how seriously are they taken? My two thieves (thieves? I'm not a thief. I'm an opportunist! --Sam) took much of their ill gotten gains as letters of credit made out to thye bearer. These didn't protect the characters from being robbed but it did make it easier to run off with 4800L than it would have been if it were in Gold & Silver. Andrew Bean ----------- I liked your thoughts on DEB as Etyries' secret weapon to compensate for their weak magic, "knowledge is power" and all that. A couple more questions: ------------------------ If the Black Horse Troop are Stygian Heretics (RQIV sorcry rules & other places eg. Genertela box) what god(s) would they follow? I assume War gods but didn't Arkat worship both Humakt and ZorakZoran? Lunar Cults: ------------ I completely agree with the idea that *anything* on the 7 Mothers cults and other Lunar cults would be the single most useful thing I could have for my campaign. That lack has gotten so bad that my group haven't crossed swords with a Lunar Soldier since they rode the Cradle to Victory (Hurrah!) (And that was over 5yrs ago now! --Sam). Anyway I'll call it a day and hope to contribute again soon -- Harry Sigerson Okay, that wraps it up for me too. Cheers All. Keep Questing! -- Sam Phillips. Not Scotland but Sartar. (Glasgow to be exact - isn't the world small these days Phewff! if my granny was alive today she ...) --------------------- From: paul@phyast.pitt.edu Subject: Re: Letter from Dorastor Message-ID: <9305191828.AA03543@bondi.phyast.pitt.edu> Date: 19 May 93 18:28:30 GMT X-RQ-ID: 822 Paul Reilly here. This is a Gloranthan fragment from an author who accompanied a Storm Bull expedition into northern Dorastor. The northern approaches are quite difficult, as will become apparent. Portion of a Letter from Augustinius the Red Sage to the High Librarian of Glamour: [Greetings, introduction, etc. deleted] ...On our journey we observed many types of diseased and chaotic vegetation. The Storm Bulls insisting on destroying approximately one per centum of the plants we encountered in the first few days; as we progressed deeper into Dorastor this ratio climbed to perhaps one in twenty. Most of the offensive plants seemed little different from their neighbors but some were clearly Chaotic and a few fought back vigourously. We lost several animals to such Chaotic plants and many more to plants which while not Chaotic were poisonous or motile. These seemed to be deliberatley planted in such a way as to impede movement into or out of Dorastor. In addition, some twenty of our scouts were ambushed and shot with arrows on various occasions. These arrows were apparently grown rather than crafted and some deposited venom or living vegetable parasites in the wound. See my forthcoming 'Report on a Journey into Dorastor' for more details. Based on the the records of the Carmanian expedition of 1228 S.T. I believe that there has been a substantial change in the vegetable life of Dorastor since that date. While they encountered a few Chaotic plant forms, the sort of plant defenses we ran into were more formidable and seemingly the result of intelligent design. It is my hypothesis that the hostile vegetation in Northern Dorastor has been developed and maintained by the Aldryami exiles from Rist and their descendants. I will endeavor to show the plausibility of this hypothesis in my next address to the Academy. I believe that if true this hypothesis bodes ill for us as the exiles of Rist are likely to be practicing a coherent strategy hostile to the Empire. Perhaps most disturbing was the fact that the caves used by the headhunters (ibid.) seemed also to have vegetable defenses. This may indicate a hitherto unknown level of cooperation between Aldryami and _krjalki_. I request that I be allowed access to the sealed records on Rist kept at the Imperial Library in Glamour. I am willing to take an Oath of confidentiality to protect any secrets in these records which affect our security interests. I believe that if in fact there is an active Aldryami community in Northern Dorastor they are likely to pose a greater threat than any other in that region, saving only Ralzakark himself. I beg you to take rapid action in this matter. Yours in Service to Moonson and Truth, Augustinius Toadflax. Notes: The expedition included Uz: ZZ allies of the Storm Bulls. Augustinius doesn't mention this in this letter for some reason. This is the same Augustinius Toadflax who invented the improved Toadflax paper-making process. His family has been in this trade for generations and includes both Etyries and Irripi Ontor branches. The expedition foundered in Dorastor and was only saved by the arrival of the Crimson Bat. Unknown to many Orlanthi, the Bat is sometimes used to put down Chaotic menaces in Dorastor if they seem to be threatening the Empire. The Storm Bulls were not told in advance of their 'backup' as the Bat is disturbing to them. [ Written by me in consultation with Finula McCaul] --------------------- From: dustin@ocf.Berkeley.EDU (Dustin Tranberg) Subject: POW checks Message-ID: <199305192202.AA10392@sandstorm.berkeley.edu> Date: 19 May 93 08:02:21 GMT X-RQ-ID: 823 People have been complaining that POW checks are unaesthetic as they stand. I agree, but I think that one possible fix is to not change the mechanics, but rather change the campaign culture to reflect the reality of POW gain. A mechanic as important as the POW gain must be noticeable to characters in the world. They should have some idea of "strengthening the soul" by dominating other beings (of non-Fixed INT). If this notion is prevalent in the campaign world, then the "greedy Storm Bull"-type activity becomes rational and normal. Since you can't exercise to increase POW like you can STR or CON, this can be presented as a metaphor for POW gains. "Just as striving with a foe in combat makes you a stronger fighter, striving with a foe in magical combat makes you a stronger magician." Dustin --------------------- From: jjm@zycor.lgc.com (johnjmedway) Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Wed, 19 May 1993, part 1 (fwd) Message-ID: <9305192210.AA29930@hp2.zycor.lgc.com> Date: 19 May 93 22:10:56 GMT X-RQ-ID: 824 >> From: paul@phyast.pitt.edu >> Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Tue, 18 May 1993, part 2 >> Date: 18 May 93 16:17:52 GMT >> >> _______________ >> john medway: >> >> We tried the Glory system for POW gain but it was quite a job translating >> it from the Arthurian to the Gloranthan social context - in Pendragon, >> everyone is a knight and uses pretty much the same yardstick. In Glorantha, >> some people want zero Glory, e.g., assasins. One player (out of about >> eight) complained about the new system. The problem is keeping it 'Glory'. What I failed to make clear was that it was a system _like_ Glory, and Personality Traits bonuses. The 'Glory' should be renamed something like 'Status' and _not_ in a social sense. It's the player's importance in his/her cult and in the world that it being mesaured here. Honour is what a knight would call it. Glory is what a Warrior might call it. Other names fail me, but the measure is meant to reward the player with power bonuses, not provide a yardstick for comparison across types. >> I tried a system which worked fairly well with this. I gave people >> Runic Ties for their characters which gave them a bonus whenever they >> acted along with the Runic Tie. Initiates of Storm Bull for example This sounds pretty good, but how does a player increase a Runic tie? GM fiat? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - ---john j medway----------- - - - - -- - - - - - - ---jmedway@zycor.lgc.com--- - - - - - - - -- --- - - - - - - ---landmark/zycor---------- - - - - - - - --- ---- - - ---512/292-2325------------ - - - ---- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------- From: mace@lum.asd.sgi.com (Rob Mace) Subject: Re: Duck Cult - Missing segment Message-ID: <9305192236.AA07646@lum.asd.sgi.com> Date: 19 May 93 08:36:40 GMT X-RQ-ID: 825 Brian Hebert writes: > They sat then and watched the birth of Father and Mother Duck and > rejoiced in their perfection. Their questions over duck nature remained > unanswered, their private hopes denied, but the two brothers reached a > pact there at the birthplace of their race. They forged a bond of > harmony between them and took it within themselves where it worked great > good at healing all their buried pains and fears. They returned to the > mortal world and founded their cult together. > > === > > Someone remarked on the weakness of that last sentence as the foundation for > a cult and I agree. I'm not entirely clear on how apotheosis is supposed to > work. Can anyone illuminate me? ;') That someone was me, and I will try to explain what I know about apotheosis. None of this is official. It is based on what we have been able to glean from the stories. Also parts of this are from my experiences in Steve Maurer's Hero Quest game. Since he has not given us exact details on what is going on parts of this are my guesses as to how he is working it. The main thing a hero needs to gain apotheosis is a lot of followers that believe strongly in that hero. And that hero needs to be able give something back to the followers so that generations to come will continue to worship him. This is sort of what happens in Daka Fal ancestor worship. It is also so related to heros drawing power from the support of their followers. We play that heros on a quest that is important to the followers will gain temporary will for that quest. The prayers(temp pow) of the followers go to influencing the success of the quest. This ties back into a post I made a couple of days ago about how worshipers influence the reality of the gods they worship. Two good examples of heros that reached apotheosis are Pavis and Sartar. Both were founder heros. And both became protector gods. After their apotheosis there followers continued to follow their teachings and lent them their power to have their blessing and protection. I think that Iron Hoof in Sartar is a good example of a hero that will follow this path and eventually reach apotheosis. An example of the start of apotheosis from Steve's game is the Lady Juliette. She is a Hero of Yelm and her followers can use Sun Spear once each day against those that Juliette has declared to be the enemy of the Sun. The Lunars have resettled a lot of farmers at the mouth of Snake Pipe hollow. They used to give the farmers protection but since a sizable portion of their army in Sartar had recently been eaten by a dragon they were short on troops and had abandoned these farmers to their fate. When our group of heros was passing through the area they asked us for our help against the monsters that were attacking them. We were in a hurry so could not stay but Lady Juliette made them her followers and declared the chaos in Snake Pipe Hollow to be the enemy of the Sun. The next day as we traveled away we saw fire raining down from the sky. Later Steve mentioned as an aside that these farmers had started to send prayers to Juliette. We are not sure what all the ramifications of this will be. I have a couple of other examples but don't have the time to post them now. In the case of Dha-Naald and Dha-Fhee there should be cult history of the time of their return from their quest. It should talk about how they brought harmony to the Ducks possibly allowing the ducks to drive away some sort of oppressor. > I have a Balazar based scenario I could post, but I haven't seen many > scenarios and I don't want to take up space with inappropriate stuff. > Any interest? I don't know about others but I would like to see it. I don't think that scenarios are inappropriate. My guess as to why we haven't seen many is that most people don't have their scenarios in a postable machine format. Rob Mace