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From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RQ Digest Maintainer)
To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest)
Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Sat, 31 Jul 1993, part 1
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The RuneQuest Daily and RuneQuest Digest deal with the subjects of
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RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Henk Langeveld)
---------------------
From: dustin@ocf.Berkeley.EDU (Dustin Tranberg)
Subject: 3 spells
Message-ID: <199307290646.AA08643@locusts.berkeley.edu>
Date: 28 Jul 93 16:46:38 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1332
Here's some sorcery spells I've come up with. Comments are encouraged.
***
3 Sorcery Spells for RuneQuest Dustin Tranberg 7/24/93
(SENSE) PAST
------------
Ranged, Active, Temporal
This spell allows the caster to see/hear/earthsense/etc. events which
occurred in the past. At Intensity 1, the caster can sense events up to
10 minutes in the past, with each additional point of Intensity doubling
the "time depth" which can be sensed. (Thus, to hear a conversation
from 1 year ago would require a Hear Past spell of Intensity 17.)
The caster can usually pinpoint desired events, if they know what they
are searching for, i.e., "The time when Dashka the Sneaky hid the blue-
bound book under one of these flagstones", and not "When somebody hid
something in this room."
Adding Duration to the spell simply allows for longer viewing/listening/
etc. of the target zone.
Adding Range to the spell allows sensing of areas further from the
caster, but these still must be in "line-of-sight", a difficulty often
dealt with by Multispelling (Sense) Past with (Sense) Projection. (This
combination is particularly useful if the sorceror wishes to follow the
past actions of a moving person.) The (Sense) Projection still has
existence in the present, though, and can be attacked by others as normal.
This spell cannot sense into any area which was magically warded at
the time in question. (Thus, areas which were Sanctified, had Protective
Circles with Spell Resistance, etc. are impossible to sense with this
spell during the periods in which their defenses were active.)
Multispelling (Sense) Past with Mystic Vision may work or not, according
to the discretion of the Referee.
Note: For particularly chilling effect, a la Call of Cthulhu, one might
have a supernatural being who is observed by this method NOTICE it. B^)
DEADHANDS
---------
Touch, Passive, Temporal
This rather gruesome necromantic spell animates a number of severed
hands up to the Intensity of the spell, which then hover within 1 meter
of the caster, and which the caster can use as if they were his/her own.
This does *NOT* increase the number of actions possible by the magician,
the magician may simply switch between sets of hands every round, with
all other hands remaining still during this time (except to keep up with
the sorceror's movement). The spell is usually used to carry lanterns
and keep weapons, um, "handy", and in cases where the sorceror does not
want to expose his/her own hands to possible harm (trapped chests, etc.).
In combat, any deadhand which is not in-use may be hit with a normal
success, with a -30% for missiles. The animated hands are made unusable
by 2 points of slashing or crushing damage, and will have only 1 MP each,
making them very easy to dispel, unless the sorceror puts extra Intensity
into the spell to give them additional MPs, with each additional point
of Intensity adding 1 MP to a single hand. Dispel-type magic can target
single hands, or groups of hands, with the total MPs of its hands
defending a group.
Example: Losha wants to rob a grave to support her necromancy studies.
She knows Deadhands, and casts an Intensity 8 spell with
Duration 5 (4+ hrs). She animates 5 severed hands with 1MP
each, and one hand with 3MP (to defend it against local
spirit magicians). In her 6 animated deadhands, she carries:
a shuttered lantern
a cocked lt. crossbow
(2 hands)
a vial of holy water
a shovel (2 hands)
She keeps her staff in her own, living hands, for defense.
If something happens to her while she is digging, she can
use any item in her many hands, without having to dig it out
of her pack.
Spells which protect the sorceror will generally not protect the hands.
This spell is often Multispelled with Spell Resistance to protect them
from being so easily dispelled, or more rarely with Damage Resistance
to protect them physically.
All items being held by the hands count against the sorceror's ENC.
A severed hand is only usable once, ensuring that the necromancer must
be always digging up graves for more!
CONCEAL MAGIC
-------------
Ranged, Passive, Temporal
This spell is used to conceal another spell's presence. When multispelled
with another spell, any attempt to sense the spell's presence is resisted
by the Intensity of the Conceal Magic spell, as follows:
Soul Sight: Caster's current MP vs. Intensity of Conceal Magic
Mystic Vision: Intensity of Mystic Vision vs. Intensity of Conceal Magic
The Intensity of Conceal Magic must be equal to or greater than the
Intensity of the spell being hidden.
Depending on how the campaign treats mundane visibility of magic (Do
boosted weapons glow, etc.?), this spell may or may not affect mundane
visibility of magic.
************
So, what have I neglected? Comments encouraged to dustin@ocf.Berkeley.EDU
Thanks,
Dustin
---------------------
From: f6ri@midway.uchicago.edu (charles gregory fried)
Subject: Conversion Perversion
Message-ID:
Date: 29 Jul 93 06:57:59 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1333
Greg Fried here.
to John Morgan:
The best way to convert AD&D modules to RQ? THROW THEM OUT! But seriously,
I have found it to be almost more trouble than it's worth to convert
materials from other game systems. Even the Chaosium's own "Thieves World",
complete with RQ2 stats, is not immediately playable. The reason it is hard
to convert modules is that the underlying plot rationale for a good RQ
campaigne has to be well-rooted in a detailed cult lore, as well as a
detailed local history. It is VERY hard to "convert" AD&D modules into an
appropriate RQ setting. If you try to translate every critter and every item
into RQ equivalents, you come up with a monstrosity. Don't even try. Your
old modules MIGHT be servicable simply for the architectual and geographic
settings, but even so, D&D "dungeons" tend to be way too high tech (!) for
bronze age Glorantha. If you have one or two modules you particularly like
and can't bear to part with, I suggest you outline the broad plot structure
that appeals to you, give it an appropriate RQ setting, and then completely
repopulate the "dungeon". I suggest that you get Snakepipe Hollow as good
working model. Shadows on the Borderlands also has some excellent "dungeons"
(forgive me, fellow readers!), but it may be too involved for a newcomer to
RQ -- what makes them so good is an extensive knowledge of Glorantha required
on the part of the GM who runs the gloriously detailed stories of this
supplement.
I do have a RQ module, available over the net, plus supporting materials.
Write to me directly if you are interested.
---
to Kirsten Niemann:
I'm interested in your thoughts on RQ tarot. Any chance you could send me
your stuff via surface mail? Email me personally if so.
GF out. (Oops! That's 'architectural' above -- I'm not that much of an
idiot, just a bad typist!)
---------------------
From: STEVEG@ARC.UG.EDS.COM (Steve Gilham Entropy requires no maintenance)
Subject: Chalana Arroy / Identification / AD&D conversion to RQ
Message-ID: <01H13GCRYMUQ009RML@UG.EDS.COM>
Date: 28 Jul 93 17:40:37 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1334
In X-RQ-ID: 1325, Greg Fried asks about C.A.'s w/weapon skills.
I recall the background for the high combat skill healers in e.g.
RuneMasters as the result of turning to the cult after several
years military experience. I've seen some discussion about the
morality of CA's being able to fight things that don't register
on Det. Life, such as the unliving (e.g. Mostali constructs) or
the undead.
and re Identification
There's at least one of the Lhankor Mhy spells to do this; so
charge the going rate for runemagic (such as the rates in the RQ3
books, modified by your campaign economics, supply & demand &c.)
In X-RQ-ID: 1329, John Morgan asks
>Also what is the suggested way of converting modules from AD&D
>to RQ?
It's not easy, given that D&D doesn't have the quantum leap that
rune-priest status gives. As a personal rule of thumb, I'd
convert ~9th level characters to base level rune-priest/
rune-lord/equivalent sorcerer, and fudge the other cases. Stats
would convert straight for humans. Splitting AC into dodge at 5%
per point or armour is a GM call. Creature hitpoints would give
an indication of SIZ. If there are obvious equivalents then use
those.
Really, you keep just the plot-line and the names & then scale
the rest.
In many respects, going the other way is easier.
---------------------
From: JARDINE@RMCS.CRANFIELD.AC.UK
Subject: Chalana Arroy, Identifying Magic, RQ and AD&D...
Message-ID: <9307291047.AA05204@Sun.COM>
Date: 29 Jul 93 10:51:00 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1335
REF: X-RQ-ID:1325 - Greg Fried
I would allow Chalana Arroy Cultists to carry a staff, primarily for
parrying (It is lighter than a shield) and I might also allow them to
train the parry (which is against the rules) if they had been previously
attacked and had to parry. I would also allow the to use the attack
skill against undead and magical constructs like skeletons. Note that
they are forbidden to harm living beings, the above do not qualify, as
magical constructs are no more alive than tables and chairs and undead
are the antithesis and perversion of life and thus real candidates for
the hatred of Chalana Arroy (if she was into hate and negative emotions
man!!!). I would not allow Chalana Arroy Cultist to train in staff
attack as that would be too warlike and agressive. Also there is the
problem of the cultist who kills something because they thought that it
was undead or just a magical construct, I don't think sorry would cut too
much ice here and some fairly hefty repentance would be in order.
Fortunately Chalana Arroy is a forgiving kind of goddess and the
unfortunate cultist might just be sent to the nearest leper colony for
a ten-year tour of duty and banned from adventuring in the future.
As for the cost of identifying magic items.
The Lhankor Mhy option:
The cult sells its services to cult members and friendly cultists for the
standard costs. (I can't remember them this far from a manual, but I think
that its might have been 50 Lunars a point to cult members and 150 Lunars
a point to friendly cults.)
The priest or more likely acolyte would first want to perform a divination
to check whether they might be harmed when handling and identifying the item
and then use as much analyse magic as was necessary (up to a previously agreed
maximum). Thus the cost is 100 Lunars plus for cultists and a hell of a lot
more for others. No wonder the Lhankor Mhy cult can afford all those huge
libraries full of academics palying with their own pwt projects.
I assume that other cults such as Irripi Ontor would perform similar services.
I doubt whether Orlanth or even Issaries would do so even though they have
access to Analyze Magic through Lhankor Mhy as this would be seen as muscling
in on their territory. Issaries mechants would use Analyuze Magic on their
own stock to further their business however.
REF: X-RQ-ID: 1329 - John Morgan
Forget the AD&D scenarios; play in Glorantha!
RQ is just another, fairly good RPG, its only advantage is that it *was*
designed for Glorantha. Unfortunately RQ3 was initially set in a medieval
earth and that is why most of the stuff that was new in it (such as sorcery)
is such a cock-up. RQ4 was supposed to fix all these things but it was
approached from a very rules oriented direction rather than a Gloranthan
one and fell into the same trap as RQ3 and seemed to spend all its energy
looking at neat rules rather than trying to capture the *DIFFERENT* exotic
flavours of Glorantha. Anyway rumours say that RQ4 is dead now, at least
in its current form and for the time being.
If you want additonal adventures to those produced by Avalon Hill I suggest
you subscribe to Tales of the Reaching Moon if you don't already (the current
issue has 3 scenarios including lots of God Learner stuff) also there is
the RQ Adventures zine which is dedicated to scenarios, I can't say of what
quality because I have only flicked through it once.
But David Cheng is a really nice guy so I am sure that it is very good.
(Hi David I think I am right in saying you have something to do with it.
If not I appologize to all in advance. Anyway thanks for all the auction
stuff. Hope RQ Con goes well, I am sorry I can't come, but Karen is having
a baby and I have already buggered off to Les Arcs for 2 weeks this year
for a conference (holiday).)
Also Tom Zunder (REF: X-RQ-ID: 1209) liked it so much he planned to distribute
it in the UK (Tom are you still planning to do this? When? How much? Your real
address?).
---------------------
From: henkl@holland.sun.com (Henk Langeveld - Sun Nederland)
Subject: Re: Chalana Arroy / Identification / AD&D conversion to RQ
Message-ID: <1993Jul29.105155.4159@holland.sun.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 10:51:55 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1336
STEVEG@ARC.UG.EDS.COM (Steve Gilham Entropy requires no maintenance) writes:
>In X-RQ-ID: 1329, John Morgan asks
>>Also what is the suggested way of converting modules from AD&D
>>to RQ?
>It's not easy, given that D&D doesn't have the quantum leap that
>rune-priest status gives. As a personal rule of thumb, I'd
>convert ~9th level characters to base level rune-priest/
>rune-lord/equivalent sorcerer, and fudge the other cases. Stats
>would convert straight for humans. Splitting AC into dodge at 5%
>per point or armour is a GM call. Creature hitpoints would give
>an indication of SIZ. If there are obvious equivalents then use
>those.
Well, I once had the "Saltmarsh" adventures centered around a
colony of Lizard Men refugees. Except maybe for their aquatic
preferences, they could be quite easily mapped to RQ trolls.
Unfortunately, I sold all of my TSR modules to someone who
wanted to continue to play AD&D, so I never actually got around
to really run it that way.
>Really, you keep just the plot-line and the names & then scale
>the rest.
I agree, decide what type of creature the opponents are, and use
previous experience rules to create appropriate stats for their
roles. I'd never bother trying to translate hit-dice/levels
one on one to RuneQuest.
--
Henk | Henk.Langeveld@Sun.COM - Disclaimer: I don't speak for Sun.
oK[] | RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM
---------------------
From: b_kondalski@vssi.trw.com (Brian J. Kondalski)
Subject: CA Healing & Identify Prices
Message-ID: <9307291319.AA06703@Sun.COM>
Date: 29 Jul 93 13:20:07 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1337
> 1) Do any campaigns out there allow Chalana Arroy cultists to use weapons in
> combat? In the Chaosium publications, CA cultists often have staff skills,
> but I assume this is purely for parrying attacks.
I think it would depend on how strict the player plays his CA cultist, and how
strict the local temple personalities are. I have had CA cultists in my
campaign attack undead and chaos (mostly Mallia cultists) before, and I have
had CA cultists who wouldn't even carry a shield to parry with. I always
thought that the CA cult weapon skill was large shield parry.
> 2) What does your campaign charge for the identification of magical items?
> My players do not have the means to identify items they come across, and I
> am not sure what the cost of this should be.
I charge a flat 1000 lunars for casting of rune magic, so a Lhankor Mhy would
charge 2k lunars for a Analyze Magic 2. I've also had them charge a % of the
value of the item (like 10-20).
How do other people run Priest/Lord combos in RQ2? When a priest becomes a
lord, does his magic become 1 use? Does he have to keep his power at 18 to
keep his magic reusable? My ruling is that any rune magic sacrificed for
before the switch is always reusable. How about Lord/Priest? Do they retain
their mostly automatic DI? Do they continue to resist all spells at full
power even when they lower it casting spells??
In regards to alchemical stuff in RQ2, how many doses of acid/magic potions/
healing potions/etc do you let a person make in a week? Do you vary it by
the potency?
--
Brian J. Kondalski b_kondalski@vssi.trw.com
---------------------
From: faber@socrates.umd.edu (Christopher A. Faber)
Subject: Answer to New Topic
Message-ID: <9307291425.AA08149@Sun.COM>
Date: 29 Jul 93 14:25:43 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1338
Greeting Greg,
I currently run a campaign of Lightbringers & Storm Bull/Zorak Zoran
characters. The party has a Rune Priest of Chalana Arroy who is a master
of the Staff Attack. This happened because the party likes to hunt Vivamort
vampires. A Chalana Arroy promises never to harm a Living Thing including
chaos creature. The undead are a great source of practice for the
warrior/healer. In the case of chaos I find that Chalana Arroy turns a
blind eye to Healer that kill chaos creatures in self defense, after all
other options are exhausted (i.e. Sleep spell didn't work).
The party also has a Lhankor Mhy Rune Priest who charges to identify
Magic Items, normally charging what the market will bear. Sometimes
the Rune Priest wants to much money, generally when he wants a new scroll,
so the party most goto the Lhankor Mhy/Ippri Ontor Temple and they charge
anywhere from 100 Lunars to 1000 Lunars. The Issaries with their Spell
Trading will sometimes be able to identify Magic Items, but generally will
only do so will an option to buy, charging 500 to 1500 Lunars. Most
magic items can be identify with out Rune Magic, but for thou that can't
I definitely make the party pay one way or the other.
bye for now,
Chris Faber
---------------------
From: nrobinso@sirius.UVic.CA (Neil Robinson)
Subject: RE: Becoming Jaded
Message-ID: <38037.nrobinso@sirius.uvic.ca>
Date: 29 Jul 93 18:33:55 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1339
>From: carlf@panix.com (Carl Fink)
>Subject: Becoming jaded
>Now I'm supposed to be scared because a man is charging me on horseback
>with a *lance*?"
We get this problem in our D&D campaign all the time. Every time we
get cocky in our RQ campaign we end up getting thumped. Never
underestimate a Broo with 4 arms and shield 4. Our Orlanthi has had
his left arm maimed on several occasions for being overconfident.
Then again, we're still playing initiates (but not for long!).
Side note:
I was wondering if anyone has any good ideas for peaceful adventures.
I've got a few people who are new to role-playing, and are more
interested in the story-telling/communication than combat. Being a
new GM, I'm finding it a challenge. Does anyone have any good sources?
Neil Robinson | "Never underestimate the power of human
nrobinso@sirius.uvic.ca | stupidity." - L. Long
2996 Dysart Rd. Victoria B.C. V9A 2K2 (604) 385-1642
---------------------
From: JLROGERS@utkvx.utk.edu (Jim Rogers)
Subject: Replies
Message-ID: <01H164J8SHZ68ZF6SC@utkvx.utk.edu>
Date: 30 Jul 93 18:53:27 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1340
To Greg Fried:
Re Chalana Arroy - our game rulings have always been no attacks,
period. Parrys are perfectly acceptable. There might be room for argument
with lassos, nets, and other non-damaging, but incapacitating, attacks. Of
course, I would argue that the victim would then be under the protection of
the C.A.; ie., none of this "When she's asleep, we'll get that _______ !".
Re Magic Item IDs - this is a very difficult call. In practice,
reliance was heavy on cultic favors. Such as, "We found this written stuff,
which we can't read. How about we trade this for info on these other items
we found, oh Lightbringer companion?" Free verse for the Orlanthi was
usually met with groans, but interesting. Non-Lightbringers had a more
difficult time, usually paying some scale for other friendly, about 2x for
neutrals. Never had any enemies. The Lhankor Mhy always collected data,
and players made it a practice to file reports when they found the time or
needed services. Learning that head-crushing free ghost ritual was pretty
important on one occasion.
To Carl Fink:
Interesting. Remember a story about Rurik the Runelord and a
spear-carrying trollkin? A mounted warrior with lance was always
considered dangerous. Not many players got away with that Agimori set-pike
defense, since they didn't have training. Of course, the players usually
dealt more damage with lances than they received. Great for reaching
vulnerable spots on giants, along with missle weapons. Of course, staying
far enough away for missle weapons left you vulnerable to rocks!
Just to contribute something. Has anyone tried to draw a map of
Boldhome, from the description in KoS? Anyone running campaigns that
incorporate it in any substantial way out there? Dissertation is too much
for me right now, but I'd love to hear the stories.
Jim Rogers