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Date: Sat, 7 Aug 93 07:15:31 +0200
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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, 07 Aug 1993, part 1
Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RuneQuest Daily)
Sender: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM
Precedence: junk
Status: RO
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: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake)
Subject: Re: A D & D
Message-ID: <9308050729.AA24758@cs.uwa.edu.au>
Date: 5 Aug 93 07:31:17 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1359
A cautionary tale for anyone attempting A D&D <-> RQ conversions,
the moral of which is no both systems really well.
I once entered a 'tournament', which allegedly could be played
using MERP, A D&D or RQ. I expected that because of the cross-system idea,
it would be role playing intensive or fairly system independent. However it
was a straight linear dungeon bashing scenario, and furthermore the system
conversions were completely idiotic.
Early problems included a situation where elves were firing at you
as you crossed a bridge, which was suspiciosly creaky, and would break if
too many ran across (we found out). In AD&D, about 10 elves doing 1d6 each
if they hit is no problem, the tough guys with 50 hp each take a few hits.
In RQ, that means a couple of impales on the average, and each impale is
likely to mean one functionally incapacitated. So we ran, our best fighter
was criticalled in the head and died, and the bridge broke and we nearly
died.
Midway through the adventure, the worst experience. While crawling
through a tunnel, the A D&D ers were attacked by a gelatinous cube, which
they easily beat to death with a mace. While crawling through the same
tunnel, we were attacked by a gorp, which is immune to everything but
magic and fire, basically (as I'm sure most of you know). The only
fire magic we had in the party was a scroll (!!) of Fireblade (the
D'nd ers got a Fireball), and by the time it got to the head of the
party he was in no state to read it. So we just waited will the gorp
dissolved him and then killed it with the Fireblade.
At the end of the adventuer, we finally made it lucky. The
bad guy was a vampire. The D'nders survived mostly because they still
had their Firball, but the RQers just charged in, with aimed blows to
the head (he had no armour), and swiftly beat him to a pulp.
Anyway, the moral - make sure you know both systems well when
converting or you will make yourself a laughing stock.
BTW, the guy who was in charge of this idiocy went on to edit the
most recent Rolemaster Companion (and I am now fairly friendly with him).
Fills you with confidence in ICE, doesn't it. Maybe we should get them to
hire Nick Atlas!
Cheers,
Dave Cake
---------------------
From: EARL@ASU.Edu
Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Thu, 05 Aug 1993, part 1
Message-ID: <01H1DMV1RHK28ZEEQT@asu.edu>
Date: 5 Aug 93 00:33:55 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1362
On Thu, 5 Aug 93 07:15:19 +0200 RQ Digest Maintainer said:
>
>From: gbailey@aol.com
>Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Thu, 29 ...
>Message-ID: <9308021940.tn58996@aol.com>
>Date: 2 Aug 93 23:40:08 GMT
>X-RQ-ID: 1356
>
>Would someone please send me a copy of Adam's RQ stuff by mail (as in paper)?
> Since I'm on America Online I tend to get things cut off so sending files
>will not work (or I have my doubts that I'll get it all correctly). I'll
>even send back a few $$ to pay for the copies and postage. E-mail me at
>gbailey@aol.com and I'll send you my mailing address. Or maybe send me a
>3.5" disk (either unformatted or using PKZIP(tm) or LHARC(tm?) compression).
I would also like a copy of this in any of the above formats except LHARC!
Please email at icecw@asuvm.inre.asu.edu or ICECW@ASUACAD! Many thanks!
Earl or
icecw@asuacad or
icecw@asuvm.inre.asu.edu
---------------------
From: drcheng@sales.stern.nyu.edu (David Cheng)
Subject: D&D and RQ-Con News
Message-ID:
Date: 5 Aug 93 19:18:33 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1363
A little lunch break message from DC...
CONVERTING D&D ADVENTURES:
Though it pains my tongue to say it, I am in favor of running D&D modules
with RQ rules. I see this as a good, sneaky way to convert the heathens to
the true light ;-).
In fact, I have run many times at conventions an event called "Forgotten
Realms RuneQuest." The blurb goes something like this:
"Heard lots of good things about RuneQuest, but never had the chance to
play? Well, here's your chance. See why _experienced_ gamers prefer RQ.
Learn the rules as we go along. To make it more familiar for all you D&D
players, the adventure will take place in the Forgotten Realms."
Each player gets the following handouts:
* A character, in D&D form and then in RQ form. Some the of them are
tough (8th level, several magic items), while others are 0 level.
* A cheat sheet showing where the skill bonuses and hit points come from.
* A copy of the prehistory/history chapter from _Cults of Terror_ (yes, I
have Stafford's permission for this).
I talk for a bit about the differences, and then we play a quick, bare
bones scenario.
Rationale:
* Having 'Forgotten Realms' as the first two words of the title grabs the
attention of the D&Ders.
* Setting the adventure in the FR is D&Der-friendly, to make it easier for
overcome the 'D&D is the only game I play' syndrome.
* Two versions of the same character shows the parallels/contrasts,
and sparks discussion.
* Varying character levels shows a big difference between the systems.
* I think the _CoT_ passage really shows the "magic of Glorantha."
Another thing I did was take the established campaign characters of a
group of hardcore D&D-only friends, and convert them for an adventure.
This worked reasonably well. The guy who had the most resistance to
the idea in the first place liked it the best!
For a while now, I've thought about doing a massive spellbook
conversion: AD&D => RQ. Priest spells are obviously Divine Magic.
Some Mage spells would keep their non-variable D&D flavor, with little
RQ sorcery influence. Other mage spells would be more RQ sorcery-like.
I would even like to publish it, being sure to change wordings so as
to not blatantly violate TSR copyrights.
Unfortunately, I just don't have the time. Anyone want to take up
this banner and lead the charge?
Whatever it takes to make/grow new RQers, I say do it!
RUNEQUEST-CON BULLETING:
The pre-reg book is looking good, stock full of neat stuff for your
convention enjoyment. If you haven't sent me your postal address yet,
now is the time. If you are a _Tales of the Reaching Moon_ subscriber
here in the States, there will be a pre-reg book included in with your
Issue #10. The booklet goes to the printer tomorrow, or Saturday at
the very latest.
Best
*David Cheng drcheng@sales.stern.nyu.edu / d.cheng@genie.geis.com
Ask me about RuneQuest-Con! (212) 472-7752 [before midnight]
---------------------
From: joe@sartar.toppoint.de (Joerg Baumgartner)
Subject: City of Refuge Query
Message-ID:
Date: 5 Aug 93 20:44:53 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1364
Joerg again.
I'v just worked my way through a xerox of the description of Refuge,
written by Guillaume Fournier in Tatou, the French RQ-magazine. It is
generally a portation of Sanctuary (described in Chaosium's Thieves World
Box, after the anthologies edited by Robert Asprin) into Glorantha.
I don't remember where I read it, but there was a statement that in the
Chaosium house campaign this was the case, too. Is there anybody out there
in the net who can enlighten me whether this article is somewhat exact?
For those wo don't know it: The article contains a nice founding legend of
how Eurmal and Barnatar wooed Esrola, how Eurmal won by trickery (how
else?) and as punitive measure was forced by Orlanth to build a city which
was to be given to Barntar. Eurmal built the city in his very own style,
and when the city was completed, a son was born by Esrola, which he named
Refuge and put into the position of a city god, to anger Barntar once
again. Barntar (probably relieved not to have to control this foolishness)
dropped his claim and left the city to its own devices. It became a
cesspool of outlaws form all the surrounding countries already in Godtime.
Little changed until in the second age a group of Brihtini heretics (not
any longer immortals, in this version, and worshiping the invisible god)
arrived and took over control simply by cheating the dice in the annual
dicing election of the town officials (Eurmal surely would approve...).
Their magic made the city prosper and somewhat work, although teh thieves
dominated life and trade.
In the third age the kingdom of Heortland invaded and tried to exert
control, their only success was to get a citadel built. 1620 the Lunars
took over, and the hoplites regard it as an assignment about as bad as
Corflu. Oh, they have sent a youth princeling and his bodyguard into town,
to keep order, nickname is something like Pussycat.
Overall all this seems quite plausible. The cities layout differs slightly
from Sanctuary (mostly by a second age lighthouse on a little promontory
in the middle of the harbour, and the absence of the maze and the old city
walls). There is a Jubal equivalent named Chaga, and an assortment of
Gloranthan temples replacing the Thieves World cults.
I'd like to contact the original author, does anybody know how I can reach
Guillaume Fournier?
And I'd like to hear something from people originally involved in the
Chaosium version of refuge, if there are any reading this.
Has anybody else played with Sanctuary for Refuge? What were your
adaptions?
Thanks for any help.
--
-- Joerg Baumgartner joe@sartar.toppoint.de
---------------------
From: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu
Subject: Lunar Empire
Message-ID: <9308060257.AA24693@c00504-118rd.eos.ncsu.edu>
Date: 6 Aug 93 02:56:59 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1365
Where's a good source for Lunar Empire cults and stuff.
I have Cults of Prax and Cult of Terror, but I need more
information about their cults and their society.
-john-