Bell Digest v930826

From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RQ Digest Maintainer)
To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest)
Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Thu, 26 Aug 1993, part 1
Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RuneQuest Daily)
Sender: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM
Precedence: junk

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)

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From: ddunham@radiomail.net (David Dunham  , via RadioMail)
Subject: Re: RQ Lite Pendragon
Message-ID: <9308250554.AA11664@radiomail.net>
Date: 25 Aug 93 05:54:16 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1458

>From: f6ri@midway.uchicago.edu (charles gregory fried)

>I am now convinced that the survival of RuneQuest (and so the continued
>publication of GLoranthan lore!) demands the promulgation of a RQLite

>3) Convertability.  One should be able to convert both from RQ to RQLite
>without too much trouble, and from RQLite to RQ.  This would allow RQ experts
>to run a campaign for beginners, and allow a GM to 'graduate' a campaign up
>to a more intricate level of play.  Ideally, a scenario pack should be able
>to be used by both types of campaign.

This is the hardest constraint, I imagine (my horse to beat is using
Pendragon, but you can't use published scenarios without doing some
modification). Of course, RQ-Lite could be incompatible and do something
similar to what they do in Elric, talking about Stormbringer modules...

>4)  Lots of scenario packs!  And cheap!

I think the big problem at the moment is that the only source is Avalon
Hill. I don't know if this is a licensing issue, or just that nobody buys
RQ stuff so nobody publishes it.

>Just for starters, I would look at Roderick Robertson's RQ Wargame rules (see
>the Daily, May 19, 93): attack and defense skills as composites of several
>factors; one roll to hit and to defend, and then another roll to see if
>damage wounds, incapacitates or kills.  I don't know Pendragon's rules, but
>perhaps its 1-20 (?) scale on skills would also be a good model.

I'd be interested in seeing said Wargame rules, if you want to email them
(I have no access to any archives).

As for Pendragon combat, I realize I just posted a couple things related to
it, and should explain.

Each opponent rolls their weapon skill (on d20). If only one person's roll
is their skill or less, that person wins, and does damage (typically
something like 5d6; full chain armor stops 10). If both make their skill
roll, the highest roll wins, and does damage. The loser stops 6 points of
damage if he has a shield. A roll of exactly what you need is a critical;
it does double damage and automatically beats any non-critical roll. A roll
of 20 is a fumble (unless your skill is 20).

Taking damage of your CON or greater is a major wound. It effectively takes
you out of the battle, you need medical attention (and at least a week of
bed rest), and may have a permanent effect (-1 to a statistic). [I see
major wounds as analogous to having a hit location maimed.]


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From: STEVEG@ARC.UG.EDS.COM (Steve Gilham Entropy requires no maintenance)
Subject: Re: Chaos in Pamaltela/Jokes/Pendragon pass
Message-ID: <01H254LWSAYQ00C3UE@UG.EDS.COM>
Date: 24 Aug 93 16:54:30 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1459

MOB asks

>There's an obscure reference I've had no luck tracking down: 
>somewhere I read that while chaos manifests as groups of 
>smaller, weaker beings in Genertela, in Pamaltela chaos monsters 
>tend to be single, unique individuals (eg. Mother of Monsters).

I believe it's in the introduction of the Gloranthan Bestiary.

and

>Anyone else got Gloranthan jokes?

well, apart from the Irish/Polack jokes with the ethnic slurs 
moved onto Trolls.

David Dunham on Pendragon Pass

When we tried this, we'd put together the following extension of 
the sword vs other weapons rule:-

Materials can be rated with a hardness factor, which determines 
whether a weapon will break or be broken by another weapon in a 
tied resolution. Generally, for a given hardness, a sword of that 
material will break a non-sword, but not be broken by other 
weapons.

QUOTE
In the following table D is the "defensive value", and A the 
"sharpness factor".  In a tie, if A > D, then the defending 
weapon breaks.                  
                        H       A       D
Non-Bronze Hafted       0       0       -
           Sword                1       1

Enchanted N-B Hafted    1       1       -
              Sword             2       2

Enchanted B, E2NB Haft  2       2       -
                Sword           3       3

Iron, E2B, E3NB Hafted  3       3       1
                Sword           4       4

EIron, E3B etc Hafted   4       4       2
                                5       5
etc.

Unenchanted Bronze is anomalous:
Bronze Hafted           1       0       -
                                2       1
That is, a Bronze Sword will not break an enchanted weapon, and 
the (wooden) haft of a Bronze weapon can be broken by any sword.  
It is possible to obtain metal-hafted, or -plated, Bronze 
weapons. These are rated as:

Plated Bronze Hafted    1       1       -
                                2       1
These are heavier and more expensive than normal, and are 
considered "unusual".

Weapon Enchantment.  Materials may be enchanted to increase their 
hardness. Each Point of Hardening Enchantment increases the 
hardness by 1 level. Many materials require a minimum of 1 point 
to be usable.
ENDQUOTE

Translating magic - or more particularly its effects - was a big 
problem, as things turned so easy from worthwhile to either gross 
or worthless.

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From: glidedw@sfsuvax1.sfsu.edu (Donald Wilton)
Subject: daily for tuesday, August 24, 1993
Message-ID: 
Date: 24 Aug 93 19:24:40 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1460

I agree that we need an RQLite. I suggest something like a comic book,
created on mando paper. Hire an artist to work for a percentage of the
sale price, and retain creative rights on characters.

I would put in glorantha as a reference. Use pendragon rules for combat.
Create a simple point based means of creating starting PC's. I suggest
something like 2D10, added, and squared. The resulting points are spread
1=1 for stats-18 max per stat, 25=1 pt. for skill points in useful skills
for the character, 2=1 for those non-cultural skills that creep in, 1/2
gold piece for already owned property, since collecting gets easy over
time, and you want an heirloom or two, and lastly, 1=1 for silver pennies
in money.

Rosanda rolls fairly normally, a little high, with a 6 and a 5. This
yields 121 points.  She buys a set of stats at 12 each, for all but POW,
for she wants a good chance at skills, which are magically based. This she
buys to 17. She buys cultural skills as a healer, at 25 to 1. This gives
her 4 skills at 50%, permitting an initiate status, but not many at that
level, if she wants to have equipment, an heirloom or money. She spends 18
points. She has 14 points left. she buys 6 Wheels, for 12 points, to buy
equipment, and spends the remaining 2 points on 2 silver pennies in cash.

Give her a history to explain the stuff, and go! 



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From: yfcw29@castle.edinburgh.ac.uk
Subject: Runequest Lite
Message-ID: <9308251450.aa08636@uk.ac.ed.castle>
Date: 25 Aug 93 13:50:00 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1461

RUNEQUEST LITE

>Everyone:
>I am now convinced that the survival of RuneQuest (and so the continued
>publication of GLoranthan lore!) demands the promulgation of a RQLite
>(although probably not to marketed under that name!).  Reading thru Dorastor:
>Land of Doom (which I love -- don't get me wrong), I was struck by just how
>arcane our beloved game is.  A PhD in Gloranthan history would be helpful for
>running a campaign, and a silicon computational brain implant would be nice
>to run an encounter with some of the hyper-complex grossites that one can run
>into, simply because the combat game mechanics get so involved.

I agree whole heartedly. In fact I have been thinking about this for some
time now.

Earlier this year I ran RQ at the local gamers club. Two players had played
some RQ before, the other four hadn't. I did not intend the game to run
for long, so I did not bother teaching the newies the 'inner secrets' of
the RQ system. Instead I substituted the CoC5 turn sequence and damage
rules. Not using strike ranks and hit locations speeded things up
enormously. The result was very similar to Stormbringer I suppose. I would
like to do this in my RQ3 campaign, but the players would rebell. They
are too used to optimising their characters. I get complaints like :

"My character used to be able to do 3 things in a round using the SR system,
( eg load an arrow, fire it and load another one) in this new system he
would only be able to do 2 things per round. My character would notice the
difference!"

Cringe worthy, I know, but some people do think like this.

Another problem with the RQ3 rules is that there are not enough skills.
I know this sounds daft, since you might think that more skills equals
more complexity, but the current skills are too abstract. The Lore skills
for example, particularly Human Lore and World Lore, are often missused.

I think RQ Lite is an excelent idea. I saw a posting on news net a few
days ago about the new Elric game, saying it would make a good rules
system for Glorantha. Pendragon Pass is also an interesting project.
But such methods are only ever going to be a minority solution. There is
too much in RQ that is tied to the current game system framework. But
some game mechanics, like strike ranks and hit locations, simply are not
necessery for good gameplay or compatibility with suplements.

I know I mentioned some of this in my last posting, simultaneously with the
RQ Lite article by Greg. Sory if I am being a bit repetitive.

PS. Concerning Pendragon Pass and similar projects. Suppose someone actualy
put together a playable set of alternative rules for Gloranthan gaming
and started distributing them widely. Suppose this set became very popular
among had core Glorantha fans. Said fans are already the last bastion of
the RQ buying public. This could be quite dangerous for the future of RQ.
If the fans are quite happy producing and distributing unofficial game
material, who needs to buy published stuff. RQ/Glorantha has already
established it's resilience to blights of published material. For these
reasons I think we must try to take AH along with us on this.


Simon Hibbs

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From: f6ri@midway.uchicago.edu (charles gregory fried)
Subject: Who's That Girl?
Message-ID: 
Date: 25 Aug 93 22:47:51 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1462

Who's that girl,
Running around with broos?
Tell me,
Who's that gir-rl,
Running around with broos?

       verse from a Eurmal-rithmi

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From: f6ri@midway.uchicago.edu (charles gregory fried)
Subject: Who's That Girl?
Message-ID: 
Date: 25 Aug 93 23:00:44 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1463

Who's that girl,
Running around with broos?
Tell me,
Who's that gir-rl,
Running around with broos?

       verse from a Eurmalrithmics tune

Trivia question!  Anyone else notice that the woman on the cover painting by
Roger Raupp on River of Cradles is the same as the one on his cover of
Shadows on the Borderlands?  On the former, she has a wound on her right arm;
in the latter the wound has healed and scarred, her armor has stayed the
same, but she has acqired a nice tatoo (hopefullly useful against the broo
(Drueke?) lurking in the shadows on the right!).  Anyone know who she is?!  A
character in a campaign of Raupp's?  Is there a story here?  Certainly looks
like it from Raupp's paintings!  Just curious!  Anyone know?
(And, yes, I guess she not running around WITH broos, but against them!)

-- Greg Fried out.

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From: jacobus@sonata.cc.purdue.edu
Subject: GenCon news
Message-ID: <9308252343.AA09620@sonata.cc.purdue.edu>
Date: 25 Aug 93 13:43:40 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1464

Okay, here's some info straight from GenCon

RQIV is off the schedule.  There are currently no plans to produce it as such.   
However, a certain ill-tempered little bird (who does a GREAT Skaven  
impersonation) has said that there might be an attempt to sell Avalon Hill on a  
"RuneQuest Glorantha".

Dave Cheng was ALL OVER the place, carrying a tall sign.  Greg Stafford was at  
another convention entirely.  Ken Rolston was around to answer questions (most  
of the time).

The official word on "being Gregged":  It's YOUR campaign, folks.  Do what you  
want with the information you buy.  Things are contradictory on purpose.

The Lunar Book:  Well, it's possibly been pushed back.  Why?  Greg spent a LOT  
of time doing Dara Happan (solar) background on the Lunar Empire.  He realized  
he just might have enough stuff to do a book on the Solars first.

RuneQuest con:  It's on, ask Dave.

Lessee:  Borderlands re-release is out.  Dorastor is out, FINALLY!  Good stuff.

Bad news:  Sun County sold no better than Daughters of Darkness.  AH has agreed  
to at least keep everything which they have already signed for on schedule, but  
anything else is completely unsubstantiable and up in the air.


Okay, folks, Hands up!  Who wants to work on keeping RQ alive on the western  
side of the Big Muddy ourselves?  I haven't the financial resources to do much  
in such areas, but I do have a big mouth.

---------------------

From: drcheng@sales.stern.nyu.edu (David Cheng)
Subject: GenCon & RuneQuest-Con Reports
Message-ID: 
Date: 26 Aug 93 04:35:34 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 1465

Now that I've had a chance to get back into the swing of things, here's a
little report on GenCon.

SIZE - Rumours were 20K, which I believe would be an attendance record.  My
"estimate crowd size" skill is very poor, so I couldn't confirm this.

RQ PRODUCT SALES - It was reported that at Origins, AH had to be prompted
to bring RQ stuff up to the table.  Not so at GenCon.  AH had a whole table
devoted to RQ material.  I pretty happy to see this.  I regret not asking
how the product moved, but Jack Dott said he was pleased.

DC LOOKING SILLY - Yes, I did indeed go through with the "big sign on a
pole" idea.  One side said "Ask me about RuneQuest-Con."  The other said
"Ask me about your chance to win $50" (a market research survey I was
doing, totally unrelated to RQ or the con).  

WHAT DID STAFFORD SAY? - Well, nothing really.  Stafford went instead to
Necronomicon, the Cthulhu-fandom convention.  Ken Rolston and Yours Truly
conducted the RQ4/Glorantha seminar, striving to be as entertaining as
Stafford might have been.  We talked about (not in this order): The RQ
Digest/Daily, HeroQuest/Glorantha: The Game, getting your RQ stuff
published, Tales of the Reaching Moon, how to promote RQ, AH bashing,
Stafford requesting Gloranthan fiction, future product releases, Rolston's
status as RuneCzar, Gloranthan tidbits, and a few other things I can't
think of right now.  Most, if not all, of these topics have been covered
here already.  If you were there, please post your reactions: I love
constructive criticism.

RESPONSE TO RQ-CON PROMOTION - was about what I expected.  "RuneQuest: I
used to like that game a lot" was a phrase I heard many times.  These
people did take a flier, so maybe we'll see at least a few of them at
RQ-Con.  I must admit: I'm a bit disappointed that thousands of folks
didn't swarm around me, demanding info on the con.  But, I guess we've got
some work to do before we can expect that...

OTHER STUFF - TSR's castle was there again.  FASA had a pseudo-castle. 
White Wolf had all the funky/cool people.  I spent too much money.  Did
you know Ral Partha has some excellent broo & chaos figures?  I bought
Kult: very dark, but very derivative of CoC, Chill, and Dark Conspiracy. 
Did I say very dark?  This is just an impression from the first skim.
Funky cover art, though.

- - - -

RUNEQUEST-CON RESPONSE - We are generating revenue!  Many of you should
have your pre-reg booklets by now.  I have received 3 or 4 paid
memberships, and some advertising money from Crazy Egor's and Avalon Hill. 
I expect (hope) that I will be flooded with you checks in the next two
weeks or so.  Get 'em in soon!

CROSS-POLLINATION - The Tekumel strategy seems to be working.  I have heard
that some of the hardcore EPTers are impressed that we've got Tekumel
events in all 4 of the tournament slots, and are now planning on coming. 
This might even include David Morris, the British gent who has created "The
Eye of All-Seeing Wonder," a fanzine much like TotRM.  

CHARTERED CALIFORNIA FLIGHT - This idea was posed at GenCon, as well as
here on the Daily.  Today I called my travel agent.  She says that
very few groups do this any more, and that it would be much more
economical to book your own flights at least 3 weeks in advance, to
get the super-saver fare.  A good idea, at least.

That's it from me for now...

*David Cheng     drcheng@sales.stern.nyu.edu / d.cheng@genie.geis.com
 Ask me about RuneQuest-Con!         (212) 472-7752 [before midnight]