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, 11 Aug 1994, part 5
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From: LANGSL@cbr.hhcs.gov.au
Subject: Communicating Gloranthan FEEL
Message-ID: <00982CA6.A57F5B00.32119@hhcs.gov.au>
Date: 11 Aug 94 23:37:51 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5613
I N T E R O F F I C E M E M O R A N D U M
Date: Sent on: 11-Aug-1994 01:38pm
From: Alistair Langsford
LANGSFORD ALISTAIR
Dept: Information Services
Tel No:289 7870
TO: Remote Addressee ( _runequest@glorantha.holland.sun.com )
Subject: Communicating Gloranthan "Feel"
People have been commenting on how to get across Gloranthan information
to player characters. Here are my two clacks worth, from a player
perspective, of how our GM started our RQ2 campaign.
We were not inundated with background at any stage, just provided with
broad overviews, whcih becam less broad/more focussed as we learned
more. When we wanted more, we asked and read up the books, when we were
ready. Our ref was encouraging, not pushy. Becoming involved in each of
our starting cults, and our interactions with each other and NPCs was
how we got sucked into this, in particular by the example of our Pol
Joni humakti. Our ref and 1 player knew a lot about RQ. Myself and one
other had played a few sessions of it 10 years ago and not been
impressed. And the other starter had not played it at all.
Anyway, here is what our ref did to start it all off.
1. PROVIDE A MAP & A STARTING POINT
=====================================
Simple enough, but effective. We got the basic map showing the area
around BOLDHOME, which was our designated starting point. We then got
a rough overview of the area "The world is like Earth's Bronze Age,
the Gods are real and can be worshipped, the Lunar Empire is here and
is sort of like the Roman Empire, Sartar is here, Praxian nomads come
from here". From this we, the Players, asked questions, and got simple
answers in reply. This continued, with the focus being to determine
what sort of characters we could play, and were interested in playing.
In the process we got some idea of the world, its history, the
roles/character types we could play, the types of adventures possible
and likely to begin with, and so on.
2. CHARACTER GENERATION
=========================
Now we had a rough idea of the setting, we were given handouts of the
section at the back of the book for generating characters with 5 years
experience, as well as the standard reference sheets and instructions
on how to generate characters. From this we got more detail of the
characters we could generate - and also what NPCs could be like.
3. CHARACTER GENERATION AND CULTS
===================================
As we came to decide which professions interested us, and what we were
going to do for the 5 years experience, we were asked about cults: did
we want to join one? - and this resulted in some discussion on cults
and their importance in the world. Now that we had an idea of our
character profession/occupation, we got to think about what cult was
appropriate, and what the ramifications were of joining/not joining.
This is when we got to read the cult writeups in Cults of Prax if we
hadn't already. This resulted in a bit of fine tuning and re-doing of
stuff from step 2 in a couple of cases, but people were happier with
the result. And it seemed easier to get the character's occupation
sorted out first, and then think about cults, rather than to do it all
at once.
4. ...YOU ALL MEET IN A TAVERN...
===================================
We started in Boldhome, all of us meeting together for the first time
in several (3+) years (though smaller get togethers had allowed us to
keep in touch in the interim). We met, as it had been agreed that our
characters probably first met, in a pub. It was assumed we had planned
this rendezvous in the past, at previous smaller meetings. We then
roleplayed a bit of catch up which revealed:
Myk had stayed mostly in Boldhome, and was an apprentice
alchemist. He had also been a regular at Militia meetings &
practice, and was good with spear and shield. He and his master
were known to associate with some dodgy characters, selling poison
antidotes and other potions to the 'rogues' of the town. Myk had
successfully become an initiate of Donandar after contemplating
Donandar, Orlanth, and Lhankhor My.
Terran Running Bear, a Pol Joni turned mercenary, had meanwhile
become a Humakti, and had sworn off shield use and alcohol. He was
an excellent horseman and swordsman, and had a bit of a rep for
honesty. His Sartaran had improved, a bit: "How Myk. Me glad see
you. No beer me. Milk instead....what you find funny, stranger".
Durin Deathshead, a strange dwarf who was/is not Mostali, had met
Terran while a mercenary. He was flirting with being Orlanthi or
Storm Bull. He had visited Boldhome several times with Terran,
which is how he met Myk.
Juan Kenobi, another early contact, had taken the path of Shaman.
He too was visiting town to catch up with friends, including us.
He was originally a drinking friend of Myk's.
This little exercise didn't last long, but it helped establish each
player character. Today if we were doing this, we would take longer,
and have filled in more detail about characters. Better names might be
chosen. We mightn't misinterpret material quite as much. But, you have
to start somewhere. And we are still having fun with these characters,
who are now Rune Level.
Later, we were joined by Lord Harry Longsword, of noble family, who had
been dispossesed by the invading Lunars. He is a talkative, jocular,
loudmouth, boastful, impetuous fellow. He is Orlanthi.
5. ENCOUNTERS
===============
From this pub meeting and catch up, we learned as we went, through the
encounters that we had. We used the Gloranthan calendar, and started to
learn the significance of the various holy days.
After encountering an anal retentive Lunar patrol in Boldhome, we had
to leave, so we went north to Duckpoint. We met some chaos monsters
which we destroyed, and got some booty. We met a duck, whose brother
was missing, and helped her find him again. When we came to sell booty
from a couple of monster encounters, we learned about Issaries. And we
learned about Chalana Arroy when we needed healing. And for helping the
ducks, as a good turn, they vouched for our good character.
We met and learned more about Ducks at Duckpoint, where we all got a
better idea about Humakt from the Humakti there. And we learned about
how evil the Lunars could be, dealing with Chaos and Undead and
murderers to remove potential rebels and dissenters. And we learned
about vampires, and were VERY lucky to survive the encounter.
6. CONCLUSION
===============
The above took about 2 game sessions to generate characters. We had an
extra long gaming day, afternoon and evening, to generate the
characters and start. And the handouts had been given out a couple of
sessions before, while the previous campaign (non RQ) was coming to a
close.
The remaining stuff took about 6 more sessions. After this, we knew a
lot more about glorantha - and we are still learning as we go. We could
have done with some more source info, but not much more I think. It was
the gradual but steady accumulation of info which worked best - and
which is what many of us enjoy. There always seems to be something new,
which is not an isolated fact, but is rather part of something larger.
By the end of our short time in Duckpoint, we had seen something of the
benefits (and responsibilites) of being an initiate and rune level,
through our party members who were initiates, and the NPC rune levels.
We knew the true value of treasure: training in skills & spells. And we
knew that treasure was not just money and items, but could be those
whom you knew, whom you had helped, or even your status in a cult.
And more importantly, we had goals other than just to get rich. Wealth
had become merely a means to an end, not an end in itself.
Not bad for 6-8 sessions of play.
----
I see that I have written more than I intended. I hope it is of use to
someone out there. Perhaps other -players- might also like to comment on
what has worked for conveying the mood and feel of Glorantha to them.
Alistair,
langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au
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