>From: "Ivan" <runequester_at_...>
>
>Hey all. Im a new guy just joined the list. I just obtained the
>Heroquest rules, and Im eager to try them out with my friends, but I
>have a million questions as far as the rules go, so Im hoping you guys
>might able to help out a bit.
Glad to meet you.
At the risk of inciting Trotsky to use his mighty hammer (and fear it, I doth), let's see what we can do.
>1: Im not sure I understand when the "parting shot" option in extended
>contests is used. Is it once the enemy is reduced to 0 AP, or after
>you succeed in a roll in the contest ?
After the enemy is reduced to zero. It's an attempt to make their level of defeat worse than it already is. So, for instance, if you're particulartly intent on killing somebody who's running away as the end result of a fight, a parting shot gives you a chance to bury them.
>2: In relation to question 1, if I'm reduced to 0 AP, but havent acted
>that round yet, do I still get to go ? Or is it not really "rounds"
>but just taking turns to try reducing the enemy ?
The contest ends the moment somebody gets to zero. So, yeah, if you technically had an action to do that round, but your opponent reduced you to zero, you "lose your turn." Really it's just taking turns.
>3: Lets say Im using the list method to make a character. So I get to
>pick out 10 abilities that I want. If I want to have 2 retainers (say,
>two bodyguards), can I pick them as one "ability", or do they take two
>picks or ?
This is a good question, and covered in the FAQ on www.glorantha.com (check it out). But, in short, yes, they cost a point to purchase, one per "Retainer" (importantly, you get none for free, despite them having listings in the keyword). Note, however, that you can purchase "Pair of Retainers" or even "Army of Retainers" as a retainer. Many narrators will let you even take someting like "Various Magic Arrows" as a retainer.
Further, it's important to note that all of the costs are the same for those 20 points as they are for HP spending. Basically they're HP that you can only spend on building your character, if that helps.
>4: I sort of get the impression that you can more or less define and
>create your own Homeland and Occupation keywords, but then, the book
>lists quite a few and gives fairly specific skills for them. Could
>someone elaborate this a little bit for me ?
The book implies that you can make new keywords, saying that it's a good
idea for new players to stick to the ones in the book. Given this, I wrote
an article on the subject here:
http://www.glorantha.com/support/na_keywords.html
Indeed, if you want to play some occupation not listed, or, better yet, play in some part of Glorantha not already enumerated, you have to improvise keywords. What's more, many of the implied keywords in the book are incomplete - for example, many of the theist cults and animist practices only list the affinities of the god or abilities of the spirits. Whereas other examples are fully fleshed out.
So even if you stick with "just the keywords in the book" you may still have to flesh out some keywords.
>5: Am I right to assume that if I go with common magic, each of the 5
>magic tricks will start at 17 ?
Correct. As will any other CM abiltiies that the character starts with or purchases after play (with is somewhat of an exception to the general rule on aquiring magic).
>6: The 20 points I receive to raise abilities can be used on both
>normal abilities, as well as specific abilities under a keyword,
>correct ? (so f.x. as a hunter, I could spend 2 points on something
>like Tracking, and that would give me tracking 19)
Correct. So maxing out a character gives him a 7W in some keyword ability or two.
Which makes the least powerful character, interestingly. I'll let you figure out why. But let players min-max this way if they like, twon't hurt a thing.
One thing to think about, however, is that the rules supplied for creating a character create a character who, though not incompetent, is on the low level of the power spectrum. There's no particularly good reason to start at this level. If you want veterans, use higher levels as indicated in the section on "advanced experience." You may find that characters don't get much more powerful in play (that's been my observation), even if you throw hundreds of Hero Points at them over dozens of sessions.
If you want powerful characters, start with powerful characters.
Mike
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