Re: Background minimaxing

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 22:57:12 -0800


> There are two areas in Glorantha I consider a background minimaxing:
places where old GMs (back in the 70s) mixed-up cultures, races, adventure hints for mere RPG (D&D style) enjoyment. Then they tried to mythically back these unconsistencies with some success.
>
> In my campaign I avoid these two areas ore alter them: they are (as you
may imagine) the Big Rubble and Dragon Pass.
>
> In my campaign the Rubble is not inhabited by mostali or Aldryami, but
merely by Trolls, bandits and chaotics (let alone the 'newts!). I think that future HW supplemets should provide us with a different picture of the Rubble, because its conception is undoubtedly aged.
> Dragon Pass, with Delecti, Beast Valley, Ethilrist, the Grazers, Dragon's
Eye, Cragspider etcetera is a sort of big Big Rubble. OK, its the crucible of the HW: I like some themes (the Seshnelan advance, the Lunar expansion, the Dragon awakening) but I don't like its picture, with the many groups divided in precise boundaries (except for raids) but light-years apart for what concern mythical past and racial interaction. It's Gloranthan-speaking too much, IMO.
> In my campaign I have not dared alter DP, but I don't visit the area. I
prefer use it as a distant background for local effects and rumours.

Dragon Pass started as a Wargame Campaign area, predating the Roleplaying game. As a wargame campaign, it's nice to have various factions that can provide specialized services to the main factions. So we've got the mixed-up cultures, etc., however, I think that the "mythic past" of DP does tend to hang together, especially as all the human cultures are immigrants and only about 300 years old. The boundaries are less exact than the maps would indicate.

Hero Wars emphasises having groups of "adventurers" who have a reason to stick together (the Hero Band, with a purpose and a goal, as well as special magic unique to itself), rather than the wide-open campaigns where you have a Zorak Zorani Troll, a Storm Bull Praxian, a Chalana Arroy Aldryami, an Orlanthi Centaur and a Humakti Duck going into Snake Pipe Hollow and kicking Scorpion-man butt. There is a *reason* to go adventuring in HW that there really wasn't in RQ - the world is ending and *you* can make a difference in what rises from the ashes, whereas in RQ you really didn't have a game-focus as such. Individual characetrs had a focus (become a Rune lord or Priest) but the game didn't give direction as to what happened next.

RR

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