From: owner-runequest-rules@ (RuneQuest Rules Digest) To: runequest-rules-digest@lists.MPGN.COM Subject: RuneQuest Rules Digest V1 #145 Reply-To: runequest-rules@mpgn.com Sender: owner-runequest-rules@ Errors-To: owner-runequest-rules@ Precedence: bulk RuneQuest Rules Digest Tuesday, August 25 1998 Volume 01 : Number 145 RuneQuest is a trademark of Avalon Hill Games. All Rights Reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS [RQ-RULES] Character Generation rules [RQ-RULES] Language Re: [RQ-RULES] Language Re: [RQ-RULES] Language Re: [RQ-RULES] Language Re: [RQ-RULES] Language [RQ-RULES] Active Spell [RQ-RULES] Languages Re: [RQ-RULES] Language Re: [RQ-RULES] Active Spell Re: [RQ-RULES] Language Re: [RQ-RULES] Language Re: [RQ-RULES] skill modifiers Re: [RQ-RULES] skill modifiers Re: [RQ-RULES] Active Spell Re: [RQ-RULES] skill modifiers [RQ-RULES] Active Spell RULES OF THE ROAD 1. Do not include large sections of a message in your reply. Especially not to add "Yeah, I agree" or "No, I disagree." Or be excoriated. If someone writes something good and you want to say "good show" please do. But don't include the whole message you praise. 2. Use an appropriate Subject line. 3. Learn the art of paraphrasing: Don't just quote and comment on a point-by-point basis. 4. No anonymous posting, please. Don't say something unless you're ready to stand by it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 12:58:44 +0100 From: Nikk Effingham Subject: [RQ-RULES] Character Generation rules Hi, I'm just about to make alterations to my webpage again, and was updating my character generation rules, but it seems I've lost the end of them. Can anyone who has the complete section marked "Campaign Contribtutions" please mail them to me as I've lost everything other than a few lines. Cheers, Nikk E. _______________________________________________________ Nikk Effingham E-mail: nikk@MailAndNews.com WWW: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Lair/7556/ "If absolute power corrupts absolutely where does that leave god?" --George Daacon _______________________________________________________ *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 15:55:29 +0200 From: Julian Lord Subject: [RQ-RULES] Language Alex & Peter on a subject better suited IMO to the [RQ-RULES] list: So I'll cross-post this one! > AF>It does raise the question of how similar different langauges from > >the same "family" are supposed to be in Glorantha. What degree > >of relatedness are "1/2 chance", "1/3 chance", "1/5 chance" or > >"1/10 chance" supposed to equate to in terrestrial terms? PM> > 1/2 is a barely comprehensible dialect. > 1/3 is an incomprehensible dialect. > 1/5 is a language within the same subfamily > 1/10 is a language within the same family Yes. > AF>Is my > >27% English supposed to give me 9% Dutch and Afrikaans, 5% German > >and 3% in anything even vaguely Indo-European, or what? Since I > >don't think it'd _quite_ work that way in practice... PM> > Personally I think the idea of adding the communication bonus onto > the reduced language skill is a load of crap. This is another one of those RuneQuest Rules balls-ups. It is of course ludicrous to have postulated that natives speak their own language at 30%. The new french edition of BRP has an 80% basic skill for your own language. *Slightly* more realistic, don't you think? (But I think it ought to be 90%) Barely comprehensible dialects are, then, understood at 40% (+ Comm bonus or not, depending on how crappy you think this idea is), and languages within the same family at 4% (with the addition of your Comm bonus for use of sign language, natural skill, etc.. unless it's crap.) according to Gloranthan BRP. So, Alex. It looks like you actually have 67% English, not 27% as previously understood ... But do you have 7% Dutch? You tell me. Probably, it's a good idea but the dividing numbers are too small. Perhaps 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/20 instead? (Only as a rule of thumb of course. In practice, things wouldn't be so deterministic.) God knows what kind of rule Hero Wars will have! Our Alex then has 67% chance of understanding his mates, and 4% of understanding a dutchman (always round up!). *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 07:29:58 PDT From: "Leon Kirshtein" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Language It is of course >ludicrous to have postulated that natives speak their own language at >30%. The new french edition of BRP has an 80% basic skill for your own >language. *Slightly* more realistic, don't you think? (But I think it >ought to be 90%) Barely comprehensible dialects are, then, understood at >40% (+ Comm bonus or not, depending on how crappy you think this idea >is), and languages within the same family at 4% (with the addition of >your Comm bonus for use of sign language, natural skill, etc.. unless >it's crap.) according to Gloranthan BRP. > I have always played that a characters has his (Int*5)% as the basic skill for own language. This seems to work fairly well. Leon Kirshtein ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 07:31:29 PDT From: "Leon Kirshtein" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Language It is of course >ludicrous to have postulated that natives speak their own language at >30%. The new french edition of BRP has an 80% basic skill for your own >language. *Slightly* more realistic, don't you think? (But I think it >ought to be 90%) Barely comprehensible dialects are, then, understood at >40% (+ Comm bonus or not, depending on how crappy you think this idea >is), and languages within the same family at 4% (with the addition of >your Comm bonus for use of sign language, natural skill, etc.. unless >it's crap.) according to Gloranthan BRP. > I have always played that a characters has his (Int*5)% as the basic skill for own language. This seems to work fairly well. Leon Kirshtein ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 08:00:50 PDT From: "Leon Kirshtein" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Language It is of course >ludicrous to have postulated that natives speak their own language at >30%. The new french edition of BRP has an 80% basic skill for your own >language. *Slightly* more realistic, don't you think? (But I think it >ought to be 90%) Barely comprehensible dialects are, then, understood at >40% (+ Comm bonus or not, depending on how crappy you think this idea >is), and languages within the same family at 4% (with the addition of >your Comm bonus for use of sign language, natural skill, etc.. unless >it's crap.) according to Gloranthan BRP. > I have always played that a characters has his (Int*5)% as the basic skill for own language. This seems to work fairly well. Leon Kirshtein ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 18:36:40 GMT From: mikec@room3b.demon.co.uk (Michael Cule) Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Language In message <35E170D1.12A1AE53@hol.fr> Julian Lord writes: > This is another one of those RuneQuest Rules balls-ups. It is of course > ludicrous to have postulated that natives speak their own language at > 30%. The new french edition of BRP has an 80% basic skill for your own > language. *Slightly* more realistic, don't you think? Actually, I think I'd go for INT x 5% as your Speak Own basic chance... > So, Alex. It looks like you actually have 67% English, not 27% as > previously understood ... > But do you have 7% Dutch? > You tell me. I used to know how to say 'My hovercraft is full of eels' in Dutch but all I can remember now is that the Dutch for hovercraft is lufteffctsmachine (I don't guarentee the spelling but that's how it sounds). I think that those low percentages represent the chance of undertanding a few words in a mess of... well, Double Dutch. - -- Michael Cule Actor And Genius AKA Theophilus Prince Archbishop Of The Far Isles Medieval Society Arms Purpure An Open Book Proper: On the Dexter Page an Alpha Or On the Sinister an Omega Or. Motto Nulla Spes Sit in Resistendo (Resistance is Useless). Ask me about the Far Isles: Better Living through Pan-Medieval Anachronisms. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 23:00:00 -0400 From: Brad Furst Subject: [RQ-RULES] Active Spell When a spellcaster must pay attention to an Active spell, is the spellcaster allowed to pass control (e.g. with perhaps a successful INTx3 roll) of that Active spell to another creature (e.g. Familiar or Allied Spirit) which is in Mindlink with the spellcaster? Brad Furst esoteric@teleport.com *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 17:34:18 +1200 (NZST) From: metcalph@voyager.co.nz (Peter Metcalfe) Subject: [RQ-RULES] Languages Alex Ferguson: >> Personally I think the idea of adding the communication bonus onto >> the reduced language skill is a load of crap. >I forgot about this rule entirely. Though it sort of fits with your >suggestion that similarly at the 0.2 or 0.1 chance level is at the >level of SPEAK ENGLISH SLOWLY AND LOUDLY, frantic mime, and attempted >telepathy. Though the logical extension of _that_ would be that >you get your CB in even your "00%" tongues. But that's not really adding a communication bonus to the language IMO. It's more like casting 1 point of the Pamalt spirit spell of comprehension. Steve: >>Personally I think the idea of adding the communication bonus onto >>the reduced language skill is a load of crap. >Actually, in my experience I think it WOULD do exactly the above. >Communication is based *lot* on shared cultural assumptions, gestures, >inflection, body language, etc. A lot of this is implied in the "Speak >XXX" skill. In my experience, the shared cultural assumptions, gestures, inflections etc are among the first things to be changed across language barriers. By the time one realises that 'Reich' is NOT pronounced 'rike' in german, one is picking up experience in the language and not simply adding the communication bonus. >There are many cognates, as well as near-cognates and loan-words. The trouble with the cognates and loan words is that they tend to end up brutally murdered in a dark alley and thus relying on the meaning that you know can cause mutual confusion. - --Peter Metcalfe *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 08:30:29 +0100 From: "Paul Bestwick" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Language If my memory serves me correctly the RQ4 rules state that speak your own language is INT x 4 plus your communications bonus. Paul Bestwick *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 10:19:16 +0200 From: Julian Lord Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Active Spell Brad Furst: > When a spellcaster must pay attention to an Active spell, is the spellcaster > allowed to pass control (e.g. with perhaps a successful INTx3 roll) of that > Active spell to another creature (e.g. Familiar or Allied Spirit) which is > in Mindlink with the spellcaster? No, because this would essentially turn the Active spell into a Passive one. But you can acheive this feat with an Enchantment. (Very costly, and usually not worth it.) Also, most users of Rune Magic do actually pass control of their spells to another being, ie their god. There may be a very rare Art of sorcery which permits this. (Hmm : actually, one area where sorcery is LESS effective than other types of magic!) Also, shamans routinely gain their powers from spirits, and a competent shaman would only rarely feel the need to be in personal control of his spells. There is probably a fairly common shaman ability which does what you suggest, actually, although it would have to be learned. So, No, except for some competent RuneMasters, who are variously allowed to do this to some degree. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 11:08:37 +0200 From: Julian Lord Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Language Paul Bestwick: > If my memory serves me correctly the RQ4 rules state that speak your own > language is INT x 4 plus your communications bonus. RQ4 did many things with this skill. * Speak is listed as having a base of 0% * Speaking your own language features heavily in the character generation rules, usually giving you 45% * It is also given a base of INT x 4 * Later changed to a base of 50% (And NO, this isn't terribly coherent is it?) * RQ3 has a 30% base skill * French BRP has an 80% base * Many people use INT x 5 Anyone know any more rules? What does Elric! say about it? *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 07:38:46 PDT From: "Leon Kirshtein" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Language > >Anyone know any more rules? A house rule which we use is: no skill bonus to skills which are at base percentage even if the base percentage is high such as for Jump or Own Language. This rule will also cover things like using a scimitar at 2/3 (or 1/2) of your broad sword skill. For example: broad sword att 66%+ 10% attack modifier ==> scimitar att 50% + 0% attack modifier. Once an expirience check is made, or trained the modifier is applied. Leon Kirshtein PS. Sorry for the triple post yesterday, it was due to my e-mail server error. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 16:09:25 +0100 From: "Paul Bestwick" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] skill modifiers How do you work it with negative skill modifiers (usually stealth), in that after actually trying and succeeding in a skill you could get worse immediately. Paul Bestwick *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 16:29:10 +0100 From: "Paul Bestwick" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] skill modifiers Sorry, it's not obvious from the content of my last message that I was referring to Leon's previous message. Paul Bestwick *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 08:38:26 PDT From: "Leon Kirshtein" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Active Spell > >Brad Furst: > >> When a spellcaster must pay attention to an Active spell, is the spellcaster >> allowed to pass control (e.g. with perhaps a successful INTx3 roll) of that >> Active spell to another creature (e.g. Familiar or Allied Spirit) which is >> in Mindlink with the spellcaster? > >No, because this would essentially turn the Active spell into a Passive one. > Not really since you still have something an allied spirit or familiar controling it. I would allow this type of thing on an Int*1 roll and only to an allied spirit, familiar, a fetch, or someone who is in constant mindlink with the caster (not just a mindlink spell). Leon Kirshtein ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 09:18:55 PDT From: "Leon Kirshtein" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] skill modifiers >From: "Paul Bestwick" >How do you work it with negative skill modifiers (usually stealth), in that >after actually trying and succeeding in a skill you could get worse >immediately. Until the skill + modifier > skill I do not use the modifier at all. Leon Kirshtein ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 13:12:52 -0500 From: stancliff@commnections.com Subject: [RQ-RULES] Active Spell RU>Brad Furst RU>When a spellcaster must pay attention to an Active spell, is the spellcaster RU>allowed to pass control (e.g. with perhaps a successful INTx3 roll) of that RU>Active spell to another creature (e.g. Familiar or Allied Spirit) which is RU>in Mindlink with the spellcaster? There is nothing in the rules that would allow this. The rules state that if the caster loses concentration, then the spell fails and is gone. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ End of RuneQuest Rules Digest V1 #145 ************************************* *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. RuneQuest is a Trademark of Avalon Hill Games. With the exception of previously copyrighted material, unless specified otherwise all text in this digest is copyright by the author or authors, with rights granted to copy for personal use, to excerpt in reviews and replies, and to archive unchanged for electronic retrieval.