From: owner-runequest-rules@ (RuneQuest Rules Digest) To: runequest-rules-digest@lists.MPGN.COM Subject: RuneQuest Rules Digest V2 #34 Reply-To: runequest-rules@mpgn.com Sender: owner-runequest-rules@ Errors-To: owner-runequest-rules@ Precedence: bulk RuneQuest Rules Digest Friday, February 12 1999 Volume 02 : Number 034 RuneQuest is a trademark of Hasbro/Avalon Hill Games. All Rights Reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS Re: [RQ-RULES] Ogres as PCs [RQ-RULES] Curing Chaos Features RE: [RQ-RULES] Ogres as PCs [RQ-RULES] Cleansing chaos [RQ-RULES] RuneQuest Rules Digest V2 #32 Re: [RQ-RULES] The Grimoire RE: [RQ-RULES] Woman at Lords? Re: [RQ-RULES] Cleansing chaos Re: [RQ-RULES] Cleansing chaos RE: [RQ-RULES] Cleansing chaos [RQ-RULES] races in fantasy... RE: [RQ-RULES] Cleansing chaos [RQ-RULES] Re : Curing Chaos Features Re: [RQ-RULES] Re : Curing Chaos Features [RQ-RULES] Re: Chaos Taints 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: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 19:45:14 -0000 From: "Dom Twist" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Ogres as PCs >Well, the current game is beign run in Karse, which is a seaport trading >city not known for it's large population of Storm Bullies. Better and Better. Storm bulls are a little predictable as oposition figures to a Ogre. It's easy to hate Storm Bull. However if you're campaign is run in a City...well you've got the local law and order havent you! The hard pressed City Watch will be desperate to catch whoever's murdering their citizens. Not to mention Bounty Hunters. >Also as a GM I already have a campaign outline and series of plot >threads to explore. I realy don't want to have to spend a lot of game >session time playing out encounters and situations that are only >relevent to one player. Seems to me that having a Cannabalistic [well as far as the humans will look at it] serial killer in the party is going to involve everybody pretty quickly. I like the atmosphere invoked by a 'City Under Seige' theme. Especially if the [other] players are at all Heroic about it all and set out to track down and bring the killer to justice >No matter where she goes, no >matter what her company or how understanding they are, she still needs >to get a supply a fresh human meat. The points about party complicity made by Robert MacA ring true here......a touch of Vampire she'll NEED the meat and the party is going to have to live with the consequences [a little easier to fool the party in a city...but the place will go nuts eventually. Especially if there are other Ogres/Vampires on the loose] It all begins to look a little like a Vampire Masq game...but the rest of the party SHOULDNT KNOW IT, which would be excellent. [Unless they subscribe to this list of course] >.... but for a Lunar game it opens up >all sorts of moral and religious questions, should her Ogreishness >become known The fact that SOMEONE is killing people [and probably eating them] is going to get known fairly soon in most citys. It's the Fear, Ignornace and Loathing that'll be the fun bit. Public Lynching of the Innocent is always good for drama. Subject: [RQ-RULES] Curing Chaos Features Andrew : >So what happens when a PC picks up a chaos feature from a fluffed dice roll ? I >know an Orlanthi of mine failed a climb roll and fell onto a massive chaos >crystal which promptly grew him a third arm (which he equally promptly cut off). >Despite the injuries he gave himself he still survived the huge amount of >wizardry going off in the epic battle. If you look at the official sources, chaos features simply aren't that easy to get. They take serious amounts of permanent POW from somewhere for chaos to penetrate through the cracks in reality. All the chaos feature inducing spells are high level rune spells. I've been in a similar situation as you. A character of mine gained a chaos feature simply by touching some misty water. I retired the character immediately because I wasn't interested in playing a character that sweats acid all the time, but I felt cheated by the GM, not by Glorantha. Your character got a chaos feature due to GM fiat, not due to any official rules on chaotic magic. For example, chaotic crystals can taint people with chaos, but in the rules you have to deliberately choose to attune yourself to the crystal, which risks the loss of permanent POW. As for big battles, humans in glorantha have their own hero level powers and protective rituals, beyond the scope of the RQ rules as writ, that can defend against equivalently high powered chaos abilities. Sure they aren't 100% effective, but what can I say? War is hell! Simon Hibbs *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 13:26:33 -0000 From: "Hibbs, Philip" Subject: RE: [RQ-RULES] Ogres as PCs >The character (unless they have a chaos feature to >stop this) is going to have *HUGE* muscles etc. I looked this up last night, and the writeup says that they are not noticeably different to humans, despite having nearly double the average strength. On the down side, they *only* eat sentient flesh (it might not say this categorically, but the implication is very strong, IIRC). Opinions expressed may not even be my own, let alone those of any organisations, nations, species, or schools of thought to which I may be affiliated. http://www.snark.freeserve.co.uk/ Failure is not an option, it's integral to the o/s. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 08:34:15 -0500 From: Andrew Barton Subject: [RQ-RULES] Cleansing chaos Simon Hibbshas 'no truck with the idea of heroquests that can cleanse chaos taints.' Where does this leave the cult of the Cleansed One? Andrew *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 09:00:18 -0500 From: Andrew Barton Subject: [RQ-RULES] RuneQuest Rules Digest V2 #32 > What is the dominant race on Glorantha? Dragons > Name one fantasy setting that contains humans and mortal non-humans where the humans are not the dominant race. Steve Brust's series starting with Jhereg. If you allow SF, Dave Brin's Uplift wars. Interestingly, both authors are into RPGs. Andrew *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 09:22:09 -0500 From: "Bob Stancliff" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] The Grimoire > Venom affects general hit points, so HPs per location don't come into > the equation. However, your point on multispelled venoms is spot on. You > can all but guarantee a kill with a multispelled battery of venom Ooops, I was reading Venom and thinking Palsy. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 14:45:06 GMT From: "N.J. EFFINGHAM" Subject: RE: [RQ-RULES] Woman at Lords? IMO the trollkin cook character would be good if it was not played as a human, but as a trollkin TRYING to be human. Perhaps the pet rat keeps changing because the trollkin just can't resist eating it ("It's soooo cute, sooo furry, sooo tasty..."), his favourite dish is Elven broth ("Just like ma used to make") and when he goes shopping he tries to pay in bolgs, or he offers to trim the toenails of guests at the dinner table by chewing them ("That's what I did at home...") ANYTHING that reminds you of the trollish cultural aspects. All IMO Nikk *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 14:41:31 GMT From: "N.J. EFFINGHAM" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Cleansing chaos > Simon Hibbshas 'no truck with the idea of heroquests > that can cleanse chaos taints.' > > Where does this leave the cult of the Cleansed One? Up Zola Fel's creek without a paddle : ) Personally I don't think the cult of the Cleansed One cleanses chaos. Nethier does Greg, or a large portion of the designers of Glorantha. Am I saying you're wrong? No. You're perfectly right to play that the Cleansed One can clean chaos taint, but then I'm equally right to say that it doesn't. I think the Cleansed One cult just cheats and either masks, or transports the chaos taint elsewhere. Perhaps every member is given a rock, and once the magic is used, you and the rock are linked, but only the rock shows up as tainted. Ther rock contains all of your POW and soul etc... and it is THAT which contains the chaos taint not the broos body. Unless you've got a chaos feature that is. As for casually picking up chaos features - eurgh! How deadly! IMG and IMVHO that's the equivalent of the GM tossing CJD and Flesh Eating Bacteria around as a common disease.... Nikk *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 09:52:51 -0500 From: "Bob Stancliff" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Cleansing chaos >> Simon Hibbshas 'no truck with the idea of heroquests >> that can cleanse chaos taints.' > Where does this leave the cult of the Cleansed One? I simply won't run a campaign where taint can't be healed somehow. IMG Snakepipe Hollow tainted two characters. I applied the effects indirectly: the Eurmal's large Divine crystal was tainted with the ability to raise the possessor's POW, and the shaman's fetch was given 'confusing appearance'. I'm soft, I admit it. I let the Eurmal DI 10 POW to have the tainted portion of the crystal carved out, making it generally weaker than it had been, but still allowing a small increase in max POW. The shaman had to discorporate, reach the god plane beyond the inner spirit plane, and then find Chalana Arroy to heal her from the Fertile Source. Bob *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 14:58:56 -0000 From: "Hibbs, Philip" Subject: RE: [RQ-RULES] Cleansing chaos >I simply won't run a campaign where taint can't be healed somehow. >IMG Snakepipe Hollow tainted two characters. Well, I take the other line, that the taint can't be removed, but I wouldn't consider tainting a character who didn't deserve it through stupidity. If a scenario said "Such and such will taint a character with chaos", I'll pretty much ignore it unless it gives away sufficient clues. Opinions expressed may not even be my own, let alone those of any organisations, nations, species, or schools of thought to which I may be affiliated. http://www.snark.freeserve.co.uk/ Failure is not an option, it's integral to the o/s. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 07:23:37 -0600 From: Steve Lieb Subject: [RQ-RULES] races in fantasy... Phil offers an irresistible challenge: >What is the dominant rce on Glorantha? Name one fantasy setting that >contains humans and mortal non-humans where the humans are not the dominant >race. (I am prepared to accept that there might be some, but there are not >very many). Isn't Jorune like this? Never really played it, but I seem to recall that there's a few races, of which Humans are not the major one? Tekumel is another. Kinda depends on your definition of dominant; I might be tempted to suggest "Bunnies and Burrows" - humans are there, but they're massive, slow and stupid creatures. :) But essentially you're right. There are a number of fantasty fiction settings where humans are not in any way dominant, but they are massively outweighed by the humano-centric settings. - -Steve Lieb styopa@iname.com steve@necadon.com http://surf.to/styopa *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 15:46:55 -0000 From: Ashley Munday Subject: RE: [RQ-RULES] Cleansing chaos I agree with Nick and Simon on this one: Chaos isn't some sort of original sin that can palmed off on a couple of Hail Marys and felating the priest. It is a fundamental change to the character of the thing affected. If the Adventurers go around doing dodgy things then they deserve all they get. The important thing from the games point of view is that sources of Chaos taint (and anything else that can permanently stuff a character) are well advertised and no one should pick it up without the referee being able to show the player that a deliberate decision he took lead to the Chaos taint. "How do I get rid of it?" "You can't." "What?!?!? You Bastard! I had no idea!!!!" "Er, Sir did venture into the (rather aptly) Caves of Chaos, attuned 87 crystals without finding out what they were and shouted at the Broo Shaman - 'I can take the Curse of Thed you big poof! Lay it on me Goat Face!'" This applies to everything the Adventurers do, not just dealing with Chaos: You're playing a modern RPG and your Adventurer hid in the sluice pipe from Sellafield Reprocessing Plant. This is despite the fact the pipe had been bricked up by Greenpeace and had large "Warning, Danger of Growing Extra Heads" sign lying about. Later you find your Adventurer is sterile and medical science didn't have a cure. The ultimate extreme of all this is "The White Stick syndrome". This is where the Adventurers all have Guide Dogs (Seeing Eye Dogs for the transatlanticly challenged) and white sticks. They miss all the oblique hints (Usually the referee rolls the dice and grins manically), blunder about into pits and find things like ye olde traditional D&D "Cursed Scroll" that goes off when the bloody thing is touched and doesn't show up on Detect Magic ("Well, had you used Wish you could have found out what it does"). Anyway, if you're having a good time, does it matter? Nah. Ash *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 13:41:14 +0100 From: Alain.RAMEAU@total.com (Alain RAMEAU) Subject: [RQ-RULES] Re : Curing Chaos Features >So what happens when a PC picks up a chaos feature from a fluffed >dice roll ? I think a Divine Intervention could do it, but I expect your god will ask for more than 1 POW ! On the picking up of Chaos Feature, IMG chaotic features are not easily contagious ! AFAIK, only strong chaotic spells could do that, or may be spending long time in cursed chaotic areas. Because otherwise, it would become quickly impossible to play a Storm Bull in the group ! Alain. www.btinternet.com/~karamo/rqgb.htm *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 14:58:39 -0500 From: "Bob Stancliff" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Re : Curing Chaos Features > I think a Divine Intervention could do it, but I expect your god will > ask for more than 1 POW ! I generally like the idea that D.I. POW loss is proportional to the effect granted instead of being determined by the number rolled. This way you don't ruin a character that only needs a Heal Wound or a Teleport. On the other hand, if you do something massive, hit 'em hard, not a couple of points. Example: River Voices story from River of Cradles. An elderly priestess asks Zola Fel to choose heroes to cleanse the river of an epidemic of gorp. The god picks five people, puts three Enchantments on each of their right hands to aid them, and takes all of the Priestesses POW in exchange. Sure, it was a plot device, but it was appropriate to the effect. Officially, this was probably more meddling in the world than the Covenant allows, although it was instigated by a person. Bob *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 13:02:38 PST From: "Roland Volz" Subject: [RQ-RULES] Re: Chaos Taints Philip Hibbs said: >If the referee dishes out chaos taints as easily as this, then you as >a group must accept the consequences. Life's a bitch, then you die. Ashley Munday, agreed with him, saying: >Getting a bit Gloranthan here... (sorry Rich, this should be on that >other list!) Chaos isn't the sort of thing that gets picked up >casually - unless the referee wants it to happen. Likewise, it aint >the sort of thing someone gets rid of easily - unless the referee >wants it to happen. I would like to point out that the only way a person in my game picked up a chaos taint "this easily" is when I ran Snakepipe Hollow 3rd edition. According to the description of Termain Osboropo's skull, if you see it, you have to resist on the resistance table with your MPs against his or you acquire a chaos feature. One of my PCs (the archer) was low after having helped take care of some bad guys, and he was overcome. Meanwhile, Simon Hibbs opined: >I was thinking about that too, but I don't think even the power of >Death itself can cut away the taint of chaos. I think the only hope >for a chaotic is illumination. I think its not his power as Death that might give him the power, but rather his power as the God of Endings. After all, he managed to sever his tie with his Storm kin such that there is not a trace of their power in his cult. This would be on the same order of magnitude. Roland ______________________________________________________ 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. ------------------------------ End of RuneQuest Rules Digest V2 #34 ************************************ *************************************************************************** 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 Hasbro/Avalon Hill Games. 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