From: owner-runequest-rules@ (RuneQuest Rules Digest) To: runequest-rules-digest@lists.MPGN.COM Subject: RuneQuest Rules Digest V2 #87 Reply-To: runequest-rules@mpgn.com Sender: owner-runequest-rules@ Errors-To: owner-runequest-rules@ Precedence: bulk RuneQuest Rules Digest Tuesday, May 25 1999 Volume 02 : Number 087 RuneQuest is a trademark of Hasbro/Avalon Hill Games. All Rights Reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS [none] [RQ-RULES] DMD - Acererak for RQ/Greyhawk Re: [RQ-RULES] Rune points 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: Fri, 21 May 1999 20:13:20 GMT From: "Nikk Effingham" Subject: [none] unsubscribe runequest-rules *************************************************************************** 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, 21 May 1999 17:32:45 -0400 From: Tal Meta Subject: [RQ-RULES] DMD - Acererak for RQ/Greyhawk I was originally going to include Acererak among my Gods of the Touv writeups, and the only thing that stopped me was the picture of the boy and his mother from RttToH. So now he goes either in my pot of Common or diabolic gods. Oh well. :) This writeup is based on the 'what if' contingency that my group, when/if they ever explore the expanded ToH, fail to defeat Acererak in his bid for power. Note: My copy of the Cult of the Soul Eater had no author listed; since it served as inspiration for this writeup, that individual has my thanks, as well. ACERERAK Runes: Void x2, Hunger Acererak is the Devourer, the Lord of the Void. Cult in the World Acererak was a cambion - half human, half demon, born to a simple woman of mixed descent in a what would someday become the nation of Perrenland. Born during the last century of Vecna's rule, he grew to manhood nursing a hatred of all living things, and seeking to master the powers of magic that were his by birth. His research led him to discover certain fundamental truths about the nature of life and unlife, and he chose unlife in order to better explore the forces he was dealing with. Even in his undying state, the dire energies he experimented with caused his body to deteriorate rapidly, which in itself unlocked new doors and gave him even more freedom. Eventually through his artifice and the beginnings of a cult that had begun to worship him, he merged with the forces he studied, essentially becoming the Void he had so long pursued. But the foces of the Void are not to be trifled with; those who open themselves to it's temptation are usually consumed by it, no matter how clever they think themselves. Even the Devourer was himself devoured, in the end. Acererak's cult observes the 5th of Reaping as their High Holy day, marking the founding of the Skull City which surrounds the tomb of their lord. The only known Temple to Acererak lies within Skull City's Black Academy; it lies at the entrance to the tomb itself. Priests of Acererak wear silvered masks depicting a skull, and the High Priest (only) may wear the Mask of the Devourerer, an artifact created by Acererak himself. All wear robes of the deepest black, often with fell spirits bound to them so that they flutter and whisper like damned souls (which they often are). Lay Membership Requirements: Acererak's cult attracts mainly those who are already intrigued by magic and death, though the cult is not associated with either the Death or Magic runes. No skills are taught to lay members of this cult. Initiate Membership Requirements: Those who seek to serve the Lord of the Void must open themselves to his very essence. This results in their gaining 1 point of a new statistic called Void. They will gain an additional point of Void every High Holy Day (and failing to attend services will gain them 2 points), and each special divine spells they sacrifice for or cast will gain them yet more points, equal to the point value of the spell. [Example: Fred Parker (POW 16) joins Acererak's cult and gains 1 point of Void. Six months later, he sacrifices 3 POW for the Eat Soul spell, reducing his POW to 13 and raising his Void to 4. Casting the Eat Soul spell on a spirit with a POW of 12 further increase his Void to 7, but ½ the spirit's eaten POW would decrease it to 1.] Once an initiate or priest's Void equals their current POW, their spirits are consumed and cease to exist. There is only one way to forestall the inevitable - the cultist must become more and more like the Devourer, and consume the souls of those around them to keep from slipping into the Void forever. With every new spell they acquire, the Void within them becomes stronger, but it can be reduced in one of two ways. For priests, each casting of the Initiate Cultist spell reduces the Void by one point. Both priests and initiates can reduce the Void within through the use of the Eat Soul spell, which reduces the Void. (see example, above). Skills taught to initiates include Craft (Corpse Preparation, Funeral Rites), Lores (Magic, Million Spheres, Spirit, Undead, Void), and Ceremony. Spirit Magic: Banish Spirit, Extinguish, Reanimate, Transfer Wound. Priesthood Requirements: Standard. Acererak's priesthood are in every way servants of the Void, sacrificing penitents to their lord on a regular basis by permitting them access to their lord's tomb complex. Priests accept and understand that they themselves will someday join their lord in the Void, but few are in any real hurry to do so. Common Divine Magic: all. Special Divine Magic: Command Drain, Dead Spirit, Destroy Magic, Drain Spirit, Eat Soul, Engage Spirit, Final Strike, Summon Drain. Drains (Void Elementals) Characteristics Average STR 1d6 3-4 SIZ 1 cubic meter POW 1d6 3-4 HP 1d6 3-4 Move equal to POW Drains manifest as balls of ebony colored flame. The flames of their body hiss and crackle ominously, for they are the very antithesis of life and living things. A drain attacks targets by lashing out with a pseudopod of flame (range equal to 2x SIZ in meters, 1 psuedopod per cubic meter of SIZ) and wrapping it around it's target (dodge to evade, otherwise it hits automatically). Once in contact with any living creature, it matches its STR vs. the STR of his victim, and on any round that it maintains it's hold, that target loses 1d4 hit points. In addition, at the end of each round of contact, it will match it's POW vs. the POW of it's target, success indicating that the target must make Aging and Inaction check, as well as physically age 1 year in the process. On a critical success, the target ages 10 years, and must make 3 Aging & Inaction checks. Associated Gods None - -- talmeta@cybercomm.net - Heretic & Dilettante ICQ - 12594453 AIM - talmeta (note change!) Homepage - *************************************************************************** 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 May 1999 09:39:02 +0100 From: simonh@msi-uk.com (Simon Hibbs) Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Rune points Julian Lord : >> Bob > Rune points would change all of the rules dealing with >> >necessary temple sizes to get divine magic,.... >> >> Er, I don't see why. >'cos you'd need to have rules telling you how many points >you can get back at a temple, as related to its size, >and to your level of initiation, instead of the old RQ3 system ... Maybe I'm being a bit thick (quite possible), but I still don't see why. >Perhaps the way I'd do it, and this is just a suggestion, >which might be complete rubbish, is to have 2 spell lists for each >cult; >common magic and special magic. Common magic being those spells >that any initiate would be aware of mythically, and require simple use >of Rune points, once he's sacrificed for them; Special spells being >the ones he has to perform special rituals, minor heroquests, >arcane learning, whatever, to acquire. IIRC when you learn a rune spell, you have to spend one day per point of the spell in the temple. I think during this time you're ritualy purifying yourself and being initiated into the sacred mysteries of the magic you are learning. You are actualy heroquesting the myth. I think this is true of all divine magic. >All cultists strive to resemble their god; >therefore cult members resemble each other, >giving a bland and generic appearance to these characters ... In the same way that all christians are bland and generic because they are all humble, pious, impoverished wandering ex-carpenters. I apologise, that was rather glib, but I think that there is quite a bit of variation possible. Thor was the ideal expression of manhood to the Vikings. I don't think sartarites are any less diverse than Vikings. There are many myths of Orlanth - Orlanth the Just King, Orlanth the Thunderer, Orlanth the rebbel, Orlanth the Lightbringer. That's four very different ways an Orlanthi can resemble his god streight off the top of my head. It is true that some cults require more conformity than others and in that sense you're perfectly correct. Lankor Mhy the Sage is a very restrictive and stereotyped role model although even here Lankor Mhy the clan lawspeaker is quite different. I'd even argue that they are seperate cults (seperate religious organisations) worshiping the same god. >That is, I believe that Rune Magic is supposed to be more flexible >than in RQ, but less than RQ DI, and more or less like >the Rune Power system. There's a problem in determining what >the limits of such a system should be, but DI should be conflated >with Rune magic. > >They're the same thing. > >Which is why Greg says that there is no DI in Glorantha, IMO. I'm sure he would agree with you. 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. ------------------------------ End of RuneQuest Rules Digest V2 #87 ************************************ *************************************************************************** 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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