From: owner-runequest-rules@lists.ient.com (RuneQuest Rules Digest) To: runequest-rules-digest@lists.ient.com Subject: RuneQuest Rules Digest V3 #114 Reply-To: runequest-rules@lists.ient.com Sender: owner-runequest-rules@lists.ient.com Errors-To: owner-runequest-rules@lists.ient.com Precedence: bulk RuneQuest Rules Digest Wednesday, November 15 2000 Volume 03 : Number 114 RuneQuest is a trademark of Hasbro/Avalon Hill Games. All Rights Reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars [RQ-RULES] Familiars [RQ-RULES] Familiars Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars Re: [RQ-RULES] Anyone for cricket?! Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars 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: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 13:19:23 EST From: SPerrin@aol.com Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars - --part1_a7.9069986.27442dab_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 11/15/00 8:53:30 AM Pacific Standard Time, Cairnduff@law.com writes: > > Hi all, I just got a back copy of RQII, and am keen to use the > binding spirits into animals rules. I am not however using a > Gloranthan setting and am a little unclear which animals should be > available for use, and to whom. > > Any pointers/help? > > If you are not using Glorantha, then you are using your own world, so it's your choice. Traditionally, familiars are usually relatively innocuous animals like rats and cats and dogs and monkeys (not apes, monkeys) but certainly more recent literature has expanded the list into fantasy animals, horses, hunting felines like leopards, and so forth. So it's basically your call. Steve Perrin, handing the man a license and stepping back quickly... - --part1_a7.9069986.27442dab_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 11/15/00 8:53:30 AM Pacific Standard Time,
Cairnduff@law.com writes:



Hi all, I just got a back copy of RQII, and am keen to use the
binding spirits into animals rules.  I am not however using a
Gloranthan setting and am a little unclear which animals should be
available for use, and to whom.

Any pointers/help?



If you are not using Glorantha, then you are using your own world, so it's
your choice.

Traditionally, familiars are usually relatively innocuous animals like rats
and cats and dogs and monkeys (not apes, monkeys) but certainly more recent
literature has expanded the list into fantasy animals, horses, hunting
felines like leopards, and so forth.

So it's basically your call.

Steve Perrin, handing the man a license and stepping back quickly...

- --part1_a7.9069986.27442dab_boundary-- *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 11:28:17 -0700 From: "Stephen Posey [TurboPower Software]" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars Meirion Hopkins wrote: > The only two real world religious ones I could think of the top of my head were: > > Odin might have ravens or wolves, > Thor, goats A few more... Greek/Roman - ----------- Zeus/Jupiter: eagle Athena/Minerva: owl Artemis/Diana: hunting dog If you allow for hero cults then: Herakles/Hercules: lion Egyptian - -------- Ra: falcon Set: snake Bast: cat Anubis: jackal Lots of others here, just take their animal aspect (though hippos and crocs seem like they might make for difficult familiars; dwarf versions perhaps?). Stephen Posey slposey@concentric.net *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 14:00:32 -0500 From: Tal Meta Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars Maximillian Cairnduff wrote: > > Hi all, I just got a back copy of RQII, and am keen to use the > binding spirits into animals rules. I am not however using a > Gloranthan setting and am a little unclear which animals should be > available for use, and to whom. If you're using the Gloranthan gods, Gods of Glorantha has a list; if you're using earth-mythology, a good book on same would serve as an excellent guide (as might the 1st Ed. AD&D Legends and Lore book; it listed the sacred animals for nearly every deity presented on a table in the back. The 2nd edition version is available at http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/LegendsAndLore.rtf - I don't know if it contains that same table, though.) - -- talmeta@cybercomm.net - Heretic, Dilettante, & God-Machine ICQ - 12594453 AIM - talmeta Homepage - *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 14:11:13 -0500 From: Tal Meta Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars > > Apparently I'd read the Sorcery Rules wrong, and had _assumed_ that you > could only have 1 at a time. Wow!... Most of the animals were the small type > you'd generally expect a Sorcerer to use as a Familiar.One character had a > pair of bats. Another had a hawk, ferret, and (verry) miniature dragon. The > one that really surprised me, though, was Tim, the gang's Sorcerer Deluxe, > with a ferret, fox, bird, and his WARHORSE! I must've laughed for 5 minutes > at that... The sorcerer in my campaign has an animated statue as his familiar; he wanted something hardy enough to take a solid blow, but small enough to scout with. I haven't introduced him to a rust monster yet.... - -- talmeta@cybercomm.net - Heretic, Dilettante, & God-Machine ICQ - 12594453 AIM - talmeta Homepage - *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 14:22:00 EST From: SPerrin@aol.com Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars This discussion reminds me of a situation in my most recent RQ campaign where a budding Rune Lord of a Non-Gloranthan jester cult was looking for a familiar/bound spirit. He left it up to me, since the god was given to rather random actions. After much rumination, I ended up handing him an anteater. Not a jester animal, as such, but certainly very random. And I was reminded of a story an Anthro teacher of mine told about the anteater he had as a pet in Brazil, and its habit of sticking its tongue in his ear. He was never sure if the beast was being affectionate or looking for ants... Steve Perrin, telling old war stories... *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 13:01:43 -0700 From: "Stephen Posey [TurboPower Software]" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars SPerrin@aol.com wrote: > > This discussion reminds me of a situation in my most recent RQ campaign where > a budding Rune Lord of a Non-Gloranthan jester cult was looking for a > familiar/bound spirit. He left it up to me, since the god was given to rather > random actions. After much rumination, I ended up handing him an anteater. > Not a jester animal, as such, but certainly very random. And I was reminded > of a story an Anthro teacher of mine told about the anteater he had as a pet > in Brazil, and its habit of sticking its tongue in his ear. He was never sure > if the beast was being affectionate or looking for ants... It also brings to mind the Monty Python "Lion Tamer" sketch ;-) Stephen Posey slposey@concentric.net *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 16:53:36 -0500 From: Andrew Barton Subject: [RQ-RULES] Familiars > Apparently I'd read the Sorcery Rules wrong, and had _assumed_ that you could only have 1 at a time. Wow!... Most of the animals were the small type you'd generally expect a Sorcerer to use as a Familiar.One character had a pair of bats. Another had a hawk, ferret, and (verry) miniature dragon. The one that really surprised me, though, was Tim, the gang's Sorcerer Deluxe, with a ferret, fox, bird, and his WARHORSE! I must've laughed for 5 minutes at that... Sorcerous familiars only happen in RQ3, where the original query was about RQ2. The problem with having multiple sorcerous familiars is that you have to give a point of INT to each creature. Get into a fight with a sorceror who has three more free INT than you do, and you'll have severe problems. If mundane creatures don't require INT to be made into familiars, then they're complete creatures and not eligible for the spell in the first place. Andrew *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 16:53:45 -0500 From: Andrew Barton Subject: [RQ-RULES] Familiars My RQ2 Sage Lord had an otter familiar. Being able to send it to scout underwater was sometimes very useful. Andrew *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 09:24:31 +1100 From: "Jim & Peta Lawrie" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars >The sorcerer in my campaign has an animated statue as his familiar; he >wanted something hardy enough to take a solid blow, but small enough to >scout with. > >I haven't introduced him to a rust monster yet.... I was thinking about this the other day. I wonder if you could 'create' a body out of phantom spells, then bind a spirit into it. You'd have to make it some form of enchantment rather than a long-duration spell, (this came from wondering if it was possible to make permanent illusions with RQ3 sorcery, then trouble shooting for player gyps.) Looking at it, it's not too bad if the GM is prepared to work it into the campaign, but really wild familiars will get you very notorious quickly, and must cultures will react badly to this kind of 'meddling with unknown forces'. Also, gloranthan wizards seem to equate spirits with demons, familiars may have a ban on spirits being modified in their culture. A PC of ours played a vivisector sorceror (based on Leonardo da Vinci), his familiar was a little harlequin doll with a wraith bound into it called Mephisto. Coolest familiar I ever saw. Question : What is the 'species maximum' of a familiar? The owners species maximums if doesn't have a modified stat? Question : What is the life span of a familiar? The owners? *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 09:40:15 +1000 From: Robert McArthur Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Anyone for cricket?! Meirion Hopkins wrote: > > Hello all, > > If anyone is interested, I have a scanned copy of a very old White Dwarf article giving the rules > for Elfball, a tongue-in-cheek adaptation of cricket for RQ2. > > I can't vouch for how well it plays, since I've never had a chance to use it! > > Its a 350k JPEG file. > > Drop me a line if your interested. Hi Meirion, I'd certainly be interested! Maybe even get and chance to play one of these days in the antipodes. Thanks Robert *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 19:16:22 -0500 From: "Jim Bickmeyer" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars From: Jim & Peta Lawrie Question : What is the 'species maximum' of a familiar? The owners > species maximums if doesn't have a modified stat? The Species maximum is that of the species in each charaterisic, except INT if it was fixed. There is is 21. After all, it gets a rolled INT of 3D6. Of course, if you are asking about the chareristic that didn't exist, then there is a bit more of a problem. Maybe half again? > Question : What is the life span of a familiar? The owners? I don't remember the standard RQ3 rules, but in a version of Sandy's rules it was one year after the death of the master. Then it either reverts back to original form, or dies. As a side note, in those same rules, the sorcerer gets his characteristics back one year after the death of he familiar. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 19:22:06 -0500 From: "Jim Bickmeyer" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars From: Jim & Peta Lawrie Question : What is the 'species maximum' of a familiar? The owners > species maximums if doesn't have a modified stat? The Species maximum is that of the species in each charaterisic, except INT if it was fixed. There is is 21. After all, it gets a rolled INT of 3D6. Of course, if you are asking about the chareristic that didn't exist, then there is a bit more of a problem. Maybe half again? > Question : What is the life span of a familiar? The owners? I don't remember the standard RQ3 rules, but in a version of Sandy's rules it was one year after the death of the master. Then it either reverts back to original form, or dies. As a side note, in those same rules, the sorcerer gets his characteristics back one year after the death of he familiar. From: Ken > The one that really surprised me, though, was Tim, > the gang's Sorcerer Deluxe, with a ferret, fox, > bird, and his WARHORSE! I must've laughed for 5 minutes > at that... In a Griffen Island campain I ran, the party managed to capture two griffin yearlings. The sorcerer then made them both his familiers. While he had very serious names for them, I thought of them as Chainsaw 1 and Chainsaw two. Jim, who isn't always very careful about what his plays get. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 19:22:16 -0500 From: "Jim Bickmeyer" Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars From: Jim & Peta Lawrie Question : What is the 'species maximum' of a familiar? The owners > species maximums if doesn't have a modified stat? The Species maximum is that of the species in each charaterisic, except INT if it was fixed. There is is 21. After all, it gets a rolled INT of 3D6. Of course, if you are asking about the chareristic that didn't exist, then there is a bit more of a problem. Maybe half again? > Question : What is the life span of a familiar? The owners? I don't remember the standard RQ3 rules, but in a version of Sandy's rules it was one year after the death of the master. Then it either reverts back to original form, or dies. As a side note, in those same rules, the sorcerer gets his characteristics back one year after the death of he familiar. From: Ken > The one that really surprised me, though, was Tim, > the gang's Sorcerer Deluxe, with a ferret, fox, > bird, and his WARHORSE! I must've laughed for 5 minutes > at that... In a Griffen Island campain I ran, the party managed to capture two griffin yearlings. The sorcerer then made them both his familiers. While he had very serious names for them, I thought of them as Chainsaw 1 and Chainsaw two. Jim, who isn't always very careful about what his plays get. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 20:32:15 EST From: MurfNMurf@aol.com Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars - --part1_6b.be51a29.2744931f_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 11/15/00 4:00:28 PM Central Standard Time, Andrew writes: > Sorcerous familiars only happen in RQ3, where the original query was about > Right. The original question _was_ about RQ2, but then I kina went offtrack a little. - -Ken- - --part1_6b.be51a29.2744931f_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 11/15/00 4:00:28 PM Central Standard Time, Andrew writes:


Sorcerous familiars only happen in RQ3, where the original query was about
RQ2.


Right. The original question _was_ about RQ2, but then I kina went offtrack
a little.
-Ken- - --part1_6b.be51a29.2744931f_boundary-- *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 20:35:09 EST From: MurfNMurf@aol.com Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Familiars - --part1_95.2fe892a.274493cd_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 11/15/00 4:00:28 PM Central Standard Time, Andrew writes: > If mundane creatures don't require INT to be made into familiars, then > they're complete creatures and not eligible for the spell in the first > place. > > Really? If thats right outta the book, then I think its completely offbase, as it makes it impossible for _any_ sort of animal to be made into a Familiar; whether otter, monkey, hawk, or whatever. -Ken- - --part1_95.2fe892a.274493cd_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 11/15/00 4:00:28 PM Central Standard Time, Andrew writes:


If mundane creatures don't require INT to be made into familiars, then
they're complete creatures and not eligible for the spell in the first
place.



  Really? If thats right outta the book, then I think its completely
offbase, as it makes it impossible for _any_ sort of animal to be made into a
Familiar; whether otter, monkey, hawk, or whatever.
 -Ken- - --part1_95.2fe892a.274493cd_boundary-- *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ End of RuneQuest Rules Digest V3 #114 ************************************* *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.ient.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. RuneQuest is a Trademark of Hasbro/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.