Re: Three Runes

From: Douglas Seay <douglas-seay_at_V1e75wtyaG0VBc7ostvNgjUgU60_K7HDwhFOQgpYoNrhzq-4dd1XeHybHP_s46A>
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:11:11 -0500

L C wrote:

>> To me this generalizes to
>> culture specific rune
>> power rune
>> dealers choice rune
>>

> Hmm.... Why a power rune?

If you can just have a single Element, I think power runes will be fairly common, but that is no reason to mandate one.

>> Rigid societies like the Dara Happans might mandate the culture rune and
>> they just don't have any variation.
>>

> I wouldn't go that far. I suspect that the percentage of variation, or
> the likelihood you get punished/exiled/messed with due to variation changes.
> So DH it would be something like 90% and that other 10% is seen as a Big
> Issue That Must Be Dealt With while Sartarites have a 1 in 7 not
> following the classic element rune and no one really cares. They just
> find it interesting.

In some cultures, the variations won't make it out of childhood alive. I don't know how the Char-Un will interact with runes, but I kinda doubt that oddballs live to grow up.

Could the driving force of the Lunar Empire be a lack of coherence of runes? Lunarization removes the pressure to have just Air or Fire, or whatever? Maybe that is part of the liberating influence of the Moon.

>> More fluid ones (Heortlings) have
>> the loser restrictions. such as any element will do. Maybe there is
>> some odd ball culture that allows any three runes, but they'd lack the
>> coherence of most cultures, and likely have been squished/subjugated.
>>

> I'm not sure I'd put them at such a disadvantage. (Although yes, some
> coherence helps.)

It is a form of specialization. It is generally a big advantage until a drastic change in the rules. Society can build up structures that rely on these assumptions. What one individual learns can be more efficiently transfered to a larger number of peers.

>> What I've been wondering is if there is a way to change your runes, or
>> add a fourth one.
>>

> IMG you can change a rune, although it takes an HQ. One of the
> characters I submitted to the Rule One contest had her Earth rune
> changed to a Darkness rune after being dragged into an Uz HeroQuest.
> (maybe it can be done with less drastic measures)

Good. I'm not the only one.

> As was mentioned in an earlier conversation, do we have any reason to
> believe (if we are assuming everyone has runes) that everyone has three
> or that three is the limit?

That's what has been put in print, but who knows what the future holds?

>> If you are Lunarized, to you get the change to gain
>> the Moon rune? Could the EWF graft on a Dragon rune? Perhaps that is
>> part of the magic of the Arkati: He changed from Death to Air to
>> Darkness, and they can too.
>>

> Also, would it be "add the Lunar rune" or "Transform one into the Lunar
> rune"? (Same for Dragon.)

That is the question. Although never common, I think the transform variant would be more common. The exception being the Infinity rune: if you don't have the mojo to add the rune, you don't have the mojo to possess the rune at all.

> Again, the question becomes whether Runes are a nice bookeeping device
> for the game and for Theist magic or a part of every character. (Even if
> only Theists learn to ever draw on it directly for magic.)

Unfortunately the official line seems to be theists only. My Glorantha will have runes for everyone, and I'm hoping that some guidelines for that will be available before I ever need to worry about it.

• doug