possible BUTS start

From: Loren Miller <loren_at_wharton.upenn.edu>
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 10:50:42 EST


Here is the beginning of a Glorantha FAQ that Henk sent to me. I think it might make a good starting point for the BUTS campaign.

Loren

RuneQuest & Glorantha Frequently Asked Questions

What
- -. What is RuneQuest?

	RuneQuest is a role-playing game which was originally
	developed in the late 70s, early 80s of the twentieth
	century.  It had two strong selling points which
	distinguished it from the(most) other fantasy role-
	playing game(s):

	First, it had a very intuitive set of rules: Characters
	had skills, and were not restricted to a limited number
	of classes.  A character in RQ could do anything, as 
	long as the dice fell right.  This was a relief compared
	to other systems derived from miniature tabletop wargaming,
	where a character would have a certain ability... or not.
	Skills are expressed as percentiles, highest being best.
	To resolve success or failure, you roll percentile dice,
	with a success determined by rolling below your skill
	threshold.  Other innovations were the resistance table,
	and a credible magic system.

	The second success factor was RuneQuest's integration with
	the world.   Here we had no anonymous fighters, thieves,
	or magicians without any background.  Even the natural
	resources had a divine origin: In the world of Glorantha,
	metals and crystals were the bones and clotted blood
	of defeated gods.   To get somewhere in Gloranthan 
	society, you'd better belong somewhere.   Magic was not
	some amorphous power,  but it had an origin, coming
	from spirits or even gods!  No walking into "Ye ol' Magic
	Shoppe" and getting a new potion or scroll.  You had
	to go to your clan's Shaman up the river,  or go to 
	the village priest and convince them that you really
	needed that Bladesharp spell...



- -. What is Glorantha?

	Glorantha is a mythological world, initially discovered
	by Greg Stafford in the late sixties when he ran out of
	books to read on mythology;  he just went on the design
	his own.  From a private mythological world it became
	a shared role-playing world.  Since the eighties it has
	become a shared mythological world.  People from all over
	the world are adding to it daily.



- -. What are RQ2, RQ3 and RQ4?

	The RuneQuest game system was revised several times.
	RQ2 was the first major revision, and was published in
	1980.  In 1984, the game was licensed by Avalon Hill,
	and the rules were again revised significantly.  Those
	rules have since seen some minor modifications and 
	clarifications, but have staid pretty stable all the
	while.  RQ3, as this third edition has been named since,
	introduced a third type of magic: Sorcery, which came 
	from spirits nor from gods, but from the sorceror's own
	essence.  As such, it is easily the most dangerous.

	A small group of people is allegedly still working on
	a 4th edition, which we expect will be released just in
	time for HeroQuest.



- -. What is Dragon Pass?

	Dragon Pass is two things.  First it is a crucial area
	on the northern continent of Glorantha, Genertela.  It
	is a place where the mountain ranges that divide the 
	continent are interrupted.  As a consequence, it is a
	place to meet interesting people and kill them.  Which is
	exactly the purpose of the other Dragon Pass, a board game
	conveniently situated in the area described above, in which the
	rebels of the former Kingdom of Sartar fight it out with the
	armies of the Lunar Empire.  



- -. What is HeroQuest?

	HeroQuest is [a] myth.  It is not a game system, but the
	way participate in your cult heroes myths.

Who
- -. Who is this Greg Stafford anyway?

	For the purpose of this FAQ, Greg Stafford is the Founder
	and President of Chaosium, Inc.,  and the first Chronicler
	of Glorantha.


- -. What is Chaosium?

	The company which was founded by Greg to publish Dragon Pass
	(then still White Bear and Red Moon).  Combining the new
	concept of fantasy role-playing and Glorantha,  a few people
	came together to publish a board game based on Greg's world.


- -. Who is Sandy Petersen?

	Sandy Petersen joined Chaosium with his plans for a role-playing
	game, based on H.P.Lovecraft's Dreamlands.  What he created
	became Call of Cthulhu.
	He has also been one of the prime developers and explorers
	of Glorantha - much of the southern continent of Pamaltela
	is documented in his work.

	Sandy left Chaosium to pursue a career as Designer of
	computer games - he currently works for id Software.



- -. What about Avalon Hill?

	Avalon Hill was a successful board games company who decided
	to get into the role-playing business.  They negotiated a 
	license from Chaosium to publish RuneQuest, leaving Chaosium
	free to focus on Call of Cthulhu and other games.
	Unfortunately for RuneQuest, they never really understood
	the role-playing market.


- -. Who are the God Learners?

	A bunch of powerful sorceror-traders who thought because 
	they had the power to do anything, they could do so.


- -. What is their secret?

	42. Yes. The secret which allowed them to turn any heroquest
	into a profit.  Or so they thought.

Where
- -. Where can I find RuneQuest on the Net?

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