A table could be made listing the effect of a particular rune on the mundane plane according the score associated with it, much like the magic tables (such as Fire Law, Air Law, Mind Law, etc) in MERP and Rolemaster.
When a test is required during a heroquest, the hero must make a roll using his own (ie. RQ) skill. The hero also has a set of runic scores which can be used to create a mundane effect related to a test. This mean that a Hero could take the sword of Humakt during a heroquest but if the Hero doesn't use any of his runic points this would have no effect when he returns to the mundane plane.
Let's see:
Zero The Hero, a storm khan, is fighting with Humakt (or is this
another quester/avatar?) on a rope bridge leading to the Spike. He
must roll against his Grapple Score to take Humakt's Sword. But,
before throwing dices, he allows the 3 points he has in his Death Rune
Score so that if he succeed in his test, it will have an effect on the
mundane plane. Consulting the Death Rune Table, a total of 3 points
would be worthing something like +3d6 damage / 3 uses / 3hours
duration / 300meters range, etc.
But, if the roll was going to fail, the effects would be of opposite
nature. We could have negatives score listings in the Rune Score
Tables, or we could refer to the Life Rune Table, or to a Rune tied to
the next action of humakt in response to this attempt to take Death
out of his hand (or hands?)
Having used his 3 Death Rune points, he rolls and succeed. When he
come back, having kept Death in his scabbard until the end of the
quest, he has a sword enchanted with 3 uses of a +3d6 bonus to damage
for a duration of 3 hours, or something like this. He could also have
taken the rune points from his supporters, who could then have access
to similar effects, according to the number of points used.
Ok, this is only a sketch, it hasn't been playtested in any way, but there are several reasons why this system is worth a try :
1- It makes the player thinking about it twice before giving Heroic or Legendary worth to one of his actions, no matter at which depth he is heroquesting, since if he fails, it will have an effect too.
2- A hero could still face an event for which he is unskilled but give
great effect to this particular action he's unskilled for on the
mundane plane, making this Hero Feat worthing the effort. This way,
Zera, the Ernalda Hero, wich has never climbed a mountain before could
come back from her Climbing of the Spike with the Power of Climbing at
a speed of 5KMH, having spent her 5 Movement Rune Points. This way,
if she come back, even if climbing is naturally difficult to her, it
is magically and heroicly(?) easy for her, reflecting her past
overcome of this event.
It makes the player trying other things than those he is accustomed
to, isn't he a Hero?
3- Rewards can be made in Rune Points instead of just being a particular power. Not that in the Quest those points aren't personified by an object but that this object/symbol doesn't need to have a direct effect on the mundane plane. It is just stacked until further use, when the Heroquester wants to relay on his tie to this rune to make his heroic action have a mundane effect.
This all need to be dicussed before I adventure any further. I still need time until I associate any of my Truth Rune Points to this ...
Luc Lavergne
Montreal, Canada.
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