Bell Digest v930308

Date: Mon, 8 Mar 93 17:07:39 +0100
From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Digest Subscriptions)
To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest)
Subject: The RuneQuest Daily, Mon, 08 Mar 1993

This is an semi-automated digest, sent out once per day (if any
messages are pending).  Replies will be included in the next issue
automatically.

Selected articles may also appear in a regular Digest.  If you 
want to submit articles to the Digest only,  contact the editor at
RuneQuest-Digest-Editor@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM.

--
Send Submissions to: 		    
Enquiries to:		  
The RuneQuest Daily is a spin-off of the RuneQuest Digest and deals
with the subjects of Avalon Hill's RPG and Greg Stafford's world of
Glorantha.  			 Maintainer: Henk.Langeveld@Sun.COM

---------------------

From: mace@lum.asd.sgi.com (Rob Mace)
Subject: Re: RQ cult nomenclature
Message-ID: <9303060349.AA19251@lum.asd.sgi.com>
Date: 5 Mar 93 11:49:41 GMT

Peter Maranci writes:
>         One thing I've often wondered about is what to call certain
> cultists. Humakti, Orlanthi, and Lunars are obvious -- but what do
> you call a bunch of Storm Bull worshippers (I know, you call them
> "sir" 8^>})? Chalana Arroy Rune Priests are called Healers, but
> how would you distinguish a group of Initiates from a Priest? How
> about Daka Fal? Lhankor Mhy-ites? 

We use Bulls or Storm Bulls for Storm Bull members.  We have used
Lhankor Mhys for Lhankor Mhy members.  I don't think we have ever used
a plural for Daka Fal.

Rob Mace

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From: mace@lum.asd.sgi.com (Rob Mace)
Subject: Re: Hero Quests
Message-ID: <9303060342.AA19245@lum.asd.sgi.com>
Date: 5 Mar 93 11:42:01 GMT

Mark Buckley writes:
> HeroQuests: I have seen a few articles telling what they are, who
> does them, what happens on them et cetera. What I haven't seen is
> something telling me how you actually RUN the things i.e. in gamespeak.
> Anyone have any suggestions? (I have the Tales of the Reaching Moon
> issue, but didn't find it that useful...)

I am working on something that I hope will help.  I am currently
writing Adraen's Saga.  In addition to the saga I am putting in
footnotes that explained what happened in game terms.  I will also be
adding apendecies that describe the quests that he went on and how
they worked both in game and Glorantha terms.  I hope to have it done
in a couple of month, and will post it when I do.

Rob Mace

---------------------

From: drcheng@sales.stern.nyu.edu (David Cheng)
Subject: Don't hold your breath for HeroQuest
Message-ID: 
Date: 6 Mar 93 05:59:39 GMT

HEROQUEST and other Chaosium Stuff

While on a business trip to California, I was fortunate enough to be
able to drop in at Chaosium for a few hours.  Here's what I learned:

* The Lunar book coming along nicely

The next book, dealing with the Lunar Empire, is scheduled roughly for
December of 1993.  As it stands right now, it is about 70% Solar, and
only about 15% Lunar, by content.  This will undoubtedly change, as
several of the Lunar chapters have been farmed out to RQ dignitaries
like Michael O'Brien and Oliver Jovanovic.

* HeroQuest stalled

With the demand for KoS and the new Lunar Book, development of
HeroQuest has slowed.  Don't hold your breath.

* Stafford to marry on March 13

Greg Stafford will marry the wonderful Suzanne Courteau next week.
Well wishes and large monetary gifts should be sent to the Chaosium.
(No, he didn't tell me to say that...)

RUNEQUEST-CON

Yes, progress on this is coming along nicely too.  We have indeed set a final
~date:
	MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WEEKEND,
		JANUARY 14-16, 1994

To be held in the Baltimore area.

Confirmed Guests of Honor:
* Greg Stafford
* Sandy Petersen
* Ken Rolston
* David Hall, Editor of _Tales of the Reaching Moon_
* Michael O'Brien, author of _Sun County_, and contributor to the forthcoming
	_Strangers in Prax_

Event Highlights:

* _Home of the Bold_, by Kevin Jacklin and David Hall
	A 75 player Interactive Literature event, set in Boldhome

* Lots of Gloranthan seminars

* RQ4 Seminar, hosted by the RQ4 rewrite team, the "Gang of Four"

* Lots of RQ tournaments

* Imported from Australia:
	Aussie-style RQ tournaments
	(come and try some - they take their role-playing very 
	 seriously down under!)

* Lots of seminars from all our Guests of Honor

* Rare RQ Stuff for auction
	(Some items from the depths of Stafford's office, never before
	 seen.)
	Examples: Stafford's map of the Colymar Tribe lands, with clan
	areas identified and everything!  A draft copy of _King of Sartar_, 
	with edits intact (see a few tidbits that got cut from the final
	version!)  At least 1 copy of the original first edition White Bear
	Red Moon rules.  Lots of old RQ2 stuff.

	WE NEED MORE STUFF!  BRING YOURS TO SELL!  DONATIONS TO THE TRAVEL
	FUND GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED AND REWARDED WITH PUBLIC PRAISE!

* Dealers, many specifically bringing old RQ2 stuff

* Live-Action Trollball

*** Gloranthan Lore Auction ***
	For $1, Stafford will truthfully answer most any Gloranthan question
	posed to him.  Answers will be "yes," "no," or some other 
	single-word unambiguous reply.  Some questions are off limits,
 	like the Big God Learner Secret.
	(At first, I was a little hesitant about this.  Yes, I admit, it
	 is my idea [look what an MBA education does to you!].  But, we've
	 got Guests of Honor from 3 continents to fly in!)

* Lots more

YES, I've got offers of volunteerism from many of you.  THANKS!  I've
just got to get time to get back to you personally.  You have not been
forgotten!

YES, we still need more volunteers.

Watch this space, -David Cheng
 drcheng@sales.stern.nyu.edu
 313 East 85th Street, Apt 2C
 New York, NY  10028
 (212) 472-7752
=================

---------------------

From: jacobus@sonata.cc.purdue.edu
Subject: Lunars as good guys.
Message-ID: <9303060647.AA12252@sonata.cc.purdue.edu>
Date: 5 Mar 93 20:47:08 GMT

The campaign I am starting has the Lunars as possible "good guys", if
any humans can be called "good guys".  What I mean by this is that I
am not going to present Lunars as any more inherently evil or good
than anyone else.

Instead, I am going to present them as human, capable of all that is
human, with our WITHOUT supernatural intervention.  I see the Lunar
culture as very much Roman, even down to elements of history (near
destruction by barbaric forces early in their history, syncretic
religious tradition, willingness to take on anyone as a client state
or people, etc.).  This means that they are pretty nice to those who
accept them, and without mercy or gentleness to those who oppose them.
In other words, if you're an Orlanthi of a tribe of Orlanthi's, the
Lunars are the evil monsters who kill your herds, murdered your
brother, and raped your wife.  If you're a farmer in the Zola Fel
valley, the Lunars are just another set of overlords who want taxes.
If you're a retired Lunar soldier, the Lunars are the greatest state
in the world, so just and generous that they even grant common retired
soldiers (who make it to the ripe old age of 25 or so) a piece of land
to call their own and raise a family upon.  They even let you keep
your weapons and form up with your new neighbors in your own militia
to defend yourself against the evil Orlanthi, who killed your brother,
burn your crops, and raped your sister.

---------------------

From: jacobus@sonata.cc.purdue.edu
Subject: Heroquesting, an example from a distortion of an "Official" source
Message-ID: <9303060655.AA12269@sonata.cc.purdue.edu>
Date: 5 Mar 93 20:55:14 GMT

I came across a possible source to use as a model of ONE kind of a
possible maybe Heroquest: Sun County outlines the River Ritual of the
Sun People.  Simply put, this IS a HeroQuest, which is undertaken
annually by the people of Sun County.  The benefits are a renewal of
the alliance between Yelmalio and Zola Fel.  I should say, the
benefits of the official enactment of this ritual are a renewal of the
alliance between Yelmalio and Zola Fel.

Some suggestions exist for using this for non-official purposes.

Briefly, the ritual re-enacts the original pact-making between Arinsor
Clearmind, the first count of Sun County, and a daughter of Zola Fel.
It consists of meeting a naiad, having her direct the questor to a foe
of the river, defeating the foe, and gaining the benefits therefrom.

An interesting point is that explicit provision is given for what
happens if the Questor has the support of the cult of
Yelmalio--basically, the Naiad is much more helpful, and even heals
the Questor.  Without this support, the Questor is virtually on his
own.  The benefits of a non-official quest should be commensurate with
the risk faced, but reasonable ones might be the ability to breathe
water at will or need, the ability to move unhindered in the water,
etc.  If the threat was small, then the abilities should probably
require a Worship Zola Fel ritual to renew.  If the threat was very
great, they might not require renewal.  (But that would take something
worthy of a true Hero.)

---------------------

From: STEVEG@ARC.UG.EDS.COM (Entropy needs no maintenance)
Subject: Short'n'sweet + retransmit
Message-ID: <01GVH0DER1AA000JLY@UG.EDS.COM>
Date: 5 Mar 93 18:43:00 GMT

RE: The RuneQuest Daily, Sat, 06 Mar 1993

>  The characters with low POW (<10) have a difficult time getting ANY POW
> ticks.

The last time I had a character DI'd down to 2POW, she was back in
double figures after a few months by turning her cash reserves into
small spells, one per week.  Fighting spirits with 1-2 D3 POW gets an
easy tick.

>  Does one, for instance get a Storm Voice of Orlanth Adventurous
> membership?  Or acolyte of same?

My feeling would be that choosing the StormVoice path would be
tantamount to taking the Rex, Lex or Thundrous paths; WindLord, more
like Adventurous, Lightbringer or Rex.  Note the overlap in Rex -
though I would expect this to require Lord/Priest status (i.e. the
convergence of the paths).

Stop me if you've heard these ones already... (we've been having gateway
trouble lately )

RE: The RuneQuest Daily, Tue, 23 Feb 1993

3rd Eye Blue
============
> I have written up a version of Third Eye Blue, does anyone know anything
> about it?

I think the sum total of knowledge about this lot is

	They came from the Maidstone Mountains
	They acquired the ability to work Iron
	They paint/tattoo a blue circle on their foreheads
	They are a small group, almost a family business, not a major smithing
cult (that's Gustbran)

and I think about half that I gleaned by tackling Greg directly on the
subject.  I'd like to see what you have.

Graphic design
==============
> I really like the latest maps in Sun County and River of Cradles and I take
> back all the nasty things I said about [Dave Dobyski].

I too was impressed by his cartography, and am glad to see that he's
at last been let follow his expertise.

Glib responses
==============
> > This sounds like an "obvious subjective value judgement" to me :-)
> Indeed it was. Backed up by a couple of arguments on the modularity of RQ3.
> I was rahter angry when writing it.

A good argument for writing ones response, waiting a few hours, then
retouching it and mailing.

Default skills
==============
> Solution: My players can make up skills

I think the problem is not so much the lack of a long list of skills
to pick, but assigning a sensible initial value to them.  A skill at
~5% really isn't worth the effort (a lot easier to browbeat the ref
into letting a *(1-5)% roll instead...)

BURPS
=====
> BTW, what is Basic Role-Playing System anyway?

In early (boxed) editions of _Call of Cthulhu_ there was a 16 page
pamphlet giving a talk on what role-playing is, and a kernel of the RQ
system - %skills, armour, shields, a few weapons, non-located hit
points.  This also appeared in _Worlds of Wonder_, and perhaps some
other of the Chaosium games c. 1980.

Monty HaulQuest
===============
> Where is that high power you people refer to?

Wherever the ref thinks its fun (or the players think its fun and
browbeat the ref) to give away gobs of storage items.  Its not only
D&D that can suffer from "Monty Haul", after all.  Some of the minimax
playtesters in the Chaosium house campaign about 15 years ago were
good at getting most stats up to 21, seven bound spirits, full padded
iron plate - and that's by no means the grossest things that I've
heard of done in RQ.

Some of it may be in overrreaction to the percieved fragility of
characters, which I have mentioned in earlier postings.  But on the
other hand, one has to strain a little to regard a POW 3 storage
crystal as a major magical find (even if it is the only magical item
amongst the party) - for all it means that one can cast a whole
_three(!)_ Befuddles before starting to reduce one's magic points.

Different approaches to the availability of magic points especially
make judging the potency of certain spells of items difficult to
judge.

I recall some postings in the digest a couple of years ago asserting
that the average Rune Level might have several dozen points to call
on, which made the Babeester Gor _Axe Trance_ spell (+10% per magic
point to axe attack) the grossest spell in the book, as you'd be able
to gain several hundred % when using it.  Having subsequently played a
Babs initiate, I never had enough magic points to think it worth
casting my one-use Axe Trance (just leaving it lying around for career
development, with little temptation to touch it).

The same is true of _any_ spell which takes an arbitrary amount of
magic points.

---------------------

From: JOVANOVIC@CUCCFA.CCC.COLUMBIA.EDU
Subject: Orlanth Sub Cults
Message-ID: <930306171849.3b0@CUCCFA.CCC.COLUMBIA.EDU>
Date: 6 Mar 93 12:18:49 GMT

I think the River of Cradles Orlanth cult write up got royally screwed
up somewhere along the line. I'll see if I can get it fixed - errata
sheets for both Sun County and River of Cradles were in the works at
one point in time.

Oliver

---------------------

From: tzunder@cix.compulink.co.uk (Tom Zunder)
Subject: Quick Punchy Note
Message-ID: 
Date: 6 Mar 93 14:01:00 GMT


1: I also am confused about Orlanth. I wish it would be clearly and
fully explained. What about Vinga, Yinkin, etc etc, they must be
sub-cults in some areas.

2: I view the Lunars as both good and bad, their Illumination must
make that the case. They are strangely both an open society, accepting
many from outside and also a very hierarchical society with a numbing
bureacracy,Most people want to either do good, either just for
themselves or for others. Few are really evil. I view the Lunars like
that. BTW I suspect that solar cults allow cross membership with Lunar
cults. Yelmalio may be a little distanced, but it certainly is a
viable cult in Yelm society and therefore Lunar. Interesting that
Lunar society is really a sun-moon culture! Also Lunar society is very
hetereogenous, with Pelorians of ancient civilisations predating the
Dawn, and recent aquisitions, Tarsh is a after all a new Lunar area,
with a fundamentally Earth culture as indigenous. Many Lunar areas are
ex Orlanthi and must be still very similar to Sartar. Remember that
most Pelorian farmers worship Lodril and must be a quite seperate
culture to that of the cities and aristocracy. We view the Empire from
the perspective of Sartar, and that's a very 2D view!

3: Orlanthi are bad. They are wilful, violent and actively engage in
death and violence. They couldn't run Sartar becasue they couldn't
agree with each other long enough. All the Lunars want to do is help,
but Orlanth such a stubborn sod that he won't give in, so he'll have
to go. Remember, this god killed the Sun, allowed Chaos into the world
and caused most of the problems of Glorantha.

4: No I've never played a Lunar as a PC, I'd like a more developed and
"different" set of cult write ups first. I can cope with the Seven
Mothers being similar but different but I want to know how Yelm, Red
Goddess, Dendara, Ernalda, Yara Aranis, Lodril really work in Lunar
society.spect that the Empire is really many very different societies
and they need further elaborating. I also don't think the Empire is as
dull as the GoG suggests. Seven Mothers is in many ways a cop-out,
they are too easily the Lightbringers in reverse.

5: Liked the Shadow/Lunar confrontation. Tasty idea for the hero wars,
which could of course lead to the Illumination of Orlanth. There's a
good one to play with. Obviously from KoS a lot of hell breaks out in
the Empire proper, and I suspect it gets far more complicated than it
once was. Again I cite the absence of Arkat from the KoS. Much more
must happen. Argrath is not in my opinion the only BIG player.
Something much deeper goes on.  At least in my mind's eye!


--------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        tzunder@cix.compulink.com.uk 

                               "May the Red Moon Illuminate You All!
--------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------

From: 100024.2243@CompuServe.COM (Steve Thomas)
Subject: Copy of: "A TALE TO TELL"
Message-ID: <930307105240_100024.2243_EHF28-1@CompuServe.COM>
Date: 7 Mar 93 10:52:41 GMT

To:	A copy of a letter to Ken Rolston, 7/ 3/ 93
From:	Jon Quaife,
	c/o Steve Thomas, 100024,2243@compuserve.com

Just thought I'd stuff this on the net for anybody to read who might
be interested.  Anybody who wants to contact m with respect to this,
feel free to do so, but please contact me through "Tales of the
Reaching Moon" (or via the digest, of course).

Dear Ken,

How are you?  The Cradles supplement looked good, although I haven't
had time to read it yet.  The Inimitable Steve now has his super-duper
scanner working, which means that we can scan in A4 or 10"x8"
documents and convert them to ASCII files or whatever.  I've no idea
what your deadlines are just now, but this means that I can scan in
the original (better) manuscript for "A Tale to Tell", maybe make some
changes, and send it off to you.  I would prefer the new version to
work from the original rather than the watered-down edition which
appeared in Dwarf, even though the differences essentially revolve
around the number and variation of statistics presented.  Eventually
you can also expect to receive another scenario from me of equal
length and similar (although more refined) content (Pavis based and
with some links to "A Tale..." -- the character Senna constitutes a
major plot element).

From where I'm standing RuneQuest 4 looks set to flop.  The general
consensus of opinion seems to be that it won't sell in the UK.  Nobody
wants more rules.  My personal opinion is that you would be better off
republishing the old edition, perhaps modifying the rules which are
obviously bad (knockback and Swim are my pet hates, don't much like
the poison rules either...), although I wouldn't think that this is
particularly important.  Generally I would propose that "if in doubt,
leave it out" is a sound principle to adopt.  Later rules ammendments
are better presented in a cultural context for specific RuneQuest
supplements.  Thus leave out Sorcery, and present a Gloranthan
"sorcery" system if you ever do a scenario or supplement which
involves a Malkioni sect.  This has two advantages; a/ more time to
think about it, and; b/ it gives a cultural perspective on Magic which
is just what is required.

Hugs and Snogs,

Jon!

---------------------

From: DO9EA00@sysa.computing-services.manchester-metropolitan-university.ac.uk
Subject: Pax-Lunar (and other Matters)
Message-ID: <9303081540.AA12357@Sun.COM>
Date: 8 Mar 93 10:52:59 GMT

I agree, the Lunar Empire is a civilising influence in Satar and Prax.
The Lunar Government once established in a region (I belive) work
simmilarly to the Romans.  Govenment centers with military/civillian
governers provide both high and low justice on an imediate basis while
Lunar Garisons and the Frontier Army act as a police force, searching
out and destroying bandits and outlaws (as well as Satrite
resitrance).  In addition pacified towns and cities provide sites fro
the building of Villas, Temples and Bath-houses.  The situation in
general may be considered to be a Pax-Lunar.

Methods of conquest however are often somtimes extreem, In Griffin
Mountain (of long lost lamment) their was a strong indication that
Halsian Var-Enkarth was governing the region in such an extreme way as
to encourage the local leaders to call in the Lunar Army to help
expell him.  The Lunar army then invades casting out Halsian in
exchange for setting up Lunar Government and invoking the Pax-Lunar.

My current party of adventures consists of an Ex-Lunar soldier, a
Hunakti and a Yelmallio worshiper (amongst others); all are engaged in
the same quest for self improvement and treasure.  Of course
campaigning against the lunar empire or stararites may prove difficult
but at the current stage I don't belive the characters would be
directly involved with the Hero Wars.  It should be remembered that at
the battle of Marston Moor, towards the end of the English Civil war,
a farmer upon being chalenged as to whether he was for the king or
parliment answered "Oh!, has them two fallen out then ?".

All Hail the Conquering Moon, Thrice Blessed!

David Ingram

---------------------

From: awr0@aberystwyth.ac.uk
Subject: Programs sources and of course RQ4
Message-ID: <9303081516.AA17761@deca.aber.ac.uk>
Date: 8 Mar 93 15:16:24 GMT

I'm looking for a monster generator for RQ. PC/Amiga orientated. I
alreeady have a Player generator for the PC for RQ3. Does anybody have
any other programs? It would be very helpful. (My GM needs to
repopulate parts of Snake Pipe Hollow.)

One thing I am kinda desperate to get hold of is a copy of RQ4. The
group I play with have players which have been playing RQ as far back
as 81. We'd like to get hold of a copy if anybody has a copy they
could send me or tell me who I must contact to get hold of a copy. I'd
sacrifice atleast 5 pow to the god of your choice!

Adam