Bell Digest v930522p1

(Message rqd:80)
Return-Path: 
Received: from Holland.Sun.COM (sunnl) by homeland.Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1)
	id AA00902; Sat, 22 May 93 17:16:09 +0200
Received: from glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM by Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1e)
	id AA06336; Sat, 22 May 93 17:15:58 +0200
Received: by glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (4.1/SMI-4.1)
	id AA07123; Sat, 22 May 93 17:15:13 +0200
Date: Sat, 22 May 93 17:15:13 +0200
Message-Id: <9305221515.AA07123@glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM>
From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RQ Digest Maintainer)
To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest)
Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RuneQuest Daily)
Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Sat, 22 May 1993, part 1
Precedence: junk
Status: OR

The RuneQuest Daily and RuneQuest Digest deal with the subjects of
Avalon Hill's RPG and Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha.

Send submissions and followup to "RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM",
they will automatically be included in a next issue.  Try to change the
Subject: line from the default Re: RuneQuest Daily...  on replying.

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 enquiries and Subscription Requests to the editor:

RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Henk Langeveld)

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

From: okamoto@hpcc90.corp.hp.com (Jeff Okamoto)
Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Fri, 21 May 1993, part 2
Message-ID: <9305211558.AA05595@hpcc90.corp.hp.com>
Date: 21 May 93 15:58:48 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 838

> From: paul@phyast.pitt.edu
> Subject: Re: Reply to various ideas
> 
> What if [the Seven Mothers] were intending to do the Lightbringer's
> Quest but got lost and found the Lunar Goddess by accident instead of
> Yelm, and the early history of the cult is retrofitted?

I find it hard to believe that Queen Deezola could have gone on a quest to
find Yelm.

Jeff

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

From: wroberts@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (William C Robertson)
Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Fri, 21 May 1993, part 2
Message-ID: 
Date: 21 May 93 08:30:11 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 839

> From: paul@phyast.pitt.edu
> Subject: Re: Reply to various ideas
> Message-ID: <9305201933.AA03723@bondi.phyast.pitt.edu>
> Date: 20 May 93 19:33:06 GMT
> X-RQ-ID: 832
> 
>   We are working on a Deezola who is NOT just a weak Lunar version of
> Chalana Arroy but has a rather different approach to healing.  If people
> want i will post a draft but otherwise I will wait until more work is done.
> Again we do not expect to be able to publish a full Cult of Deezola but
> want to work it out as part of the deep background for our supplement.
> 

    What do you mean?  I'm curious, if you could explain what you mean by
"different" I'd be happy.

Thanks
-Bill



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

From: peterw@computer-science.manchester.ac.uk (Peter Wake)
Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Wed, 19 May 1993
Message-ID: <9305211828.AA10596@r2.cs.man.ac.uk>
Date: 21 May 93 18:28:53 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 840

Elm ate my mail...

Could anyone who sent me mail (re Character Sheets etcetera) please
repost.  I have lost Wednesday onwards.  If you're waiting for a reply
guess why...

The person who wants the Frame sources please mail me, I don't have
your address, and I lost your messages as well.
--
Peter Wake

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

From: jjm@zycor.lgc.com (johnjmedway)
Subject: combat stough
Message-ID: <9305212010.AA06662@hp2.zycor.lgc.com>
Date: 21 May 93 20:10:51 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 841

Some comments about combat, strike ranks, etc.

>>  From: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu (Loren J. Miller)
>>  Subject: Strike Ranks
>>  Date: 19 May 93 16:09:00 GMT
>>  
>>  True. It also handles long weapons better than any other system. All
>>  the other systems borrow a D&Dism and operate under the assumption
>>  that light weapons go first. Wrong. Properly ranged weapons go first.
>>  And when your weapon is longer than your opponent's weapon it's much
>>  easier for you to be in range. Thus, long weapons get precedence.

RQ4 does. There were no maneuver rules, per se, in RQ2 or RQ3, and I've 
seent idiots claim that they can use their strike rank 1 pike all day 
long. That was obviously lunacy (no pelorian pejortive implied). With
the much more realistic drawbacks of such long weapons, it mostly does
make sense now. I still like the infinite SR system, though.


>>  From: burt@ptltd.com (Burton Choinski)
>>  Subject: Replys
>>  Date: 19 May 93 16:51:46 GMT
>>  
>>  
>>  >>Strike Rank Theory:
>>  
>>  Actually I think a more streamlined system is already there -- as hardware:
>>  
>>      DEX+SIZ    Strike Die        SRA 
>>        1-13         d12          >6.0 
>>       14-24         d10          >4.5 
>>       25-34          d8          >3.0 
>>       35-39          d6          >1.5 
>>        40+           d4               
>>  
>>  While the actual breakdowns can be changed (I did a quick caculation of
>>  DEX+SIZ to produce strike ranks and tried to use some sort of consistant
>>  break of numbers...the SRA in the third column is the breakpoint I used.
>>  The low number is for special cases, the high is the leftover.  

I think this is a great idea, but fear the additional die rolls will cause 
headaches. I assume you roll after you declare your action.


>>  The above is figured for "Gross Physical actions"  I would use an INT+DEX for
>>  "Fine Physical Actions" (i.e. magic, bows).  Each general index is calculated
>>  in advance.

Nice touch on this too. INT is already measured into a lot of bonuses, but 
I think that's fine too. 


>>  From: f6ri@midway.uchicago.edu (charles gregory fried)
>>  Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Wed, 19 May 1993, part 4
>>  Date: 19 May 93 17:19:51 GMT
>>  
>>  Encouraging other forms of attack.  I allow initiates of warlike cults to
>>  develop a skill called Combat Sense (a Perception skill).  For each segment
>>  the PC delays in a round, s/he may use the skill to ask one 'question' about
>>  an opponent's skills and intentions.  This may be used to estimate how good

Nice. It also makes the warrior a bit more colorful than 90% maul, 90% hv. mace,
75% large shield, blah, blah, blah,....


>>  From: JOVANOVIC@CUCCFA.CCC.COLUMBIA.EDU
>>  Subject: Some responses
>>  Date: 19 May 93 19:20:25 GMT
>>  
>>  
>>  would eliminate that bit of wargaming: Instead of
>>  spell casting taking 3 SR to prep the spell, how about
>>  1d6 SR? Thus, your total SR to cast a spell would be
>>  DEX SR + MP + 1d6. In the situation you describe, the
>>  following could ensue:

I think that the player having a single die to remember (his or her
SR die, per Burton Choinski's suggestion) would keep the game more
fluid. Actions would have fixed costs, but the player would cause
the variance.


>>  Movement in thirds: I think Robert is correct in that cutting movement
>>  by thirds would work better, not to mention give you a bit more variety.
>>  Another option might be 2/3, 1/2, 1/3, if a 2/3, 1/3 jump felt too steep. 

So, can we count that in on RQ4?



---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-     -     -     -     ---john j medway-----------     -     -     -     -
--   - -   - -   - -   ---jmedway@zycor.lgc.com--- -   - -   - -   - -   --
--- -   - -   - -   - ---landmark/zycor----------   - -   - -   - -   - ---
----     -     -     ---512/292-2325------------     -     -     -     ----
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


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

From: henkl@glorantha (Henk Langeveld - Sun Nederland)
Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Thu, 20 May 1993, part 5
Message-ID: <9305212059.AA09143@glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM>
Date: 22 May 93 00:59:19 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 842

> Subject: Re: RuneQuest Daily, Thu, 20 May 1993, part 5
> To: RuneQuest-Request@glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM
> 
> Was there a part 4?

No, there wasn't.  It was actually wednesday's part 5, but I've limited
my software to a maximum of four parts a day.

Note: I will limit submissions to the daily to what fits within a 
single part or less from now on.  This should prevent the trouble 
we had with the character sheet.

Henk

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

From: paul@phyast.pitt.edu
Subject: Re:  Runic Sorcery
Message-ID: <9305212109.AA03946@bondi.phyast.pitt.edu>
Date: 21 May 93 21:09:35 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 843


  Paul Reilly here.

Nick mentioned Runic sorcery, so I will send the list a draft I am working
on.  It's not complete, but if I ever finish a good version, I will
send it to the list as well.  I am trying to separate out the
within-Glorantha material (written from the point of view of a 
Rokari wizard) from the game material by the use of curly braces {}.
I may not be consistent on this in this draft.  Perhaps two separate
documents should get written sometime.

  I will be away this weekend but I'll be back on Monday.  I just
didn't have time to whip this into shape today but I want to send
it off for comments and to see if people think it's worth working
on.

  On another note, has anyone else noticed that Nakala (as in the
Celestial Court Darkness Deity) is also the (Australian) Aranda tribe 
word for "was", as in _altjiranga_ _nakala_ : Ancestor Was, also
translated as Dreamtime, the timeless acausal period before Time
during which the actions of deities and culture heroes fixed the
shape of what is?

Here are the Sorcery notes as they stand now:


RUNIC SORCERY

  {These are suggestions which can be used with the usual RQ III Sorcery
Rules, or with my variant Sorcery Rules which I plan to get around to
posting someday.

  The basic system goes as follows:  Sorcery is empowered by the Great Runes,
which are TRUE NAMES of the underlying great Powers, Conditions, Elements,
and Forms in the Ideal reality of which our world of the senses is but
a distorted shadow. }

  Wizards may call on the power of the Great Runes because knowledge
of them was given to us by ancients inspired by the Invisible God.  Lesser
Runes can also be used, and the effects can be modified by the Laws of Magic.

  Most magicians can only employ a few Runes in a quickly cast spell,
due to the natural limitations of the human mind.  Non-Wizards typically only 
use one or two Runes at a time.  Wizards use three, this being all that even 
a gifted person can use together at once.  In Ritual Magic any number may be 
used to produce a complex effect.  It is said that the Brithini produce 
their extraordinary magic by using as many as five Runes together.

  With great discipline a magician may trained to
use multiple runes at once, often combining the effects  of
the usual three-rune clusters.
  {In game terms this is represented by the Multispell skill.}

Usage of the Runes

  As this is not a Manual of Magic but simply an introduction to the
principles I will give an inexact explanation to be grasped by the
non-professional.  I ask Wizards who read this text to forgive these
clumsy approximations.

  In a typical non-Wizard spell there are but two Runes, usually an Actor 
Rune and an Object Rune.  In a Wizard spell there are (normally) three, 
usually an Actor, an Object, and a Carrier.  Most often the Carrier is
the Magic Rune itself, which is used in all Ranged spells.

  Besides position, spells also have minor modifiers which alter the
precise meaning of the Great Runes.  For example, Darkness can be used
in a spell to represent any of the following :
  Darkness, Shadow and Cold - the material substances
  Fear, Gloom, Depression, Despair, and Hunger - the emotions of Darkness
  Sound, Darksense, and Hearing - the senses of Darkness
  Lead - the metal of Darkness
  Trolls - the Men of Darkness
  Black - the Color of Darkness

 Similarly, Moon could represent Madness or Moonglow, Air could be Storm
or Tin, etc.

  Note that different Runes may also produce similar effects, see for
example the two Palsy spells described below.


{Perhaps example spells will make this clearer.  I will represent Runes in
this format:
Actor> Object
or
Actor > Carrier > Object

  The symbol 'R' will denote the Magic Rune as it is so common.}
_______________________________________________________________________________
Example Spells:
  Each Caste has its own appropriate Magics as ordained by God.  All are
taught by wizards.  Non-Wizards normally use two-Rune spells which must be
maintained with only a modicum of attention.
{I will refer to these as Semi-Active.  They are usually designed as
part of an activity and concentration rolls to maintain them occur
only when the activity is stopped or interrupted.  Typically they draw
Magic Points at a certain rate to maintain the spell.


SERF MAGICS:
{  Serfs normally refer to their magic as Prayers, as they are taught.

  Serf magics generally are low powered spells and unless otherwise noted
cost only one magic point per point of Intensity per hour to maintain.
Almost all are Active religious chants that must be maintained, but the
Wizards who teach them these spells build in short rest periods as part of
the chant so that a Prayer such as Plow Chant may  be maintained all
day.}


Plow Chant	{Touch, Active}
Death > Earth
In this case the Death Rune denotes separation and helps the plow cut
through the earth.
{In game terms this active spell is a chant which allows the plower
to spend one magic point per hour to increase his plowing speed by 10%.
Additional points of Intensity add to the amount of Death in the spell
and the Serf may spend additional magic points for additional 10%
increments.}

Sowing Prayer  {Touch, Active}
Life > Earth
Usually cast by the wife or son of the plower as they follow him along
planting seeds.  Restores the life force in the disturbed soil and adds
to the eventual crop yield.


Sheep Song {Active, Self}
Harmony > Beast
This magically changes the timbre of the shepherd's singing or piping
to create a soothing sound that calms the sheep, keeps them together
and induces them to follow the lovely sound.
{In game terms this costs one magic point an hour per point of 
Intensity to keep up and
adds 5% per point of Intensity to the effective Animal Lore of the
shepherd when he is trying to get the sheep to do something.}
  Similar magics exist for cattle, pigs, etc. and also for vermin such
as rats.  Dark rumors circulate that certain evil magicians may know such
a song that affects human children.

Healing Prayers
Harmony > Life
  These prayers act as a Treat Wound but must be maintained for the
healing process to continue.  Usually known by old grandmothers.

______________________________________
KNIGHT MAGICS:
Strength of Righteousness
Life > Strength
  Adds life force to Strength, a Troll-like attribute.

Mighty Blow (Death > Death)
The Knight invokes the Death Rune to magically add to the Death potential
in the weapon in his hand.  {In the current system this would be Damage
Boosting, a seriously overpowered spell in my opinion.  My preferred version
would allow the Knight to spend Magic Points for extra damage, up to the
Intensity of the spell.}


Steady Horse {Semi-Active}
Mastery > Beast
  Tells the horse that the Knight is riding that there is a good Master
in charge who will protect him, which helps him remain steady in battle,
etc.  { Adds 5% to the effective Ride skill of the Knight per point of
Intensity.}  


LORD MAGIC:
Modulate Voice	{Self Only, Active}
Mastery > Darkness

  As sound is a part of the element of Darkness, Mastering it allows the
Lord to modulate his voice.  {He may add 5% per point of Intensity to
his Orate skill up to a maximum of his Human Lore.  Further modulation
doesn't help as he doesn't understand what effects to try for.  
{While
making his speech no concentration rolls are required to maintain the
spell - he is already assumed to be concentrating on the sound of his
own voice as he is basically a politician.  If interrupted by hecklers,
assasins, etc.  he must then make such a roll. }

Sense Deception
Illusion > Truth
  If someone is trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the Lord, this
spell will help him discern it.


WIZARD MAGICS:

Note that all Ranged spells require the Magic Rune as Carrier.
Other Runes can be Carriers also, for example Alchemists often use
Elemental Runes as Carrier for their magics.

Animate (Element)
Mobility > R > Element
As per Magic Book.  

Regenerate {Touch}
Fertility > Harmony > Man
Fertility causes the regrowth of damaged tissue into the form dictated
by the Man Rune.  Harmony keeps the growth from becoming cancerous and
ensures that the new part will fit seamlessly with the old.  Note that
as this spell has no Magic Rune it will be a Touch Spell.

Damage Resistance
Luck > R > Life
Uses the Luck Rune to protect a Life.

Dominate Shade (1)
Slavery > R > Darkness
   Uses the Reversed Mastery Rune to Dominate the Shade.

Dominate (Animal)
Slavery > R > Beast

  NOTE:  At one time I thought that Dominate used the Mastery Rune but now
  I see it more as the 'evil' Reversed Mastery Rune.

  Mastery can be used to Dominate a creature in a 'legitimate' subordinate
  relationship, such as your own dog.

  The Slavery Rune also explains why there are few Dominates known against
  free, complete creatures such as humans - from the Western point of view,
  it is Chaotic to use magic to enslave the spirit of a free person over
  whom you have no 'natural' authority.

Hinder
Stasis > R > Mobility
Opposes the quality of Motion in the target.

Holdfast
Stasis > R > Element



Palsy, version 1
Disorder > R > Movement
Causes uncontrollable shaking and twitching in a member.

Palsy, version 2
Stasis > R > Movement
Similar to the Hinder Spell but more focussed, causes a member to spasm
into immobility (rather like tetanus.)


Sense Fire
Fire > R > Truth

Sense Gold
Fire > R > Truth
  This uses the same Runes as the last spell but the minor modifiers are
different so as to detect the Metal of Fire rather than the Fire itself.

Tap INT  (to MPs)
Moon > Chaos > Magic
Uses the Chaos Rune to open a window into the Void and allows the INT
of the target to leak out, draining off a small fraction of the energy
to the Magic of the Target.  As this does not use the Magic Rune as
the Carrier it will be Touch Only.  Moon is of course associated with
intelligence; other such associations are given in the table of Runic 
Concordances below.

Tap App (to Fatigue)
Fire > Chaos > (Life)
Appearance is associated with Fire (vision is the Fire / Sky sense) and
the energy generated by bleeding it off into the Void can be directed
into physical energies instead of magical.


SOME NEW SPELLS:

Deform
Chaos > Magic > Man
This evil spell magically applies the Chaos Rune to a hapless victim.
Some of his Form escapes into the void and he may be left hunchbacked,
have bent limbs, etc.  {Effects are proportional to Intensity.  Group
each three points of Intensity and roll a melee hit location to see
where the warping effect will strike.  One hit in an area produces
an essential cosmetic deformity, two will impair the area and three
or more hits to one location cause severe loss of function, e.g.
eyes have turned opaque, arm is fused into one position, etc.  This
spell rarely actually kills.  The effects cannot be healed through
normal means, as is usual when dealing with Chaos.

Destroy (Substance)
Chaos > R > Element or other appropriate rune (Plant for Wood, etc.)
  Annihilates one kg. per point of Intensity of the target substance.
{Substances with POW (e.g., crystal, enchanted items, etc.) get a
resistance roll with a +10 bonus to their POW because of the extreme
unnaturalnes of this spell.  Even ordinary matter is treated as though
it has a POW of 10 due to the basic level of life energy pervading all
Glorantha.}  We are told that the Celestial Court lent their power 
freely to all, but their power pervades all matter and it resists
annihilation.


Sense Life
Fertility > R > Truth

Phantom Gloom
Darkness > R > Illusion
Imposes Darkness, i.e., fear, gloom, and depression, on the beliefs and 
hopes of the target (represented by the Illusion Rune).  { Causes a 5% 
reduction per point of Intensity
in the target's effective skills which would be affected by Demoralize:
attacks, offensive spells, etc.)

Spark
Life > R > Fire
Causes fire to be 'born' out of something which is 'pregnant' with it,
e.g. wood, paper, etc.  Greater Intensity is required to affect wet wood,
coal, etc.





Runic CONCORDANCES

  Some things associated with a few runes:
Element:

Darkness  Mace	Black	Lead	Arthropods	Hearing	STR

Water	  Whip	Blue	Aluminum  Fish		Taste 	CON

Earth	  Axe	Green	Copper	  Reptile	Touch	SIZ

Air	  Sword 	Tin	  Mammal	Smell	DEX

Fire	  Spear Yellow  Gold	  Bird		Sight   APP

Moon	Scimitar Red	Silver	  	    Intuition	INT

Forms

Spirit					Spirit Sense	POW

Notes:
   Due to the broken Moon Element there is no Enhance INT spell.
   The association between Air and the smells carried by it is old and
Orlanthi may have access to smell spells in some areas.