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, Fri, 03 Dec 1993, part 3
Message-ID:
Precedence: junk
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From: R1VOLZ@VAXC.STEVENS-TECH.EDU
Subject: Heroquests, etc.
Message-ID: <01H60GO3JVOY9OH0N5@VAXC.STEVENS-TECH.EDU>
Date: 2 Dec 93 13:40:40 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 2527
Greg Fried writes:
>The immediate plot background ... (huge convoluted plot buildup deleted)...
I love this buildup. Well constructed!
>What kind of reward could the ritual opponent in such a HQ earn?
In CoP there is an description of a combat where a Yelmalio priest attempted to
reenact a situation from the GodTime so that he could remain married to his
wife. It seems that the victors were entitled to his property and their lives.
In an analogous event truly taking place in the GodTime, I would guess that the
victors would be allowed their lives and freedom, as well as some spiritual
power (like a one-use divine spell or temporary ability) related to the powers
of the being defeated. Thus, gods get aspects of power normally associated
with the vanquished (Zorak Zoran's use of fire, gained when he defeated
Yelmalio, etc.), heros get abilities that they can use in their schemes, etc.
I would say you should give the players some power related to the troll
shaman's strength, such as one of his spells, one of his spirits, or even a
one-use fetch (thus allowing them to become involved with another GodTime/Hero
Plane plot). I would hesitate to give them something permanent, but then most
of the gamers here would abuse any such reward. You know your own players
best.
By the way, can anybody tell me where I can find a write-up of the Yelorna
cult? Any references to it in the Sun County book are extremely vague.
Thanks.
Roland
+----------------------------------+-------------------------------------------+
| Roland Volz | "I'm here to kick ass and chew bubblegum |
| R1VOLZ@SITVXA.STEVENS-TECH.EDU | ... and I am all out of bubblegum." |
+----------------------------------+-------------------------------------------+
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From: tsl@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU (Tim Leask)
Subject: Humakti Swords
Message-ID: <9312030019.6258@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU>
Date: 3 Dec 93 16:19:25 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 2528
In relation to MOB's clarfication of what happens to the gifts on a
Humakti's sword when the Humakti dies I would like to state the following:
Whilst it is true that when a Humakti goes to the underworld he takes
with him a spiritual sword to which are transferred Humakt's blessings there
are possibilities.
Sometimes an aging Humakti will volounteer to become a temple guardian spirit.
As part of the ritual the Humakti donates his sword to the temple and may
take another Humakti gift. The gift is usually another sword blessing on the
donor sword or a sword nominated by the officiating priest, though sometimes
sense assassin or another gift appropriate to the guardian spirit's new role
will be taken.The blessings remain until the guardian spirit proceeds to
the Underworld. A large Humakti temple can have some VERY potent swords
available - more powerful even than the Lottery swords of Esrolia.
Daine Swordswinger (Sword of Humakt and hero of the Cradle)
================================================================================
Department of Computer Science /*\__/\ "Money is something you have in
University of Melbourne < \ case you don't die tomorrow."
Parkville, Vic., 3052, AUSTRALIA \ _ _/ Gordon Gecko.
Phone: +61 3 282 2439 \| --
e-mail: tsl@cs.mu.oz.au
================================================================================
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From: graeme.lindsell@anu.edu.au (Graeme A Lindsell)
Subject: SIZ, Heroquests, Chaotic Storm Bulls and Human Sacrifice!
Message-ID: <9312030508.AA04396@cscgpo.anu.edu.au>
Date: 3 Dec 93 21:06:16 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 2529
Carl Fink writes:
> Well, in RuneQuest 4 SIZ is linear, rather than exponential. Go
>with the higher figure for HP.
Has this changed recently? The last posting by OJ on SIZ on the rq4
list definitely wasn't linear; from memory it was:
SIZ Mass
1 1-5 kg
2 6-10
... ...
9 41-45
10 46-50
11 51-60
12 61-70
... ...
20 140-150
21 150-170
etc: the weight increase doubling every 10 size.
Graeme Willoughby & The Slimestone Gorp:
Strangely enough, I've been thinking of an adventure which involves
the Slimestone Gorp leaving Slimestone, but along different lines: the
players (led by a obsessed LH priest) would try to reach and inspect
the ruins of Slimestone before it returns, to see what remains of
the city and try to determine why the Gorp is trying to destroy it.
I agree with Sandy: you shouldn't be able to destroy the Slimestone
Gorp. I would have been happier if no stats had been presented for it,
because then players and GM's wouldn't be tempted to use a rules system
designed for characters in the 20-250 kg range for something that weighs
millions of tonnes.
That said, a fire would be the best way to deflect it: the players should
try setting alight to Hellwood , perhaps :-)
Carl-Johan Lundell writes:
>The BIG problem is that he is a Storm Bull
>initiate. What happen when he gets tainted? Will he do the "right" thing and
>commit suicide or will he break the SB bonds and become a chaos follower?
Rememeber that a chaos feature is not without it's other effects: the SB
is now partially controlled/infected with the power that would destroy
Glorantha. This should start to have psychological effects pretty rapidly:
if the SB doesn't commit suicide soon then he will start to be a chaotic,
and indulge in meaningless acts of rampant destruction.
Of course, since he used to be a Storm Bull, no-one will notice any
difference :-)
Steven Barnes writes:
>Anyway, it is debateable whether
>it is possible to meet other Heroquesters, when you travel outside of
>Time.
In Argrath's saga he meets Innanna Dottersdaughter (sp?), a Lunar
heroquester, while on his quest to stop Kalikos Icebreaker.
>This raises many metaphysical issues. It would seem unlikely
>that a heroquester would ever return to the same reality he
>left. (My understanding is that a quester changes reality,
>rather than departing to a different one).
I agree. The point of a succesful heroquest is that reality
has been changed when you return, changed in some desired
fashion.
I think the complexity of the hero plane is one reason
why unplanned heroquests are so much more dangerous that
planned cult quests. You could easily lose your route back to
the time/reality you came from. I see the hero plane as having
many entries and exits to the mundane plane, and since here is
no Time these can lead to almost any period. If during the quest
the hero loses the path, or does something that changes the world
so much that his path back no longer exists (or even never existed),
then he'll be forced to exit in some other manner, by completing
or joining or creating some other heroquest path, or be lost to the
mundane world forever.
Pam Carlson writes re human sacrifice:
>I've also heard tales of Celts, wicker and fire.
Don't forget the Roman gladiators. I understand that they originated
as a variety of human sacrifice by combat, and only later were they
purely entertainments.
I have some stuff that was on Loren Miller's GRASS mailing list
about human sacrifice; I think there's too much for this list
but I could mail it to you if you want. Loren wrote a lot of it
so he might want to comment.
Graeme Lindsell a.k.a Graeme.Lindsell@anu.edu.au
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