Re: Lacking Courage

From: Ashley Munday <aescleal_at_...>
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 11:36:35 +0100 (BST)

Much as I'm against contradicting the august advice of other people on this list, BUT you can convert RQ characters to HQ fairly easily - whatever your playing style happens to be.

First caveat is: Do you want to? If you've been playing with the same bunch of players for 20 years there's probably a good accomodation between you by now, so why change something that's working?

Second caveat is: The GM is far more important than the rules can ever be. Even if you change the rules, the character of your game is going to (and should) stay much the same. Sure, you've got different mechanisms for resolving things, but you'll find that you'll end up concentrating on the things you (as a group) enjoy the most.

So, don't confuse changing the rules with changing the character of your game. If your players enjoy sending a bunch of freebooters and ne'er do wells out on raiding expeditions, you're going to end up doing the same whatever system you end up playing. Either that or end up with some bad fit between the players expectations and your game.

With those pair out of the way, here's Ash's guide for converting characters:

• Nick everyone's old system character sheets and hide them.
• Explain what keywords are and get each player to select one of each type (race, occupation and magic) that cover the majority of what his or her character can do. e.g. The ever-present Humakti with big sword will have Initiate (or Devotee) of Humakt, Warrior and Sartarite.
• If the characters are tough Runelevel, set keywords at 1W3, recent Runelevel or very experienced initiates 1W2 , average initiates 10W and recent initiates 1W. Adjust and interpolate according to taste.

[Remember, if you get the power level wrong, it doesn't matter. Just crank up or down the opposition and it'll all come out in the wash.]

• Ask each player to write down one thing about each character, not just their own. Give the characters relationships and personality abilities to reflect this. If the characters don't seem to be adequately described by these abilities, go 'round again and assign some more!

[This is actually easier the longer the group have been playing together and the better developed the characters are.]

• Dish out a stock of free points (between 20 and 60) which the players can use for just about anything.
• Have a brief cross check with the character sheets to make sure the characters aren't distorted too much.

Yer done. Keep an eye on things for the first couple of sessions to make sure the characters feel the same, and if not, tweak them. Play the game as you always did and the players will sooner or later get the hang of things.

Be aware of potential culture shocks for the players ("Hey, my characters can't use healing anymore!!!") and, if you you can, have some answers handy ("You don't need it so much with this game system").

Cheers,

Ash

• Trevor Ellis <trevor.ellis_at_...> wrote:

> I have been playing Runequest with the same group
> for way over 20
> years. I now have most of the HW /HW books but have
> not yet found the
> courage to try them out on my group.
>
> Does anyone know of any articles on the web (or have
> I missed any in
> the books) that gives hints for converting
> experienced GM and players
> to the diffreent approach of HQ?
>
> Trevor
>
>
>
>
>
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