Re: Rune question for a new player.

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_...>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:59:36 +1300

On 1/11/2011 3:04 PM, sladehq wrote:
> Hello, I am new to Heroquest and after doing my pre-game prep a few questions about rune affinities and what they can do came up from my players.
>
> What can a player do with the Law, Man, and Magic runes?
> 1. Prior to mastery are they just used to augment other abilities?
> 2. Upon mastery can they do supernatural effects? If so what can they do?
Law is generally the rune of sorcery. You can also use it for legal procedures. I would generally copy Real World Legal Procedures as an example of what can be done.

• summoning a witness to appear (normally they feel a need to be there but impressive wizards or jurists can actually make them appear in a puff of smoke)
• binding someone to keep the peace,
• issuing a judgment, the parties to the judgment must obey it (ie Go to Gaol and Do Not Pass Go!) or risk the Wrath of God of a strength equal to the judgment being defied. To make things extra spicy, a judgment is binding even if giving for incorrect or corrupt purposes while renegade Jurists will undoubtedly earn money in setting unfavorable judgments aside.
• Compelling a lawful official to do his duties in a certain way (ie assess the level of tax on your property in a manner favourable to yourself). The action must be within his power to do and not against the purpose of his office.

The Man Rune is pretty much what everybody has. I suppose you could use this rune for limited supermen effects (ie punch faster, be more attractive etc but not to fly for example). A suggestion has been made that the man rune could cover culture as well in which case you can use it for social magics (ie create a tribe, order your community by creating new positions of authority etc).

The Magic Rune governs communication between the worlds (the world of the gods, spirits etc). One with the magic rune will be more sensitive to magic effects and background as well as an improved facility with magic. You could also use it to boost or interfere with other people's magic. Rather than just being an augment ability, you could use it to call upon the might and powers of otherworldy beings or to create portals to the otherside.

> I read the Sartar Kingdom of Heroes book and the Law rune allows Lhankor Mhy priest to read and cast spells from spell books; however I couldn't find anything special about the Man or Magic runes.
>

That's because the Orlanthi aren't very strong on using the man or magic runes. They are not too strong on law either which is primarily used by the Dwarves and Malkioni. I'm not aware of any culture having a good take on the Man Rune (some societies have interpreted the rune as being the food rune but they are man-eaters like the Morocanth or the Cannibal Cult) while the Magic Rune has been reserved for a few powerful cults rather than being common knowledge.

--Peter Metcalfe