I like Hero Wars, I like it a lot, but I do still feel that their is a lot of the earthy, dirty grubbiness of glorantha missing from it. When I walked around Dykene in Fire Season whilst playing RQ I could feel the dust between my toes, hear the hawkers calls, watched my back for pickpockets and sought out the nearest tavern. In my pocket I had 10 clacks and knew what it would get me and what it wouldn't. The same occured when I wandered down to Pavis, or brawled in the mud of Boldhome or the Upland Marsh. Now when I play HW we are always trying to take over the leadership of Dykene, mounted on a flying cloud and throwing lightning bolts at our foes, I haven't got a clue what my 17 Wealth will get me, and find it hard to talk about during games so tend to ignore trade these days (sad for a man who always liked the Issaries cult), and mud, well I would never brawl in it, instead I would use my Run Over Mud Feat and ignore it. I find it hard to not get epic, both as a player and a narrator, and believe me I have tried, Mordacus the Sewer Shaman was my first character in our Furthest Campaign, a game set amongst low lives and scum.
I think in part that magic has become more or too accessible, at the moment every man or woman or pig can pull off feats that were only dreamed of in RQ. I like the idea behind common magic, it allows a lower level of play and it is a welcome inclusion in our Esvulari game where only the Liturgist has any REAL magic and that is for blessing babies, teenagers and plows. I think the new HQ rules do seem to have a little of the gloranthan rough edges in their mechanics and maybe low level games will return, for example the bonus system for equipment brings back that delightful feeling of insecurity which can only be gained from playing a street thief dressed in leather wielding a dagger, facing off against a pole-ax hefting full plate wearing warrior!
I can't wait for HeroQuest, I like Hero Wars and yet I still lament the loss of the Runequest of my youth.
Cheers Simon Bray
The Unspoken Word - The Magazine for Gloranthans and Heroes http://www.celtic-webs.com/theunspokenword/
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