Re: A cuple of rules questions from L C on 2010-03-09 (HeroQuest RPG)

From: L C <lightcastle_at_...>
Date: Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:10:43 -0500

David Dunham wrote:
>
>
> On 8 Mar 2010, at 14:58, aysezz wrote:
>
> > are you limited to only having 3 Runes for a character, and if not
> how do you get new ones (outside of certain initiations to Orlanth
> that grant the Mastery Rune.)
>
> IMO you can have as many as you want, after all who has enough hero
> points to raise these keywords? It's a self-limiting problem.
>

I agree with this.

>
> We know that adulthood initiation rites awaken three runes. The
> sidebar on p.72 of Sartar talks about two ways to get new ones
> (heroquesting and initiation). Presumably any there are other powerful
> rituals that could do so as well. Again, runes impose various
> constraints, so you can't realistically gain all of them.
>

Exactly. I view the "rituals to awaken the mastery rune" as the Orlanthi having figured this out because it was important. It is the most common "I need to add a rune" ritual, due to the need for mastery magic for leadership rituals and the fact the basic awakening only opens up three and you might not have it. I am sure there are others, but they are probably cult secrets and uncommon. I personally believe the Humakt cult has ways to awaken the Death rune in people if necessary. I am sure others exist. Heroquests, as mentioned, can definitely do it, and in many ways rituals are just very well-trodden heroquests.

>Second, how would one model Mysticism and Dragonism in Heroquest?

Depends what you want to do with them. You can model any ability in Heroquest by saying "Mysticism 17" and then judging if it makes sense. (It's how I am likely to do magic in Glorantha if I ever play there again.) So really it is a question of what you think Mysticism or Dragonism can do and then using that as your credibility test.

I joined Glorantha after HQ, so there have never been rules already in place for those things and I don't have a good feel for what they are supposed to look like. But assuming they have "paths" then decide what kind of powers come from a path and say "I can do that."