From: owner-runequest-rules@ (RuneQuest-Rules-Digest) To: runequest-rules-digest@lists.MPGN.COM Subject: RuneQuest-Rules-Digest V1 #7 Reply-To: runequest-rules@mpgn.com Sender: owner-runequest-rules@ Errors-To: owner-runequest-rules@ Precedence: bulk RuneQuest-Rules-Digest Tuesday, January 27 1998 Volume 01 : Number 007 RuneQuest is a trademark of Avalon Hill Games. All Rights Reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS Re: [RQ-RULES] NPCs, Combat spellcasting, RQ4 [RQ-RULES] Fwd: Re: INT Training [RQ-RULES] Fwd: Re: Spell casting in combat Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ 4 Re: [RQ-RULES] INT Training [RQ-RULES] Spell Casting Times Re: [RQ-RULES] Well of Knowledge [RQ-RULES] Pendragon Pass VAST:[RQ-RULES] Spell casting in combat Re: [RQ-RULES] NPCs, Combat spellcasting, RQ4 [RQ-RULES] Re: RuneQuest-Rules-Digest V1 #6 [RQ-RULES] Age and Intelligence Re: [RQ-RULES] Age and Intelligence, and Good Looks, Too! RULES OF THE ROAD 1. Do not include large sections of a message in your reply. Especially not to add "Yeah, I agree" or "No, I disagree." Or be excoriated. If someone writes something good and you want to say "good show" please do. But don't include the whole message you praise. 2. Use an appropriate Subject line. 3. Learn the art of paraphrasing: Don't just quote and comment on a point-by-point basis. 4. No anonymous posting, please. Don't say something unless you're ready to stand by it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 17:39:54 -0500 From: Tal Meta Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] NPCs, Combat spellcasting, RQ4 Pasanen Panu wrote: > > > Vincent Cordoba - Human Sorcerer Age: 56 > > Right, he was supposed to charm ladies, then? How about his > apperance and manners? APP 15 (did I leave it off? Sorry), very suave, what we in the states here often refer to as 'continental manners'. Usually uses his music to attract the ladies; in the campaign, while sailing downriver on the party's ship, he kept attracting river nymphs. >Erik Nolander > When I ran a game yesterday, the question came up if > you're able to cast spells and still be able to parry > during a combat round. Yes & no. I'm guessing that the sword he's casting bladesharp on is the spell's focus, so he'd certainly have it in hand and available for parrying. I doubt I'd let him use it during the spell process, but afterwards it's certainly free to parry with. >David Boatright > Has anyone seen the blurb for the new RQ on AH's Web pages. If so > any thoughts. Scary. I'm not sure what audience they're gearing towards (but I'm dimly conscious that my selecting "wizard" on the app form for being a playtester went in the bit bucket.) For those without web access, here's the FAQ... - -- RuneQuest: Slayers Frequently Asked Questions Is RuneQuest: Slayers compatible with the older versions of RuneQuest? No. RuneQuest: Slayers uses an entirely different system. Is there anything in common with the original RuneQuest game? Yes! Slayers keeps much of the "feel" of the original game -- combat is deadly and realistic, and characters are three-dimensional people, not just a handful of attributes and hit points. Does Slayers use Glorantha? No. The Glorantha background will no longer be used. RuneQuest: Slayers uses its own world backgrounds. I heard that Slayers uses a "class-system." Is that true? Players can design any type of character they want in Slayers. The game uses "WarClans," which are guilds to which characters can belong. Being a member of the ancient "WarClans" give characters access to various runes and glyphs, but it's not necessary for characters to be part of these societies. Can I be a wizard? All magic in the game comes from runes. There are no classical wizards and mages in RuneQuest: Slayers. Will the old RuneQuest system be supported anymore? There will be no new products for the old RuneQuest system. Once the old products are out of stock, there will be no more. Avalon Hill is running a special deluxe package of classic RuneQuest material. When is RuneQuest: Slayers coming out? It's scheduled for a Summer 1998 release. Will the new system be supported? Yes! Three additional supplements are already planned for release after the main Slayers book. - -- *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 17:54:52 -0500 From: Tal Meta Subject: [RQ-RULES] Fwd: Re: INT Training From: Jochen Seyffert Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] INT Training Tal Meta wrote: > > Has anyone else worked out a mechanic for training an adventurer's > INT? It's an interesting idea. I never thought about it. > The system our group used was allow a normal experience check > whenever a character 'mastered' a skill for which no experience > check box existed. What kind of roll do you do, when a character has such a Int-check? I pesonally think that an Int-increase must be something special, so it must not be to simple (like Pow increase). Perhaps a similar roll to Power increasment with a special or critical success would be O.K. Jochen Seyffert *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 17:53:18 -0500 From: Tal Meta Subject: [RQ-RULES] Fwd: Re: Spell casting in combat From: Jochen Seyffert Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Spell casting in combat Erik Nolander wrote: > When I ran a game yesterday, the question came up if > you're able to cast spells and still be able to parry > during a combat round. Since a (spirit magic) spell > goes off at the caster's DEX SR + (number of MP's > used), I played it that they were allowed to parry if > the attack occurred on a "later" SR. I do it the same. I additional allow a In x 3 roll, when the character is hit before he finishes the spell. If he is successful, the spell is not broken. Jochen Seyffert *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 18:40:40 -0500 From: Tal Meta Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] RQ 4 Paul MacDonald wrote: > > Yup. I saw 'em. Kind of a strange twist on questing for runes, > no? I don't care for the thinly veiled pokes at Glorantha either. > "Wearisome campaign worlds" indeed! For all that, I'll probably > take a look at it when it comes out. Oh, me too. I'm curious to see how the gaining of runes improves one's combat ability. Erik Nolander wrote: > > To me, RQ:Slayers (and what a horrid name it is) > sounds like Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, which I > didn't like very much at all. The "realistic" combat > system was never the main reason that I got attracted > to RQ in the first place. Same here. I was fascinated by the magic systems, even though I did prefer the combat system to AD&Ds, it wasn't the main reason I switched. > "The game uses 'WarClans,' which are guilds to which > characters can belong." > > Sounds _really_ exciting... I have to admit that it DOES make me curious, though. Even if I wind up hating it, 90% of the RPGs I guy I bought to steal ideas from, anyway. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 22:31:39 EST From: JULIAKIR Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] INT Training To raise INT, a quest to the Well of Knowledge. This was almost always more troble than it was worth. So much cheaper to get a couple of Int spirits then having to give up an eye or some other part of your body for a point or two of a stat. To those who are really desperate may i suggest joining Humakt or Yelmalio and DI for that particular gift. Granted it is rather drastic but you probably have a better chance of surviving to enjoy the benifits. Leon Kirshtein *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 23:34:51 -0500 From: Malygris Subject: [RQ-RULES] Spell Casting Times On the issue of spell casting and combat: I've used the following as guidelines. I treat spellcasting as a missile attack. Casting starts at Dex SR and takes a number of Strike Ranks equal to the magic points in the spell. ie. If your Dex Sr is 3 and you are casting Bladesharp 3, you start casting at SR3 and the spell goes off on SR6. It is possible to cast multiple spells if your Dex SR is low enough and you are casting quick/cheap spells. If I recall the delay before performing a second action is 3 SRs. An example: Your Dex SR is 2 and you are casting an unboosted Disrupt. The First Disrupt goes off on SR3 then you add 3SR for the next action and then add the DEX SR again. This means you are casting again at SR8 and Second disrupt would go off on SR9. You may also combine spellcasting and combat actions as long as the time is spent between actions. Another option I've experimented with is to let any spell cast from a matrix require only 1 SR for the part in the matrix regardless of the cost in magic points to power the spell. This would make a Sorceror's matrices very useful. Glenn FitzRoy "The avalanche has already started; it is too late for the pebbles to vote." *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 23:25:09 -0500 From: Tal Meta Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Well of Knowledge JULIAKIR wrote: > > To raise INT, a quest to the Well of Knowledge. This was almost > always more troble than it was worth. So much cheaper to get a > couple of Int spirits then having to give up an eye or some other > part of your body for a point or two of a stat. Tell me (us) more. Is this Well of Knowledge on the heroplane, atop some mountain somewhere, or in some ruined city? What sort of guardians protect it? Does it grant but a single point, or a random amount of INT? *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 23:30:50 -0500 From: Tal Meta Subject: [RQ-RULES] Pendragon Pass How many folks out there have used the Pendragon Pass variant rules for their campaigns? I've looked at them, and tried integrating them into my last campaign, but with only marginal success. Now I'm eyeballing the Passions presented in Nephilim's Chronicle of the Awakenings, as it doesn't have as rigid a structure as the Pendragon pairings. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Jan 98 08:23:11 +0200 From: "Lindholm Johan" Subject: VAST:[RQ-RULES] Spell casting in combat Hello everyone! >When I ran a game yesterday, the question came up if >you're able to cast spells and still be able to parry >during a combat round. Since a (spirit magic) spell >goes off at the caster's DEX SR + (number of MP's >used), I played it that they were allowed to parry if >the attack occurred on a "later" SR. F'rex, Fido >casts Bladesharp 3 during a combat round. Since he >has a DEX SR of 2, the spell goes off on SR 5. If he >were successfully attacked on SR's 1-5, the spell >would be broken, but if he were attacked on SR's >6-10, he'd be given the chance to parry. >Any comments? We have played this differently i.e. we always allow a parry. I think the logic behind our system is that to cast a spell you sacrifice an attack, but only that - not your parry too. Of course if you think that casting a spell equals an attack then if the spell is cast at exactly the same moment as the attack occurs (same sr and DEX) you shouldn't be allowed to parry, but the spell is also cast. Another reason why we allow a parry is that the RQ battle system is deadly enough (especially at low levels) so it really doesn't have to more deadly. And remember that what goes for characters goes for NPCs too i.e. they get the same benefits. It's not like the PCs are favoured or something similar. BTW doesn't a person who is damaged get to roll INT x 3 to see if the spell is lost/broken? As I don't have the rules with me at work I can't really check this. Cheers, Johan Lindholm johan.lindholm@om.vn.fi *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 10:56:39 +0200 (EET) From: Pasanen Panu Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] NPCs, Combat spellcasting, RQ4 > APP 15 (did I leave it off? Sorry), very suave, what we in the states > here often refer to as 'continental manners'. Usually uses his music to I meant his looks... we know that he has APP 15 and clothes of some kind, and he's old bugger, but wouldn't regognize him if we met him. And thanks for Slayers-info, although it was depressing. Panu Pasanen. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 11:30:06 +0000 From: "David Boatright" Subject: [RQ-RULES] Re: RuneQuest-Rules-Digest V1 #6 >From: Erik Nolander >Subject: [RQ-RULES] Spell casting in combat >Hi there, >When I ran a game yesterday, the question came up if >you're able to cast spells and still be able to parry >during a combat round. Since a (spirit magic) spell >.goes off at the caster's DEX SR + (number of MP's >snip That's correct a character can't be doing two things at once. >From: Tal Meta >Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] INT Training >Well, I've always been one to ask the question: why not? >>In my own, personal experience, I think I can honestly say that my >>mind was alot sharper back when I was in school than it is now. There >>was a time when I hated math woth a passion, then a few brief years >>where math came so easily to me it was ridiculous... and now I reach >>for a claculator to add. It seems to me that if you're constantly >>building skills that expand the mind, it might just increase your INT >>stat (even if it's a 1d2-1 roll). In BRP games the stats generated are adult stats. Child characters would generate these stats potentials but actually start with some fraction of them, each stat would then increase each year until adulthood is reached. Your example above sounds more skill degradation rather than stat loss. >Main reason I came up with the rule was that in say, Stormbringer (old >game, I know) priests would get INT raises like clockwork, and it was >never explained why (that I recall, anyway ). This way someone who >was willing to spend the time (and it's alot more time than training >one's CON) could benefit from it (and if done continuously, I'd make >'em take an aging roll, too, to simulate the lack of exercise). The reason for the high stats in Stormbringer was probably something to do with Ken 'Super stats' St Andre. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 11:26:28 -0500 (EST) From: Peter Maranci Subject: [RQ-RULES] Age and Intelligence Regarding the recent discussion about increasing INT: from a real-world perspective, it's definitely arguable that intelligence increases with age. Of course there are different kinds of intelligence -- mental flexibility may decrease with age, for example -- but if INT has anything in common with IQ, it should go up at least somewhat over time. I've always been a little uncomfortable with the idea of INT as raw intelligence. When I can, I prefer to define it as memory and speed of thought. I seem to remember using an INT aging rule of some kind, which allowed INT a chance to increase every five years or so, but I don't remember the specific mechanic. Speaking of increases, one of the things I liked about the proposed second version of RQ4 was removing the cap to POW. Has anyone tried playtesting that? -->Pete - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Peter Maranci pmaranci@tiac.net Malden, MA Editor, Interregnum RPG/Science Fiction APA/magazine -- email for info. Interregnum WWW home page: http://www.tiac.net/users/maranci/index.html FRP adventures, art and more: http://www.tiac.net/users/maranci/rq.htm *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 18:15:05 -0500 From: Tal Meta Subject: Re: [RQ-RULES] Age and Intelligence, and Good Looks, Too! Peter Maranci wrote: > > Of course there are different kinds of intelligence -- mental > flexibility may decrease with age, for example -- but if INT has > anything in common with IQ, it should go up at least somewhat over > time. This is my somewhat diluted point. Mental alacrity can and does change over the years, whether for good or ill. Whether you want to have rules mechanic for it or a campaign mechanic for it is entirely IYC. > Speaking of increases, one of the things I liked about the > proposed second version of RQ4 was removing the cap to POW. Has > anyone tried playtesting that? I dunno about the RQ4 concept, but I pretty much allowed POW checks at the same time I allowed experience checks for the players in my last group; one or two folks found themselves in a position where they needed more POW, but never seemed to find themselves in a position to exercise it. > David Boatright wrote: > The reason for the high stats in Stormbringer was probably > something to do with Ken 'Super stats' St Andre. Well, there's a bit of trivia I never heard before. Pasanen Panu wrote: > I meant his looks... we know that he has APP 15 and clothes of > some kind, and he's old bugger, but wouldn't regognize him if we > met him. Oops, I guess my cold is making me pretty dense this week. Sandy blonde hair, looks rather younger than 56 (say late thirties), average build, grey-green eyes. Voice has near perfect pitch and tremendous range, can also do a fair range of birdcalls and imitations. > And thanks for Slayers-info, although it was depressing. Well, it can't always be good news, I guess. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. ------------------------------ End of RuneQuest-Rules-Digest V1 #7 *********************************** *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe runequest-rules' as the body of the message. RuneQuest is a Trademark of Avalon Hill Games. 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