Re: Heroquests for the Unholy Trio

From: Ian Cooper <ian_hammond_cooper_at_8dGVSNN1VLj0fdPQoniJ4f3_p0b5bGKVKbhHfhejIQid-3OYH6tAiBqF7>
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:00:03 -0000

wrote:
> Malia at some point would HAVE to have some way to lead to heroism.
Wakboth DOES come back and a Malian DOES have to preside over this.<

My advice would be to always bear in mind that you are using the fictional world of Glorantha for your game. So if you need something for your game, then make your Glorantha vary and don't worry about it.

If your group is one that wants to play out a Mallian HeroQuest, then go for it, and don't worry about any Gloranthan cosmologist telling you different. Unless you are planning to publish its not a concern.

We have anti-heroes in our games too. They are a staple of fiction with films such as the Godfather as well. My advice though would be to bear in mind that anti-heroes only work in literature for a couple of reasons:

• They are rebels against an authority far worse than them so we sympathize with their ends even if we remain dubious as to their means
• They obtain redemption from their past as part of the story
• They subscribe to a code of honor which means that while they are amoral they can sustain friendship, love, and other characteristics which make them sympathetic.

If we can't feel sympathy for your characters we won't care what happens to them.

So I would recommend heroquests for Thed and Mallia that show how normal people can turn to evil. What drove Thed and Mallia to their acts? But those are fairly mature themes, so its difficult to give advice on them without knowing what your group's comfort level. You might want to check out some of Ron's posts on the now inactive Hero Wars forum on the Forge
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=1093.0 if you are comfortable with adult themes.