HQ is basically a simpler system, but is very freeform which a lot of people don't like.
RQ is more complex but has a lot of stuff that is fixed, which a lot of people like.
I enjoy both and have brought a lot of ideas from HQ into my RQ game.
> How do people do this? Keeping player engagement would seem to be
> critical. I have lots of info on the Orlanthi and comparatively
> little on any other group, so would prefer to stick to campaigns
> centering on them.
If you have one-off games, then use pregenerated characters, as they are quicker and easier to use. You can also give each character some special magic/skills/abilities that makes them distinctive. Don't have a standard Fighter, Healer, Magician, Thief mix, but include people such as fighters but who have their own magic, traders who don't fight but use their own skills and magic to overcome obstacles and so on. Don't be afraid to use the cults, but don't introduce too much weirdness at once. Have some moral dilemmas, but not too many. Use combat but also use situations where they have to talk themselves out of danger, or have to use non-combat skills.
RuneQuest is good for this because it has templates for backgrounds and professions and also has very well-described cults with specific magic. HQ1 is similar in many ways, but HQ2 has a radically different take on cults and skills, so won't be everyone's cup of tea.
Don't get too deep in your first session, but make it Gloranthan enough to be different to other settings.
But, whatever you do, on no account should you mention Neoplatonism.
See Ya
Simon
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