Subject: RQ Discussions 9 ====================================================================== [Digest Errata] The write-up of the Chimera in Digest 05#12 got munged -- probably by me -- so here's the complete article. I've corrected my copy of that issue so anyone who requests the back issue will get this complete copy. (Nice to be able to cover your bloopers...:-) THE CHIMERA. A chaos version of the classic fantasy monster. STR 6d6+12 33 Move : 2m/SR on ground, 6m/SR flying CON 3d6 10-11 HP : 25 SIZ 4d6+24 38 Fatigue : 22 INT fixed -- MP : 10-11 POW 3d6 10-11 DEX SR : 3 DEX 3d6 10-11 location melee missile points RH Leg 1-2 1 4/6 LH Leg 3-4 2 4/6 Hindquarters 5 3-5 4/9 Forequarters 6-7 6-9 5/10 R Wing 8-9 10-11 4/7 L Wing 10-11 12-13 4/7 RF Leg 12-13 14 5/6 LF Leg 14-15 15 5/6 Goat Head 16-17 16-17 4/8 Lion Head 18-19 18-19 6/9 Gragon Head 20 20 8/8 weapon SR Att% Damage Claw* 6 50 1d6+3d6 Goat Horns 6 50 1d4+3d6 Lion Bite 6 50 1d10+3d6 Dragon Bite 6 50 1d8+3d6 Breath 3 50 fire damage equal to CON done in location Chaotic Feature : POW*3 chance of having one. ====================================================================== From: gbailey@umbio.med.miami.edu (Glen Bailey) Subject: Stump the sage? Some questions: What strike rank(s) do spirit combats take place? 1? Are there more than 1 attack (from both combatants) per round? Form/Set (substance) - What's the range of the lance? 10 meters? Can you add magic for range and increase the range? Can the attack skill be increased as a normal skill? (I think yes) Shouldn't you tire from damage? I like the Hero's system of stun and body, and would like to apply it to RQ. Could weapons do fatigue damage as well? (if so, then how can fatigue be increased to make up for it? with POW?) ====================================================================== From: Martin Crim Subject: Re: RQ discussion 8 Answers to all your questions: 1. The best and most complete information on the Lightbringers' Quest is in Cults of Prax, now out of print. That source presents one page. Cults of Terror has six paragraphs, mostly overlapping the info in CoP. Actually, now that I look at it, WF 13 has more info than either of these sources. 2. The Syndics' Ban is discussed in Heroes Vol. 1, number 6. It was, according to the ghost of Prince Snodal, necessary to preserve Fronela from a tremendous curse sent by Zzabur. Apparently it worked, and the backlash of Zzabur's spell caused the Isle of Brithos to disappear. Stafford seems to want to leave any further explanation for later--or never. 3. The Pharaoh is discussed in detail in the Holy Country article in the RQ Companion. The City of Wonders is described in greater detail (but still very incomplete) in Genertela, book 2. 2.5. There is also a half-page on the Ban in Genertela, book 1. 4. The AH version of Snakepipe Hollow is practically identical to the Chaosium version. 5. RQ III sorcery is not AH in the least. Chaosium developed it, and AH merely marketed it. Stafford says that RQ III in general, and by implica- tion, the sorcery system, comes closer to his vision of Glorantha than any previous version. 6. The best encounters for beginning players? Peaceful ones. Political intrigue, clever problem-solving, and robust role-playing are the meat of RQ. If you fight orcs and wild dogs, you might as well play that other game, what's it called . . . 7. Likewise, interesting magic items are ones with some sort of history and perhaps personality. One of these at a time, however. One idea we've toyedwith is having a player run an intelligent magic item. If it is a sorcery-usingthing, it can have Form/Set and Animate [whatever it's made of], and thereby get around on its own if it has to. It can have goals and beliefs of its own, demand a share of the treasure, and so on. 8. Dragonewt plinths are markers on the Dragonewt roads. See Dragon Pass. They can be used to provide MP, but this attracts Dragonewt ire. See, as &ru noted, Snakepipe Hollow. 9. The rules don't say what a magic spirit's chance of casting spells is. I've been saying (and I think others agree) that a spirit spell spirit's chance is usually 95%. However, I have a Cast Spirit Magic skill. In other worlds, POW x 5 would be sensible and rules-directed. For sorcery spirits, you're on your own. Mike Dawson assigns arbitrary and fairly high levels for casting spells, since one can get experience checks for that. However, Intensity would be limited to whatever the spirit knew in life (if it had an embodied life) and whatever someone was willing to teach it. Same for Duration, etc. The Guru has spoken. Martin Crim crimmarti@urvax.urich.edu ====================================================================== From: johnhc@autodesk.com Subject: White Bear and Red Moon (From LEGENDS OF THE WHITE BEAR AND RED MOON) [I believe this info is also found in the version of this game named Dragon Pass. -acb] "PRINCE ARGRATH,[...] He also brought back his blood-brother band of barbarians, who became the core of the Free Army." "HARREK THE BERSERK, the White Bear,[...] a nomad kahn, [...] and as an iron-fisted tyrant of his own realm" "GUNDA THE GUILTY was the daughter of a valkyrie, [...] She is most famous for her stay with the notorious stay with the Queen of the Kiss" "JALDON TOOTHMAKER, also called Raider Kahn, is an immortal hero, of a sort." "JAR-EEL THE RAZORESS was official saint-hero of the Lunar Empire. She was head of the warrior discipline known as the Moonsword Cult," "BEAT-POT AELWRIN [...] Aelwrin's plunder of the holy Frantic Ground and the rape of the dowager Priest-Mother brought Jar-eel into combat [...] Now a man, he is a High Priest of the Moonsword Cult, and is nearly inseparable from the cult Saint."" QUESTIONS from this info: What country did Argrath raise the army of blood-brother barbarians in? What country did the White Bear Rule? What tribe(s) did White Bear become a kahn of? Valkyries in RQ? Who or what ws the Queen of the Kiss? (a sucubuss?) I remember reading something about Jaldon somewhere, but can't remember where. Where and what is the holy Frantic Ground? What is the Moonsword Cult's sphere of influence in Sartar/Prax? (Moonswords are detailed in Plunder, I think.) ====================================================================== From: paul@venus.phyast.pitt.edu (Paul Reilly) Subject: Re: RQ discussion 8 >1) Can anyone give me synopsis of the Lightbringers quest? I Everyone I know wonders about this. I don't think that anyone except _possibly_ Greg Stafford can give a reasonably complete synopsis, but I will list what I can off the top of my head. Hopefully other people will come up with some incidents from obscure sources... Back in Godtime, someone (Humakt?) went to visit the caverns of dread Subere, at the core of the world inside or beneath the Spike. This person brought back a Gift from the dark goddess, and did not know its powers. He went to the being known as Grandfather Mortal {*note that according to the Glorantha Book in "Genertela, Crucible of the Hero Wars" Grandfather Mortal is a God Learner pastiche of various ancestral beings*} and tested the Gift, which turned out to be the pwoer we now know as Death. Grandfather Mortal's spirit was separated from his body by Death, and his spirit sunk down into the caverns of Hell. He was joined by others before long. Eurmal the Trickster stole Death from Humakt and gave it to Orlanth, who used it against Yelm the Emperor. Yelm's spirit entered into the lightless halls of Hell and many darkness beings were burnt to destruction; others managed to flee into Deep Hell or the Upper World, now dark. These latter beings included many trolls (millions, according to some) who marched for generations to reach the Surface World. The Surface World was plunged into darkness. The coming of the Trolls and other Hell creatures only aggravated the fighting that was going on. The violent storm gods fought amongst themselves and with other gods now that the Emperor no longer kept order. Orlanth claimed the kingship of the gods, but few had true respect for the murderer who had brought on the Darkness. Finally chaos began to seep into the cracks in the fabric of the Universe caused by the Gods' War, and the Spike exploded. The tales of woe of the Greater Darkness are well known. (If they're not, I'll write something up). Finally Orlanth decided to attempt to revive Yelm and restore order to the Universe. He selcted or found six companions to aid him in this mission: Chalana Arroy, Issaries, Lhankor Mhy, Eurmal, Flesh Man, and the mysterious Ginna Jar. After many trials which never seem to get detailed, they succeeded in invading Hell and resurrecting Yelm. This was the Lightbringer's Quest. I will try to find some references to incidents along the way of the Quest; if other people do so also maybe we can piece together a narrative. Or someone could write to Greg Stafford and ask... > 2) This Syndics Ban thing. Why did that group of individuals kill the God of Communication? What did they hope to gain? And if the Ban was the intended result, why? Prince Snodal journeyed to the far lands of the Altinae, a race of demigods who live in the North beyond Valind's Glacier. There he was shown portions of an atlas of the future supposedly drawn by Zzabur (Glorantha's First Wizard, the chief wizard of the Brithini, older and more powerful than most gods) himself. What he saw disturbed him so much that when he returned he organized the conspiracy which killed the God of the Silver Feet and brought on the Syndic's Ban. Presumably the Prince saw in the Atlas of the Future some dire prediction or plan which would bring disaster upon his land of Loskalm or even the whole of Fronela, and he hoped to forestall this eventuality by cutting off communication either within Fronela or to the outside world. We don't know what the disaster is or will be, and we don't know if the Prince included the breaking of the Ban by Dormal's visitation in 1582 in his calculations; it is possible that the disaster is still scheduled to happen anyway. All the material available on Snodal indicates that he was a person of good character who would have only brought about the suffering and poverty imposed by the Ban in order to protect people from something even worse. > 3) What can anyone out there tell me about the Pharoh or the City of Wonders? In one of the old magazines, maybe Different Worlds or Wyrm's Footnotes, there is a long article about the Pharoah and the Holy Country. Some material is in the Genertela Box, which you should pick up if possible. Kethaela used to be ruled by the Only Old One, an immortal troll sired by Argan Argar (the troll trade deity). He ruled for centuries or more from the Shadow Plateau, maybe from a place called The Palace of Black Glass. In any case, he had great magical powers including the ability to command the land itself while in Kethaela. A few centuries ago, maybe in 1318 ST, Belintar the Stranger swam ashore. (Note that this was while the Seas were Closed). In a five-year period he contested with the Only Old One in a series of seemingly one-sided battles, e.g., the Only Old One would drop a mountain on Belintar and go home; eventually Belintar crawled out unharmed. Finally the troll demigod was exhausted and defeated in a titanic final battle that shattered much of the Shadow Plateau, creating the ubiquitous and annoying obsidian dust that still blows off occasionally. Belintar assumed the title of Pharoah and the rule of Kethaela, now renamed "the Holy Country". After a time Belintar's body was "used up" and the first Tournament of the Masters of Luck and Death was held. The winner's soul went on to spriritual immortality and his body was inhabited by the Pharoah. Periodically the Pharoah required a new body, and the Masters of Luck and Death would hold another tournament. The Pharoah disappeared in 1616, probably due to a subtle attack by Jar-Eel the Razoress. The Pharoah could extend a magic bridge from the City of Wonders to any of the Six Lands of the Holy Country. > 4) Is the AH Snakepipe Hollow anything like the old version? I haven't really looked at the new one. > 5) Are the RQ3 Sorcery rules completely AH or are these the I don't know; I'm told that these rules originated within Chaosium. ====================================================================== From: robert@cres0.anu.edu.au (Robert McArthur) Subject: RQ mechanics queries While not as interested in the mechanics as in more information on Glorantha and everything in it, here are a couple of questions for the pedants. Let me also say that I'm not interested in debating the difference between II and III. I play II with *some* III modifications. So, if your comments are in the vein that "this can't happen in RQ anymore...", save them for yourself. When using extension on battle magic, I feel it should be harder to dispel. eg. having extension II on protection 4 could take an 8pt dispel magic to remove (4 for the extension and 4 for the protection). Comments? (dispel magic is one of my favourite spells..:-)) The other major question is why would anyone make a matrix? The uses of a matrix are 1) not to take up int for spell storage; 2) to get money by selling it; 3) to give the use of a spell rather than teaching it to someone. It takes permanent power to make one, of course, and these reasons don't add up IMHO. Firstly, at rune level, it is so much easier to bind spirits than for a normal person that free int should *not* be a problem (note, you also have an allied spirit of course). Secondly, you can earn more money (in our campaign anyway) by teaching the spell; and losing permanent power is hard to replace in our campaign so it rated quite a bit higher than money. And thirdly, again, power is more important than money. It would have to be a very special spell that I would rather create a matrix for than teach, not just a protection or bladesharp or detect spell. So, I propose that one of the uses matrices is to allow the casting of more than one spell per round. Basically, I would propose that putting power into the matrix does not count as a spell use for the round. This allows one spell from the character, and the use of matrices. A particular matrix can only be used once per round because of "recharge". eg. The character is holding back from melee. Normally, they can cast a spell and attack by not being in melee. Using this rule they may be able to cast a spell, use a matrix and then attack; or they may cast a disruption from themselves, one from a matrix, ready another matrix and cast a bladesharp 4 ready for next round. This makes the cost of a matrix bearable for its flexibility. Finally, can you use a doubling crystal with a matrix? eg. you have a multimissile 2 matrix and are attuned to a 2 pt doubling crystal. Can you use two points of power to get multimissile 4? To those who replied to my queries on StormBull, thank you. I am glad to say I agree with almost every one (on looking back at my post, it was claiming too a bit too much for the Bull). Robert McArthur ====================================================================== From: bell@cs.unc.edu (Andrew Bell) Subject: Re: RQ mechanics queries >The other major question is why would anyone make a matrix? One advantage of a spell matrix is that it can be given conditions under which it casts itself. I believe this was only mentioned for matrices, not for spirits. (I assume you use the RQ III enchantment rules from your comments, and thus this is relevant.) One might also make a matrix of a spell they've learned but don't have access to spirits for. But in general spirits are much better than matrices. >Finally, can you use a doubling crystal with a matrix? The matrix rules say that the matrix gives you the knowledge of the spell, so you're doing the actual casting, and thus I would say that the crystal would help. ====================================================================== From: jablow@pilot.njin.net (Eric Jablow) Subject: Dragonnewt Plinths I have a vague memory from the original RQ2 Snakepipe Hollow booklet that the Dragonnewt Plinths could be used by anyone to restore temporary POW. One would place his hands on the Plinth, "pray", and one would get 2D6 POW back. However, the Dragonnewts would not like that, and they may teleport a squad to look. Change POW to MP, and it seems reasonable for RQ3. As an aside, how common should special magical sites be in the various places in Glorantha? Perhaps we can develop a table of unusual places. Prax would have fewer than Dragon Pass, with the Western Kingdoms having an intermediate number. One could have a table like: 1D100 Place 01-10 Shrine to Major Local Religion 11-15 Shrine to Minor Local Religion 16-18 Shrine to Local Spirit Cult 19-20 Shrine to Foreign Religion 21-30 Place of Ancient Battle ... ... 81-00 Roll on Local Special Table ====================================================================== From: The Jade Piper Subject: Dragonewt Plinths The Dragonewt plinths are supposed to work like Earth's legendary ley lines. There are a number of entry and exit points, usually where these lines cross, and the plinths mark the lines and stone cirlces mark the nexus. If you know the appropriate ritual, you can start walking down the line and arrive at the nexus far faster than if you traveled naturally. I believe that you can not intentionally stop at any place other than the end point, and you can enter the line at the starting point or anywhere on the line. The lengendary time for travel is from midnight to dawn, no matter what the distance is. So, if you use this mode of travel, make sure that your destination is at least 5-6 hours away as it is. If the plinths are moved or destroyed, that line becomes interrupted, and a travelling 'newt would seemingly appear at the end. He would then have to travel to the other end of the break in the line and cast the ritual again. He would probably report this to someone, or try to fix it and those who broke it soon afterward. People traveling down these things look like shadowy figures blurring by at a high rate of speed. As to the Pharoh, he sounds like a character from another game to me :-). The Jade Piper