Subject: RQ Discussions 32 First Distribution: February 27, 1992 ====================================================================== From: Dakin Burdick RE: Loren Miller's house rules on RQ combat. I don't really do RQ anymore; my system has mutated until it is effectively a new system, but it is still easy to convert to RQ, so I thought I'd post a couple thoughts on articles in the last issues. Before I get started, I ought to mention that I've got a 2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo and I've been practicing martial arts for about 12 years now. I've done archery, fencing (foil & saber), judo, and a bunch of other stuff, so I'm commenting on the basis of this experience. Also, I've tried Closing rules before, so my comments there are based on gaming experience. BRAWLING: Loren, you rule that martial artists do lethal damage, and normal brawlers only do nonlethal damage. I think this reflects the American image of a nice friendly fight (nice and manly -- ugh!). The reason martial artists do lethal damage, I assume, is that they are more concerned with breaking knees, gouging eyes, breaking eardrums, or attempting heart knockouts, while brawlers just pound on the guy trying to put him down. This is fine as long as the brawlers is actually fighting "nice." A lot of streetfighters have two levels of fighting, I think: 1. Friendly brawl "just for fun when drunk", & 2. Life or death. If a street fighter is skilled (and many are) they know the same stuff that martial artists do, and should receive the lethal bonuses in combat that martial artists do. Similarly, the martial artist should be able to work on nerve strikes, charley-horses & KOs in an attempt to stop an opponent but leave him unharmed. It's a matter of intent. What you might want to do is half the damage done by a "friendly" attacker, except for attacks to the head (which result in unconsciousness), and allow the damage to be recuperated much more quickly as temporary damage. DODGING: I think a dodge should be affected by the attacker's skill. When I spar someone who is less skilled, it is easy to make them jump the way I want them to. Setting somebody up is the main reason for using combinations of techniques -- first the set-up and then the finisher. CLOSING: I've always avoided Closing rules because they open a huge can of worms. Weapon length is sometimes not important. Many weapons can be choked up on and used at close range, or the wielder may choose to strike with the pommel of the sword rather than the blade. Skillful fighters also know that many "long-range" weapons can be used equally well at close quarters, if one knows how. So Closing rules must take not only weapon-length into account, but also the skill differential between the opponents and the speed (DEX) of both. Beyond my normal opposition to Closing rules, I especially disagree with your rule about closing to grapple against a boxer or kickboxer. A grappler can go after the arms and legs, and grab them while the attacker is off-balance (see Ratti & Westbrook's "Aikido & the Dynamic Sphere"), making speed important, but making the throw actually easier once the grasp on the limbs is gained. I would just call it even between the two fighters, and ignore Closing. The ONLY time I really agree with Closing rules is when an unarmed/unarmored person tries to attack someone who is armed, even if it is only a knife. That unarmed attacker is going to take a LOT of hits before he gets into an attacking range. In this case, I don't let the unarmored guy attack unless the armed fighter actually missed that round (dodged attacks don't count; the unarmored guy is too busy trying to survive to close). CLOAKS: I think you're giving too much benefit to the cloak-wielder. Flexible weapons like this require great skill because they are so hard to control. Miss once and you're dead meat. FIREARMS: You might look at the Call of Cthulu firearm rules, which are similar to your own. To avoid doing a lot of research on firearms, look at the Morrow Project "Armory" (first edition only), since the Morrow Project system has some similarities to RQ. Even easier would be to pick up a subscription to "The Unspeakable Oath" and get their back issues as well. John Crowe has a wonderful series on firearms of all types in there, and since he is writing for CoC, the stats are easily adaptable to RQ. The "Oath" is up to #4 now & costs $4 per issue. For more info, write: Pagan Publishing email: C521832@umcvmb.missouri.edu c/o John Tynes fax: (314) 443-3892 (attn: John Tynes, 442-4301) 1409 Wilson Ave. phone: (314) 442-4301 Columbia, MO 65201 RE: Elf Stroke. I haven't seen the "Vikings" material, but I do use Elf Stroke in my campaign. I rule that it is the result of Elfshot; an ordinary arrow with an enchanted flint arrowhead that causes a heart attack in the victim (no matter where it strikes). I use a CONx5 roll to resist. Failure means death; success means the character drops to the ground, fatigued; & a crit. resistance means that the character is unharmed. Naturally, Elfshot is a rarity in the campaign but characters LOVE to get it ("Let's go get that Dragon!"). Dakin Burdick burdickd@copper.ucs.indiana.edu ====================================================================== From: mad@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Michael Derry) Subject: RQ: Introducing Characters The following post addresses the method I used to introduce the characters in my last RQ III game. This post is divided into three sections: General Notes and Background, Legend/Glossary, and Character Backgrounds. The first two sections are abbreviations of the campaign packet and character backgrounds are modified for ease of understanding. I. General Notes and Background I usually develop all the characters prior to the campaign and prior to the first session, characters select their characters and develop their backgrounds more. Hopefully the players have a reasonably developed framework of a personality and background by the time we start the first game. (This is a ROLE PLAYING GAME.) The main unifying element of my last campaign was that the characters were all members or associates of the local temple in a town located in a lightly inhabited area. The characters were the key members of the temple and decided and controlled all activity associated with exploring and pacifying a nearby, vast wildness area granted to the temple. My world is not a Gloranthan world, but does have gods similar to the feel of those in the world of Glorantha. Most players worshipped Nisava, a storm god with similarities to Orlanth in Glorantha. Another character worshipped P'ishan, a war god closely associated with Nisava and sort of similar to Yanafal Tarnils. Pwe To is the god of movement and stasis. II. Legend/Glossary The campaign was set in a remote and barely settled area of my world. Babel: the Imperial Capitol, about two weeks away Gil'adi: the town in which the player's temple was and which was the center of most campaign activity Temple Reserve: vast mountainous and forested area granted to the Gil'adi Nisava temple by a nearby queen. Much of the campaign activity dealt with exploring and pacifying the Temple Reserve. Darklands: a remote and still wild area within a day's travel. Wilder and not part of the Temple Reserve. Sure Foot Legion Lands: a mountainous area to the north where the Imperial Sure Foot Legion was based. All Others: various villages in the local area Languages: Osirian is the main language and Blacktongue is the language of orcs. III. Character Backgrounds The characters could all be considered barbarians, with only Septamus and Maelius close to civilized. These backgrounds were intended only as a start to the character background/development process and to provide and introduction to the characters. List of Characters: (Position, Character Relations) Menalaus: Livestock Comptroller Lucius: Temple Messenger Dorus: Temple Artificer and Handyman, Brother to Alric Alric: Assistant Purser, Brother to Dorus Julius: Assistant to Temple Alchemist, almost Brother-in-Law to Zwei Zwei: Assistant/Engaged to Temple Alchemist, almost Brother-in-Law to Julius Septanus: Temple Librarian /Temple Purser (Priest), Half-Brother to Octavius Octavius: Assistant Librarian, Half-Brother to Septamus, Brother to Muller Muller: Captain of Temple Troops, Brother to Octavius Tactius: Temple Weapon Master Maelius: Liaison to the Temple from a nearby sorcery society Format: Name [Language of Name] Religion ("Character Class") Note: RQ does not use character classes, but I put these one-word descriptions to give players a quick feel for a character's abilities. Menalaus Vespasian [Osirian Name] Nisava cultist (Skirmisher) Special Knowledge: Clever and resourceful woodsman who knows much about the mountains and its creatures, especially the Dark Lands. Can speak Osirian and Stormtongue, can read and write Osirian. Background: Born and raised in the village of Regii, near the Darklands and on the Cique Creek. When he was 20, both parents were killed by a Jabberwock from the Darklands. He has been living at the Gil'adi temple ever since as the assistant to Septanus Pila, the Temple Purser. Other: Livestock Comptroller is the current position of Menalaus in the temple hierarchy. Every spring and fall, he must go count the temples livestock. During the year he also responsible for making spot checks in order to see if tithes are appropriate to the level of the community's wealth. Lucius Expedem [Osirian Name] Nisava cultist (Scout) Special Knowledge: Lucius has a more open-minded view of the world and has a lot of general knowledge. He is the only party member to regularly travel to Babel. He can speak Osirian, Utigur, Blacktongue, Stormtongue, and Tradetalk. He cannot read or write. Background: Older brother, Nerius, is a big merchant who started trading between their village of Valla and Gil'adi, and now trades all over the region. Nerius took his little brother on these trade expeditions during off-season (so father would not complain to much.) Lucius has a much more cosmopolitan outlook on the nature of the world that others in this area, all because of his broad exposure during these journeys. Other: In his role as Temple messenger, Lucius has met many of the important political figures in the region Dorus Cervii [Osirian Name] Nisava cultist (Technician) Special Knowledge: Dorus has special abilities with 'science' and he can brew acid, craft special devices, set traps, and do many other amazing and practical things. He can speak Osirian and Stormtongue. He can read and write Osirian. Background: Dorus is an older brother of Alric and both are the children of the old Gil'adi stone mason. The current Gil'adi stone mason is the oldest brother, Cannae. At and early age, Dorus showed aptitude with the tools of stone masoning and other trades. The temple handyman took Dorus as an apprentice and taught him many special things. Just before the handyman retired, the temple set Dorus to the temple in the Sure Foot Legion Lands to learn alchemy and other skills for a year. Other: Dorus is now the Temple Artificer and Handyman. He knows several important people in the Sure Foot Legion Lands. His ability to devise is also his ability to set traps, pick locks, break doors, etc. Alric Cervii [Osirian Name] Nisava cultist (Thief) Special Knowledge: Alric has special weapons and other skills learned from the orcs in Gil'adi. He can speak Osirian, Blacktongue, and Stormtongue. He can read and write Blacktongue and Stormtongue. Background: Alric is the younger brother of Dorus and both are the children of the old Gil'adi stone mason. The current Gil'adi stone mason is the oldest brother, Cannae. As a child, Alric was thin and gangly which caused his two brothers to pick on him all the time. Alric's two brothers also would not let him play with them and the rest of the kids. Alric began playing with the orc kids, whose roughness and bellicose nature was what Alric was used to at home. After a while the family of his best friend, Pata (Patanenana) the orc, sort of adopted Alric. AlricUs father did not mind, because he has five sons and Alric was too scrawny to help building. Three years ago Alric married an orc woman who is a glass-blower, and she is now a Nisava Initiate. Other: Septanus Pila, the Purser, caught Alric "borrowing items" from the temple storerooms. Septanus decided the best thing to do is to make Alric the Assistant Purser, since Alric has always been a loyal Nisava worshipper, regardless of what others think of his involvement with the Gil'adi orcs. Alric has another Initiate do most of the real work, while he relaxes and gambles with the local orcs. Julius Uteus [Osirian Name] Nisava cultist (Sniper) Special Knowledge: Julius knows much about the Darklands and the village of Landatum. The temple employs him to gather special plants from the Darklands for the Temple Alchemist, Priestess Viana. The priestess is his sister and their mother is the village Priestess in Landatum. He can speak Osirian and Stormtongue, but cannot read or write. Background: Julius was born in Landatum and his father was a local hunter. Julius used to go with his father into the Darklands on hunting expeditions. His mother sent his sister, Viana, to Gil'adi when his father was disappeared in the Darklands. After a while his mother became self-sufficient and he could come and go as he pleased. Viana offered him a job in Gil'adi, which also allows him to come and go. Other: Julius is sort of a loner. He is close to his mother and sister, but seems reluctant to form friendships after his father's disappearance. He knows few people but is now beginning to become more open to those at the temple. Zwei Two-Hands [Uti-Osirian Name] Pwe To and Nisava cultist (Healer) Special Knowledge: He learned the healing arts from a Pwe To witch. When she died, she gave him two special abilities. One is the ability of permanent soul sight. Background: When Zwei was but a babe, a Pwe To witch saved the village of his parents (Regii) from a band of marauding spirits. In exchange she asked for Zwei. He knows of his past but does not remember his real parents. The witch raised Zwei as a guard to protect them both. The witch passed away two years ago and she told Zwei to go join the Nisava temple in Gil'adi after she died. When he arrived, he felt out of place, but now he has found his place as the temple healer. Other: Zwei has now forgotten where his old cavern home is. He works with and is engaged to Viana, the Temple Alchemist (who is the sister of Julius.) Septanus Pila [Osirian Name] Nisava Priest (Scholar) Special Knowledge: Septanus has a wide range of esoteric knowledge about seemingly everything. Septanus can speak Osirian, Blacktongue, and Stormtongue and he can read and write all three too. Background: Child of one of two noble families in Gil'adi. Father was the old High Priest of Nisava in Gil'adi, who remarried and had another child, Octavius. Third son of eight children. First brother, Primus, is family head and High Priest of Nisava in Gil'adi. Septanus has always been a bookworm and he has read every book in the temple library, including the three Blacktongue ones. Septanus has always been in the shadow of his brother, Primus. When Septamus was nine, Octavius was born and received all the attention. Septanus now wants to stand out from his brothers and prove to everyone and himself that he has worth. He is the main planner for cult missions Other: Close friends with Magus Haeru, because of adventuring Haeru used to make in this area. The presence of Maelius is the result of that involvement. Septanus is the Temple Librarian and the Temple Purser. The Dwarven iron armor Septanus wears was a gift from the Sure Foot Legion to the Gil'adi Temple for services long ago. Half-brother Octavius is the Assistant Librarian and Alric is the Assistant Purser. Alric taught Septanus to read the Blacktongue books. Captain Muller is the adopted half-brother of Septanus. Octavius Pila [Osirian Name] Nisava cultist (Acolyte) Special Knowledge: The current High Priest and his brother, Primus is cultivating Octavius to become a Bishop, Cardinal, or such. So far this has consisted of book learning and weapon training. But now Octavius is to go out and learn the ways of the world. Octavius can speak, read, and write Osirian, Stormtongue, and Tradetalk. Background: Child of one of two noble families in Gil'adi. Father was the old High Priest of Nisava in Gil'adi and who remarried the woman who is the mother of Octavius. She already had Captain Muller from another marriage. Septanus, Primus, and all his other siblings are all half-brothers and sisters. Primus, is family head and High Priest of Nisava in Gil'adi. Other: Octavius is currently the Assistant Librarian. The Dwarven iron armor Octavius wears was a gift from the Sure Foot Legion to the Gil'adi Temple for services long ago. His magic sword is also from the legion. Note that Octavius has this sword because Septanus does not use swords. Captain Muller [Uti Name] Nisava cultist (Vicious Killer) Special Knowledge: Leadership and knowledge of the psychology of men. He can speak Uti, Osirian, and Stormtongue, but cannot read or write. Background: He joined a traveling circus at the age of five and left the lands of his ancestors, Uti. The circus travelled south through High Mountain Pass and the Sure Foot Legion Lands. By the time they made it to Gil'adi, he was disgusted with them and stayed in Gil'adi. A local woman adopted him and she later married the ex High Priest of Nisava in Gil'adi, the father of Primus, Septanus, and Octavius. Octavius is sort of his brother. He has always been martially oriented and led the other boys in mock-combat. At the Nisava Temple, his strength was noticed early and he trained in the skills of a warrior. Other: Captain Muller is the captain of the Old Fort, whose garrison is currently four stone masons (lead by the older brother of Dorus and Alric.) Since there are no local lords, Captain Muller is a very important man. NOTE: Uti lands are inhabited by barbarian tribes which are represented by Ogres in my game. Muller is an Ogre. Old Tacitus [Osirian Name] P'ishan cultist (Mercenary) Special Knowledge: Tacitus has learned exercises to maintain fitness and current abilities. But this has become a time-consuming job now. Has a strong will and an amazing ability to overcome adversity with raw determination. Although still fit, some memory and knowledge has faded. Familiar with entire region. Can speak Osirian, Afshari, Blacktongue, Darktongue, and Stormtongue; but he cannot read or write. Background: Born in Vici to a woodsman. As a youth, Tacitus followed father around local forest as junior Reserve Warden. At age 15, joined P'ishan and Sure Foot Legion. Spent twenty-five years in the Legion and fought all sorts of wild beasts and bandits. He then retired to Gil'adi to teach new warriors, of which few are P'ishan warriors. The local P'ishan center of worship is a shrine, tended by a priest who is a personal friend of the Nisava High Priest, Primus Pila. Tacitus is assigned to assist the Nisava temple and they are to provide him room and board. Other: Has friends in the Sure Foot Legion and various forts. Maelius Constena [Osirian Name] Sorcerer (Adept) Special Knowledge: Member of and privy to the secret ways of the Col-wan sorcery society. Also knows a little about Elves and the local Aldryami. Can speak Osirian and Aldryan, and can read Osirian and Blacktongue. Background: The older brother of Maelius is Magus Haeru of the Col-wan society complex south of Taelus (a town two days away.) This Col-wan sect has ties with the power groups in the region. Most of these ties are junior members of the sect assigned as liaisons to the various groups. Maelius is the current liaison to the Gil'adi Nisava temple. His job is designed to broaden his abilities with outside exposure and be in a relatively safe area. Other: The trip to the Col-wan complex and back is two days. For important expeditions, Maelius may borrow enchantments with other spells from the Magus. Postscript: I have not edited these passages much for clarity (for they are extracted from the campaign packet I pass out to players.) But, I hope they provide an idea of how I run several elements in my game. ====================================================================== From: Eric Rowe Subject: RQ mailing list stuff New sorcery spells: Flame Burst - Caster explodes in flame. Harmless to self. Damage depends on range of targets and intensity. Armor protects at value of least armored location. Duration and range skills not usable. cost -- range 1m 2m 3m 4m 1mp 0 2mp 1 0 Damage 3mp 2 1 0 4mp 3 2 1 0 etc... Delayed Teleport - 10m teleport. Takes away one point of free int until set off. Takes 1SR to set off. Can be cast on others or multiple times on self at one free int per spell. Note. This useful spell while on someone makes them glow as do most spells in my campaign. Some cities, governments and regions consider long duration spells or spells like delayed teleport illegal and provoking. Wind Storm - Stong Wing heads away from caster. Range and duration skills do not apply. cost reduces mv blows (x)enc back 10m 1mp 0 1 2 1 2 3 1 3 4 2 4 5 2 5 6 3 6 etc... Magic Zorel - (Zorel is the generic riding beast on Erzo) Creates an invisible Zorel for carrying goods. For every point of intensity the Zorel can add one to its base move of zero, or it can carry 100 enc. Caster must concentrate to move Zorel. Duration can be added. New sorcery skill: Speed - This is a skill which has the potential for much abuse and very powerful sorcerers. Handle with care. The sorcerer may add additional magic points at a cost of one per SR to hasten his spell to a minimum casting time of one. After announcing how many additional points they wish to spend during the statment of intent the sorcerer then they rolls his speed skill. If he makes it then he casts his spell as he would normally at the hastened SR. If the speed roll fails then the spell must be cancelled or cast when it normally would have been. Either way, the points used for speed are spent. Note that this speed roll is not used like other skills where you use the lowest skill of all those used. It is a separate roll. ====================================================================== The RuneQuest(tm) mailing list is a courtesy of Andrew Bell. All opinions and material above are the responsibility of the originator, and copyrights are held by them. Unless specified in the specific article, all RQ Digest material is freely redistributable on a not-for-profit basis as long as author credit is included. RuneQuest is a trademark of Chaosium, Inc. Send submissions, mailing list changes, requests for old article lists, etc. to: bell@cs.unc.edu ...!mcnc!unc!bell Request old articles by volume number and issue number.