From: owner-rq-rules-digest To: rq-rules-digest@hops.wharton.upenn.edu Subject: RQ Rules Digest: V2 #4 Reply-To: rq-rules Errors-To: owner-rq-rules-digest Precedence: bulk Content-Return: Prohibited Return-Path: owner-rq-rules-digest RQ Rules Digest: Thursday, 6 July 1995 Volume 02 : Number 004 TABLE OF CONTENTS David Cake ...no subject... Loren Miller ryan moore's rules questions Aron Bohlig/MSI Hit Locations Craig K Random hit locations Thomas Michael Cantine Resisting spells Phillip Ragatz RQ Rules Digest: V2 #3 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. When paraphrasing you demonstrate exactly how well you understand the point someone was trying to make. 4. There is no number 4. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake) Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 16:54:44 +0800 Subject: Re: ...no subject... > I just joined the list and have few questions about combining Rune >Magic, Sorcery, and Spirit Magic. A question of much debate - though most of the debate was about whether you should be allowed to combine them in RQ4, rather than wether you are allowed to in RQ3. >In the description of the Thanatar Broo in >Dorastor (I forgot the name of the Broo.) it says that he uses both shield and >protection. I always thought that theses two spells were not cumulative and >only the higher one actually took effect. Any idea's? > I think the rulesbook specifically states that Shield and Protection are compatible (meaning you can have both up at the same time). I think that most people assume that having both spells in effect at the same time means that they are cumulative (yes this is a powerful tactic - Shield is probably the best defensive magic for this reason). >On a related note: >Can you cast bladesharp and truesword on the same weapon? > Yes. >Can you cast bludgeon and crush on the same weapon? > Yes >Can you cast protection and damage resitance on the same person? > Yes. In RQ3 (where the Damage Resistance is applied first) a low level of Damage Resistance is pretty useless in this situation. In RQ4 (where Damage Resistance is applied after APs) it is a remarkably effective tactic. Many people seem to object to this combination on the grounds that it is really effective, but it doesn't bother me at all (I like the idea that Damage Resistance combines well with the heavy armour of many Western knights, and I am not really bothered by the prospect of hordes of Stygian super sorcerers). > >On the subject of aiming missile weapons, our house rule has always been that >for every extra strike rank you spend "aiming" You can modify what you rolled >on the hit location table by one. Good house rule. Cheers David > >Ryan Moore > >"I am the terror that flaps in the night" - DW ------------------------------ From: "Loren Miller" Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 10:54:55 EST Subject: Re: ryan moore's rules questions ryan_moore@wiltel.com asks: > I just joined the list Welcome! > In the description of the Thanatar Broo in Dorastor (I forgot the > name of the Broo.) it says that he uses both shield and protection. > I always thought that theses two spells were not cumulative and > only the higher one actually took effect. Any idea's? The rules about incompatible spells were changed with the RQ3 errata, supposedly in preparation for the HeroQuest rules. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Excuse me for falling on the floor and rolling around in pained laughter. HQ rules on an actual release schedule?! Ha ha ha ha ha!!!! You can find the RQ3 errata at this WWW site: http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/Rolegame/errata-rq3.html > Can you cast bladesharp and truesword on the same weapon? > Can you cast bludgeon and crush on the same weapon? Yes. Yes. > Can you cast protection and damage resitance on the same person? Yes. According to the RQ3 rules you match damage versus DR first, and then if the damage gets through apply protection and armor. According to the last version I saw of the RQ4 playtest rules subtract the points from protection and armor first and then match the remainder against the DR. > On the subject of aiming missile weapons, our house rule has > always been that for every extra strike rank you spend "aiming" > You can modify what you rolled on the hit location table by one. That was one of the RQ2 optional rules. We always used it in our RQ2 campaigns and it worked out well in play, though I have my doubts as to its realism. - -- +++++++++++++++++++++++23 Loren Miller LOREN@marketing.wharton.upenn.edu Life at the water's edge is the real life for men and women ------------------------------ From: Aron Bohlig/MSI Date: 30 Jun 95 11:39:18 EDT Subject: Re: Hit Locations As various folks have already said, there are enough variables affecting hit location to justify the current system (frex skill, slashing/clubbing vs stabbing, length of weapon). I vaguely remember a system used by several Steve Jackson games which allowed you to aim at a "region" with a modifier depending on the region. I might use this in RQ as follows: Region Modifier Possible Areas "Head Shot" -15 Head, either arm (H), chest "Leg Shot" -20 Legs, Abdomen, arms (H) "Torso" +5 Chest, Abdomen, Arms, Legs(h) "Quadrant" -15 4 quadrants were combos of upper, lower, right, left -25 for opposite, where opposite means rh attacker trying for right side of defender. (H) denotes half normal probability of hitting that loc. while aiming for that region. Never tried this type of system in RQ but it was great fun in the other systems. Of course it was also a blast to be able to aim for an opponents brain... Aron ------------------------------ From: Craig K Date: Thu, 29 Jun 95 12:59:00 BST Subject: RE: Random hit locations > Thus I have had the idea of only using random hit locations when >the fighter did not succeed his roll by much. For example, a fighter >wants to hit the torso of his opponent, he makes his roll. If he >succeeds comforably, he wil hit him in he torso. If he succeeds only >by a small margin ( I am not sure what that should be for the moment >but I have been thinking about 10%. i.e if his skill is 56%, randomn >hit locations are used if he rolls 47-56), he hits his opponent but >the location is determined randomly as his roll was not good enough >to hit what he wanted to hit. A reasonably good idea. >If I am not sure whether this is a realistic idea in melee combat, In melee combat RuneQuest already allows aiming by waiting to SR10 and then taking half chance to hit. Although random locations can seem a bit odd sometimes, allowing characters to choose location will greatly disadvantage people who wear only patches of armour. It also makes Scorpion men and alike a lot easier to contest with because they loose the advantage of having extraneous hit locations which attackers usually spend ages whacking away at. It does obviously speed up combat to allow users to specify locations but I think the rules already give a good impression of hand to hand fighting were you hit whatevers available/easiest rather than choosing what you want. In missile combat the random locations favour the torso heavily. Adding or subtracting 10 from the die role depending on height makes a lot of sense. I think this is in the RQ3 rules under the giants size rules already. It is a bit silly to be fighting small rats that jump up and bite you in the head. Interesting chaos feature I suppose 8-> Keith Craig K.Craig@lancaster.ac.uk ------------------------------ From: Thomas Michael Cantine Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 23:39:38 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Resisting spells Greetings, all. I was talking with a fellow the other night about RQ rules, and it suddenly occurred to us both that the rules for resisting spells are a little bit unclear about exactly how many MP the caster gets to use when trying to overcome the target's MP. That is, do you count the caster's total MP before deducting for the cost of the spell, or after? I've always played it that the MP of the spell being cast are included, but now I realize that there are pretty good arguements for doing it the other way, too, especially if you want to make offensive spells less likely to succeed (I happen to like low-magic campaigns). Is there an official interpretation on this, or a general consensus, or do we wing it? - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thomas M. Cantine "My theory, which is mine, is mine. g9326443@mcmaster.ca And I own it, too." ============================================================================== ------------------------------ From: ragatz@ni.net (Phillip Ragatz) Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 20:42:49 -0700 Subject: Re: RQ Rules Digest: V2 #3 >From: ryan_moore@wiltel.com > I just joined the list and have few questions about combining Rune=20 >Magic, Sorcery, and Spirit Magic. In the description of the Thanatar Broo= in=20 >Dorastor (I forgot the name of the Broo.) it says that he uses both shield= and=20 >protection. I always thought that theses two spells were not cumulative and= =20 >only the higher one actually took effect. Any idea's? They are stackable, according to the RQ rules Errata, you can also stack= Countermagic, Spirit Screen, Shimmer, etc. singly or in any combination you= care to, along with your protection. (assuming you have both the spell= knowledge and MP's to cast the spell, not to mention the time!) Yes, this also means that you can have both Shield and Spirit Block up at= the same time...Unless I have totally misinterpreted the intent of the Erra= ta. >On a related note: >Can you cast bladesharp and truesword on the same weapon? Yes. Rune Magic and Spirit Magic are not typically mutually exclusive. >Can you cast bludgeon and crush on the same weapon? See previous answer. >Can you cast protection and damage resitance on the same person? See previous answer...assuming you can find anyone who wouldn't just kill= the sorcerer and be done with it...;-) Regards, Phillip "Cause your enemies to come to you" -Sun Tzu ------------------------------ End of RQ Rules Digest: V2 #4 ***************************** This is the bottom of the RuneQuest Rules Digest. RuneQuest is a trademark of Avalon Hill, and Glorantha is a trademark of Chaosium. With the exception of previously copyrighted material, unless specified otherwise all text in this digest is copyright by the author or authors, with rights granted to copy for personal use, to excerpt in reviews and replies, and to archive unchanged for electronic retrieval. Send electronic mail to Majordomo@hops.wharton.upenn.edu with "help" in the body of the message for subscription information on this and other mailing lists. WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html