From: owner-rq-rules-digest To: rq-rules-digest@hops.wharton.upenn.edu Subject: RQ Rules Digest: V2 #277 Reply-To: rq-rules Errors-To: owner-rq-rules-digest Precedence: bulk Content-Return: Prohibited Return-Path: owner-rq-rules-digest RQ Rules Digest: Wednesday, 12 June 1996 Volume 02 : Number 277 TABLE OF CONTENTS Alain RAMEAU [none] Frederic Moulin gifted skills; death Frederic Moulin Strengthening enchantments Frederic Moulin Strengthening enchantments Sandy Petersen new stuff Brian K. Curley Master of RQ3 Combat Questions Hasni Mubarak RQ3 Combat Questions Hasni Mubarak Jim Bickmeyer Familiars David Cake Mass battles James Griffith Strengthening enchantments James Griffith gifted skills; death 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: Alain_RAMEAU@total.fr (Alain RAMEAU) Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 14:25:15 +0200 Subject: [none] To answer to C-J Lundell asking a solution to the 1D6 HP per POW Strenthening Enchantement, I can propose my increasing system: for the first D6, 1POW, for the second D6, 2POW, for the third D6, 6 POW, and so on... So, for a character to have 5D6 additional HP, it will cost (in one or more Enchantment ceremonies) a total of 15POW (1+2+3+4+5). Alain. ------------------------------ From: Frederic Moulin Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 10:50:20 -0400 Subject: Re: gifted skills; death In our games, you die 10 SR after getting to 0 HP. This prevent the "well known" combination of aiming and killing. However, if a blow would have send you potentially at less than 0 HP (-2, -3 HP...), then the number of SR before death is reduced accordingly. For exemple, if the blow would have send you to -5HP, we still concidere the PC at 0 HP(dying), but he/she will be dead 5 SR after that blow. With that rule, a character can still be killed on the spot by a really mighty hit (more than 10 points of damage above its current HPs) but we give a little supplementary chance to heal a mortally wounded friend. I have used that modification of the standard rules for over 5 or 6 years, and it does not appears to create a major unbalance in the game. Frederic PS: Does somebody around have a workable realistic system for handeling the closing ? ------------------------------ From: Frederic Moulin Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 11:13:08 -0400 Subject: Re: Strengthening enchantments >Also, compared to raising HPs of locations, 1d3 per POW, raising total HPs >seems way too "cheap". Eg. if you spend 7 POW you can raise every location >HP by an average of 2. If you raise total HPs instead you will get about >8 points extra in all locations! As well as getting a higher total amount >of damage sustainable. My answer to that problem was to make the breaking of an enchantment on general HP a lot easier: Normally, when a PC has an enchantment cast on a specific location, I ask him to make a Luck roll (POW x 5) every time that specific location is damaged. A succes means no damage to the enchantment runes, a failure means enchantment broken but repairable (still with POW sacrifice of course...) and fumble means enchantment destroyed. When somebody has a global enchantment, I consider that some runes are tatooed all over his body, and that the integrality of these runes is required for the general HP enchantment to be active. So any damage, on any location, is susceptible to break the enchantment, and I ask for a luck roll for any damage. This makes statistically a global enchantment fairly short lived, and prevents my players from running around with 30 general HP. However, in my campaign, 1 POW sacrificed with a reasonable chance of the ritual not working (at best 10%) is considered a sufficient problem by my players. I guess it's a matter of low life/God-like campaign. Fred ------------------------------ From: Frederic Moulin Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 11:28:12 -0400 Subject: Re: Strengthening enchantments >NPC stats are usually a joke anyway. Anyone who has had to survive in a RQ >environment must use some powergaming or optimisation techniques in order to >become effective. However, most NPCs do not do this, probably for some >"roleplaying" reason. Runemasters was pretty good, although it was full of >errors. Strangers in Prax and Dorastor/Cults of Terror are OK too, but are >not perfect. >The only people who can write good stats are powergamers as namby-pamby >roleplayers concentrate on what their character had for dinner, or what their >third cousin's grandfather did twenty years ago rather than on how best to >squeeze the extra few hit points out of the system :-) Boy, am I glad you're not playing in my group ! I positively hate the "smart asses" that try to tweak the rules in order to squeeze a few extra HP with absolutly no respect for roll-playing: My players know very well that those little HPs won't be of any good help against the mighty wrath of their RuneMaster. I dont think your PC would live more than one evening with that attitude in my campaign. Why don't you play with RoleMaster rules: To my experience, it is the best system for PC optimization. And leave RuneQuest for us, the dummies that enjoy roll-playing. Frederic ------------------------------ From: Sandy Petersen Date: Wed, 12 Jun 96 12:10:05 -0500 Subject: Re: new stuff Allan: >Why don't people post new spells, new items, new skills, scenarios >or plot lines that you have just come up with or have run. Okay. Here is one or two of each NEW SPELLS *************** SUPPRESS PAGANISM (sorcery, Hrestoli & Rokari colleges of magic) attack, ranged The target's chance to cast spirit spells is reduced by 5 percentiles per intensity. DRAW SPIRIT (spirit magic) 2 points, attack, ranged, instant If you overcome the defending spirit's MPs, it must first attack you in spirit combat before engaging anyone else in the area. This spell has no effect on bound spirits, spirits embodied in creatures, spirits that are not hostile, or spirits incapable of initiating spirit combat. Nor does it affect a spirit already engaged in spirit combat, unless it has at least 10 MPs more than its strongest opponent. The spirit must continue to engage you until the spell expires or is dispelled. Of course, if it does not have at least 10 MPs more than you, even then it must continue combat. NEW ITEM *************** ERDU WIRE: a silver alloy that conducts magic points, typically found in the form of wire. Found occasionally in Fonrit, amongst Second Age ruins. Normally, to use a magic item you must "touch" said item - -- but if you're connected by a piece of Erdu Wire, this counts as a "touch". By using this metal, you can connect magic items and beings all over your house into a single network. All the wires can connect into a single throne (say), on which you can have access to the various enchantments. Other uses for an intelligent person will be obvious. SPEAKSTONES: a glistening pebble which carries messages. It is found only in a very few spots in Pamaltela. My PCs found one when visiting a land which no (other) human had ever seen since the Godtime. To use the stone, speak your message into it, spending 1 MP per word, and then speak the name of the person to whom the stone is to travel, thinking of that person as you do so (this must be a person that you have met in the flesh and know fairly well). When you are done, throw the stone as hard as you can -- it will circle around you a few times, getting its bearings, then fly off through the air at thrown rock speed, zipping across mountain, valley, forest, etc. until it reaches the designated target, when it hits him (normally doing no damage -- it's only a pebble after all). When he picks it up, it repeats its message and then is quiescent, discharged. NEW SKILL ************** Freeze (Stealth, 10% base): enables you to instantly cease all movement, and even reduce breathing to a bare minimum. In a sense, it's a little like a combination of Hide and Sneak, but with disadvantages compared to either. You don't make any sound, like Sneak, but you can't move, either. You can't be spotted with Scan (unless you are a _very_ different color from your background), but Search is effective enough vs. you. This skill is especially effective vs. creatures whose senses primarily detect movement, not color, such as most prey mammals (deer, rabbits, etc.) It is also very handy vs. dwarf Earthsense, which detects alteration in air pressure. NEW SPELL/SKILL ******************** FLUX POWER: certain Kralori have gained this power (it costs them 25 Mysticism, which is considered costly -- Rune level type stuff). The Summon skill is used in combination with it. The Flux user is able to freely switch his characteristics from stat to stat. For instance, he can take points off his INT and add them to his DEX. It takes an hour of meditation and a successful Summon to move a single point from one stat to another. A Flux user can also exchange HP and MP at will, taking 1 melee round and a successful Summon to move as many HPs into MPs as he wants or vice versa. He may take (or receive) the HPs as either general or specific damage, at his whim. If a flux user wishes to return to his normal state, it takes only one hour and a Summon roll to restore _all_ the altered points, or as many as he desires, anyway. If the Flux user sleeps, then all his altered stats begin sliding back towards normal at the rate of 1 point per hour. A Flux user can make a change permanent by expending 1 Mysticism per stat point he wishes to change. SCENARIO / PLOT LINE ****************************** GENERAL RULE -- Almost all my plots nowadays (and for some years) have been stolen from fairy tales, true events, or classics. It's trivial to disguise or alter them to conceal their true origins from the players, yet the "reality" of the tale reverberates in their psyches. In addition, it's far easier to figure out a tale's ramifications if it's based on something true, or well-thought-out. If the players suddenly ask, "Why don't we just get the giant eagles to drop the One Ring into Mount Doom?" you're not left groping for a reply. But you base your tale on Hamlet, or The Man In The Iron Mask, or Kidnapped, the scenario has few holes, a crackerjack plot, and memorable NPCs. All you need to do is shoehorn in your PCs, and make sure that their influence can affect the outcome. (Interesting note: a critic of my acquaintance once said that if Hamlet and Othello had switched places, and been the heroes of each other's respective plays, neither would have ended in tragedy. After consideration, I concur. Just shows how much difference a personality can make.) I do use movies and modern works in my scenarios, but mainly for individual scenes or events, rarely entire plots. Sandy P. ------------------------------ From: "Brian K. Curley (Master of Time & Space)" Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 05:27:36 -0500 (CDT) Subject: RQ3 Combat Questions Hi All, I remember in the distant past, maybe as long as 3 or 4 months ago, someone dissing the Strike Rank system for combat (I think it was MOB or Nick Brooke). Well, whoever it was may be gaining a convert. I recently ran the scenario Gaumata's Vision (nicely done Mike, if you're reading this), and I came to a point where (***SPOILER WARNING***) the villagers of Black Rock were forced to try to kill the PCs. Now I have 6-7 PCs, and the scenario involves about a billion NPCs (adults, monster children, and a nasty succubus). I found the biggest problem to be that, unlike most other systems, RQ combat involves *when* someone acts during a melee round changing almost every round! This was close to maddening. I had to go back and redo actions because someone got skipped a couple of times. I had a nice GM's Log (ala Griffin Island) all filled out, but like I said, strike ranks change almost constantly. So I was wondering if any of you who use alternate combat systems, or have handy dandy tricks for keeping Strike Ranks straight, could shoot 'em my way. Thanks, Brian +-------------------------+------------------------------------------+ | Brian Curley | She was tall and cool and pretty and | | Holder of Previous | she dressed as black as coal, if she | | Knowledge | asked me to I'd murder her, I would | | bkc@axle.adp.wisc.edu | gladly lose my soul... | +-------------------------+------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ From: Hasni Mubarak Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 15:46:40 -0400 Subject: Re: RQ3 Combat Questions Brian K. Curley (Master of Time & Space) wrote: > > So I was wondering if any of you who use alternate combat systems, or > have handy dandy tricks for keeping Strike Ranks straight, could shoot 'em > my way. Yeah, but you won't like it. The NPC's all attack on 7, except for the really big guy, the really fast guy, and the guy with the spear. They go on 6. Maybe the really big, fast, greatsword, truebladed, shielded, coordinated, strengthed, bladsharped Humakti goes in 5, but fact is he's going to toss off two sever spirits "sometime between when the shaman throws his spell and the Stormbull swings his axe." :-) Re: Enchantments I never heard of a limit to enchantments, I kinda like it, but I also hate spring new rules on players. I guess I could mention nasty NPC types iwht 50 hp, but then again, everybody has run into a regenerating Chaos-giant, right? ------------------------------ From: Hasni Mubarak Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 15:48:19 -0400 Subject: Re: Alain RAMEAU wrote: > > > To answer to C-J Lundell asking a solution to the 1D6 HP per POW > Strenthening Enchantement, I can propose my increasing system: > for the first D6, 1POW, for the second D6, 2POW, for the third D6, 6 > POW, and so on... Sorry, forgot to mention on the last post, I require an extra point of power to bind something onto living tissue. And then, you're going to want to spend a point putting a condition on it. Something like, "Can't be used by anybody but ME." ------------------------------ From: "Jim Bickmeyer" Date: Thu, 13 Jun 96 00:23:49 UT Subject: Familiars Looking at printed sorcerer NPCs, they have taken a Power spirit and bound it to a physical creature. What is the process to do this? I'm guessing that the sorcerer prepares a creature in a binding ritual. He summons the spirit and then binds it to the creature. At that point the orders it to over come the creature. If successful the spirit possess the creature and the sorcerer starts to create familiar on the possessing spirit. Does this sound close? Second question If the body of the creature that the spirit/familiar posses is killed, what happen to the spirit. It is the familiar of the sorcerer so it won't run for the spirit plan. Is it stuck in the decaying body of the dead creature? Can it move or be moved to a new body? Chance for evil sorcerers to be very evil if that is so. I would like a response as it could have an impact in my campaign? Jim ------------------------------ From: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake) Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 09:06:59 +0800 Subject: Mass battles I've got my players involved in a very large military battle (the Lunars taking Karse). I'm interested in my players as small scale participants, not a system for deciding battles in detail like Warhamster. Anyone got any interesting rules for this sort of situation? I'm currently working with an adaption of the Pendragon battle system (luckily some PCs have Battle skill). I'm particularly interested to hear from anybody using Pendragon Pass type rules. Cheers David ------------------------------ From: James Griffith Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 19:49:12 -0700 Subject: Re: Strengthening enchantments > My answer to that problem was to make the breaking of an enchantment on > general HP a lot easier: Normally, when a PC has an enchantment cast on a > specific location, I ask him to make a Luck roll (POW x 5) every time that > specific location is damaged. A succes means no damage to the enchantment > runes, a failure means enchantment broken but repairable (still with POW > sacrifice of course...) and fumble means enchantment destroyed. Doesn't that really make your combats drag? ------------------------------ From: James Griffith Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 19:52:52 -0700 Subject: Re: gifted skills; death > > PS: Does somebody around have a workable realistic system for handeling the > closing ? The best thing I have found for closing is a tight alley where they can't or are not willing to move and grappling. If you successfully grapple then I would think that you are effectively closed unless he/she can break free. ------------------------------ End of RQ Rules Digest: V2 #277 ******************************* 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. 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