Character Conversion

[Urox]

Below is an enemy NPC as written from a previous edition of RuneQuest. This NPC is designed to be a major for an band of characters from low to intermediate experience. He leads a small band of Broos, and has the possibility of becoming a recurring opponent.

So, how would you convert this to the new rules?

Ugla Khan
self-proclaimed Broo Warlord of Dragon Pass and Thed initiate

STR 18           Move: 4
CON 17           HP: 18       ___
SIZ 18           Fatigue: 35  ___
INT 12           MP: 14       ___
POW 14 
DEX 12
APP 8

area       missile     melee       ap/hp
r leg       01-04      01-03        1/6     ___
l leg       05-08      04-06        3/6     ___
abdom       09-11      07-10        5/6     ___
chest       12         11-15        5/7     ___
r arm       13-15      16-17        3/5     ___
l arm       16-18      18-19        4/5     ___
head        19-20      20           7/6     ___

weapon            sr    atk%    dam          par%     ap
Head Butt         8     55      1d6+1d6      -        -     ___
Work Maul         7     45      2d6+2+2d6    42       10    ___
Hoplite Shield    -     -       -            66       16    ___

Skils:  Conceal(22), Throw(38), Hide(44), Sneak(50), Ceremony(20), Craft Trap(29), Listen(25), Speak Satarite(15)

Spirit Magic:  Spirit Shield 2, Bludgeon 1, Spirit Binding(1), Countermagic 3, Befuddle(2), Healing 2

Armor:  Various scraps, 3pt Head

Items:  Obsidian Necklace(20L), Silver Belt Buckle(10L), power storing crystal (holds 4 POW)

Treasure:  51L, 13clacks, 44bolgs

Notes:
   Ugla has a spirit bound into his mace, Grizdlak, POW 9, knows Disruption(1).  Ugla likes to fight like a berserker, but if serverly wounded he will not hesitate to abandon his companions.
   Ugla particularly hates attractive male humans, and will single out an opponent with an APP of 15 or more if possible.  He will jeer and goad his opponent with how he's going to mess up that pretty face.  Oddly enough, he will not engage female opponents in melee unless they attack him first.
   Ugla's boasts about being Broo Warloard are full of hot air, but let the party worry about the imaginary horde of Broos that he claims are gathering in the hills for war.

I'll try to transcribe a few more when I have a little time.

 

[Adept]

What an embarrasment of a boss broo. He can't fight worth damn, nor did I spot any impressive chaos features that would explain his dominance. Loads of magic and no skills :/

By the way, where does a broo get a hoplite shield anyway?

 

[mthomason]

What an embarrasment of a boss broo. He can't fight worth damn, nor did I spot any impressive chaos features that would explain his dominance. Loads of magic and no skills :/

Which probably explains why he is "self-proclaimed" and leads an "imaginary horde"

 

[Adept]

What an embarrasment of a boss broo. He can't fight worth damn, nor did I spot any impressive chaos features that would explain his dominance. Loads of magic and no skills :/

Which probably explains why he is "self-proclaimed" and leads an "imaginary horde"

It sounds like he still bosses around a small gang. I guess the rest are even sorries specimens. At lest the boss is big and strong.

 

[GbajiTheDeceiver]

He's obviously intended to be your typical weak cowardly bully type. The Broos in Snakepipe Hollow - now, they were something else!

 

[Urox]

He's obviously intended to be your typical weak cowardly bully type. The Broos in Snakepipe Hollow - now, they were something else!

Correct. That write-up is from a followup adventure to Apple Lane, so it's not meant to be super-deadly. And yes, there are write-ups for the Broo band (who are supposed to be a semi-intelligent group that has wandered into Sarter, not your typical feral broo or localized chaos horror). Here's one of them -- again, how would adapt this the new rules?

Foob Crabclaw 
Broo and Malia initiate

STR 18           Move: 4 
CON 16           HP: 16       ___ 
SIZ 16           Fatigue: 34  ___ 
INT 9            MP: 9        ___ 
POW 9 
DEX 12 
APP 6 

area       missile     melee       ap/hp 
r leg       01-04      01-03        0/9     ___ 
l leg       05-08      04-06        0/9     ___ 
abdom       09-11      07-10        2/10    ___ 
chest       12         11-15        3/10    ___ 
r arm       13-17      16-18        8/8     ___ 
l arm       18         19           0/2     ___ 
head        19-20      20           7/9     ___ 

weapon            sr    atk%    dam          par%     ap 
Head Butt         8     44      1d6+1d4      -        -    ___ 
Giant Claw        7     45      1d8+d6       50       8    ___ 

Skills:  Speak Trade(5)

Spirit Magic:  Iron Hand 1

Chaos Features:  Right hand is a giant crab claw

Armor:  Various scraps, 3pt Head 

Items:  Gold Nose Ring(8L)

Treasure:  42clacks

Notes: 
   Foob has always had an easy life as a Broo due to the power of his chaotic feature.  Foob also carries the Shakes, increasing his status.  His claw is so large he can easily attack and parry with it in the same round.  His left arm is withered and useless.

 

[atgxtg]

Here is my attempt for converting Ugla Khan

Ugla Khan
self-proclaimed Broo Warlord of Dragon Pass and Thed Initiate

STR 18
CON 17
DEX 12
SIZ 18
INT 15
POW 14
CHA 8

01-03 R LEG 1/7_____
04-06 L LEG 3/7_____
07-09 ABDOMEN 4/8_____
10-12 CHEST 4/9_____
13-15 R ARM 3/6_____
16-18 L ARM 3/6_____
19-20 HEAD 5/7_____

Combat Actions: 2 Move 4m
Strrike Rank: +12(14)*

Weapon Skill Damage/AP
Head Butt 75% (52%) 1D6+1D6
Work Maul 65% (42%) 2D6+2+1D6/3
Hoplite Shield 86% (63%) 1D6+1D6/12

SKILLS: Language (Sartarite) 15%, Perception 45%, Sleight 42% (19%), Stealth 70% (47%), Throwing 58% (35%)
ADVANCED SKILLS: Mechanisms: 49%, Runecasting (Disorder) 61%, Runcasting (Magic) 81%, Runecasting (Metal) 56%, Runecasting (Spirit) 66%

INTEGRATED RUNES: Disorder*, Magic, Man, Metal, Spirit

RUNE SPELLS: Befuddle, Bludgeon 1, Countermagic 3, Countermagic Shield 3 , Spirit Binding (TBA), Sprit Shield 2(TBA)

MAGIC ITEMS: 4-point POW storing crystal, Bound Spirit in mace (Grizdlak POW 9 knows Dsiruption).

TREASURE: 51L, 13C, 44B, obsidian necklance (20L), silver belt buckle (10L)

 

[Urox]

Here is my attempt for converting Ugla Khan

That didn't look too hard.

A couple of questions:

What is the value(silvers) of those runes?

Can Spirits just "know" spells, or do they have to possess the Runes? I guess you would have to give it a RuneCasting skill too?

 

[mthomason]

What is the value(silvers) of those runes?

That's something specific to the Glorantha setting, so we're hoping it is in the Glorantha books (it isn't in the core rulebook for that reason)

 

[atgxtg]

Here is my attempt for converting Ugla Khan

That didn't look too hard.

I wasn't. I am sort of working up some coversion guidelines. Mostly in my head (lots of storage space) but they seem to work out roughly.

A couple of questions:

What is the value(silvers) of those runes?

Don't know for certain yet. The core book says that they can command very high prices. If I were trying to run a pre-Compainion and pre-Gloranthan book campaign I'd probably go with something like 100GP per spell the rune is used to cast, plus maybe another 25GP per spell the rune aids in casting. THat's just a guess through.

Can Spirits just "know" spells, or do they have to possess the Runes? I guess you would have to give it a RuneCasting skill too?

I suspect that Spritis probably won't know rune magic at all, but will instead know spirit magic. That seems more logical, but I just coverted it over as disrupt becuase we don'thave the companion rule yet.
If we let spirits know spells, then I would say they can know them without neededing runes duw to their nature, and give Grizdlak at 45% (POWx5%) Runecasting ability.

 

[Urox]

The core book says that [Runes] can command very high prices. If I were trying to run a pre-Compainion and pre-Gloranthan book campaign I'd probably go with something like 100GP per spell the rune is used to cast, plus maybe another 25GP per spell the rune aids in casting. THat's just a guess through.

GP? As in 20 Silver Pennies (a wheel)?

So you are talking almost 10,000 lunars worth of runes... an unheard of fortune for a second rate Broo...

I suspect that Spritis probably won't know rune magic at all, but will instead know spirit magic. That seems more logical, but I just coverted it over as disrupt becuase we don'thave the companion rule yet.

I wasn't aware there was going to be a separate spirit magic in the companion.

The more I think about it, the more I want to scrap the physical runes -- I think the affinity system can still work, but affinity needs to come from a Cult, Spirit or mystical event.

 

[Lorgryt]

By the way, where does a broo get a hoplite shield anyway?

Off a dead Lunar... duh!

 

[atgxtg]

The core book says that [Runes] can command very high prices. If I were trying to run a pre-Compainion and pre-Gloranthan book campaign I'd probably go with something like 100GP per spell the rune is used to cast, plus maybe another 25GP per spell the rune aids in casting. THat's just a guess through.

GP? As in 20 Silver Pennies (a wheel)?

So you are talking almost 10,000 lunars worth of runes... an unheard of fortune for a second rate Broo...

I suspect that Spritis probably won't know rune magic at all, but will instead know spirit magic. That seems more logical, but I just coverted it over as disrupt becuase we don'thave the companion rule yet.

I wasn't aware there was going to be a separate spirit magic in the companion.

The more I think about it, the more I want to scrap the physical runes -- I think the affinity system can still work, but affinity needs to come from a Cult, Spirit or mystical event.

I was orginally thinking of using the old focii rules. THe rune would cost 1/3rd the price of the spell.The problem is that in MRQ once you have the rune you can learn any magnitude.

I went with the cost based upon the high proices of POW crstyal in MRQ. Bascially it is about the same cost as a POW crystal.

Keep in mind that MRQ is using RQ2 scores with RQ3 prices. So a full suit of plate costs 9,000 SP, much more than in RQ2.

In RQ2 terms, that 10,000 Lunar would probably be 1,000 Lunars.

If you were to ditch the rune integration (and benefits) and go back to leaning a spelll and carrying a focus the old 1/3rd rule it woul still work.

Also the "quest for runes" aspect of the game would suggest that the character would probablyonly have 1 or 2 runes and know fewer spells.

 

[soltakss]

In my current campaign Runes cost 1000L at an open market and 500L for cult runes sold to an initiate of the cult. Spells cost the same.

Most of my PCs have found about half their runes and bought the other half. They can find cult runes, or have a chance to, when attending worship ceremonies on Holy Days/High Holy Days.

Conversion of the NPC is good, but why have the skills increased massively? I'd have kept the head armour as well, broos should have thick skulls.

Keeping the POW Storage Crystal and Bound Spirit is good as well. That sort of thing should be kept common for all versions of RQ.

 

[zanshin]

In my current campaign Runes cost 1000L at an open market and 500L for cult runes sold to an initiate of the cult. Spells cost the same.

Most of my PCs have found about half their runes and bought the other half. They can find cult runes, or have a chance to, when attending worship ceremonies on Holy Days/High Holy Days.

Wow, your campaign has moved quickly! Or were you a playtester? Or had you come up with the idea of Runes (used in this way) independently?

Just impressed that your campaign is up and running so fast - I am still at the creating characters stage with my guys, but waiting on the companion for the sorcery rules as one of them is a sorcerer.

I have decided that the Runes of your god can be acquired as tattoos/marks that are on your skin , and are not useable by others. This will both make it easier to acquire cult relevant runes and stop rune inflation from the corpses of the players victims.

I think that persistence integration would keep down the prices down - just because you acquire a rune doesnt mean you can use it. I will be looking at 100 silver to 500 silver depending on the rune, with lesser resale value for the players (and an expectation that any runes they cant use they would be encouraged to hand on to their cults). I dont want rampant price inflation with thousands of coins being carried around. If a plate suit costs 10,000 silver , yes its going to be a long time before my players acquire it.

Small side note , Lunars not really the correct term for silver coins in a second age game Would be nice if we do have a culturally general term though - my cold wind movement players in my RQ2 campaign take great pride in not using the term Lunars for any silver coins they come across.

 

[atgxtg]

Small side note , Lunars not really the correct term for silver coins in a second age game Would be nice if we do have a culturally general term though - my cold wind movement players in my RQ2 campaign take great pride in not using the term Lunars for any silver coins they come across.

How about EWF Silver Dragons?

 

[kustenjaeger]

I was orginally thinking of using the old focii rules. THe rune would cost 1/3rd the price of the spell.The problem is that in MRQ once you have the rune you can learn any magnitude.

...

If you were to ditch the rune integration (and benefits) and go back to leaning a spelll and carrying a focus the old 1/3rd rule it woul still work.

Also the "quest for runes" aspect of the game would suggest that the character would probablyonly have 1 or 2 runes and know fewer spells.

I had thought of a hybrid system. The focii are more or less one use and only work for, say, Magnitude 1-2 - basically painted onto or carved into an object. You need skill in the relevant rune to cast a spell but the spells are pretty available. For higher magnitude spells you need a 'true rune' a la MRQ but as well as integration this provides a casting benefit - maybe POW x 5?

Regards

 

[zanshin]

How about EWF Silver Dragons?

I like it - Silver or Gold Dragons - definitely better than pennies (dull)