Character creation help. Noob to legend.

[General Buttnaked]

Hey, glad to be here. I picked up Legend and the Viking Legend book today to introduce to my group sometime in the future.

I was creating an npc using the core book and hit a snag. As I was assigning a profession I read "If the profession duplicates an advanced skill...then the adventurer gets a +10% bonus to it."

Can I apply that same bonus to a combat style or is it only applicable to advanced skills, as written?

Also, My campaign I've envisioned would be a low magic, gritty setting ala the Joe Abercrombie books (The Blade Itself, etc). Are there any RQ books That could be suggested to add some background feel for a setting like this?

Thanks

 

[ThatGuy]

First of all, Joe Abercrombie's stuff is INCREDIBLE.

"Best Served Cold" and "The Heroes" were some of the best reads I've had in a loooong time.

For that world, you may have the best books. Vikings is great (even just as a read), and without a lot of "monsters" you won't much need the monsters book.

I might suggest the "Arms of Legend" as it gives some nice breadth to the weapons selection as well as some cool ways to enhance weapons without necessarily making a "+2 longsword"... This is the kind of stuff that a lot of players really like.

But, other than that, I would say you are good.

If you wanted to simulate the big, sweeping wars that take place in Abercrombie's books you could go for "Empires," but it's a certain type of game that requires players that like big country war strategy stuff (though there are some other cool things in empires, don't get me wrong).

I would also say- check out the S&P issues. There is some cool stuff that might work for adventures and other aspects of a potential game, so rummaging through that stuff might turn up something worthwhile. There is a list of that stuff in the sticky.

Happy gaming. Sounds like my type of game, honestly. Legend should be a perfect match for it.

 

[Prime_Evil]

Legend does the style of "gritty low fantasy" associated with Joe Abercrombie's work better than almost any other game on the market. I agree that you might get some value out of Arms of Legend. You probably don't want to use many supernatural creatures, so you might not get much use out of Monsters of Legend.

 

[alex_greene]

If the RAW state that the adventurer gets a +10% bonus, go for it. Perhaps in your setting and culture combat styles are an Advanced Skill taught only to professional militaries, law enforcement, mercenaries and adventurers. Even if you don't consider them an advanced skill, if there is duplication feel free to just grant them the +10% anyway.

And don't worry. A lot of people here are old hands at RuneQuest, but everybody's a Legend noob.

I'll join in the chorus praising Arms of Legend, too. The equipment lists, armour, weapons, rules on trade and barter, extended crafting (and other) tasks, transport and vehicles, ships and seafaring vessels, beasts and cohorts and rules and costs of hirelings make Arms of Legend one of the best "gear book" supplements I have seen, even before getting to the magic bit, the enchantment and alchemy sections.

 

[Prime_Evil]

I do think that the warfare rules from the MRQ II Empires book might be useful to you if you want to simulate large-scale military action.

 

[jux]

You just sold me Joe Abercrombie. I thought there are no other writers besides GRRM who can write so engaging stories, but as I have read opinions about Joe Abercrombie, for some he is even better.

 

[General Buttnaked]

Thanks for the replies. I will definitely pick up the arms book. Since I'm not planning on large scale warfare I'll skip the Empires book until the campaign starts rolling.

 

[General Buttnaked]

You just sold me Joe Abercrombie. I thought there are no other writers besides GRRM who can write so engaging stories, but as I have read opinions about Joe Abercrombie, for some he is even better.

Abercrombie is different than GRRM. His stories are gritty compact and character driven. His style is very different but an extremely fun read.

 

[DamonJynx]

Combat Styles are Advanced Skills and can be bought like any other. The 10% bonus applies if you have the same CS from Culture & profession; Barbarian/Mercenaries are a prime example of where this would apply and are also prevalent in the books I believe.

I started reading Joe's first book, but never got it finished so I'm not sure about magic and stuff. I would hazard a guess that you could have a look at the Elric rules and possibly use a variant of Rune magic, which is definitely a low-magic, S&S style. Coupled with Spirit Magic I reckon that would be all that's required. Unless of course the evil bastards do a lot of sacrificing in which case Arcania of Legend: Blood Magic may also prove useful.