[DELUXE RQ] Things We'd Like to See

[Rurik]

Deluxe RQ is going to be the three core books combined. I know there is no major reworking going on, but assume sections are going to be consolidated (all character creations rules from core and companion together in one section, etc).

I'm not looking for Major changes here, just little things that will make the product better and more useful. I think this an opportunity to really make the game more accessible to more gamers and leave a good impression where the initial printings may not have.

Here are 3 to Start:

1) Include Professions such as Initiate and Sorcerers Apprentice with starting skills for Divine Magic and Sorcery. As it stands none of the professions - even in the Companion, have access to these types of Magic.

2) Give a table of Rune Spells by Rune and Divine Spells by Cult Type (Earth, War, etc) for reference. I spent a lot of time hunting through spell descriptions to see what spells were available to a given character before coming up with my own reference table.

3) Please, Please, Please make the example match the rules in the book. If the Players Update changes to Combat, Spellcasting, and Opposed Rolls go into Deluxe RQ make sure the examples match the rules changes.

That's all I've got so far - any others?

 

[Zipp Dementia]

I'd like a clearer defenition of reach rules. If all close range weapons strike a square one metre away, put it down. It's helpful for those who have never RPGed before.

Examples of some of the more complex combat actions would be nice, too. The example of combat given is very helpful, but I'd also like to see examples that highlight uses of grappling, delay, flurry...

 

[JohnLokiBeard]

Put the stats and information for a creature on one page, one page per creature.

Add a SIZ = weight/height table. Visualising relative SIZ is just too abstract and nebulous [is SIZ 26 troll twice as massive as SIZ 13 human, or twice as big in 3 dimensions so 8 times as massive, or in fact is there a straightforward mathematical relationship at all?]; even D&D's very loose Size Category is more useful to get an idea of how big/small things are. And the entries on Giants and Elementals just make this even messier by dragging in proper measurements.

 

[weasel_fierce]

maybe this is one for the GM guide, but aging rules would be nice.

 

[Rurik]

maybe this is one for the GM guide, but aging rules would be nice.

I thought they were looking for a fresh new 'modern' feel. We already have an aging ruleset with RQ2/3.

Sorry - I'll stop now.

 

[CharlieMonster]

Properly Attached Core, so the pages dont fall out of the book when I open it (unlike my Uz book)

 

[weasel_fierce]

maybe this is one for the GM guide, but aging rules would be nice.

I thought they were looking for a fresh new 'modern' feel. We already have an aging ruleset with RQ2/3.

Sorry - I'll stop now.

Maybe a sample combat where Rurik the trollkin gets eaten by a dinosaur ?

I mean, along with a proper combat example of course

 

[atgxtg]

3) Please, Please, Please make the example match the rules in the book. If the Players Update changes to Combat, Spellcasting, and Opposed Rolls go into Deluxe RQ make sure the examples match the rules changes.

THe signle most important improvment ,IMO. Either have the examples match the rules, or save some space and just cut the examples from the book.

It is hard to present MRQ is a favorable light when you have to explain that:

1) The guy who ran the offical playtest did it the "wrong" way.

2) THe examples in the book are "wrong"

3) The "right" way to run the rules as presented in the forums is no longer to be used, but instead download the revised players guide pdf from the website.

I've been running RQ for over a quater century, and I'm confused about the rules. For a newbie, it is now very hard to learn, since they can't learn the rules from the rule book.

So yeah, I think #3 is the most important thing to see in a Deluxe Edition.

 

[Sinisalo]

Please, please, please...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LET INITIATES HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR RUNE MAGIC WITHOUT HAVING TO FIND A RUNE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...pretty please

 

[RosenMcStern]

Initiates now have access to Divine Magic without the permanent sacrifice of POW. This is enough of an advantage, IMO. Besides, if you belong to a shamanic cult, you need no rune. This is much better than RQ3, believe me.

Priests, on the other hand.....

 

[Sinisalo]

Initiates now have access to Divine Magic without the permanent sacrifice of POW. This is enough of an advantage, IMO.

Now my initiates have no access to the common or garden "cantrips" that nearly all Gloranthans use (excepting the soulless from the west of course).

Besides, if you belong to a shamanic cult, you need no rune. This is much better than RQ3, believe me.

It might be but its not as good as HeroQuest which apart from the cerebral mechanics is the benchmark for modelling Gloranthan culture.

Runes may be neat but they're not Gloranthan. If you want to have a game where young lads can max themselves out on cool foreign magics then fine have them, just make sure you allow cultists to have access to those little spells their culture allows them (ie, the Rune magics listed with their cult).

Priests, on the other hand.....

Priests with 21 POW and 10 points of Divine magic now have 11 usable points of POW

I feel sorry for Mongoose. They were asked to spruce up a nerdy fantasy roleplaying game played by 15 year olds and find themselves moaned at by blokes in beards in their late 30s discussing seriously a place that doesnt exist.

 

[RosenMcStern]

Initiates now have access to Divine Magic without the permanent sacrifice of POW. This is enough of an advantage, IMO.

Now my initiates have no access to the common or garden "cantrips" that nearly all Gloranthans use (excepting the soulless from the west of course).

Use Folk Magic for this. I would rather stick with 4-5 pts. of Divine Magic and one Rune per initiate, though. Worse than RQ3 but still playable.

Besides, if you belong to a shamanic cult, you need no rune. This is much better than RQ3, believe me.

It might be but its not as good as HeroQuest which apart from the cerebral mechanics is the benchmark for modelling Gloranthan culture.

Please note that people on the WoG list are still asking Greg for explanations about what and why theistic initiates/devotees can do with their "common" magic. So do not take this example for given.

Runes may be neat but they're not Gloranthan.

May I quote this? And perhaps inscribe this in marble? How correct you are...

Priests with 21 POW and 10 points of Divine magic now have 11 usable points of POW

Quite a step back, huh? Needs amending.

I feel sorry for Mongoose. They were asked to spruce up a nerdy fantasy roleplaying game played by 15 year olds and find themselves moaned at by blokes in beards in their late 30s discussing seriously a place that doesnt exist.

I wish I were still in my late 30s...

But do not lose faith. The system needs tuning but it is still a good one. Wish AH RuneQuest had been so!

 

[weasel_fierce]

Folk magic does indeed cover the Heroquest style of magic quite perfectly.

 

[Sinisalo]

Runes may be neat but they're not Gloranthan.

May I quote this? And perhaps inscribe this in marble? How correct you are...

Sorry, I should have said "in my opinion".

What I meant to say is that runes are fine if you must have them to interest the kids. You know, collecting stuff and power maxing. Fine.

All you have to do to make me happy (and I expect others of my generation) is to put in one paragraph into the new book along the lines of this:

Initiates of a cult (or higher) have access to their cult rune spells without having to own a physical rune. This is because their worship of their god has in effect integrated their souls with the spiritual runes that define their god. Instead of using their runecasting(rune) skill they use their theology(god) skill to cast those rune spells. Treat all references to the runecasting skill in these cases as being in fact theology skill. Initiates do not gain the associated rune powers but must quest to find runes to gain those powers.

Now you can have the spells that you should have yet still encourage the collecting of runes.

There. Easy. Job done - everyone happy!

 

[Nickbergquist]

Runes may be neat but they're not Gloranthan.

May I quote this? And perhaps inscribe this in marble? How correct you are...

Sorry, I should have said "in my opinion".

What I meant to say is that runes are fine if you must have them to interest the kids. You know, collecting stuff and power maxing. Fine.

All you have to do to make me happy (and I expect others of my generation) is to put in one paragraph into the new book along the lines of this:

Initiates of a cult (or higher) have access to their cult rune spells without having to own a physical rune. This is because their worship of their god has in effect integrated their souls with the spiritual runes that define their god. Instead of using their runecasting(rune) skill they use their theology(god) skill to cast those rune spells. Treat all references to the runecasting skill in these cases as being in fact theology skill. Initiates do not gain the associated rune powers but must quest to find runes to gain those powers.

Now you can have the spells that you should have yet still encourage the collecting of runes.

There. Easy. Job done - everyone happy!

I think you just did....

Actually, that's a good idea. Maybe they'll address how to modify or completely alter magic systems in the upcoming spellbook. I like the rune system....I don't see a correlation between kids wanting to collect and the need for runes, actually.....quite the opposite, I think kids would ratehr just have it all without having to justify their powers through the lengthy and power-consuming process of becoming integrated, then finding a source of spells and doing the downtime research to learn them. As such, I think you method would actually be easier (lazier, heh!)....which is a cross-generational thing...

In my own campaign, which I adapted over to RQ, spell books, fetishes and talismans (such as ancestral skulls) are etched with the necessary words of power to activate spells. Runes are a part of the magic, but I allow runecasters to find the necessary mnemonic mantras to attune themselves to specific runes....and the process of integrating it is how the rune becomes part of whatever topical matter the sorcerer uses to cast magic (be it a book, skull, staff or his own skin).

 

[zanshin]

Initiates of a cult (or higher) have access to their cult rune spells without having to own a physical rune. This is because their worship of their god has in effect integrated their souls with the spiritual runes that define their god. Instead of using their runecasting(rune) skill they use their theology(god) skill to cast those rune spells. Treat all references to the runecasting skill in these cases as being in fact theology skill. Initiates do not gain the associated rune powers but must quest to find runes to gain those powers

I already house ruled that the cult runes are freely available to initiates in the form of rune tatoos. The costs (1pt POW etc) and benefits of attunement still apply.

Using the theology skill for those is a really good idea. Nicked it thanks!

 

[Zipp Dementia]

Some decent travel rules. One thing I liked in the LWRPG was that there was a nice big table for showing how much different vessels could move in a day at different speeds.

The Companion has a lot of ship information, much appreciated (naval stuff is often glossed over in RPGs) but absolutely no info on basic vessels like carraiges and horse back. At least, none that I could find.

 

[Sinisalo]

I already house ruled that the cult runes are freely available to initiates in the form of rune tatoos. The costs (1pt POW etc) and benefits of attunement still apply.

Using the theology skill for those is a really good idea. Nicked it thanks!

Yeah a lot of people have. Wouldn't it be nice if it was actually in the rule book, though?

Oh, and I nicked it as well of this very forum. I just wanted to show the powers that be how easy it would be to make this workable.

 

[weasel_fierce]

By workable you mean "like in Runequest 3"

 

[Sinisalo]

By workable you mean "like in Runequest 3"

No workable as in incorporating everything that has been discovered in the 20 years since then.