First thoughts on Rulebook

Ravage

Mongoose
Ok, grabbed it at the weekend at Continuum and spent today reading it whilst recovering for liver excesses :?

Its clear, laid out ok, I only noticed 1 or 2 typos, most things had examples - particualrlly useful was the 2-page combat example just to confirm every you'd read already...

Combat changes seemed fairly reasonable, like attack and parry being one skill, number of actions and reactions per round ok, strike ranks/starting order seemed reasonable...

Game feels very RQ'y to me so at least we know it really isnt that far removed and definately convertable to.

Ommssions?
Rulebook should have had a section on player death. Yes the damage section does cover it, but really a repeast stating how a character can die is fairly important I reckon...

Basically negative HP in Abdomen, Chest or Head to same number as positive is considered serious/major wound and your about to go out... There are rules for resistance and lack of healding after CON+POW rounds will die of blood-loss or stress... So therefore, the way I read it, the Game doesnt seem to handle multiple major locations in the negatives. I knida dont mind losing general hit points, but really the rules should have considered the effects of multiple negatives to critical locations... I dunno... like total negatives if more than chest starting HP = dead. (i.e chest location at 8 hp starting mean s a abdomen at -5 and a chest at -4 is 1 point over and therefore terminal mate). Oh... hilariously the book does cover losing multiple limbs!

Book has a very small selection of creatures covered all to breifly but frankly I dont mind waiting for a monster book/monsters of Glorantha book, but perhaps seeing EWF is so important the dragonewt whilst mentioned in magic isnt included yet full-on dragon is...

Oh magic isn't as zippy as RQ2/3 so really casting in mid-battle might not be achievable unless your prepared for a free-attack! Perhaps good, I dunno... Each spell covers stackability and effects quite nicely and wouldnt leave to too many ambiguties.

Fatigues nicely simplified, but really to a point that it doesnt really get involved in combat situations... Having mucked about with swords and stuff the fatigue being CON minutes perhaps should have been in blocks of CON rounds, or even better CON minus ENC....

Won't talka bout experience too much as I see a major thread is already going on about it... I noticed that the rules dont cover expanding a skill over 100%, so can only presume a role of 96-00 covers that....

Oh, skills over 100% worked nicely for me, with a neat dividing rules system... Basically you halves skills for both opponents. If one skill over 100% still, half both skills again. and repeat till both under 100% then roll. No talk of multiple targets though...

Otherwise, system seems quite playable, simple charcater generation much simplified but sensible compared to endless rq3 tables, pick a culture and a previosu occupation and base extra skill points from there onwards... Really reminds me of the Games workshop RQ3 publication in look and feel and depth...

Does leave allot to be covered in the companion for extra rules which might cover what I thinks missing from above, but do feel I'd rather purchase yet another copy combined and this one being a players rulebook version.

Hope that from a RQ1 onwards vet helps!
 
Thank you for the short review.

Unfortunately, it only confirms my suspicion that the hit point system used is very much how I modified a RQ-like BRP game many years ago, and which in my experience resulted in the "punching bag syndrom", where players where happy when multiple hits struck legs and arms, because their character would not die from such injuries.
 
Ravage said:
Rulebook should have had a section on player death.
:D :D Yes, too few rulebooks have advice on what to do when a player dies.:D :D

I have created a handy reference card to clear things up:
1) If you are there when a player dies, call 911, or other applicable emergency service numbers for your region. Have these numbers handy before you start playing, it can save vital seconds. If you are trained in CPR, begin performing CPR immediately, and direct someone else to use the phone.
2) If you are not there when a player dies, then begin to phrase your condolences, and dust off your suit. Phone the family and ask if there is anything you can do to help in what is obviously a very trying time for them. Remember, his family may not be gamers. A reminiscence of the time his character slew three walktapi all by himself may seem like a fitting memorial, but may cause the family additional undue stress.

Doug. :p
 
Archer said:
Thank you for the short review.

Unfortunately, it only confirms my suspicion that the hit point system used is very much how I modified a RQ-like BRP game many years ago, and which in my experience resulted in the "punching bag syndrom", where players where happy when multiple hits struck legs and arms, because their character would not die from such injuries.

Not really. The rules state that "If the location (limbs) does not recover within a number of Combat Rounds equal to the character’s CON+POW, the character dies from blood loss and shock."

Hyrum.
 
I'm not sure if I agree with waiwode on his referece card.

Chances are if someone died at the gaming table it is because someone else throttled them out of frsutration. The reference card should give advice of how to desposse of the body, gid rid of evidence, and a chart for rolling up good alibi.

Come to think of it, Mongoose could make a killing ( :D ) by putting a phone number to contact for "addtional support".
 
HyrumOWC said:
Archer said:
Thank you for the short review.

Unfortunately, it only confirms my suspicion that the hit point system used is very much how I modified a RQ-like BRP game many years ago, and which in my experience resulted in the "punching bag syndrom", where players where happy when multiple hits struck legs and arms, because their character would not die from such injuries.

Not really. The rules state that "If the location (limbs) does not recover within a number of Combat Rounds equal to the character’s CON+POW, the character dies from blood loss and shock."

Hyrum.

this means you have in average 21 turns if you are at -5 with your left arm untill you die?

Sounds like RQ for me. Desperately running around one the battlefield with just one arm and looking for a medic. :)
 
HyrumOWC said:
Archer said:
Thank you for the short review.

Unfortunately, it only confirms my suspicion that the hit point system used is very much how I modified a RQ-like BRP game many years ago, and which in my experience resulted in the "punching bag syndrom", where players where happy when multiple hits struck legs and arms, because their character would not die from such injuries.

Not really. The rules state that "If the location (limbs) does not recover within a number of Combat Rounds equal to the character’s CON+POW, the character dies from blood loss and shock."

Hyrum.

Sweet!
 
Archer said:
HyrumOWC said:
Archer said:
Thank you for the short review.

Unfortunately, it only confirms my suspicion that the hit point system used is very much how I modified a RQ-like BRP game many years ago, and which in my experience resulted in the "punching bag syndrom", where players where happy when multiple hits struck legs and arms, because their character would not die from such injuries.

Not really. The rules state that "If the location (limbs) does not recover within a number of Combat Rounds equal to the character’s CON+POW, the character dies from blood loss and shock."

Hyrum.

Sweet!

All we need now are the infection rules from Harn Master 1st Ed. and we're golden! ;)

Hyrum.
 
HyrumOWC said:
All we need now are the infection rules from Harn Master 1st Ed. and we're golden! ;)

Hyrum.
Ick! Another player's and my characters just fought off Harn3e infections this weekend. (I was pretty good, one day at H5 and then H6 and I was clear, but he was H4 - H3 - H4 - H5 - H4 - H5 - and H6 to be clear).

Doug.
 
A question. I just read the intro scenario in S&P and noticed something I was not expecting in the npc descriptions, and I was wondering if you could clarify? The weapon lines read as follows: 'Dagger +24, 36%, 1D4+1'. What is the '+24' for?
 
andakitty said:
A question. I just read the intro scenario in S&P and noticed something I was not expecting in the npc descriptions, and I was wondering if you could clarify? The weapon lines read as follows: 'Dagger +24, 36%, 1D4+1'. What is the '+24' for?

Strike Rank modifier, maybe? (bearing in mind I'm new to RQ so apologies if I'm a mile out with this guess)
 
Yes, probably. I had forgotten that bit, not to mention I'm not dealing with a BRP variation, really. Thanks. :)

When I first saw it I was having visions of D20, and it scared me, pant, pant. :roll:
 
andakitty said:
When I first saw it I was having visions of D20, and it scared me, pant, pant. :roll:

LOL

Yup, many's the game I've had where the Dagger +24 got discovered after killing something that strangely wasn't using it to fight back with... :)
 
It does seem high for strike rank, though. Our sample character had a +13. I suppose there is another factor, then? Otherwise I can't think of anything else the '+24' could be. :?
 
Well, you both are right. :)

It IS Strike Rank Modifier, AND it does not calculate!

Basically, I was working with a pre-edited version of the RuneQuest main rulebook when I wrote Raven in the Roost...so the Strike Rank system has been modified dramatically from the version I was working with.

All you need to do is add the characters' INT + DEX and cut the result in half...that is the proper Strike Rank Modifier. Just roll a d10 and add the SR Mod, that makes the order of combat actions for that round.

Sorry for any screwiness...but I hope that helps. :)

-Bry[/b]
 
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