Glorantha books useful to Non-Gloranthites?

[Nickbergquist]

Okay, an odd question: while I admire the Glorantha setting, I do not use published campaigns for the most part, and have only purchased the core Glorantha book. I found it a good read, but ultimately limited in content I could use outside of Glorantha proper (no surprise there). I've been eyeballing Magic of Glorantha and both of the Cults of Glorantha, but am uncertain if they merit a purchase for anything more than a collector's sensibilities. Could those who own the books let me know if there are enough new goodies, especially spells and magic, in these books that can be ported to non-Glorantha settings to make them worth getting?

I'd check them out at my FLGS but they do not order anything other than WOTC without preorders (so no browser copies without a buy-in, alas).

 

[Rurik]

I would say Magic and Cults 2 are the most useful in that they both contain new magic systems.

Magic of Glorantha has Draconic Mysticism, and a God Learner take on Sorcery (as in a bit more powerful). The Mysticism is very cool, and the first truly new magic system published for RQ since RQ3 (the others are all takes on previously systems). It of course has a leaning towards things Draconic, which narrows it's use outside of draconic stuff. It also has the god learner Mecha-magics, kind of sorcery powered cybernetics if you will.

Cults 2 has Shamanism, and the all important summoning rules. Spirit Magic spells are all pretty analogous to Rune Magic spells, but are implemented through summoning spirits and defeating them/binding them etc. There is a healty dose of new Spirit/Rune spells and Sorcery spells.

Cults 1 does not offer any new magic rules per se, but does have a chunk of new divine spells.

They are all good reads and full of ideas more than fit for plunder.

 

[Nickbergquist]

Aww, crud! You just used all the key words that now require me to pick up all three books: draconic, shamanism, spirit magic, summoning, new divine spells, powerful sorcery.....etc etc. :shock:

Thanks for filling me in, though! Guess I'll be buying the lot.

 

[Exubae]

Magic of Glorantha has Draconic Mysticism, and a God Learner take on Sorcery (as in a bit more powerful)....
....Cults 2 has Shamanism, and the all important summoning rules.

It would be cool to have Shamanism in the core rules (and summoning) as it application to other settings would be cool.
The Shamanism rules are the one of the best enhancements to MRQ.

Draconic Mysticism is a little more restrictive in its re-application (too tied to Glorantha)... be nice to have a human'o'centric Paths to Enlightenments / Mysticism in the core rules/SRD. Would be wicked for a martial arts based game...

Hopefully when Mongoose get round to printing the Second edition they will have them in the core rules.

 

[Kagan Altar]

Glorantha books are great fun to read Nick, and I found them to be great inspirations for homebrew settings for well... decades, actually. My first RPG tabletop game ever was an AD&D 1st ed. game a parent ran for me set in Hommlet (i.e. T1-4: Temple of Elemental Evil) and using Cults of Glorantha (like Orlanth and Yelm, to just name two).

So yes, beyond the rules, you can certainly get some use for Glorantha books in non-Glorantha games.

 

[AKAramis]

Players Guide to Glorantha provides racial backgrounds for many major races, as well as some new professions by race.