I have the core rules

[J.T.]

Let me start by saying I came into roleplaying many many years ago by playing Runequest and have a love of the game, setting and system. I thus went out today and bought the new rules.

What i state next is my own opinion and not intended to start a flame war with anyone.

I have two main problems with the rules after reading the book, I'll rephrase that I have two problems with the book, I find the rules solid and have no problems with the content at all.

1) i understand why Mongoose separated the rules into the core book and the companion, to make money, hats off to them if i was running a business I'd do the same. My first concern is that the rules are now not complete without the two books so really this isn't a core rule book. it gives the basic rules for the full system and thus I feel is not complete without the second book. I'd have still handed over the money if both had been combined and the price had been encreases to reflect this.

2) The book just doesn't give me that runequest feel I have with the old systems. I can't put my finger on it. It could be the art or the lack of background information I'm not sure.


So there you have it I love the contents but wish the companion and core rules were one book and would have loved it if the old feel had been kept.

I will be buying the other books in the series and will probably run it when I have the three main books (including the settings book) but I still feel a bit let down at a game that is good but could have been great straight of the bat.

I also hope Mongoose continue to produce stuff for this great old legend of a game and not let it go off the boil in a18 months or so as has happened in the past.

J.T.

 

[Greg Smith]

1) i understand why Mongoose separated the rules into the core book and the companion, to make money, hats off to them if i was running a business I'd do the same. My first concern is that the rules are now not complete without the two books so really this isn't a core rule book. it gives the basic rules for the full system and thus I feel is not complete without the second book. I'd have still handed over the money if both had been combined and the price had been encreases to reflect this.

What is in the Companion that is essential? ie that you feel is missing from the main rules?

 

[Urox]

What is in the Companion that is essential? ie that you feel is missing from the main rules?

I suspect he may be referring to some of the more Gloranthan mechanics, especially Cults and Divine Magic, which IIRC, are in the MQ Companion.

The book just doesn't give me that runequest feel I have with the old systems. I can't put my finger on it. It could be the art or the lack of background information I'm not sure.

That's the vibe I got from the MQ previews. Then again, I'm a curmudgeon and there are parts of RQ3 I don't consider RQ!

 

[Halfbat]

That's the vibe I got from the MQ previews. Then again, I'm a curmudgeon and there are parts of RQ3 I don't consider RQ!

Me neither... a sad time.

The book just doesn't give me that runequest feel I have with the old systems. I can't put my finger on it. It could be the art or the lack of background information I'm not sure.

It might just be the art and teh extraction of Glorantha/Cults as the rest of it sure feels like RQ to me (and I'm a RQ1,2,2.5 and 3 player), perhaps even _more_ RQ-like (if you see what I mean ). Everything being skills based: fantastic! Integrating Runes: a great idea to limit or control magic in whatever setting you wish. The Backgrounds: wonderfully representative and non-Glorantha.

The core rules, by themselves, give a great game. The Companion isn't needed. It seems a fair split to me. ::shrugs::

 

[H]

with regard to the seperate books, if you cast your mind back, Games workshop did exactly the same, the core rules, and the Advanced rules. The only difference is the publisher isn't quite as evil as games workshop.. oh, and it was re-named companion instead of advanced.

Having played a game today, apart from the lack of the Strike rank system, I thought it felt pretty runequesty

 

[MightyCthulhu]

I picked up my copy of the rules yesterday. I am new to RQ. I have been playing CoC for years and a few years back a friend of mine ran a Middle Earth game with an old version of RQ (2nd? 3rd?) and a few house rules.

I had a great tim ein that game and liked hte system, so that is why I bought MRW.

I plan to run a game but NOT Glorantha. If Lankhmar is ready in time then that will be my choice otherwise it will be Lord of the Rings, Conan, or some home spun dark ages or anchient fantasy.

I'm not finished read in the book but so far I really like what I see.

 

[Greg Smith]

So the Companion has Glorantha oriented rules. And as such wouldn't be essential for Lankmar?

 

[Rurik]

So the Companion has Glorantha oriented rules. And as such wouldn't be essential for Lankmar?

There is a good summary of what is in the companion in another thread.

It looks like much, but not all, is Glorantha specific. There is info on ships, downtime, and a new skill. Much of it is Magic/Enchanting/Spirit combat which may not be necessary for Lankhmar - maybe you can get by with the SRD.

The companion seems pretty much required for Glorantha.

 

[CharlieMonster]

I get the impression that the RQ core rules is pretty much all you need to play the game, but that the companion is pretty much essential to run the game. On a campaign level anyhoo. In concept it does feel very much like the "Basic" book released by GW. That said running a low magic campaign should be pretty easy with just the core rules.

I rather suspect that the lack of Spirit stuff is a large part of why some people feel that "it ain't very RQ." Though I do feel it is very RQ, in fact it feels more of a successor to RQ2 than RQ3 did to me.

Although a Glorantha die-hard I actually think I may run a non-Gloranthan game with it. Possibly something loosely based on Albion, from the Fable computer game. Complete with the daft accents, of course!

 

[GbajiTheDeceiver]

My feeling is that the core rules will get you by for one-offs, but the Companion is really needed for a campaign. I'd say that once the Cults get bolted on, it'll start to feel a lot more like RQ2 (I agree with your comment on RQ3).

It doesn't make sense to me if the extra magic systems in the Companion are pure Gloranthan, as there is also a Cults Book and a Magic of Glorantha.

 

[Enpeze]

My feeling is that the core rules will get you by for one-offs, but the Companion is really needed for a campaign. I'd say that once the Cults get bolted on, it'll start to feel a lot more like RQ2 (I agree with your comment on RQ3).

It doesn't make sense to me if the extra magic systems in the Companion are pure Gloranthan, as there is also a Cults Book and a Magic of Glorantha.

I think the magic in basic and companion books is usable for Glorantha as well as the usual homebrewn fantasy game. Adapted variants of it will maybe used in Lankhmar or other "official settings".

Magic of Glorantha will describe the powerful 2nd magic of Godlearners and EWF. While I am not that into Glorantha, I am really curious how Mongoose interpretes this mighty magic. So a absolute must-buy for me.

 

[Mark Mohrfield]

2) The book just doesn't give me that runequest feel I have with the old systems. I can't put my finger on it.

I think that part is known as "nostalgia."

 

[J.T.]

Perhaps you are right, perhaps it is a bit of "nostalgia."

Its the whole Glorantha feel that I find missing from the main rules.

I also agree that the core book would be good for one offs but the companion would be needed for a continued campaign (i have most of the old Glorantha background material so not too interested in the new Glorantha book but will pick it up to make the game complete).

My one big bugbear in the book is the lack of rules for playing other races, this was one of the main things that made Runquest, Runequest for me with how they all interacted with each other.

All that aside I still think what is there is a great set of rules and hope this new Runequest can continue the legacy of past editions.

J.T.

 

[CharlieMonster]

My one big bugbear in the book is the lack of rules for playing other races, this was one of the main things that made Runquest, Runequest for me with how they all interacted with each other.

But RQ never had bugbears! :lol:

Seriously though, I think the beauty of MRQ is that Char Gen is so simple that you can easily run a monster pc using basic human prev experience for now. I already have a few NPCs and a Dark Troll PC (if I can find a GM to run with) on that basis. As I understand it, full-on non-human char gen is going into the Monsters book.

 

[J.T.]

That's a real shame if you can't play non-humans until you get the monster book I was hoping these rules would be in the companion.

So when is the monster book scheduled to be out?

J.T.

 

[CharlieMonster]

So when is the monster book scheduled to be out?

September 4th, about 4 weeks, same time as G2A, oh well, I guess september's gonna be an expensive month.

But I will have shiny things, shiny things, shiiiiny thiiiiiiings!

I like shiny things.

 

[Vadrus]

Hope the other books are better proof read than the core book though, every time I look at it I seem to find more typos or errors.

My favourite so far though has to be the spells in the example cult write up for the Storm King, the first one 'Blade of Virtue' doesn't appear to exist as a spell in the core rule book and the third one 'Skybolt' requires you to have the Chaos rune intergrated, not bad for a cult whose worshipper duties include 'Defeating the forces of chaos' :?

Infact the three runes a worshipper of the Storm God needs to cast the cult spells shown are Stasis?, Mastery and Chaos??

All in all the whole magic seems a bit messed up, if you actually look at what spells are available many Runes only have one spell associated with them i.e. chaos only has Skybolt, Infinity only had Multi-missile, etc. It looks like casters are expected to go round with a bag full of runes if the want to be able to actually react to different situations.

I was so looking forward to the new system, but so far it all seems terribly amateurish and rushed


Vadrus


Edit: Oh btw I love the fact the only spell a chaos rune user can cast does 3d6 damage that ignores armour, especially when you note the effect of the chaos rune itself i.e. it reduces any resists (in this case dodge skill) by 30% :twisted: Chaos may be nasty but damn is it effective.