Magic Weapons and Armor

[midway]

I like the lethality and grit of the MRQ system, but...

The Elric saga is rife with magic weapons and armor. I understand the potential for game imbalance such elements bring to RPG design, but leaving them out completely (with the exception of Stormbringer & Mournblade) kills some of the fun.

When I bought MRQ Elric I was excited to see how the new system handled the whole demon armor & weapons thing, and I was disappointed to find nothing there.

In Moorcock's novel Stormbringer, for example, in Chapter 5, Sepiriz scratches some kick-ass runes from the White Lords on a reluctant Moonglum's curved blade, to help him battle Chaos. Would it really destroy the game balance to have this rare rune available to Lawful Priests or something, and when they enchant a weapon it will do an extra 1d6 (+1d10 vs demons)? Maybe it costs caster POW, or causes user compulsions too, I don't know.

Also in that novel you've got Jagreen Lern's red-hot "sorcerously-treated" armor, with Elric complaining that Stormbringer would have a tough time chewing through it. This sort of thing should be in the game, I think.

There's a bit in one of the other books, too, in which a Pan Tangian trireme attacks the Tarkeshite ship on which Elric and Moonglum are passengers. The Pan Tangian captain has a sabre in one hand, an axe in the other, and is wearing enchanted armor of some kind. I think his weapons were "sorcerously-treated" too? This should be in the game!

Do you think this will be in the YK Magic book? They could drop some of the Dream Thievin' stuff as far a I'm concerned, to fit this good old sword and sorcery action in there. Or should I just houserule?

 

[Charles Green]

A selection of magic weapons and armor are included in Magic of the YK. In addition to relic demon items from the past, there is also a Rune Magic system that can cover things like Sepiriz's runes and Jagreen Lern's armor.

 

[Loz]

The Rune magic system in Magic of the YK was originally part of the main rules and had to be cut due to space reasons. But these rules give you precisely the effects you list from the book examples.

It was a shame we had to cut the runes from the main book; its an integral part of the magic system, but you'll find that 'Magic of the YK' provides you with more than enough magical ammunition for your campaigns.

 

[midway]

Then I'll have to get the YK magic book. I'm looking forward to seeing how you implement the whole enchanted weapons thing.

In SB1 it was game-breakingly unbalanced and weird, with demon weapons & armor that could not be beat by normal weapons at all. It's cool that even stormbringer the sword does only 3d8 damage (instead of 30d6 or whatever).

It would have been cool to get all the magic in one book, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Thank you for the response!

 

[Mongoose Pete]

Then I'll have to get the YK magic book. I'm looking forward to seeing how you implement the whole enchanted weapons thing.

Most of the magical effects described in the saga have been painstakingly replicated in the Rune magic chapter.

In SB1 it was game-breakingly unbalanced and weird, with demon weapons & armor that could not be beat by normal weapons at all. It's cool that even stormbringer the sword does only 3d8 damage (instead of 30d6 or whatever).

Oh, Rune Magic is still horribly powerful. But since it now takes you weeks to regain your magic points, most sorcerers will have to think carefully before they cast any incantations...

 

[Charles Green]

It doesn't really take weeks to recover magic points. Recovery is longer than in standard RuneQuest, but not that long.

 

[Mongoose Pete]

It doesn't really take weeks to recover magic points. Recovery is longer than in standard RuneQuest, but not that long.

Sorry Charles, but if you look at the core rules it says...

Under normal conditions 1 Magic Point is regained for every 12 hours of complete, undisturbed rest. If the sorcerer engages in any form of mental or physical activity, the rate of regeneration falls to 1 Magic Point every 24 hours.

Therefore sorcerers engaged in any form of active mental or physical tasks (i.e. adventuring), who have spent 14 or more magic points, will take weeks to recover back up to full strength.

The greatly extended recovery period is is borne out in the saga on many occasions. You may have the strength to cast several spells in succession over a few days, but eventually you'll drain yourself to a standstill and be vulnerable.

That is the weakness of sorcerers, and balances them in adventures. They cannot always afford to summon super powerful demons to squash their enemies (besides the difficulty of controlling such entities), since they must horde their remaining Magic Points for emergencies, or protection against other rival sorcerers. So they expend what they consider to be just enough.

Magic Points for sorcerer are priceless, and will be used sparingly.

(You could of course perform a sacrifice to power your summoning or rune instead, but performing such rituals come with their own risks...)

 

[Charles Green]

Perhaps a more appropriate way of phrasing things then is "It can take weeks to recover spent Magic Points."

The way you phrased it implied that it always takes weeks to recover, which is plainly not the case. And two weeks is indeed "weeks" plural, but only just. And, the 24 hour recovery time is an outlier; every adventurer is not going to be constantly active every single time they need to recover.

 

[Vagabond]

Now kids - no fighting

-V

 

[Charles Green]

Sorry, I'm editing a book right now, and it takes me a while to remember to take of the Pedantic Charles pants.

 

[Mongoose Pete]

No problem! You're right that "It can take weeks to recover spent Magic Points" is a much better way to phrase it.

 

[weasel_fierce]

You guys fucking rock. This book sounds very promising