MRQ1 - Opinion wanted on Cost of Runes

[Mage]

I am running a MRQ1 game on Thursday, and one of my players decided to do a new character up. We are doing them at one above starting, that is, seasoned I think. However, he has very little money, and for a spellcaster, could not afford to buy spells. However, he has four runes (d3 starting for seasoned as per the book, but I give players 3 instead), and one from his profession (Warlock). I then give the players the option of selling one (so one can not be integrated, or it can).

Anyway, to the point and my question: how much should a Rune sell for? I am looking for appraisals and what people think in figures, not paragraphs on speculation about the setting that don't give an answer, so please, no vague replies.

I was thinking 3,000 silver would be fair.

Apologies for posting about a defunct system, but I still like Rune Magic from it.

 

[Halfbat]

iirc, the spellcaster careers automatically gain a bunch of spells (the book's not in front of me, atm), so he should have a few.

3,000 I'd find very expensive for some of the less useful runes but might be on for something like Fertility. However, it depends on how common they and magic are.

 

[Mage]

I'll double check it, but I don't think they do. I could be wrong though. This is the Mongoose Publishing Runequest 1 I am running now.

What would you suggest instead of 3,000 silver?

 

[Halfbat]

MRQ1: Understand. I collated together the chargen rules for it. The MRQ1 SRD states: "If a Profession indicates that a character starts play with the Runecasting skill, that character knows one [relevant] spell per Runecasting skill known."

That is still very low. I'd allow these to be multipoint if a variable spell (e.g. healing 2 or 3 for a Fertility Rune as each variable level of a spell is a different spell under MRQ1). The oop and oo-license "Collected Character" had a few more options/professions/backgrounds and chargen rules.

As for costs: they'd vary by Rune, location (the wilds/a city), the number of spells it supports and how common Runes are in your world. I'm never happy about the 1,000's of silvers that are thrown around, as some Runes would never be swapped, perhaps kept as heirlooms whilst others would only be traded for key tasks or similar ("adventures"). Would a healer give up their Rune? No. Neither would a priest give one up if it's associated with his/her god. Other magic users are likely to hoard their "useful" ones and only trade useless ones.

As a complete finger in the air, try something like 750-1500 + 500-1000 per spell (+ 500 if it supports a variable spell), but the real cost would depend on the purchaser's desire for it! I'd suggest players should eb careful selling Death and Chaos Runes whilst others, like Magic, Truth and Spirit, I'd see as being too valuable to ever be traded for cash.

 

[Mage]

@ Halfbat

Thanks for the information, I must have overlooked it. As it stands, I give players up to 6 magnitude points to spend on spells for free, with a maximum of 3 Mag per spell.

The location is a large harbour city by the eastern coast of its continent. The players are from another continent to the east that has been overrun an undead army, which has its site on the next continent the players are on now. Runes would be rare enough but could be found through adventuring. Some players want to sell runes for money, as they are broke, and have little money or worldly possessions having fled their broken nations. I think it was elemental runes a player wanted to sell. The player is playing a Goblin spirit warrior who has little money.

Thanks for the recommendation in your last paragraph, it helps. Yeah, death and chaos runes seems like a good way for crusaders, witch hunters and the like to come after you. So, I will use your ready reckoner, a bit of a dice roll (to determine nature of the merchant the PC comes accross) and some role playing. Thanks for the tips. Game is on tonight, looking forward to running it.