New to RQII

[Piperdog]

Hey all! I am new to RQII (and all d100 style systems) and am really impressed. I have played Gurps for years, another "roll under skill" type of system, and of course, played and run a boatload of other systems. I am not sure why, really, but I was always turned off by RuneQuest. At any rate, I got RuneQuest II on a whim, and I am floored by how cool this is.

I need to spend time reading these forums so I don't ask redundant questions, but as it stands right now, I have quite a few questions about CA's and CM's.

I was reading the Combat Issues thread, and that helped so far. I was hoping an industrious soul would write a more in depth article on Combat Manuevers; it would be great to have an experienced GM give the run down on the manuever, explaining when it is most effective, or when it is ineffective, in a variety of tactical situations.

At any rate, this is good stuff. I would like to run something soon, but don't quite have the rules down yet. The basics, skill use, opposed tests, etc are no problem. Just the CA's and Manuevers are hanging me up a bit at this point.

 

[danskmacabre]

There's a very nice example of a Combat from pages 97-99 in the MRQ2 core rules.
It narrates a combat and describes the rules behind all that blow for blow (including detailed descriptions of Combat actions, Combat maneuvers).
A very informative read.

I'd suggest inviting a friend or 2 around for a night generating characters and run some test combats.

I've run Various incarnations of Runequest and Elric/Stormbringer since 1st Edition Stormbringer many years ago.
MRQ2, whilst essentially the same system has quite a few changes in the mechanics, so I won't be confident in running it in a proper gaming session until I run a few test combats and stuff.

 

[Nez]

I'd suggest inviting a friend or 2 around for a night generating characters and run some test combats.

Definately agree with this. Not only will it allow you and your players to get a grasp of how effective CMs are in certain situations and against certain opponents, it will give you practice at the admin involved in combat, ie recording CAs, stuns, dis-arms etc for PCs and NPCs. This was something that threw me at first when I started running MRQII, but with practice, your fights will become slick and you will discover how important tactics are for RQ; essential if your PCs want to survive!

 

[danskmacabre]

I have printed this combat tracker out to help keep track of things.
http://mrqwiki.com/wiki/images/1/1e/002_CombatTrackingSheet.pdf
It's actually designed for MRQ1 rather than MRQ2, but it works fine with MRQ2.

I'm going to laminate it and write on it with an erasable pen, so it can be reused.
I think it will make managing combats far easier.

 

[GamingGlen]

There's a very nice example of a Combat from pages 97-99 in the MRQ2 core rules.
It narrates a combat and describes the rules behind all that blow for blow (including detailed descriptions of Combat actions, Combat maneuvers).
A very informative read.

Yes it was. It helped me figure out how the combat goes, and how important Resilience is as a skill. I did a simple combat and used the Impale CM; then I learned how important the Brawn skill is for those using impaling weapons.

I'd suggest inviting a friend or 2 around for a night generating characters and run some test combats.

I'll third this. I had a couple fellow players make characters and fight each other, then take on 6 less-skilled broos. Befuddle is an awesome spell so much so that I won't use it for hostiles until the PC group can counter it, the other PC went down (failed Resilience roll) after failing a parry. The Befuddled one ran away 'like a little girly man'. After I told them what broos do to captives :twisted: , both players rolled up new characters. They also read the Bleed CM and First Aid became another important skill. So I expect a few different skills to be increased with the 250 free skill points on these new characters. And, how important armor is.

 

[languagegeek]

I'll third this. I had a couple fellow players make characters and fight each other, then take on 6 less-skilled broos.

Was everyone’s first RQ test battle against broos? Ours was, it just seemed natural to do so.

 

[Nez]

I'll third this. I had a couple fellow players make characters and fight each other, then take on 6 less-skilled broos.

Was everyone’s first RQ test battle against broos? Ours was, it just seemed natural to do so.

No, mine was a wyvern. I got chewed in half. It taught me an extremely valuable lesson about RQ though: If you can, run like hell.....

 

[mwsasser]

After I told them what broos do to captives :twisted: , both players rolled up new characters. They also read the Bleed CM and First Aid became another important skill.

Your story sounds like the test one-shot I have prepped for this weekend. I want to know what broo do to captives though?

 

[ThatGuy]

After I told them what broos do to captives :twisted: , both players rolled up new characters. They also read the Bleed CM and First Aid became another important skill.

Your story sounds like the test one-shot I have prepped for this weekend. I want to know what broo do to captives though?

Broo can impregnate anything, male or female. Usually the birther dies. They are pretty big on the act being unconsensual.

I hope this gives you enough information, but I'm sure there is someone who can give you even more detailed info (gestation period, method of birth- it think little Broo just tear a hole in you and jump out, or somesuch).

It's been awhile since anyone in one of my games actually made the mistake of being captured or impregnated by a Broo. It takes a certain kind of player NOT to throw the dice on the table and rip up his character sheet in such an event.

 

[danskmacabre]

As I run Elric rather than Ruequest, I used a Claker (a sort of half bird/Ape creature).
And yeah it tore the 2 characters I used as an example to bits.
oh well

 

[DamonJynx]

All the above is sound advice. My group didn't have that advice and we just started winging it. Made for a couple of interesting nights let me tell you...

Like Danskmacabre I run an Elric game and thus far most of our combats have been against human opponents.

There is a saying in business; cash flow is King, in this game it's CA's. Manage how you spend those and you'll survive. If you run out and you're in melee, it's good night Irene, roll up another character or do what the celebrity chefs do; here's one I prepared earlier.

 

[Piperdog]

Thanks for the responses guys. I have been read and reread the combat areas, and only now am forcing myself to read the book in it's entirety, getting the healing and magic and so on down.

Some of the combat maneuvers leave me asking questions though. Like Overextend Opponent, for example. Does that mean the opponent doesn't get to go at all on his next SR? As in lose a whole round of combat? I was thinking if the opponent makes an athletics or acrobatics roll he can spend a CA to get back up. I have a ton of questions like these, but I see other threads that are probably more appropriate for me ask these types of questions.

 

[DamonJynx]

Like Overextend Opponent, for example. Does that mean the opponent doesn't get to go at all on his next SR? As in lose a whole round of combat?

I could be wrong, but I think it means and should possibly read, he cannot attack on his next Combat Action. If that's incorrect, then he can still act on his next SR, defend, move and so on, just not attack.

 

[Grimolde]

Some of the combat maneuvers leave me asking questions though. Like Overextend Opponent, for example. Does that mean the opponent doesn't get to go at all on his next SR? As in lose a whole round of combat?

It means the next time the character that’s overextended chooses an ‘attack’ action – he can’t attack.

A: has Strike Rank 12 and 3 CAs
B: has Strike Rank 11 and 3 CAs

Strike Rank 12
A: attacks for 1 CA
B: defends for 1 CA and A is now overextended and cannot attack on his next Strike Rank.

B: attacks for 2 CA
A: defends for 2 CA

A: can't attack even though he has a CA left. He cannot attack but can do something else. He may choose to ready a parry so that B can't get a free swing.