Zipp Dementia
Mongoose
I was just wondering how closely the Mongoose publication mirrors the original Rune Quest rules (or if they mirror a specific edition closely). Have there been any major changes?
New to Rune Quest and wondering...
- Thread starter Zipp Dementia
- Start date
Trifletraxor
Mongoose
MAJOR changes yes. Mainly to bring in the D20 crowd I guess.
SGL.
SGL.
Zipp Dementia
Mongoose
Trifletraxor said:
Good changes or bad, would you say? I've only been able to find bits and pieces on the old game... the books are pretty rare.
Mikko Leho
Mongoose
Trifletraxor said:
I have to disagree on that: MRQ is still much like past RQ. There are a lot of minor changes but nothing really changes how the game actually plays (hero points might be the single biggest change).
Zipp Dementia said:
If you are looking for the ultimate edition of RQ, I have one advice for you: don't. There are people who consider RQ2 to be better than RQ3, some will prefer unpublished RQ4, rather peculiar folk like RQ Slayers, some will mention Stormbringer, some have high hopes for Chaosium's BRP book etc. If you like MRQ, play as it is and if not, look for something else completely.
Zipp Dementia
Mongoose
Mikko Leho said:
Thanks for the advice. I really do like MRQ, actually. I could want for a larger lists of spells, and I'm debating returning in the following rules (opinions?):
- Total health as described above. It will probably make things harder for my group, but it really does seem to make sense, especially if none of the other tables have changed. I'll allow resiliance rolls to avoid unconciousness and death.
- The old skill improvement system, where you tick off skills that were used well or a lot during the adventure, and they get a free chance of improvement at the end of the quest, along with the two-three of choice.
Mikko Leho
Mongoose
Zipp Dementia said:
You are welcome. I didn't mean to sound so condescending
Zipp Dementia said:
Take a look over here: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/detail.php?qsID=1438&qsSeries=RuneQuest
Zipp Dementia said:
I believe some have tinkered with the same issue. I am content that combat is still quite lethal in vanilla MRQ.
Zipp Dementia said:
If I remember correctly the upcoming Games Master's Handbook will cover alternative methods of experience.
weasel_fierce
Mongoose
Its still Runequest, but its also different.
In my opinion:
Character creation is far faster, easier and more fun.
Skill list makes more sense and is more consolidated.
Combat is very different. Its more dynamic, moving and "action" filled, but doesnt have the "hardcore" realism of old Runequest. Its a matter of taste here.
Magic generally superior in most ways to old versions.
Experience system is inferiour, I just use the RQ3 experience rules instead.
The Glorantha books are very very good and made it very easy to get to grips with the setting. The main setting book and PLayers guide are very very good, and gives you a great intro to the world. Cults 1 is great book (though if you compare spell for spell with old books, you might get concerned as spell lists arent the same always), Cults 2 has good ideas but spirit magic is a confusing mess.
In my opinion:
Character creation is far faster, easier and more fun.
Skill list makes more sense and is more consolidated.
Combat is very different. Its more dynamic, moving and "action" filled, but doesnt have the "hardcore" realism of old Runequest. Its a matter of taste here.
Magic generally superior in most ways to old versions.
Experience system is inferiour, I just use the RQ3 experience rules instead.
The Glorantha books are very very good and made it very easy to get to grips with the setting. The main setting book and PLayers guide are very very good, and gives you a great intro to the world. Cults 1 is great book (though if you compare spell for spell with old books, you might get concerned as spell lists arent the same always), Cults 2 has good ideas but spirit magic is a confusing mess.
Zipp Dementia
Mongoose
@ Mikko: you didn't come off as condescending at all, it was exactly what I was looking to know: "should I go rooting for old RQ books." Thanks for answering it.
I'm on the fence about total health still.
@ Weasel: Funny you mention the experience... I'm not too pleased with it myself. What was the RQ3 method?
For now, I'm trying to get by with Monsters, Companion, and the Core Book. I'm kind've low on money. And I do think I'm more interested in making my own world, so while I hear excellent things about Glorantha, it only niggles at my spending compulsion a little bit.
Zipp, who will probably run out and buy it today anyways
And then not eat for a week
I'm on the fence about total health still.
@ Weasel: Funny you mention the experience... I'm not too pleased with it myself. What was the RQ3 method?
For now, I'm trying to get by with Monsters, Companion, and the Core Book. I'm kind've low on money. And I do think I'm more interested in making my own world, so while I hear excellent things about Glorantha, it only niggles at my spending compulsion a little bit.
Zipp, who will probably run out and buy it today anyways
And then not eat for a week
weasel_fierce
Mongoose
Zipp Dementia said:
You can check out the Companion SRD for free on the mongoose site.
The monsters book is very nice, but the core book does have a handfull of critters.
RQ3 experience goes like this.. for short: Any skill used successfully during the game gets a chance to improve. Improvement roll is like in MRQ, roll over skill to improve (it was 1D6 but I prefer D4+1)
YOu can also pay somebody to train you. This takes money, and a number of hours equal to current skill. Your skill changes 1D6-2 (so its possible to loose a point due to bad instruction)
Zipp Dementia
Mongoose
weasel_fierce said:
I already own those three (one in pdf form). It's the world supplemental stuff I'm debating on.
Thanks!
weasel_fierce
Mongoose
Zipp Dementia said:
I'd buy Cults of glorantha 1 and 2 just for the fact they contain a butt ton of spells, and you can always borrow the deities you like.
If you're making your own world, I'd skip on the rest. Dont ignore the arms&equipment book though. Its a very nice book (much to my own surprise)
Zipp Dementia
Mongoose
weasel_fierce said:
Thanks for the advice. I'll see what I can rustle up for money.
MRQ Char Gen is simpler.
Lack of Total HP.
Lack of Experience Checkmarks (in RQ3, you gained youe experience checks in specific skills, at the time of use, then resolved them at end of session, max 1 per skill)
mangled combat
far more potential combat actions
All characters have potential for high skillsin all skills, whereas, in RQ3, it was possible to have entire categories that couldn't break 100, due to negative category mods.
MRQ lacks the categories of skills and the modifiers to those categories.
MRQ skills based on atts; RQ 3 based upon fixed base plus category modifier
RQ3 CGen based upon age, culture, and type of civilization. MRQ drops age.
RQ3 uses multiplier for locations hits off the THP (=SIZ+CON); MRQ uses additive process instead.
MRQ lacks the resistance table; RQ3 has only vague opposed resolution mechanics (except for combat)
RQ3 was much more minimalist in layout philosophy.
RQ3 had two core settings: Fantasy Earth and Glorantha.
As to expansions to buy: Player's Guide to Glorantha adds all the non-human cultural settings for Glorantha. It's possibly worth it if you want it as a baseline to modify from. It's not open content, however.
Lack of Total HP.
Lack of Experience Checkmarks (in RQ3, you gained youe experience checks in specific skills, at the time of use, then resolved them at end of session, max 1 per skill)
mangled combat
far more potential combat actions
All characters have potential for high skillsin all skills, whereas, in RQ3, it was possible to have entire categories that couldn't break 100, due to negative category mods.
MRQ lacks the categories of skills and the modifiers to those categories.
MRQ skills based on atts; RQ 3 based upon fixed base plus category modifier
RQ3 CGen based upon age, culture, and type of civilization. MRQ drops age.
RQ3 uses multiplier for locations hits off the THP (=SIZ+CON); MRQ uses additive process instead.
MRQ lacks the resistance table; RQ3 has only vague opposed resolution mechanics (except for combat)
RQ3 was much more minimalist in layout philosophy.
RQ3 had two core settings: Fantasy Earth and Glorantha.
As to expansions to buy: Player's Guide to Glorantha adds all the non-human cultural settings for Glorantha. It's possibly worth it if you want it as a baseline to modify from. It's not open content, however.
Zipp Dementia
Mongoose
AKAramis said:
Really? I haven't seen any problems with the combat system, especially once you add in the player's errata.
Zipp Dementia said:
Find the thread about problems with shields to parry. Basicly, now it is better to have 2 weapons rather than a sword and board stratigy. Perhaps fun, but not very historical.
One of the selling points for RQ1 was that is was based off of the auther actualy fighting in the SCA. And if you had done that, you could definately feel the influence.
Most other combat systems are more just thought up. MRQ feels like this. I am less than happy about that. However, I love RQ Pirates, so this edition is much like all the others, most parts I like , a few I dont.
weasel_fierce
Mongoose
well, its easy to fiddle around with the charts to make it work fine
Balgin Stondraeg
Mongoose
Zipp Dementia said:
Original? Technicaly this is RQ 4th edition and I can only speak for 3rd (and some late 2nd) myself.
That's missing now?!
I don't know about chosing a few to improve as well. RQ skills used to be strictly improved by use or training in 3rd ed (mostly use).
Erm, not quite. You applied your skill category modifier (do they still hacve those) to the experience roll so if you were good at one skill group in general then you'd increase slightly quicker in it and if you were generaly not that good at a group of skills then you'd generaly learn them a bit slower too.
Trifletraxor
Mongoose
Balgin Stondraeg said:
4th edition would be RQ:AiG - RuneQuest: Adventures in Glorantha.
I would say technically this is Mongoose RuneQuest 1st edition. It uses a d100 for skill resolution, but is not much of a continium of the previous editions. It's not like Mongoose is paying any royalty fees to the original creators of RuneQuest.
SGL.
weasel_fierce
Mongoose
Trifletraxor said:
Depends on what their licensing agreement with Stafford says. Im sure he didnt give it away for free
duncan_disorderly
Mongoose
Technically it's at least 5th if not 6th...Balgin Stondraeg said:
RQ4 was RQ:Adventures in Glorantha. This was never officially released but various playtest versions have leaked out on to the internet on occasion.
RQ:Slayers might count as a 5th Edition, although from what I understand it is even less like earlier editions than MRQ, with the RQ name being the only real similarity. This too was never officially released, as Avalon Hill were bought up by Hasboro, who pulled the plug. This was (and probably still is) also released onto the internet.
Of course some people thought that Hero Wars was going to be a new edition of RQ, although they were generally very dissapointed, since although HW (Which became HQ in it's 2nd edition, and will become QuestWorld in it's 3rd) is a new Gloranthan game, it throws away the RQ rulebook completly to create a completly different style of game.
I'd stick to MRQ as the designation for Mongoose RuneQuest - that way everyone is clear what game we're talking about!
