New To Runequest II GM Needs Help !

[Little_Hercules]

Hello all,

I'm new to the Runequest System!
I purchased a Runequest II Core Book about 2 years ago along with Vikings, Monster Coliseum and Arms and Equipmet Guide books. But could never find players in my area who were intersted in playing too much.

Recently I had a few players who were open to try it.

I liked everything about Runequest but the magic system, it seemed a little too open to everyone in the world as it seemed everyone gets common magic spells so it's not as traditional as a normal Sword an Sorcery setting where magic is limited to Magic Caster only per say.

So, I decided to go with Fantasy setting like the TV mini seriers and book trilogy "Earthsea" where magic a little rarer and more of a gift to have it and to cast it per say. The Fantasy Setting I'm trying to go with though is not Earthsea exactly but very similar with a viking flavor to it

So the game setting is using Runequest II rules with a magic rare theme along the line of Vikings Runequest II as we've added some Viking flavor to the setting as mentioned.

I have had one player not stop pushing the issue of magic in the game to the point now where I have given up on trying to play and run the game now. The player in question kept trying to make magic more popular and allow players to be warriors and cast spells. The player want's Glorantha type game and I kept keep saying no to that game as we're doing a magic rare theme and the only spell casters in the game are actual spell casting classes like Sorcerer, Witch, etc.

I handicapped Magic using classes in the game that I was trying to get off, since all non magic casting classes, warriors, Craftsmen, thieves, etc. in this game cannot cast magic anymore as it more of a traditional theme so to kinda counter balance the game out and warriors and any other class cannot cast magic I handicapped Magic casting classes with in the game making it harder for magic casters in combat styles as magic caster now have to pay double the skill points and its now an Advanded skill for Magic Casters

This was done to allow those who play others Classes in this game an edge back as the magic was taken away from them. And as I see it looking spells even with the Handicap in place Spell Users can be very powerful and superior to the other classes that do not have magic spells !!

Does anyone see where this setting can't be done by using Runequest rules and make it work? Does anyone see where the way the handicapc was put in place to the magic casting classes that was done is this too unfair since all other classes can no longer cast magic.

I'm just seeking a little insight and possible help as I'm new to the system and dearly love the game mechanics of Runequest II but not the whole Glorantha setting thing!

Thanks!

 

[Halfbat]

It can be done, but it requires players who want to by in to the type of game (Earthsea) that you wish to run. If they don't, then there is going to be friction all the time. If the group is going along with the freely-available magic then perhaps it's worth running with that idea after all.

However....

Key to magic in Earthsea, though, was the need to know a great deal of lore about the world, about balance and about the true names of things. This adds a level to the magic system that is vaguely sorcery-like in concept but also restricts usage to those who have skills and experience in those skills. To emulate an Earthsea setting would mean ensuring the casters had these skills - though the books hinted at other witches, hedgewizards and weathercasters who knew little bits and bobs and would gladly use their skills for hire so magic wasn't just restricted to mages.

Irrespective of the above, it's worth bearing in mind that there are no classes in RQ, only professions and previous careers for the chargen. Overlaying classes onto any RQ and restricting magic is going to be a conceptual struggle for many and will be an uneasy fit: magic is generally available by default. RQ/Legend is skills-based, after all.

If you do wish to restrict it, and the players buy in and only one causes a lack of fun for everyone, use the balance as hinted at in the books: cracks will appear; on a fumble, creature(s) will crawl through to hunt the character down; every failure may cause another mage's spell to go awry - meaning they will hunt down the people using magic willy-nilly or teaching anyone basic words (though with the need for skills it will be difficult).

 

[Little_Hercules]

It can be done, but it requires players who want to by in to the type of game (Earthsea) that you wish to run. If they don't, then there is going to be friction all the time. If the group is going along with the freely-available magic then perhaps it's worth running with that idea after all.

I hear you on this, I have sell my product first per say in a manner of speaking
However....

Key to magic in Earthsea, though, was the need to know a great deal of lore about the world, about balance and about the true names of things. This adds a level to the magic system that is vaguely sorcery-like in concept but also restricts usage to those who have skills and experience in those skills. To emulate an Earthsea setting would mean ensuring the casters had these skills - though the books hinted at other witches, hedgewizards and weathercasters who knew little bits and bobs and would gladly use their skills for hire so magic wasn't just restricted to mages.

Could you possibly give suggestions as to how to handle this

Irrespective of the above, it's worth bearing in mind that there are no classes in RQ, only professions and previous careers for the chargen. Overlaying classes onto any RQ and restricting magic is going to be a conceptual struggle for many and will be an uneasy fit: magic is generally available by default. RQ/Legend is skills-based, after all.

That's kinda what I meant to say "Da" and I guess using Classes was bad reference as to really meaning Careers & Professions

If you do wish to restrict it, and the players buy in and only one causes a lack of fun for everyone, use the balance as hinted at in the books: cracks will appear; on a fumble, creature(s) will crawl through to hunt the character down; every failure may cause another mage's spell to go awry - meaning they will hunt down the people using magic willy-nilly or teaching anyone basic words (though with the need for skills it will be difficult).

I like this suggestion and probably would make better tones with in the game !

 

[Halfbat]

Soory I didn't reply to this - I was on holiday and then ended up 3 days in hospital. Only just back, so will reply tomorrow with examples!

 

[Halfbat]

Key to magi [is] the need to know a great deal of lore about the world, about balance and about the true names of things. This adds a level to the magic system that is vaguely sorcery-like in concept but also restricts usage to those who have skills and experience in those skills. To emulate an Earthsea setting would mean ensuring the casters had these skills - though the books hinted at other witches, hedgewizards and weathercasters who knew little bits and bobs and would gladly use their skills for hire so magic wasn't just restricted to mages.

Could you possibly give suggestions as to how to handle this

Witches, hedgewizards an weathercasters would all protect their knowledge as it relates to income. They will NOT teach anyone else except an authorised apprentice who has either (a) paid for the privilege or (b) the huge potential to help the expert. Such spells could be battle-magic like and perhaps run with a system like that outlined in the older MRQ1 supplement "Petty-Magick, Petty Sorcerers and Hedge Wizards". The spells have limited effect, for a limited time and would have effects elsewhere, perhaps, or side-effects. This is reasonably well known about and acccessible, if not readily available.

The real magic-users would need to know (a) extensive Lore skills in the area they are effecting (Ged and his peers studied for years), those skills being such things as (Flora/Fauna/Herbs),(Animals/Wildlife),(Physical nature of things), (b) the true name of things (an almost secret language), (c) the ability to find out the name of other things, (d) an ability to cast without affecting the balance (a separate magic/casting skill). It may be that a variant of sorcery could be constructed. The wizards would also know basic magic skills that any hedge wizard knew but wouldn't use them normally to avoid the balance upset.

Balance issues depend on the world you are constructing. Without balance training, perhaps weather cannot just be called up: what happens is that corresponding bad weather occurs elsewhere (a cloud gets shunted "over the bay", in "A wizard of Earthsea", for example); fixing something may be permanent but perhaps it gets a bit weaker, so needs structural support; strengthening something weakens something else or shortens its lifespan...

Trouble is it's quite a lot to sort out without just altering the Cult Magic or Sorcery systems.

 

[H]

you need buy in for any setting to work, if players are pushing to be a jack of all trades, ie powerful wizard warrior priest thieves, then.. they should be playing something a bit munchkiny. I play a traditional runequest style setting in the world of conan. The gm has not placed any restrictions on the rulesfor magic, yet we only have one true spellcaster. My own guy wouldn't want to use much magic apart from bladesharp, and his berserker rage (baing a Vanir berserker)

as the GM you need to sell your setting and keep the narrative to keep players "in character" so they shouldn't be looking too far beyond what they are. Their is no real harm in people obtaining small magics to further their character within their chosen profession (see my vanir above) but their is a cost to magic like any other skill, to further it makes you weaker at other things. Also someone who statted up as say a warrior, would probably have low power and so be pretty poor at magic anyway, even though they could have it.

if things do get out of hand, I'll let you know what our GM did (and it was i admit a bit of a hissy fit). . to nerf our ludicrously powerful magic user (from a previous game) he had a shift in the magical alignment of thw world tied into a plot he ran (war of gods type thing). this lost the magic user a whole smegload of spells. Whilst he wasn't amused, it did bring the game back in line and mean he wasn't mr awesome anymore.