Rune of Chaos

[Trifletraxor]

I just read through the booklet last night, and I must say I'm extremely disappointed. If this sets the standard for scenarious published in the future, 2nd Age MRQ was a really bad investment. This scenario keeps a much lower quality than any other previous RQ scenario I have read, except for some very poorly made internet-scenarios.

32 pages, lots of space used on telling what the GM is supposed to say, few # of words per page. It's so generic you wouldn't know it had anything to do with Glorantha except for some broos. No one has magic, the opponents are given 4 different stats and you're supposed to multiply the first with 20, second with 10, third with 3 and last with 1. No individual stats for your enemies except for the leader. No chaos features for the broos, no name for your opponents except the leader.

It's written by the same person who wrote "A Raven in the Roost" in Signs & Portents, and is very similar in style. This scenario will just take some hours to play through.

Garbage! :evil:

SGL.

 

[duncan_disorderly]

I just read through the booklet last night, and I must say I'm extremely disappointed. [ . . . ] It's so generic you wouldn't know it had anything to do with Glorantha except for some broos. [ . . . ]
Garbage! :evil:

I wasn't impressed either, although I don't think it is intended to be anything to do with Glortantha, just a generic scenario that could be slotted in there without too much difficulty.

What I particularly didn't like was the inference that no one could distinguish between runes. The entire premise of the scenario (which is a bit :!: dodgy anyway) falls apart immediately if anyone is capable of identifying runes.

 

[gamesmeister]

I agree it's a poor scenario by previous RQ standards, in fact the whole thing has a very D&D feel to it, but your point about Glorantha seems strange - the adventure has nothing to do with Glorantha. It's supposed to be generic.

You can't judge MRQ solely on that scenario, but I agree it's a poor opening scenaro and Mongoose really need to improve on RoC in their next published adventure.

 

[GoingDown]

2nd Age MRQ

What is 2nd Age MRQ? Rune of Chaos scenario shouldn't have anything to do with Glorantha. At least nothing really says anything about that.

32 pages, lots of space used on telling what the GM is supposed to say, few # of words per page. It's so generic you wouldn't know it had anything to do with Glorantha except for some broos.

IMHO it is an introductory scenario, aimed for beginner GM's.

No one has magic, the opponents are given 4 different stats and you're supposed to multiply the first with 20, second with 10, third with 3 and last with 1.

What you need to multiply - their stats? I didn't notice that at all.

From my point of view, it seems to be OK scenario, especially for beginner GM's.

 

[Cut]

From my point of view, it seems to be OK scenario, especially for beginner GM's.

When I read through it I got that very same impression. It is a scenario directly made for RPG newbies. During the course of the tournament you get to make all the different skill tests that are there and then there is combat. In my humble oppinion it's a guide through the new rules covered up in a medium level adventure. After playing through it (and you're right, shouldn't take too much time to do so) the basic rules of MRQ should have become second nature to players and GMs alike.
By all the fair critisism RoC recieves, one has to admit that there easily can be (more then) a little fun playing through the tournament. :!:
But it nevertheless seems to be called an introductionary scenario for a very good reason :lol:

 

[Itto]

I've ran it for my players and it did what is said on the back and provided an solid introductionary scenario. I got to get to grips with the rules and so did the players. We had fun and for £5 (gotta love that weak dollar) I didn't feel let down by the slim volume in any way.

Also it easly provides a couple of spin off games. I had them chasing down escaped broo, who had had nicked off with a couple of children and later on had them mess around in the barrows which alowed me to use the Spirit rules. Also one player got to integrate the said rune and throw Sky Bolt around, jolly good fun.

I just told the players that they where in wilds of "Generica" now they are heading towards Ralios.

Also if you want more NPC stats www.runegoons.co.uk . I'm expanding it now that I have the monsters book and adding random loot too.

 

[Halfbat]

Have to admit that RoC reminds me of the old "Coming of Age" introductory scenario, as partly outlined in Griffin Mountain and initially suggested (I think) in Wyrm's Footnotes. Coming of Age worked really well as an intro.

I thought it would be a nice and easy start for new players and it's good to see that view confirmed by Itto. Maybe it's an expectation thing: I don't intend to use it for my experienced RPG-ers as they can pick up the system easily enough from having played CoC.

 

[Dead Blue Clown]

It's a generic RuneQuest release for beginner GMs to come to grips with things. It has nothing to do with Glorantha. At the risk of sounding like a cock, the sooner you grasp that not everything for RQ is about Glorantha any more, the less bitter you'll be about these kinds of things.

 

[Richard]

The Dead Blue One speaks true. I ran RQ3 in my own campaign world adding heavily altered and doctored 3rd Age stuff where necessary with all manner of blasphemous changes (Generally writer's of published material seem unable to resist adding the most ridiculous campaign wrecking hugery to games. Is the RPG market dominated by mindless munchkin powergamers?). I was happy to similarily use and abuse Eldarad, Daughters of Darkness (Admittedly much poorer quality products), Questworld, Thieves World...

One of the reasons for RQ and Glorantha's initial success was that they were joined at the hip. This later became a major disability. Plenty of us are happy to have one without the other. Personally I thought initially I'd be looking at the MRQ game system products for improvements and additions to my RQ3 campaign of some ...cough cough...years and wouldn't be touching 2nd Age Glorantha. I was wrong. The MRQ basic system is very badly flawed (Being polite about it..) but the 2nd Age stuff (+Ralios) is really well done and I'll be following it and other Glorathan/generic background/scenario products with interest!

 

[Trifletraxor]

No one has magic, the opponents are given 4 different stats and you're supposed to multiply the first with 20, second with 10, third with 3 and last with 1.

What you need to multiply - their stats? I didn't notice that at all.

From my point of view, it seems to be OK scenario, especially for beginner GM's.

There are only four different descriptions for 34 opponents. No chaos features, no individual deescriptions except the leader. You have to multiply your enemies by yourself.

Maybe broos have nothing to do with glorantha, maybe this was meant for the ultimate newbies, but the work is still rubbish! I will never buy a scenario made by that author again. Agh!!!

I sincerely hope they are able to make something better next time. My dog could regurgitate a better scenario than that! This scenario was even more dissapointing than the core rules. After the Glorantha book and Cults book, my hopes were pretty high. This was bad...

Goddamn awful!

SGL.

 

[Dead Blue Clown]

My dog could regurgitate a better scenario than that!

The hyperbole police are on their way to lock you up in Exaggerationtraz.

Actually, in all seriousness, the writer of that scenario might see what you wrote there. I expect he'll be a lot politer to you than you are to him. He has a Manners rune attuned.

I do, too. I can lend it to you if you'd like.

 

[Trifletraxor]

It's was still painfull to read and a waste of my money. Mongoose seriously need to improve their next scenario drastically!

SGL.

 

[B_Steele]

Actually, in all seriousness, the writer of that scenario might see what you wrote there. I expect he'll be a lot politer to you than you are to him. He has a Manners rune attuned.

Thanks, Aaron. But honestly, I don't mind if someone dislikes my work. It is the nature of our industry. If anything, the colourful language and metaphorism Trif uses means that he has a very strong love of the genre and he raises the bar of what he specifically wants to see.

Also, you'll notice that anytime someone comes onto this or any forum with a powerful dislike (often as verbally colourful as Trif's, if not more so) ten other posters are there to let us know that they enjoyed it for what it was. Rarely is a product universally disliked. I think of it as any other type of case study:

75% like; 15% dislike, 5% REALLY like, 3% REALLY dislike, 2% just don't care

We do the work we do for the fans that we hope are going to like the work, but we cannot please everyone, ever. When I was doing all my work from Privateer Press, sure we won awards and stuff, but there were always those who came to the booth at Cons to let us know how bad it sucked. It happens. I just like to think of all the people out there that did enjoy the work, because if I let the negative reviews (no matter how negative) get to me...I would have eaten a bullet years ago.

As to Trif specifically - I am sorry that you disliked it so much, and I hope that future products (specifically the Player's Guide to 2nd Age Glorantha) come closer to your standards. RoC* was meant to be Introductory Scenario to the system for players and GMs to get their feet wet and roll some dice...as was Raven in the Roost. We ran it* at GenCon a few times and the players seemed pleased with it, so although I am sorry to hear that my work hit well below par for you, I can only say that I hope my future works are not too shadowed in your point-of-view.

Anyway, I have work to do folks...keep on gaming hard, and I'll see ya around. Cheers all!
Bry

 

[Trifletraxor]

Thanks, Aaron. But honestly, I don't mind if someone dislikes my work. It is the nature of our industry. If anything, the colourful language and metaphorism Trif uses means that she has a very strong love of the genre and she raises the bar of what she specifically wants to see.

She!?? :evil:

Dead Blue Clown, lend me that Manners rune, now!

SGL.

 

[Dead Blue Clown]

Thanks, Aaron. But honestly, I don't mind if someone dislikes my work. It is the nature of our industry. If anything, the colourful language and metaphorism Trif uses means that she has a very strong love of the genre and she raises the bar of what she specifically wants to see.

She!?? :evil:

Dead Blue Clown, lend me that Manners rune, now!

SGL.

I was lying, I don't actually have one.

You bastard.

Actually, seriously for a second, I'd dearly love a little button or a light next to people's names on forums that indicated gender. That way I'd stop saying "Hey, guy" to girls all the time, and having people think Aaron is a girl's name. It was Elvis's middle name, people! Come on!

 

[B_Steele]

She!??

Oops..edited. I thought you were one of our female posters who had PMd me on RQ stuff before. Ack...my bad!



Bry

 

[Dead Blue Clown]

She!??

Oops..edited. I thought you were one of our female posters who had PMd me on RQ stuff before. Ack...my bad!



Bry

You slyyyyy dawg.

 

[Rurik]

First off, we'd have to kill DBC before you could integrate the Manners Rune. I want to see Magic and Lankhmar so I for one vote against that.

Second off, Mongoose Steele went easy on you. You should see the Clown when he's mad. Some one set him off a few months ago - look out. I think it must have been before he integrated the Manners Rune.

Really though, before I had no interest in RoC (not that interested in non-Gloranthan or 'introductory' scenarios, which it is billed as), but now I might pick up the PDF just to see what I think about it.

 

[Dead Blue Clown]

First off, we'd have to kill DBC before you could integrate the Manners Rune. I want to see Magic and Lankhmar so I for one vote against that.

Plus, I'm worth practically no XP. In D&D terms, I'm a Writer 6/Pedant 2/Boyfriend 9. Those are all NPC classes. In RuneQuest...well, I'd just use the 'he's too good for stats' description of Delecti the Inquirer, in the Magic of Glorantha appendix. Not because I'm that awesome. I just like him a lot.

Second off, Mongoose Steele went easy on you. You should see the Clown when he's mad. Some one set him off a few months ago - look out. I think it must have been before he integrated the Manners Rune.

The difference between me and Bry is that he's a nice person and I'm a hateful, bile-filled asshole. Well, that, and I'm English, while he's some kind of foreigner.

 

[Rurik]

Dead Blue Clown, lend me that Manners rune, now!

SGL.

I was lying, I don't actually have one.

Yeah, I was pretty suspect about the whole Manners Rune thing from the get go.

Well, that, and I'm English, while he's some kind of foreigner.

So are you saying Americans are generally a more civilized people then?