Runecasting?
- Thread starter @stroval
- Start date
No, you aren't missing anything. No, the game doesn't suffer.
You could get some of the old Runequest material off ebay where you'd find that Common magic was called Rune Magic back in the days or RQ2 and MRQI where physical runes were needed to cast stuff.
The rune bit is mostly ancient history now.
You could get some of the old Runequest material off ebay where you'd find that Common magic was called Rune Magic back in the days or RQ2 and MRQI where physical runes were needed to cast stuff.
The rune bit is mostly ancient history now.
Hi,
In RQ3 and earlier, Divine magic was known as Rune Magic. So it is in Legend, just renamed now.
Though the name - as far as I have understood - comes from the fact, that runes are essential building blocks of the universe in Glorantha, and RuneQuest was initially developed just for Glorantha.
In RQ3 and earlier, Divine magic was known as Rune Magic. So it is in Legend, just renamed now.
Though the name - as far as I have understood - comes from the fact, that runes are essential building blocks of the universe in Glorantha, and RuneQuest was initially developed just for Glorantha.
In the original RuneQuest you could understand runes as individual components of magical power, with the 'goal' of RuneQuest being the mastery of one or more runes generally through membership and progression in a cult - and since cults are defined by their runic association, mastery in a cult leads you into mastery of a rune or runes.
As I understand it Legend has stripped out the association with runes, RuneQuest 6 has re-introduced runes into understanding magic, this is from the RQ6 rulebook:
"The ultimate sources of magic are the runes. The runes are the building blocks of creation, metaphysical powers that, when channelled, manipulated and combined, create all things"
In Chaosium RuneQuest there was Battle Magic which Legend calls Common Magic, Rune Magic from RuneQuest is called Divine Magic in Legend. "Rune Magic" was already changed to "Divine Magic" in Chaosium RQ third edition.
When you say 'Runecasting' if you mean divination then it was not exactly used as that in the original RuneQuest. There is clearly some inspiration drawn from scandinavian-style magic at least in name.
As far as losing runes and the association with 'runes and magic' I would say 'yes' you are missing something! But it depends on the style of game you are playing and the setting of your game.
As I understand it Legend has stripped out the association with runes, RuneQuest 6 has re-introduced runes into understanding magic, this is from the RQ6 rulebook:
"The ultimate sources of magic are the runes. The runes are the building blocks of creation, metaphysical powers that, when channelled, manipulated and combined, create all things"
In Chaosium RuneQuest there was Battle Magic which Legend calls Common Magic, Rune Magic from RuneQuest is called Divine Magic in Legend. "Rune Magic" was already changed to "Divine Magic" in Chaosium RQ third edition.
When you say 'Runecasting' if you mean divination then it was not exactly used as that in the original RuneQuest. There is clearly some inspiration drawn from scandinavian-style magic at least in name.
As far as losing runes and the association with 'runes and magic' I would say 'yes' you are missing something! But it depends on the style of game you are playing and the setting of your game.
Prime_Evil
Emperor Mongoose
If you are looking for a system that allows you to use rune magic in Legend, pick up Vikings of Legend - it's got a nice system for runecarving as a magical discipline.
However, if you are looking for a treatment of the runes analagous to the Chaosium / Avalon Hill editions of RQ, pick up Runequest 6th Edition from Design Mechanism and read Chapter 8 (p165-183) as well as the rules for Runic Affinities on p.298.
Heck, why not do both and combine the two
However, if you are looking for a treatment of the runes analagous to the Chaosium / Avalon Hill editions of RQ, pick up Runequest 6th Edition from Design Mechanism and read Chapter 8 (p165-183) as well as the rules for Runic Affinities on p.298.
Heck, why not do both and combine the two
havercake lad
Banded Mongoose
The RPG Elric books published by Mongoose include a system of rune magic. As these rules are specifically crafted to the source material of the Elric literature by Moorcock, I continued to incorporate them in Elric/Legend material system of rune magic when writing Elric RPG supplements.
RQ2 had Battle Magic and Rune Magic.
RQ3 had Spirit Magic, Divine Magic and Sorcery.
RQM1 had Rune Magic, Divine Magic and Sorcery.
RQM2 had Common Magic, Divine Magic, Sorcery and Spirit Magic.
Legend has Common Magic, Divine Magic, Sorcery and Spirit Magic.
The terms in order are basically the same, So, RQ2 Battle Magic, RQ3 Spirit Magic, RQM Rune Magic and Legend Common Magic are very similar, but RQ2 Rune Magic and RQM Rune Magic are very different, as are RQ3 Spirit Magic and Legend Spirit Magic.
The name "RuneQuest" really had nothing to do with the game. Very few people used runes, and there were no rules for runes, and very few people went on quests, RQ was mostly about adventuring. But, it's a good name.
In RQ2, Rune Priests gained the Magic Rune, Rune Lords gained the Mastery Rune and members of cults gained an association with their cult's runes. However, this had little impact on the game itself.
Mongoose tried its very best to use Runes in the game, but their implementation was troubled and didn't really work with any setting. RQM2 pulled runes completely and Common Magic did not rely on the use of runes, something that Legend uses.
If you want to use Runes and Quest in the game, then you could make the obtaining of runes part of the game itself.
One way of doing it would be: These runes could have a skill associated with them (e.g. Death Rune 70%, Fertility Rune 20%), based on POW+something, and a Magnitude, representing the strength of the rune, so you could have Death Rune (3) 70%. The Runes could be used to strengthen spells based on that rune, so the Death Rune could increase the strength of a Bladesharp or Disruption spell, so Death (3) 70% would increase Bladesharp 4 to Bladesharp 7, if the Death Rune skill is rolled, with standard rules for spending the extra Magic Points. You could also use the Runes themselves to gain minor runic effects, or to boost certain skills.
RQ3 had Spirit Magic, Divine Magic and Sorcery.
RQM1 had Rune Magic, Divine Magic and Sorcery.
RQM2 had Common Magic, Divine Magic, Sorcery and Spirit Magic.
Legend has Common Magic, Divine Magic, Sorcery and Spirit Magic.
The terms in order are basically the same, So, RQ2 Battle Magic, RQ3 Spirit Magic, RQM Rune Magic and Legend Common Magic are very similar, but RQ2 Rune Magic and RQM Rune Magic are very different, as are RQ3 Spirit Magic and Legend Spirit Magic.
The name "RuneQuest" really had nothing to do with the game. Very few people used runes, and there were no rules for runes, and very few people went on quests, RQ was mostly about adventuring. But, it's a good name.
In RQ2, Rune Priests gained the Magic Rune, Rune Lords gained the Mastery Rune and members of cults gained an association with their cult's runes. However, this had little impact on the game itself.
Mongoose tried its very best to use Runes in the game, but their implementation was troubled and didn't really work with any setting. RQM2 pulled runes completely and Common Magic did not rely on the use of runes, something that Legend uses.
If you want to use Runes and Quest in the game, then you could make the obtaining of runes part of the game itself.
One way of doing it would be: These runes could have a skill associated with them (e.g. Death Rune 70%, Fertility Rune 20%), based on POW+something, and a Magnitude, representing the strength of the rune, so you could have Death Rune (3) 70%. The Runes could be used to strengthen spells based on that rune, so the Death Rune could increase the strength of a Bladesharp or Disruption spell, so Death (3) 70% would increase Bladesharp 4 to Bladesharp 7, if the Death Rune skill is rolled, with standard rules for spending the extra Magic Points. You could also use the Runes themselves to gain minor runic effects, or to boost certain skills.
Olaus Petrus
Mongoose
Like others said while Glorantha's rune rules aren't there anymore, other settings still have their own rules for rune casting.
Simple way of including runes with existing magic rules (as a flavor) would be requirement that wizard has to draw the rune/runes or at least make rune's sign when he casts a spell. And all magical texts are written in some runic language of sorcery (and wizard's grimoire skills can't be higher than what is his/her understanding of the runes). Also enchantments could be rune powered and everyone can see if something is enchanted, because there are runes carved into it.
Simple way of including runes with existing magic rules (as a flavor) would be requirement that wizard has to draw the rune/runes or at least make rune's sign when he casts a spell. And all magical texts are written in some runic language of sorcery (and wizard's grimoire skills can't be higher than what is his/her understanding of the runes). Also enchantments could be rune powered and everyone can see if something is enchanted, because there are runes carved into it.
I don't agree that a cult's runes had 'little impact on the game itself'. In the case of Glorantha, if you are a member of Humakt then Death and Truth runes are going to have a huge impact on your character, how you behave, what magic is available to you, how others relate to you. I suppose you could ignore all this but then I'm not sure why you would play in Glorantha in that case.
If you are not in Glorantha then sure, runes may not be relevant at all or behave in a different way.
If you are not in Glorantha then sure, runes may not be relevant at all or behave in a different way.
But, a Humakti a Waha cultist, a Hunter cultist and a Zorak Zorani are all in death rune cults but behave very differently.
I do not think the rune is as powerful a factor in cult behaviour as people think. Sure, it modifies behaviour slightly, but the character or personality of the Deity is far more important.
Even Yanafal Tarnils and Humakt are essentially the same cult, with/without the Lunar influences, but the behaviour of their cultists is markedly different.
I do not think the rune is as powerful a factor in cult behaviour as people think. Sure, it modifies behaviour slightly, but the character or personality of the Deity is far more important.
Even Yanafal Tarnils and Humakt are essentially the same cult, with/without the Lunar influences, but the behaviour of their cultists is markedly different.
The runes are the personality of the deity. You can't look at a single rune in isolation since the god is defined by the combination of runes it is associated with. Death+Truth isn't the same as Death+Disorder+Darkness and you can see this illustrated pretty clearly in the differences between Humakt & Zorak Zoran.
