RuneQuest Companion

atgxtg

Mongoose
Has anyone seen the ad for the RuneQuest Companion book?
Sprirt Magic, Expanded cultural and Profession rules, item creation & quality, travelling rules, and temples.

I wonder how much is in the main book? I hope it isn't going to be like some RPGs where you have to buy 15 supplements to really play the game.


BTW, IDid I miss something or has the price for the RQ main book gone up $5?
 
The main RQ rules has everything you need to play, the other books simply add extras and options.. they are plug ins if anything not necessities, so fear not.

You only need to buy as much or as little as you and/or can afford.
 
The price did not go up. It is still $25, just like it has always been.

It looks like you will have enough to play the game with just the main rule book, but really you will need the companion as well to flesh out your game.

Only Rune Magic is described in the main book, whereas Divine Magic, Sorcery and maybe others are in the companion. Not sure about Spirit Magic, they only talked about spirit combat, not spirit magic. I think that Rune Magic is now what Battle/Spirit Magic was.

Item creation is also in the companion. I hope it is good, I really liked the system that they had in place for RQIII.
 
I see the Basic rulebook as being suitable for one-off sessions, whereas anything more serious would likely really need the Companion. It's a good split, cos it allows people to sample at a reasonable price before committing. The 2 together look like they're roughly equivalent to Deluxe RQ3, covering much the same ground.

Where you go from there I suppose depends on the setting of choice. Obviously, it seems as though you're going to need at least 3 extra books for Glorantha (2nd Age, Magic and Cults). Monsters would come in handy too I guess - Isn't that supposed (according to Amazon) to have the full generation rules for non-humans?

That makes 6 for a good in-depth Gloranthan campaign.

Of course nothings been announced yet, but I'd be surprised if there weren't at least 2 more for Glorantha - EWF and God Learners in more detail. I can't see 2nd Age doing more than a brief (but reasonable) overview of each, as there's the rest of the world to also be covered.

That's 8, then.

Trolls & Trollkin looks like this editions version of the Trollpak, which will probably end up becoming at least semi-essential.

That's 9.

Legendary Heroes (again, according to Amazon) seems to cover Rune Level characters, so it may not be essential from the word go, but will undoubtedly become so.

10.

Quests (Amazon again, not mentioned on the main site here) looks to be a GM aid. A compendium of ideas and likewise. Not really essential, but some I suppose will have to have it.

11.

GM Screen, I suppose, makes it 12.

There's an "Arms and Equipment" due on the 25th December. 13.

Not so bad at all. You'd get by with the first 6 easy enough if you were running low-key adventures in Glorantha and not really concerned too much about Trolls, Rune Lords and suchlike.
 
Trolls & Trollkin looks like this editions version of the Trollpak, which will probably end up becoming at least semi-essential.

It is also entirely possible that Trolls & Trollkin could be a miniatures set.
 
Lord Twig said:
Only Rune Magic is described in the main book, whereas Divine Magic, Sorcery and maybe others are in the companion. Not sure about Spirit Magic, they only talked about spirit combat, not spirit magic. I think that Rune Magic is now what Battle/Spirit Magic was.
Yeah, it's kind of weird how they transposed the magic systems. I'm not sure it makes sense from a generic point of view. I guess the Aurthurian Black Knight could have Darkness and Death runes on his shield...

Item creation is also in the companion. I hope it is good, I really liked the system that they had in place for RQIII.
Magic items should be more accessable in the Second Age (there is a whole city that cranks them out).

It does sound like they are doing the same thing that RQ3 did with the basic and deluxe editions. IIRC, that caused AH to waste some pages reprinting parts of Deluxe in suppliments =/
 
I could swear I saw the basic book going fro $20 earlier. I prepaird for it at my local gaming shop while looking at the price in the catalog. I'll have to check in the catalog.


THe "everything you need to play in in the main book" line has probably been the second biggest lie to come out of the mouths of game companies. THey all say something like it (all you need to pay 3rd edtion is the 3 core books,), but come to varying degrees of accomplishing it.

I just hope there are enought culture/prodfession choices in the core book to give players some options.


So far, it looks like MRQ is spreading out the RQ3 Delux set over multiple books at $25 each. A Main book, companion, a creatures book, a glorantha book. RQ3 but with an even higher price tag.
 
It seems that you have to buy the companion too for MRQ in order to play the full magic types. Well thats ok for me.

But I would have loved to have the rules for the Glorantha setting in one single book. Thats more handy.
 
Enpeze said:
It seems that you have to buy the companion too for MRQ in order to play the full magic types. Well thats ok for me.
Kinda OK by me too, although maybe some of the more extreme departures from the orignal (like the Feat-alikes) could have been held over for a supplement in order to squeeze even a second magic system in.

Enpeze said:
But I would have loved to have the rules for the Glorantha setting in one single book. Thats more handy.
Agreed, but at least they seem to be split along logical lines, so you won't have to go searching through 3 or 4 different books to get the full picture on stuff.
 
atgxtg said:
I just hope there are enought culture/prodfession choices in the core book to give players some options.


So far, it looks like MRQ is spreading out the RQ3 Delux set over multiple books at $25 each. A Main book, companion, a creatures book, a glorantha book. RQ3 but with an even higher price tag.

And more pages per book, a hardcover and a new setting for alle those gloranthanards out there. And of course better illustrations. And some new settings in the pipeline. I would say not RQ3 at all.
 
Enpeze said:
And more pages per book, a hardcover and a new setting for alle those gloranthanards out there.
Those old AH boxes with no-cover books definitely did not hold up. I still think the standard is the old AD&D Player's Handbook -- now that could take a beating.

And of course better illustrations.
Maybe they were able to get Dave Dobyski to return to RQ art!

And some new settings in the pipeline. I would say not RQ3 at all.
Not that different from RQ3, which was nominally set in Fantasy Europe, and Vikings and Land of Ninja were both early-ish releases.
 
Urox said:
Not that different from RQ3, which was nominally set in Fantasy Europe, and Vikings and Land of Ninja were both early-ish releases.

Well Lankhmar, King Arthur or maybe Conan are popular settings. Not like an AH- fantasy europe (well at least Vikings was good) with just 2 sourcebooks, I would say. And thats IMO very different but what do I know?
 
Urox said:
Those old AH boxes with no-cover books definitely did not hold up. I still think the standard is the old AD&D Player's Handbook -- now that could take a beating.

THe paper cover books were rather lackluster. My Player's Book lost it's cover withing the first year. The Games Workshop Hardcovers (not just RQ) were even worse. Once you cracked the book open, the pages started to fall out. THe best RQ book was probably the softcover perfect bound edition. All 5 books in the deluxe edtion in one perfect bound book. I've got one that still looks fairly new.

Not that different from RQ3, which was nominally set in Fantasy Europe, and Vikings and Land of Ninja were both early-ish releases.

I always wondered how they figured Land of the Ninja was part of Fantasy Europe. I never saw it on the FE maps. Fantasy Asia or Fantasy Earth maybe, but not Fantasy Europe.
 
GbajiTheDeceiver said:
Monsters would come in handy too I guess - Isn't that supposed (according to Amazon) to have the full generation rules for non-humans?

Not unless the draft we playtested has changed and we hope it has as that is one thing we suggested that "should" be included.

Legendary Heroes (again, according to Amazon) seems to cover Rune Level characters, so it may not be essential from the word go, but will undoubtedly become so.

It does, pretty much.

Quests (Amazon again, not mentioned on the main site here) looks to be a GM aid. A compendium of ideas and likewise. Not really essential, but some I suppose will have to have it.

Havent seen that yet so couldnt comment.
 
Urox said:
And of course better illustrations.
Maybe they were able to get Dave Dobyski to return to RQ art!

Ouch! It hurts. Make it stop.

And some new settings in the pipeline. I would say not RQ3 at all.
Not that different from RQ3, which was nominally set in Fantasy Europe, and Vikings and Land of Ninja were both early-ish releases.

Hopefully the difference will be longer support. Vikings was an excellent supplement. If they'd provided more support for it, I bet it would have done well. Similarly, if they'd provided new Glorantha material, rather than just hacking up and republishing RQII material, things would have gone much better. Plus, MRQ at least is reasonably priced. I still shake my head in wonder at AH selling RQIII boxed for $40 in 1984, when you could buy the PHB, DMG, and MM in quality hardback for less than that.
 
RMS said:
Plus, MRQ at least is reasonably priced. I still shake my head in wonder at AH selling RQIII boxed for $40 in 1984, when you could buy the PHB, DMG, and MM in quality hardback for less than that.

I don't think so. TO get the basic book, companion, creatures book, legendary heroes, and a GLorantha book (what you need to play in GLorantha) is going to be something like $125.
 
atgxtg said:
RMS said:
Plus, MRQ at least is reasonably priced. I still shake my head in wonder at AH selling RQIII boxed for $40 in 1984, when you could buy the PHB, DMG, and MM in quality hardback for less than that.

I don't think so. TO get the basic book, companion, creatures book, legendary heroes, and a GLorantha book (what you need to play in GLorantha) is going to be something like $125.

That doesn't make any sense as a comparison though. I'm sure not everything lines up 100%, but it appears right now that the basic book and the companion basically cover the same ground as the RQIII box set. Depending on what's in the core rules and what's in the creatures book, that may need to be lumped in there too. (Recall that RQIII split things up between a book included in the boxed set and an additional creatures book.) That'd be $40 or $60 in todays $ vs. $40 in 1984. My point still stands.

The information in Legendary Heroes and the Glorantha book are well beyond anything we had in RQIII. It sounds like the Glorantha book will be more like the Genertela and Elder Secrets boxed sets, and Legendary Heroes is something that has no analogy in past editions: maybe like Runemasters for RQII was supposed to be.
 
RMS said:
atgxtg said:
RMS said:
Plus, MRQ at least is reasonably priced. I still shake my head in wonder at AH selling RQIII boxed for $40 in 1984, when you could buy the PHB, DMG, and MM in quality hardback for less than that.

I don't think so. TO get the basic book, companion, creatures book, legendary heroes, and a GLorantha book (what you need to play in GLorantha) is going to be something like $125.

That doesn't make any sense as a comparison though. I'm sure not everything lines up 100%, but it appears right now that the basic book and the companion basically cover the same ground as the RQIII box set. Depending on what's in the core rules and what's in the creatures book, that may need to be lumped in there too. (Recall that RQIII split things up between a book included in the boxed set and an additional creatures book.) That'd be $40 or $60 in todays $ vs. $40 in 1984. My point still stands.

The information in Legendary Heroes and the Glorantha book are well beyond anything we had in RQIII. It sounds like the Glorantha book will be more like the Genertela and Elder Secrets boxed sets, and Legendary Heroes is something that has no analogy in past editions: maybe like Runemasters for RQII was supposed to be.


No, you point doesn't stand. RQ3 boxed set consisted of FIVE books. A players book (character generation and game play rules), a magic book (with 4 magic systems and item creation), a gamemaster's book (with information on economics, ships, and an adevnture), a creatures book (with the rules need to create monsters, animals, and intelligent species), and a Glorantha book (with glorantha history, creatures, and another magic system). So you are going to have to buy a lot more stuff to cover the same ground as in RQ3.

Now it seems that all this is going to be spread out over multiple products with a much higher pricetag (yeah, I know it is 20 years later and prices have gone upo, but requring a half dozen books at $25 each to set up a Glorantha campaign is/will be the kiss of death for MRQ. No one but Glorantha devotees will shell out that kind of money to do so).
 
atgxtg said:
No, you point doesn't stand. RQ3 boxed set consisted of FIVE books. A players book (character generation and game play rules), a magic book (with 4 magic systems and item creation), a gamemaster's book (with information on economics, ships, and an adevnture), a creatures book (with the rules need to create monsters, animals, and intelligent species), and a Glorantha book (with glorantha history, creatures, and another magic system). So you are going to have to buy a lot more stuff to cover the same ground as in RQ3.

Yes, my point does stand. :) Do I really need to spell this out? The RQ3 boxed set consisted of 5 books. The Players Book, Magic Book, and GM Book appear to correspond with the new Main Book and Companion. The Main Book and Companion both contain creatures that would have been in the RQ3 Creature Book. Right there, we now have 2 books at $40 that cover what was in 3.5 or 4 books in the boxed set. (Neither of us knows how many creatures are now included, so don't know how comparable it is there, but the rest is pretty straightforward.)

The Glorantha Book in the boxed set was just a tease for the world. Outside of a couple of pages on Dragonnewts, there wasn't enough there to do anything in Glorantha. The 2nd Age Glorantha book is 160 pages. Whether that's an overview, like Genertela and/or Elder Secrets or more of a campaign book, I don't know, but in either case you can't compare it to the little Glorantha book in the RQ3 boxed set.

So, you're looking at $40 for two books to play MRQ compared with $40 to play RQ3 with the boxed set. If the Main book and Companion really lack creatures, then maybe add another $20 for the Monster book when it comes out.

Now it seems that all this is going to be spread out over multiple products with a much higher pricetag (yeah, I know it is 20 years later and prices have gone upo, but requring a half dozen books at $25 each to set up a Glorantha campaign is/will be the kiss of death for MRQ. No one but Glorantha devotees will shell out that kind of money to do so).

If you want to play in Glorantha, you may well want to spend the money, but others will happily play in other worlds with the RQ rules and spend very little, or spend money on other worlds for RQ. RQ does a lot of things very well besides Glorantha.

In RQ3, you couldn't play in Glorantha until you at least had the Deluxe Edition boxed set, the Gods of Glorantha boxed set, and the Genertela boxed set, and you still didn't have any prepublished adventures from that. Go figure what that cost in 1980's dollars. Then add in Elder Secrets, Troll Pack, and Troll Gods for three more nearly essential publications and you still only have one premade adventure out of all of that (Munchrooms), and a few cameos.

More important than any of the MRQ vs. RQ3 stuff is the fact that it's well within line for the modern RPG market, which RQ3 most definitely wasn't. That's the real key above all else IMO. If it's not overpriced (like RQ3 was), then it'll have a good chance of acceptence on the quality of the product. Part of what shot RQ3 down was that it was priced so high that many people skipped it for other RPGs on the market, due to that alone, so it never had a chance it being judged on the quality of product.
 
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