Do you think we could use this system with Stormbringer/Elric? I am wondering if it is at all close enough to those systems to use. Like magic, summoning demons ect... So far as I can see I like the way Combat is handled. I did not like movement in Stormbringer, how is it handled in the new RuneQuest?
RuneQuest for Stormbringer?
- Thread starter Cul
- Start date
I usually run BRP system games, or rather a game utilizing a mixture of BRP rules. I have already incorperated the ap/hp for weapons from MRQ. So the answer for me is 'yes'. Up to now it actually has more in common with vanilla BRP than some published BRP games, Nephilum for instance. It seems the primary thing changed is the deletion of some subsystems found in most BRP games such as the Resistance Table, and the addition of 'save skills', like Resilience and Persistance. Otherwise it looks like homebrew BRP systems I've seen. This is all based on commentary and the previews, but I don't think it's too far off base.
I once ran a sucessful Strombringer campaing using the RQIII rules. It worked out well, but I had to tone done some of the Stormbringer culturual modifers and magic (Ken St. Andre's magic system in Stormbringer is a bitt overpowered-much more in line with his Tunnels & Trolls rpg than with RuneQuest).
I did this way back before Stormbringer became Elric! and added magica spells to the summioning system. After than, things got a lot easier.
THe only thing to watch ut for is that RQ sorceey is more complicated and difficult to work. In [iStormbringer[/i], espeically the eariler editions, a moderately skilled sorceror could produce a weapon that couldinflict massive damage capable of killing anytrhing not protected with demon armor (a +5d6 or better bonus is hard to deal with). You just can't do this in RQ.
I think MRQ will also be suitable for a Stormnbringer campaign, but with similar differences (No more Tunnels & Trolls-style uber magic).
I did this way back before Stormbringer became Elric! and added magica spells to the summioning system. After than, things got a lot easier.
THe only thing to watch ut for is that RQ sorceey is more complicated and difficult to work. In [iStormbringer[/i], espeically the eariler editions, a moderately skilled sorceror could produce a weapon that couldinflict massive damage capable of killing anytrhing not protected with demon armor (a +5d6 or better bonus is hard to deal with). You just can't do this in RQ.
I think MRQ will also be suitable for a Stormnbringer campaign, but with similar differences (No more Tunnels & Trolls-style uber magic).
Chardros The Reaper
Mongoose
I, too, hope that MRQ could be easily adaptable to Stormbringer. I wasn't extremely pleased with 5th edition. I feel that Chaosium has made some tragic errors with this line and should release a 6th edition that more closely resembles RuneQuest 2 or even 3. Hell, they have BRP which from all reports is a cut and paste of RQIII. I'd love to check that out but they only release it in a monograph which, altogether, would cost about $40! For a monograph!!! I hate spending that much on a real, core book but would if it had everything needed for play. Why can't they at least do a reasonably priced PDF? Okay, enough Chaosium bashing. I really am fond of the company, just not recent decisions they've made.
Actually, I would like to see what Mongoose could do with Stormbringer in an official capacity. I am personally sick and tired of endlessly tinkering with rules and would love to be able to crack open a book, read it, and start playing! I don't think I'm that picky, either! Anyone have any idea how long Chaosium as the rights to Moorcock's properties?
Actually, I would like to see what Mongoose could do with Stormbringer in an official capacity. I am personally sick and tired of endlessly tinkering with rules and would love to be able to crack open a book, read it, and start playing! I don't think I'm that picky, either! Anyone have any idea how long Chaosium as the rights to Moorcock's properties?
Yes, that last (being willing to play the game without endlessly houseruling the system) is my primary reason for being so excited about MRQ. Stormbringer 5/Elric! is a good system but it takes some work to use it for a more generic fantasy setting (magic taking the most work). So here comes MRQ with what appears to be a very BRP compatible system, a built in magic system for a more generic feel, and good published settings to go with it. This is the first time in a long while this has happened from my viewpoint.
rabindranath72
Mongoose
Did anyone try to do Conan using Stormbringer for general rules (skills, classes etc.) and Call of Cthulhu (or Cthulhu Dark Ages) for spells and Sanity rules? I think they would work really, really well.
Yes, and yes they certainly do. Again, the magic is the big problem. It tends to be a bit too spectacular for Hyboria. However, a careful blending of elements from CoC are a pretty good fix. The rest of Storrmbringer is actually spot-on for Conan. Especially the combat. It takes quite a bit of work to weld the system onto the setting, of course. MRQ might work as well, but it can't be better, IMO. 
rabindranath72
Mongoose
andakitty said:Yes, and yes they certainly do. Again, the magic is the big problem. It tends to be a bit too spectacular for Hyboria. However, a careful blending of elements from CoC are a pretty good fix. The rest of Storrmbringer is actually spot-on for Conan. Especially the combat. It takes quite a bit of work to weld the system onto the setting, of course. MRQ might work as well, but it can't be better, IMO.
Why do you think CoC spells are too spectacular for Hyboria? They are mostly summoning, binding, abjurations etc. which seem appropriate to Hyboria, I guess. If one wants to stay more on the abstract level, the spells as described in Dark Ages seem a good fit. What would you change/add?
I tend to look at Hyborian campaigns as "distant time" Cthulhu campaigns. The Nameless Old Ones are still there, the cult activities too (Stygian may worship Set, but he still is Nyarlatothep...)
Perhaps magic is a bit more widespread, and surely men are "stronger" and react quite differently to danger as a '20s investigator, yet...I feel the Howardian and Lovecraftian views can be matched to a large extent.
Cheers,
Antonio
Try the RQ3 magic system (with the Petersen variant Srocery rules) for Hyborean.
I was doing something simmilar for a Young Kingdoms (Stormbringer) campaign and for a historially inspired ancient Britian and Ireland campaign. I just made the magic less common. Since COnan's world is derived in part from ancient Earth, much of it should work with the RQ3 rules.
I was doing something simmilar for a Young Kingdoms (Stormbringer) campaign and for a historially inspired ancient Britian and Ireland campaign. I just made the magic less common. Since COnan's world is derived in part from ancient Earth, much of it should work with the RQ3 rules.
Oops, sorry. I meant the Stormbringer 5 magic rules, specifically. The demonic powers can be over the top, and the sorcerer can 'use' the demonic powers as though they were inherent. CoC magic would be pretty much spot-on as written, I agree. Especially since the PC's would probably not want to delve into such dangerous magic. The Conan OGL game hit that aspect (among others) just right. Although I strongly dislike the D20 game system I think Darlage and Mongoose in general did a good job on it.
Even CoC would need to be toned down in bleakness and the SAN rules maybe downplayed a bit. Not much, but you would want to keep the heroic loner flavor, right?
Even CoC would need to be toned down in bleakness and the SAN rules maybe downplayed a bit. Not much, but you would want to keep the heroic loner flavor, right?
rabindranath72
Mongoose
andakitty said:
Ah, ok! I agree, demonic powers are...too powerful
I too dislike d20, but the magic system works quite nicely.
My vision is that sorcerers in time all get quite mad, and in any case I do not see many PCs attempting to cast spells. However, I agree that perhaps a bit of "downplay" may be applied. Perhaps reducing SAN loss to half the standard would work?
In Dark Ages there are also rules for rituals which would work really well for an Hyborian game.
One question: I only have access to the italian version of Stormbringer, but I do not know to which english version it corresponds. In my version the skills are organized in groups (Agility, Perception etc.), but as I understand, this is quite different from other BRP games (and which I like very very much; much more than the endless list of skills in CoC, for example). How can I understand, mechanics-wise, to what version the game corresponds?
Cheers,
Antonio
rabindranath72
Mongoose
atgxtg said:
Unfortunately I do not have access to RQ3. Where the Petersen rules can be found?
rabindranath72 said:
Sandy Petersen's rules were a modification to the RQ3 Sorcery rules, not a stand-alone replacement. With RQ3 the rules would be fairly useless.
For a (very) rough idea of what the RQ sorcery rules are like, think of the Elric/Stormbinger spells, but that they can be pumped up for increased effects by a successful roll of one of a half dozen magic related skills. For example, the Intensity skill allows a sorceror to increase the power of a spell, while duration can be used to make the spell last longer.
Consdiering how close the ELric?Stormbering spell system was to RQ3's spirit magic, the old RQ3 Lunar Magic with the Petersen mod might work.
Rabindranath, the early editions of Stormbringer, 1e-4e, have the skill categories and probably correspond best. The present form of the Stormbringer rules first appeared in Elric!; Stormbringer 5 is essentially the same game. The magic system was summoning only, demons and elementals, and having them do chores or binding them and using their abilities as 'spells'. There were no spells as such in the earlier version. It probably would not fit Conan either. The sorcerers tended to get wildly powerful pretty fast. With luck you could roll up a sorcerer who could destroy whole armies right off the bat. You could just as easily roll up a blind, toothless one-armed beggar with leprosy. No joke. The skills and combat systems would be great for Conan, though. The magic is usually the hangup with any sort of Conan rpg, I guess due to the nature of the stories.
andakitty said:
THat's why I ran Strombringer with RQ rules. THe RQ3 Sorcery system keeps the spell casters abilities more in line with what players can handle. It also has enough loopholes (POW storage deives and such) to allow people like Elric to do the nasty stuff he can do in Stormbringer.
I also find the RQ combat system is a bit more surviable than the one in Stormbringer. THe armor is more reliable, and combined with hit locations, tends to soften things up a bit.
It also gives non-magic wielding characters a somewhat better chance, thanks to thuings like the critical and implae rules.
andakitty said:I never tried that angle. But that's because I loved SB1 so much I never went back to RQ. Sounds like a good, workable angle, though.
I went they other way. Stormbringer was the first Chaosium (heck the first non-D&D) RPG I picked up (I was disatsified with AD&D), and I eventually migrated to RQ. Generally, I found the magic system, especially in the Ken St. Andre designed first edtion to be so powerful as to complelty undermind the game. Eseentially those with demon weapons and armor killed those without them, pretty much reglardly of anything else.
Later edtions worked to correct this (I found that out later when I took my 1st Edtion Melnibonean character into a second/third edtion group), but by then I was already into RQ. RQ has a somewhat more detailed and more complcated combat system as well as a better improvement system, so I found it more rewarding for character who wee focused on using skills over magic.
I still love the skill and combat systems in SB1, but the chargen and sorcery rules did weird things. So I modified the chargen to be more equitable and adopted Magic World for the core magic system, added my homebrew setting and I had an excellent D&D style game without the problems thereof. I ran it (or some version of it) with the same core group for a long time. After adding bits and pieces from this or that game for years it got to be a very complete frpg, too.
andakitty said:
Well, Strombringer was an interesting variantion of RQ. It is sort of the proof that RQ2 was evolving into RQ3, since many of the RQ3 ideas, such as using the full D100 range for skills rather than 5% increments all were born in Stormbringer. All in all the two systems are so compatable that someone can go from one game to the other with little difficulty.
As for adopting magic world magic with Stormbringer combat-that's interesting. In some ways that is even more like RQ3. I am assuming that you expanding the magic system a bit. Magic World was a bit too simplistic. By itself it made for a good one off adventure or two, but ultimately needed to grow to become a full RPG. That was the flaw with Worlds of Wonder, each of the settings needed just a bit more to make them sustainable for a campaign.
