Runequest Monsters

[Gallowglass]

The only bad thing about RQ was that everyone had too much magic (that and the metric measurements that just killed the fantasy feel).

These were features for me. The ubiquitous minor magic represented good luck charms, minor prayers - after I started Steel Weapon re-enacting I always imagined that moment when medieval soldiers kissed the soil before commencing battle as being casting Vigor, and invoking a Saint over your Pole-Arm was casting Bladesharp 1 or 2...

And Metric measurements may not feel particularly fantasy in feel, but they are far more logical and scaleable than imperial measurements (D&D and GURPS drive me up the wall). If one wants to be archaic, use genuinely archaic measures (cubits, chains, the pace etc), that's my view.

Cheers,


NDM

 

[Halfbat]

The ubiquitous minor magic represented good luck charms, minor prayers [...] I always imagined that moment when medieval soldiers kissed the soil before commencing battle as being casting Vigor, and invoking a Saint over your Pole-Arm was casting Bladesharp 1 or 2...

Cool. And it's interesting that's how some of my players played it, too: a quick prayer (to Yelm, Humakt, etc,etc). I think there were very few Battle/Spirit Magic spells which were too powerful (Invisibility, certainly, but that was removed in RQIII iirc) and the INT limit tended to ensure characters were never over-loaded with too great a variety anyway.

Oh. Just remembered. Multimissile 4 on a crossbow bolt seemed to be a bit heavy, too.

It might have been access to the more powerful magic which could have upset any balance.

 

[Balgin Stondraeg]

The only bad thing about RQ was that everyone had too much magic (that and the metric measurements that just killed the fantasy feel).

These were features for me. The ubiquitous minor magic represented good luck charms, minor prayers - after I started Steel Weapon re-enacting I always imagined that moment when medieval soldiers kissed the soil before commencing battle as being casting Vigor, and invoking a Saint over your Pole-Arm was casting Bladesharp 1 or 2...

And Metric measurements may not feel particularly fantasy in feel, but they are far more logical and scaleable than imperial measurements (D&D and GURPS drive me up the wall). If one wants to be archaic, use genuinely archaic measures (cubits, chains, the pace etc), that's my view.

Cheers,


NDM

Oh don't get me wrong. I took a similar view of the RQ lesser magics, almost prayers, wishing for luck, etc. That way it didn't seem so magic heavy. I had originaly intended to tone down the magic system but realised that changing it would take a lot of work as changing one thing would affect everything else. By simply taking a different view of it I found it a lot easier to cope with.

The metric measurements got seriosuly removed from my version of RQ 'though as they didn't help with immersion at all.

I actualy had plans for different cultures using different measuring systems but never got round to actualy implimenting it.

 

[Jim Digriz]

Actually one of the things I liked (and still like) best about RQ is that everyone can and does use magics. No Magic User classes etc...

As your PC's developed the interesting combinations and applications of of spell use was pretty amazing and much more interesting than, "My Magic user casts a Magic Missile".

Invisibility is the only BM spell I truly hated. Detect spells caused a bit of grief for the GM to imo.

Back to PC's and encounters, as you all probably know and experience there is nothing quite like the thrill and dread of fighting both a Dark or Great Troll and a couple of trollkins with spears. I always got killed by those damn Trollkin!

I hope the new supplements are of the quality of 1st edition Trollpak.

 

[Halfbat]

The metric measurements got seriosuly removed from my version of RQ 'though as they didn't help with immersion at all.

The easiest way round that was just to talk about "paces" - the only real system of measurement that was common to humans in the ancient world anyway. It also leads to great fun when interrogating a trollkin:

Adventurer: "Where is you master hiding?"
Trollkin: "Won't tell!"
Adventurer draws sword and examines edge: "Sure?"
Trollin: "600 paces that way!"
Adventurer: "Thank you."

Adventurers set up to find ambush... "398...399..400 - two-thirds of the way there ... let's get set, guys. Hey! Where did those Dark trolls come from?"

 

[TRose]

I did like the idea that any encounter with any monster in Rq could be dangerous.Unlike D&D at the time where if a 10 lvl fighter got in the fight with a first lvl fighter the 10 lvl could safely down a few drinks befor he started the fight while the poor 1st lvl tried to hurt him. Even a Runelord or Rune priest did not want to start a fight with a peasant with his 2d6 scythe for no reason. Players learn to get into fights when there was a reason to fight not out of boredom.
And as far as magic goes most battle magic was not really all that overpowering. At best most players had only a 90% chance of casting a spell at the beginning of a fight( that asuming that they where not encumbered and a power of 18) And my main char never got anywhere near 90% as he had a full suit of chain which encumbered him. Also although everyone had magic the magic items in Runequest where much les powerful then in D&d. There where no Vorpal blades, Holy avengers. Staffs of nuclear destruction ect that seems to dominate most D&D games. There where at times powerful magic items( The infamous shotgun wand with 8 disruption spells linked, but that was hard to make and could be stop with a 2 point shield spell) but they where few and hard to get.

 

[Balgin Stondraeg]

As your PC's developed the interesting combinations and applications of of spell use

Tell me about it, we had a crafty old 50 something sorceror who'd stored his haste spell in his horse familiar.... Now that was just scarily fast when he needed it to be.

 

[wartorn]

Tell me about it, we had a crafty old 50 something sorceror who'd stored his haste spell in his horse familiar.... Now that was just scarily fast when he needed it to be.

Pimp My Ride!

 

[Gutboy]

I found that actually running any kind of powerful sorcerer very difficult. Due to fact that so many spells could be precast, stored by familiars, allied spirits, etc. Equally interesting was the fact that there was no reason for a true sorcerer to go on the adventure, s/he could do all his spells from afar. Experienced magic-users of any type were hard to run and NPC even more so, too much to keep track of. :roll:

 

[toddd240]

I remember an old troll campaign I participated in. We were very fond of eating elves for the nutritional value of eating greens! :lol:

As I recall, Mostali(dwarves) were rock like.

Also anyone remember the Morocanth. They resembled Intelligent Tapirs that herded humans. The humans they actually herded were unintelligent and beast like.

Very strange world...looking forward to new material.