Runic magic in various settings

[SteveMND]

In another thread, Andakitty commented:

From a slightly different perspective, is there any intent of how the Rune magic is supposed to work in a more vanilla fantasy setting? MRQ has been advertised as fully able to support any sort of fantasy setting, so how do you use runes in a setting without gods, say?

I don't see much problem with utilizing rune in a non-deific setting, personally. The rune can simply be representations and manifestations of certain primal forces of the universe.

Actually, that is pretty much how I'm doing it in my own home campaign; the setting I've created utilize runes in very much that manner, although certain gods and goddess have become 'attached' to them over the eons.

The system uses a different set of runes than Glorantha, and the runes themselves -- as in representations of abstract concepts -- are the prime movers in the cosmological scene. Your average farmer may not understand how the Life rune operates, and only knows of his local Grain Goddess, but the philosophers understand that the gods are actually varied manifestations of the runes themselves, developed as a means for the average mortal to better understand those cosmic forces...

 

[Rurik]

Hogwash, Runes are the gods equivelent of a CCG.

They seem relatively cheap and innocent at first.

Once you get one rune you need that other one that works with it. But Radzmarizakas down the street has the Chaos Rune, and you just can't beat him with your mere fertility and beast runes, so you just have to get a chaos rune of your own...

Thy are the MTG of the gods I tell you!

 

[Vadrus]

Hogwash, Runes are the gods equivelent of a CCG.

They seem relatively cheap and innocent at first.

Once you get one rune you need that other one that works with it. But Radzmarizakas down the street has the Chaos Rune, and you just can't beat him with your mere fertility and beast runes, so you just have to get a chaos rune of your own...

Thy are the MTG of the gods I tell you!

PokeRune! Gotta intergrate them all :lol:


Vadrus

 

[mthomason]

PokeRune! Gotta intergrate them all :lol:
Vadrus

Arrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh.....!!!!!! :evil:

 

[GbajiTheDeceiver]

Hogwash, Runes are the gods equivelent of a CCG.

They seem relatively cheap and innocent at first.

Once you get one rune you need that other one that works with it. But Radzmarizakas down the street has the Chaos Rune, and you just can't beat him with your mere fertility and beast runes, so you just have to get a chaos rune of your own...

Thy are the MTG of the gods I tell you!

Nope, wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong.

They're the smack of the gods.

The first one's free! And you can give them up any time you want... :twisted:

 

[Rurik]

Hogwash, Runes are the gods equivelent of a CCG.

They seem relatively cheap and innocent at first.

Once you get one rune you need that other one that works with it. But Radzmarizakas down the street has the Chaos Rune, and you just can't beat him with your mere fertility and beast runes, so you just have to get a chaos rune of your own...

Thy are the MTG of the gods I tell you!

Nope, wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong.

They're the smack of the gods.

The first one's free! And you can give them up any time you want... :twisted:

Aren't crack and ccg's pretty much the same thing?

 

[mthomason]

Aren't crack and ccg's pretty much the same thing?

Not really.

You can rehab a crack addict.

 

[Halfbat]

Hogwash, Runes are the gods equivelent of a CCG.
They seem relatively cheap and innocent at first.
Once you get one rune you need that other one that works with it. But Radzmarizakas down the street has the Chaos Rune, and you just can't beat him with your mere fertility and beast runes, so you just have to get a chaos rune of your own...
Thy are the MTG of the gods I tell you!

PokeRune! Gotta intergrate them all

lol. But when I see just how my players are going to be desperate for Runes... LOL!

 

[Cobra]

In another thread, Andakitty commented:

From a slightly different perspective, is there any intent of how the Rune magic is supposed to work in a more vanilla fantasy setting? MRQ has been advertised as fully able to support any sort of fantasy setting, so how do you use runes in a setting without gods, say?

I don't see much problem with utilizing rune in a non-deific setting, personally. The rune can simply be representations and manifestations of certain primal forces of the universe.

Or, runes may be relics of ancient magi who inscribed them for their own purposes/followers. Many of these have since been lost to history and are available to find. If this is a low fantasy setting, limit their availability - perhaps there is only one of each. If this is a high fantasy setting, perhaps these are still made by wizards and are even available for sale.

Cobra

 

[andakitty]

Maybe think of the runes as archetypes which can be harnessed? As in, a very primal set of lore skills? So that each rune is a deep, philosphical understanding of one of the principles of creation?

 

[atgxtg]

What? No one made the obvious reference to Norse runes yet?

I wanna intergrate the Chaosium rune!

 

[iamtim]

Idle musings, here... couldn't a "quick fix" to the runic magic system for other fantasy worlds be replacing the rune with a concept and rolling from there?

I mean, couldn't a spirit double for a rune? Or a college of magic? You'd have to nix the part about being in contact with a rune, but otherwise... what'd be the issue?

Instead of the Light rune, you'd "integrate" with a spirit of Light. Or you'd "learn" from the College of Light.

Hmm.

Like I said, idle musings...

 

[Decurio]

Maybe think of the runes as archetypes which can be harnessed? As in, a very primal set of lore skills? So that each rune is a deep, philosphical understanding of one of the principles of creation?

I always understood the Runes to be symbolic of Platonic truths...i.e., embodiments of primal essences. When a character 'integrates' a rune, what he/she is really doing is internalizing the symbology inherent in each rune. Understanding the truths embedded in each runic concept allows the runetouched to utilize those truths to his/her advantage through runespells...

 

[andakitty]

Yeah, Tim, Decurio, now we are definitely cookin'!

 

[atgxtg]

Idle musings, here... couldn't a "quick fix" to the runic magic system for other fantasy worlds be replacing the rune with a concept and rolling from there?

I mean, couldn't a spirit double for a rune? Or a college of magic? You'd have to nix the part about being in contact with a rune, but otherwise... what'd be the issue?

Instead of the Light rune, you'd "integrate" with a spirit of Light. Or you'd "learn" from the College of Light.

Hmm.

Like I said, idle musings...

THat is essentially what the RQ3 Spirit Magic was. You overcame a spirit to gain access to it's spell. The you had to carry a focus with you in order toc ast the spell. THere is not much difference on the "roll the dice" level between intergrating and carrying a run, or intergrating and caarrying a focus.