Starting the game up

[Mage]

I established over the last two weeks my interest in Runequest.

Basically, I run a Cthulhu group and some of the players find it difficult to make on a refular basis with school exams.

So, I want to run runequest until summer, I just ordered the Starship Troopers game I a m running with a different group, and still have the B5 game to do (which is way of in the future ATM) so Runequest it is.

Problem 1:

I have a few RPG books already but RQ really seems special. Just the problem of morals:

I want to give my LGS the business. Trouble is they take a while ordering it. I could get the stuff I want in ten days or less from mongoose. The LGS will take about 3-6 times longer.

What do you guys think I should do?

2. Here is my shopping list, btw:

Main rulebook
GM screen
Runequest monsters.

Any comments on my shopping list?

3, Setting.

Also, I am still not sure if I will just use the rules and monsters in my own setting, or run it in the runeest world, or If i'll just use the system. Ideas are: my own world, Glorantha, and Legend of Zelda (y'know, the nintendo game). Either way I have work cut out for me (creating a world, researching and rules for stuff from the Zelda video games).

What to decide?

 

[Hoitsu]

add Companion to the list. it contains Sorcery and Divine magic which are essential to the game.

 

[soltakss]

The GM Screen is only useful if you
(a) want a handy summary of the tables in the book
(b) want to split the gaming group into the GM and the Players

In my opinion, (a) is good, (b) is bad, so I wouldn't recommend buying the GM's Screen, unless you are planning to buy anything.

I'd second the Companion, though, despite the mauling of Spirit Combat

 

[Mage]

Well, I have a budget, and to be honest, I do not want to make magic too major in the game, unless it is detrimental to the world itself. Could you explain a bit?

 

[soltakss]

Main rulebook has Rune Magic, which relies on Runes and gives some battle magic-style spells, to give you extra armour, sharper weapons, healing and so on.

Companion has Divine Magic and Sorcery.

Divine Magic comes from deities/cults and gives more powerful magic but at a potentially higher cost.

Sorcery comes from the sorcerer's manipulation of raw nature and gives spells similar to those of Runemagic but with a slightly different way of casting them and without runes.

But, if you aren't going to use Magic, then Companion has rules for Spirits, Enchantment, Crafting Weapons, Travel and more. It's a core rulebook and I'd get it. Not to start off with, perhaps, but for later on.

 

[Loz]

Well, I have a budget, and to be honest, I do not want to make magic too major in the game, unless it is detrimental to the world itself. Could you explain a bit?

If you don't want to make magic too major, you might not find Glorantha the world for you. Magic is ingrained into society: almost everyone has it to some extent, and the cults that just about everyone belongs to positively flow with the stuff.

You can use Glorantha with toned-down magic, and could down-play it if you wish, but that wouldn't be doing justice to the setting. And, if your players become active cult members, it'd be difficult to deny them the magical benefits cult membership brings.

 

[GbajiTheDeceiver]

You can seriously do a lot with the SRDs though. The Companion SRD in particular will be good for tiding you over until you have funds for the Real Thing.

 

[duncan_disorderly]

I have a few RPG books already but RQ really seems special. Just the problem of morals:

I want to give my LGS the business. Trouble is they take a while ordering it. I could get the stuff I want in ten days or less from mongoose. The LGS will take about 3-6 times longer.

What do you guys think I should do?

It shouldn't take your LGS 1 - 2 months to get hold of books that are in print! (Unless they order stock once a month...) The problem is, if no one buys RQ from your LGS then they have no incentive to order it, which means that no-one can buy it from them, and also pretty much guarantees that you will have the same dilemma next time you want a RQ book.

I'd hassle your LGS ...

 

[Durand Durand]

I have a few RPG books already but RQ really seems special. Just the problem of morals:

I want to give my LGS the business. Trouble is they take a while ordering it. I could get the stuff I want in ten days or less from mongoose. The LGS will take about 3-6 times longer.

What do you guys think I should do?

It shouldn't take your LGS 1 - 2 months to get hold of books that are in print! (Unless they order stock once a month...) The problem is, if no one buys RQ from your LGS then they have no incentive to order it, which means that no-one can buy it from them, and also pretty much guarantees that you will have the same dilemma next time you want a RQ book.

I'd hassle your LGS ...

Indeed, I am the moral enemy of economic rationalism and globalism. I've even shifted some of my money to smaller community based bank that actually spends money on the local community instead of bankrolling unethical/immoral boardmembers [you probably would've already heard Psychopaths make the best businessmen, right]. Spend your money in the LGS, at least it will keep someone local employed and able to bring beer to game nights. Tell me, when was the last time one of the board members of Enron brought a beer to a gaming session!!!

I work for a FLGS. We place advanced pre-orders for all product [2-4 months in advance of releases] with smaller local distributors and with bigger distributors like Alliance. Yet, we still don't even have the RQCompanion, let alone my precious Duck figures or other products. Aaargh! Distribution with this line seems really slow and well behind. Funny, since I read about people all over the world getting product a couple steps down the release schedule. Normally we'd get any game releases AT MOST within two weeks of official release dates. I cannot fathom what the problem is with us getting RQ books in stock. Your LGS may be having the same problem, so be patient and keep some room for beer in your fridge.

DD

 

[simonh]

2. Here is my shopping list, btw:

Main rulebook
GM screen
Runequest monsters.

Any comments on my shopping list?

IIRC the screen would be a waste of money, especialy if you're on a tight budget. After all you're just buying stuff you've already bought but ina different format. Monsters is pretty expensive, but it depends on what kind of game you want to run. Monsters are much less prominent in RQ than human opponents compared to D&D.

You're probably right to skip the Companion. The SRD contains most of the real meat, including Divine Magic, Sorcery and Enchanting rules.

For a setting, you can't beat the Ralios PDF - great stuff only lacking in stats for prominent characters.

 

[Mage]

Just got my hands on the core rules the other day. It is nice and light, a lot in it, but not too hard to 'digest'. The are is nice, the book is well laid out, the rules are clear, and it has gone beyond my expectations.

Just have to comment that the game would kind of suck unless you started off with seasoned characters. You don't seem to have a decent chance at succeeding anything otherwise.

Thanks for all the helps guys.

Now, time to write NPCs any choose a setting....