Third Age - Clan & Character creation

[jolt]

One of the things that has me again interested in playing MRQII is that I got a chance to play in the early part of the Colymar campaign from Moon Design's Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes book at a local event. It was fun though I prefer a bit more crunchy of a system. However, I greatly enjoyed creating our own clan through the Clan Questionairre system provided. I wanted to transfer things over to MRQII but I've run into the problem that HeroQuest and RuneQuest approach things from almost the exact opposite angle.

In HeroQuest, you start with three Rune affinities and if you want to initiate you'd better have at least one affinity that matches the god you want to initiate to. In MRQII, you don't really start with any kind of rune affinity (unless you're Rune Touched) but by initiating and heroquesting you can gain abilities of the runes associated with your god (or whatever). The character I played had affinities with Air, Movement and Yinkin. My friend had Earth, Death and Eternal Battle. I have no idea how to handle runes like Yinkin and Eternal Battle as you can't even become rune touched in them (along with many other runes) in MRQII.

Clan creation was a lot of fun, giving a sense of history and importance going all the way back to the Mythic Age, but again I don't know how to even begin carrying over the end result to MRQII. What difference does it make what my clan's rune affinities are? What difference does it make if they're a War/Peace/Magic/Morale type clan?

I just can't seem to reconcile the two approaches and am not even sure how to go about doing so. Any help would be appreciated.

jolt

 

[PhilHibbs]

In HeroQuest, you start with three Rune affinities and if you want to initiate you'd better have at least one affinity that matches the god you want to initiate to. In MRQII, you don't really start with any kind of rune affinity (unless you're Rune Touched) but by initiating and heroquesting you can gain abilities of the runes associated with your god (or whatever).

I would say that an Affinity is like a Pact in MRQ2, Rune Touched is quite different.

Clan creation was a lot of fun, giving a sense of history and importance going all the way back to the Mythic Age, but again I don't know how to even begin carrying over the end result to MRQII. What difference does it make what my clan's rune affinities are? What difference does it make if they're a War/Peace/Magic/Morale type clan?

I think it would affect what professions, Common Magic, and cults are available within that clan.

 

[Loz]

Cults of Glorantha for RQII recommends that every character choose a rune that represents the way they approach their god. Its not being runetouched, and its not gaining the rune - but it is creating a kind of affinity. I designed the system in this way because I know how affinities in HQ are represented.

So the clan questionnaire can port over to RQII quite easily. Decide what rune of the god your clan associates itself with, and what rune of the god your character associates with. The approach should work.

 

[soltakss]

In HeroQuest, you start with three Rune affinities and if you want to initiate you'd better have at least one affinity that matches the god you want to initiate to. In MRQII, you don't really start with any kind of rune affinity (unless you're Rune Touched) but by initiating and heroquesting you can gain abilities of the runes associated with your god (or whatever).

To be honest, I am not that keen on the HeroQuest "Three Rune" approach. It just doesn't feel right to me.

Clan creation was a lot of fun, giving a sense of history and importance going all the way back to the Mythic Age, but again I don't know how to even begin carrying over the end result to MRQII. What difference does it make what my clan's rune affinities are? What difference does it make if they're a War/Peace/Magic/Morale type clan?

A clan could provide its members with a skill bonus, or provide some magical ability to the clan members over and above their normal abilities.

I just can't seem to reconcile the two approaches and am not even sure how to go about doing so. Any help would be appreciated.

I wouldn't bother trying.

Instead, I'd take the interesting and best bits of both and use those in your game. So, if you like Runic Affinities then give your PCs an affinity skill that can be used like HeroQuest affinities.