RuneQuest: Difference between revisions

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'''RuneQuest''' was created by Chaosium in 1978, making it one of the oldest tabletop [[Role Playing Games]]. Among other things, it introduced an experience system that replaces the levels (as in [[Dungeons and Dragons]]) with skills that increase if you successfully use them ([[Traveller]] replaced levels with skills first but they didn't increase with use). It also introduced hit regions instead of general [[Hit Points]]. The system was also used for other Chaosium games like ''[[Call of Cthulhu]]'', ''Stormbringer'', and the ''[[Elf Quest]]'' RPG, and was in 2004 developed into the generic BRP (Basic Role-Playing System).
'''RuneQuest''' was created by Chaosium in 1978, making it one of the oldest tabletop [[Role Playing Games]]. Among other things, it introduced an experience system that replaces the levels (as in [[Dungeons and Dragons]]) with skills that increase if you successfully use them ([[Traveller]] replaced levels with skills first but they didn't increase with use). It also introduced hit regions instead of general [[Hit Points]]. The system was also used for other Chaosium games like ''[[Call of Cthulhu (tabletop game)]]'', ''Stormbringer'', and the ''[[Elf Quest]]'' RPG, and was in 2004 developed into the generic BRP (Basic Role-Playing System).


The original RuneQuest was set in the [[Constructed World]] named Glorantha. As the authors say:
The original RuneQuest was set in the [[Constructed World]] named Glorantha. As the authors say:
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* [[A Protagonist Shall Lead Them]]: Argrath.
* [[A Protagonist Shall Lead Them]]: Argrath.
* [[All Myths Are True]]: All ''Gloranthan'' myths are literally true, even utterly contradictory myths of different cultures. Changing a myth (by going on a Hero Quest to the world of the gods) can ''retroactively change reality''.
* [[All Myths Are True]]: All ''Gloranthan'' myths are literally true, even utterly contradictory myths of different cultures. Changing a myth (by going on a Hero Quest to the world of the gods) can ''retroactively change reality''.
* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]: The deities of the Celestial Court personify the Runes.
* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]: The deities of the Celestial Court personify the Runes.
* [[Assimilation Plot]]: The Empire of Wyrmfriends wants EVERYBODY to embrace their draconic nature. Later, the Lunar Empire also wants everybody to worship their Goddess, so that the world can be one again. And damn are they succeeding.
* [[Assimilation Plot]]: The Empire of Wyrmfriends wants EVERYBODY to embrace their draconic nature. Later, the Lunar Empire also wants everybody to worship their Goddess, so that the world can be one again. And damn are they succeeding.
** The Goddess was eventually defeated, but probably [[He's Just Hiding|she is just hiding.]]
** The Goddess was eventually defeated, but probably [[He's Just Hiding|she is just hiding.]]
* [[Bad Moon Rising]]: The Red Moon rose, and her Empire wants you [[Assimilation Plot|to worship her]].
* [[Bad Moon Rising]]: The Red Moon rose, and her Empire wants you [[Assimilation Plot|to worship her]].
* [[Barbarian Tribe]]: The Orlanthi.
* [[Barbarian Tribe]]: The Orlanthi.
* [[Big Bad]]: Sedenya/Lunar Goddess/Red Moon is this for the Orlanthi in the Third Era.
* [[Big Bad]]: Sedenya/Lunar Goddess/Red Moon is this for the Orlanthi in the Third Era.
* [[Big Bad Duumvirate]]: Wakboth and Kajabor in the Greater Darkness.
* [[Big Bad Duumvirate]]: Wakboth and Kajabor in the Greater Darkness.
* [[Chariot Race]]: ''Monster Coliseum'' has rules for chariot racing.
* [[Chariot Race]]: ''Monster Coliseum'' has rules for chariot racing.
* [[Hell on Earth|Chaos on Earth]]: The Greater Darkness.
* [[Hell on Earth|Chaos on Earth]]: The Greater Darkness.
* [[Dark Is Not Evil]] coupled with [[Light Is Not Good]]: For humans, sure they are, but trolls are subterranean creatures; troll Hell is located ''in human Heaven'' and vice versa.
* [[Dark Is Not Evil]] coupled with [[Light Is Not Good]]: For humans, sure they are, but trolls are subterranean creatures; troll Hell is located ''in human Heaven'' and vice versa.
** Also, the Sun God Yelm is evil to the followers of Orlanthi Storm Pantheon, but good to the followers of the Sun pantheon.
** Also, the Sun God Yelm is evil to the followers of Orlanthi Storm Pantheon, but good to the followers of the Sun pantheon.
** Even though Zorak Zoran and his worshippers are complete man-eating, necromancy-edged, brawl-loving berserks, other Troll gods are actually quite benevolent, if only a bit brutal. Well, they may still eat you, but only because they're hungry, nothing personal to it.
** Even though Zorak Zoran and his worshippers are complete man-eating, necromancy-edged, brawl-loving berserks, other Troll gods are actually quite benevolent, if only a bit brutal. Well, they may still eat you, but only because they're hungry, nothing personal to it.
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* [[Grey and Gray Morality]]: A main staple of the setting, though [[Big Bad|Wakboth]] and the Unholy Trio are [[Mad God|pitch]] [[God of Evil|black]].
* [[Grey and Gray Morality]]: A main staple of the setting, though [[Big Bad|Wakboth]] and the Unholy Trio are [[Mad God|pitch]] [[God of Evil|black]].
* [[Hit Points]]: Averted. Hit points generally do not increase with experience. No matter how bad ass an adventurer is, an axe to their head will ruin their whole day.
* [[Hit Points]]: Averted. Hit points generally do not increase with experience. No matter how bad ass an adventurer is, an axe to their head will ruin their whole day.
** [[Only a Flesh Wound]]: Generally averted, due to the hit-location system. Characters can get crippled very easily in combat.
** [[Only a Flesh Wound]]: Generally averted, due to the hit-location system. Characters can get crippled very easily in combat.
*** Which goes under [[Subsystem Damage]].
*** Which goes under [[Subsystem Damage]].
** [[Armor Is Useless]] is likewise averted, as armor provides [[Damage Reduction]]. Heavy armor and a good shield are the best way to survive a battle.
** [[Armor Is Useless]] is likewise averted, as armor provides [[Damage Reduction]]. Heavy armor and a good shield are the best way to survive a battle.
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* [[Lunacy]]: In addition to the standard Earth, Air, Fire and Water elementals, Glorantha also has Darkness and Moon elementals. Moon Elementals cause temporary insanity by touch.
* [[Lunacy]]: In addition to the standard Earth, Air, Fire and Water elementals, Glorantha also has Darkness and Moon elementals. Moon Elementals cause temporary insanity by touch.
* [[Mad God]]: Ragnaglar of the Unholy Trio.
* [[Mad God]]: Ragnaglar of the Unholy Trio.
* [[Mythopoeia]]
* [[Mythopoeia]]
* [[Morally-Ambiguous Ducktorate]]: Beware, beware the Deadly Ducks of Death!
* [[Morally-Ambiguous Ducktorate]]: Beware, beware the Deadly Ducks of Death!
* [[Order Versus Chaos]]: Lunar Empire versus Orlanthi, big time.
* [[Order Versus Chaos]]: Lunar Empire versus Orlanthi, big time.
** Kind of a weird case - the Lunar Empire promotes (cosmic) Chaos but is ''very'' organized, whereas the Orlanthi are Chaos-hating barbarian berzerkers.
** Kind of a weird case - the Lunar Empire promotes (cosmic) Chaos but is ''very'' organized, whereas the Orlanthi are Chaos-hating barbarian berzerkers.
* [[Our Gods Are Greater]]: Goes without saying.
* [[Our Gods Are Greater]]: Goes without saying.
* [[Our Monsters Are Different]]: You can even play intelligent ducks, called Durulzi in ''RuneQuest''. (It has its advantages: small size, high Dexterity, and hardly anyone notices a Duck — perfect for a thief/rogue or a mage. And you know what? They have their own island empire in the far East.)
* [[Our Monsters Are Different]]: You can even play intelligent ducks, called Durulzi in ''RuneQuest''. (It has its advantages: small size, high Dexterity, and hardly anyone notices a Duck — perfect for a thief/rogue or a mage. And you know what? They have their own island empire in the far East.)
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** [[Our Elves Are Better]]: They're kind-of dryads, or [[Plant Aliens]].
** [[Our Elves Are Better]]: They're kind-of dryads, or [[Plant Aliens]].
** [[Our Dwarves Are All the Same]]: Massively averted. Dwarves are made into one of several castes, very different from each other. And they are not Viking-like, they are instead living tools dedicated to repairing the once-perfect World Machine.
** [[Our Dwarves Are All the Same]]: Massively averted. Dwarves are made into one of several castes, very different from each other. And they are not Viking-like, they are instead living tools dedicated to repairing the once-perfect World Machine.
* [[Plaguemaster]]: Malia, the Mother of Disease.
* [[Plaguemaster]]: Malia, the Mother of Disease.
* [[Plant Person]]: The elves.
* [[Plant Person]]: The elves.
* [[Pride]]: The God Learners thought that they could do whatever they wanted with those ridiculous pagan deities. Boy were they wrong.
* [[Pride]]: The God Learners thought that they could do whatever they wanted with those ridiculous pagan deities. Boy were they wrong.
* [[Redemption Quest]]: Orlanth's [[To Hell and Back]].
* [[Redemption Quest]]: Orlanth's [[To Hell and Back]].
* [[Spirit World]]: The Otherworld.
* [[Spirit World]]: The Otherworld.
* [[Supernatural Martial Arts]]: Mostly gained through Kralorelan mysticism, by monastic adepts who give in to temptations of power while ostensibly trying to [[Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence]] (most of the students, frankly, are just there to try to reach the really ''good'' temptations).
* [[Supernatural Martial Arts]]: Mostly gained through Kralorelan mysticism, by monastic adepts who give in to temptations of power while ostensibly trying to [[Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence]] (most of the students, frankly, are just there to try to reach the really ''good'' temptations).

Revision as of 04:19, 29 December 2014

RuneQuest was created by Chaosium in 1978, making it one of the oldest tabletop Role Playing Games. Among other things, it introduced an experience system that replaces the levels (as in Dungeons and Dragons) with skills that increase if you successfully use them (Traveller replaced levels with skills first but they didn't increase with use). It also introduced hit regions instead of general Hit Points. The system was also used for other Chaosium games like Call of Cthulhu (tabletop game), Stormbringer, and the Elf Quest RPG, and was in 2004 developed into the generic BRP (Basic Role-Playing System).

The original RuneQuest was set in the Constructed World named Glorantha. As the authors say:

"Glorantha is an action-packed world of adventure. Gods and Goddesses struggle here, with nations of people nothing but their pawns. The stormy barbarians with their brutal but honest Storm God struggle against the Lunar Empire, led by the imperial Sun God and devious Moon Goddess.

Glorantha is an exciting world of heroes. Legends are being made by great individuals, many who are not even human beings. Some work with the deities, other heroes and heroines fight against them.

Glorantha is colorful and full of magic. Supernatural animals are found, ranging from unicorns to seven types of merfolk and the Goddess of Lions.

Glorantha is immense. If explored, it has different worlds and dimensions, whole realms where Gods, spirits and sorcerous powers come from. Unlike many fantasy settings, Glorantha emphasises religion, myth and belief to a level rarely seen in roleplaying or fantasy fiction elsewhere.

Glorantha shares some fantasy tropes such as dwarves, elves, trolls and giants, but has developed them differently to the more conventional versions based on the work of Tolkien. Dwarves are literally made of stone and exist as manifest rigid inflexible laws of creation, while elves are intelligent, mobile plants. Glorantha is full of surprises.

Glorantha is as deep as you want it to be, or not. Hackers and choppers have what they want, while scholars and mythologists have a vast playground of new stories, legends and myths to enjoy."

Glorantha is also the setting of the clan-developing computer game of The King of Dragon Pass.

Provides examples of:

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