332 A.C.

RuneQuest is a Roleplay created by Steve Perrin and Greg Stafford in 1978. It is about the one of the first roleplays, resulting from the meeting of the medieval-fantastic universe Glorantha (which had before had the honors of an adaptation concerned of plate in the Wargame the War of the Heroes ) and of the roleplay.

History

In 1966, Greg Stafford writes the history of Snodal, prince de Fronéla; it is the beginning of the development of the world of Glorantha which gives rise to RuneQuest . The first edition of the play takes place in 1978 at Chaosium, followed by an 2nd edition correcting the shells of the first.

The play is republished by Avalon Hill in 1984. Avalon Hill decides to open the rules with other universes, with in particular the possibility of playing during historical time. Glorantha is left in second plan, the product is followed little and expensive. It is this edition which is called the Third edition .

Games Workshop will publish its version of RuneQuest in 1987. The rules will be cut out in three books: RuneQuest (taking again a expurgée version of many options of the rules of Avalon Hill), RuneQuest Monsters and Advanced RuneQuest (containing all the left rules on side in the first book). More accessible from its format delivers, it will have very little follow-up.

The play is published in French, according to the Third edition of Avalon Hill, but with the stress laid on the play in the universe of Glorantha, by Oriflam, which ensures the translation of the supplements.

Greg Stafford creates Issaries Inc. and publishes Hero Wars in 2000, then HeroQuest in 2003.

Mongoose Publishing published in August 2006 a new edition of RuneQuest, with a system closer to the edition of 1978 than of that of 1984, and a framework of countryside located in the Second Age of Glorantha, and not in the Third Age as in the back issues of RuneQuest. The system of play is published under free ludic License, but not the world of Glorantha, which remains property of Greg Stafford.

System of play

It is characterized by a system containing competences, very simple, rather universal and relatively intuitive, the Système BASIC RolePlaying which one finds in other plays of the same editor. Intuitive because the capacities of the characters are expressed in Pourcentage S: a competence with the sword of 75% means that the character will touch his target in 75% of the cases.

Like the plays of this time, it treats crucial moments which the engagements constitute, but it introduces of other competences (bargaining, ironwork, etc). Its system leaves the largest hero to the thank you of a bad blow if it does not take guard there. The system thus encourages with adventures more turned towards the diplomacy than towards the combat.

The character is defined by seven characteristics: force (FOR), constitution (IDIOT, the health condition), size (TAI), intelligence (INT), to be able (LOUSE, will, strength of character, capacity to handle the magic), dexterity (DEX, manual skill) and charisma (CHA, or appearance APP).

Third edition

The characteristics are obtained by summoning three dice with six faces (3d6), except the intelligence and the size which are obtained by 2d6+6.

Competences are classified by groups; the characteristics define no-claims bonus in each group of competences.

The player draws the age and the initial profession from the character randomly; the age and the profession determine the percentages of competences, to which the no-claims bonus of group are added.

The evolution of the characters is determined by their actions; the practice is the primary source of the improvement. The richness also makes it possible to acquire the power by the drive. Thus, if a character makes a success of a jet under a competence in situation of stress, it notches the cross beside competence. At the end of the part, if it misses a jet under competence, this one progresses of 3 points or of 1d6 points; thus, more one competence is high, less the character can learn by the practice. The character can also pay a Master to follow his teaching.

The power results in larger capacities (special fates, better controlled competences…). The most powerful characters can be distinguished by titles (initiated, priest, lord runic, etc), but the absence of title is not inevitably the sign of a less value of the character.

A third form of magic, Sorcery, was introduced. Each fate of Sorcery is controlled by a competence, which defines the chances of success of them. A fate of sorcery is originally very weak, but the expenditure only one point of magic requires. The use of competences Intensity, Range, Duration or Multisort will make it possible to the Wizard to spend more points of magic to make its fates more powerful and to combine them between them to have more possibilities.

Edition OGL (2006)

The edition under free ludic License by Mongoose Publishing guard overall the same system, by simplifying it:

  • with regard to the creation of the characters, the basic percentages of competences are calculated simply starting from the characteristics; the membership of a profession gives a fixed no-claims bonus;
  • the table of resistance disappeared;
  • the character has points of heroism, which enable him to catch up with a failure.

Universe

All in all, the universe of Glorantha is technologically and culturally that of Antiquity. All is magic and divine there, of the geographical places to harvest, the fates of fertility to the fates of combat. Each culture has its developed Pantheon, with its under-worships, its interbreedings, its gods adored in various manners according to the people… and his relative religious history.

One can recognize the inspiration of the cruel cultures, Celt or Roman as well as marine people.

See the detailed article Glorantha.

Works

; In French

  • RuneQuest : rules and presentation of Glorantha
  • the Master of the runes : screen and scenario
  • forgotten Secrecies : supplement
  • the Mounts Rainbow : compilation of Gloranthan Bestiary (the bestiary of Glorantha) and of the scenario Apple Lane ( the Path of Apple)
  • Gods of Glorantha : mythology
  • Genertela : one of the continents of Glorantha (northern)
  • Trolls : all on these people
    • haunted Ruins : scenario
  • Warriors of the Sun (Sun County) : description of the area of Prax (Genertela)
  • Dorastor : description of this chaotic region of Genertela
  • the way of the saber (Land off Ninja) : adaptation to medieval Japan

Hero Wars and HeroQuest

Hero Wars (2000) and HeroQuest (2003) is two roleplays published by Issaries Inc., also based on the world of Glorantha, is on the other hand épiques. Their system of play is little simulationnist, the rules does not seek to envisage multiple situations in detail, but is rather based on description.

Hero Wars is not any more published and left the place to HeroQuest , whose supplements are however compatible.

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • Oriflam, the editor of the French version

    • Catalog RuneQuest
  • Issaries Inc., official site
  • Article of Grog
  • Advertisement of Mongoose Publishing

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