CHA4034 Red Book of Magic – Chapter 02 Rune Magic Spells Q&A (A-M)

Official Answers from Chaosium

This covers the second part of Chapter 2, (A-M), pages 10-67:

It also contains the Q&A for Rune spells in:

• RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 13 Rune Magic Spells Q&A
• RuneQuest Glorantha Bestiary – Q&A
• Cults of RuneQuest: Lightbringers – Q&A
• Cults of RuneQuest: Earth Goddesses – Q&A

For the Rune Magic rules, see Chapter 02 Rune Magic Q&A

Accelerate Growth

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Alter Creature

Who can be targeted by this spell?

Who can be targeted by this spell?

• men & beast from anywhere? No
• only those considered as praxian? No
• what about hunshen? No
• a sundomer from prax? No
• a praxian from other beast tribe? No
• a loskalmi? No
• a sabretooth; a telmori? No
• a frog in prax, a newtling? No
• only those from the impalas/sables/bisons/llamas/rhinoceri tribes? Yes

Does this mean that Waha followers come only from these populations ? none from other praxians community, for example ?

No. Waha is present in nearly all the tribes.

The first time I faced the alter creature, it was from a french casus belli scenario and the victim was a sundomer…

The RQG version of Alter Creature is basically the same as the RQ2 version (See Borderlands classic, page 29)

The RQ3 version is two different spells, Fix & Release Intelligence and not connected to the Covenant.

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Attack Soul

Must a Kyger Litor cultist using Attack Soul roll INTx5 to take other actions besides spirit combat?

Yes, but the INTx5 (concentration) is situational and maybe changed by the GM. Down could be x4, x3, x2, x1 or even no roll:

It’s a GM call.

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Axe Trance

Does this have any actual “trance” features

As per, e.g., Arrow Trance?

Treat them the same. 

Obviously, one would need to modify the exact features…

But will the the Axe Trance’d only be aware of themselves and their foes?  Unaware e.g. of falling allies, larger strategic considerations?  If all the foes are fallen before the spell expires, do they just stand ready for more foes?

If the Tranced character has run out of targets, the spell ends, even if prematurely. Humakt has little interest in his warriors standing around pointlessly when they could be going off to get into more trouble elsewhere. The same could be said for Aldrya or Babeester Gor. The rules don’t specifically spell this out but the gamemaster should be able to interpret the situation that way. 

Similarly, casting Extension on spells like this should only be useful for so long as the spell is useful. If, as a gamemaster, you want to have adventurers running around in a coldblooded murder zone, by all means allow it, but if you don’t, remember that the gods themselves are linked to the Runes that these spells are cast with, the Rune points the spells were cast with were granted by those gods themselves, and the use of the spells should be in service to the god, or at least not wasted on idle tasks.  

Things that fall outside the province of the target/Trance dynamic are ignored, which is why it would be horrible to keep one of these spells going for longer than is absolutely necessary.

Can adventurers affected by Sword or Axe Trance use other weapons than swords or axes, eg. shields?

Yes, but…

You may parry, but could not use your shield as an attack and gain the (weapon) trance bonus.

Sword Trance also specifically states: 

So if you attacked with your shield while under a (weapon) trance spell, your GM could say that the spell ends.

Can you switch weapons?

If someone under the effect of Axe Trance is using a 2H version of the appropriate weapon, then their weapon is destroyed, and they swap to another version of the same weapon they still receive the bonus. But if they swap to a 1H version, e.g. Great Axe swapping to Small Axe, the bonus is lost, because the wording was ‘1H or 2H axe skill’ implying they picked a specific skill at casting. Is that intended?

You have misunderstood the spell. This spell merges the caster’s consciousness with their axe – If their weapon is destroyed, the spell ends, their consciousness is no longer merged.

Weapons in Weapons and Equipment

Weapons and Equipment has a few weapons which are have axe or sword in the name, but are outside of the obvious category: Everything in the Pole-Axe category; Pole-sword and Sword Staff in the Spear, Two-handed category; All Daggers under the reddish divider ‘Swords’ on page 62. How do you determine their spell compatibility?

If it’s not clear from the spell description, use the Weapon Type column to determine spell compatability:

• Cut & Thrust weapons generally use Sword Trance.
• Slashing weapons generally use Axe Trance

Where there is a choice, the player & GM should decide depending on their adventures’ fighting style.

Otherwise it’s up to the GM to decide what they feel is appropriate in their games.

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Axis Mundi

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Ban

POW vs. POW

When casting Ban, does the caster have to overcome the target’s POW? On the one hand, by RAW this is clearly required, but on the other, it seems odd that you could resist your excommunication in this way.

Ban does not target the individual being Banned, It interacts with the temples under the caster’s control. The individual cannot connect with their god at any of the locations (including sites and shrines). Imagine it like  warding with the individual being marked by an appropriate method as banned. As soon as a banned individual is detected, spirits of reprisal and temple guardians will stir.

Ban and Dispel Magic

Can a Ban be dispelled normally?

There’s nothing to dispel.

Does countermagic work against Ban (perhaps from being within a Warded area, having a long-term Shield up, or knowing when the Ban is about to hit and throwing up your defences)?

No. Note that while the spell uses target to define who is banned, it does not target the individual.

Bear in mind that to be banned, the target must have done something very bad.

Or really annoyed someone?

Given that:

Annoyance is unlikely to trigger a Ban. Note that Trickster cults don’t have access to Ban.

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Bear’s Strength

Using Bear’s Strength and Strength together

If you have, say, a STR of 16, and cast Strength, it goes up to 24.

If you cast Bear’s Strength in the next round, does STR double to 48? Or does it only double the base stat, making 40? Or does Bear’s Strength just supplant Strength, making 32?

Use only the base stat:

• Strength, base +8 for two minutes (10 rounds) = STR 24
• Bear’s Strength, base x 2 for 15 minutes = 32 + 8 = 40

A GM could rule that they are incompatible, or Bear’s Strength displaces Strength, avoiding the fiddley maths.

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Beastmaster

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Berserker

Countermagic & Berserker

Someone under Berserker receives a 2/4 point Countermagic equivalent. Does this Countermagic get “popped” when penetrated by a spell (as regular Countermagic), or is it a constant protection (more like a Shield spell’s Countermagic equivalent)?

Constant, it’s a Rune spell and the countermagic is part of the effect, just like Shield. The whole spell would need to be eliminated, with for example Dismiss Magic 2.

Strictly, it reads like the former, but is this the intent?

Yes

So, how does this Countermagic-equivalent interact with spells that are normally incompatible with Countermagic? Is this Countermagic-equivalent incompatible with Shimmer / Protection / Spirit Screen?

These spells are incompatible with Berserker (Note that Shield specifically states its compatible with Protection).

Demoralize & Berserker

What happens if you have Berserker on and someone casts a normal Demoralize on you?

The easiest answer is nothing. However a mean GM might say that Demoralise boosted with two magic points (four in total) would take Berserker down.

Fanaticism & Berserker

Does Fanaticism / Berserker increase the boost from Bladesharp or other bonuses?

No.

If bladesharp was already on their weapon, or was cast on the target’s weapon while under Berserker by someone else. you would add the bonus normally, likewise with passion or rune augments :

In a desperate fight with the Iron Broo, Vasana has Berserker cast on her. Her normal 90% broadsword is now doubled against chaos to 180%. Her existing Bladesharp 4 is added afterwards, bring her attack to 200%. She successfully inspires her broadsword with her Air rune and add another 20% to her ability total, now 220%

Fanaticism works the same way.

Dispel Magic & Berserker

Can I cast Dispel Magic on a character in a state of murderous, berserk fury where all but the strongest loyalties are forgotten, and the subject has the effect of Countermagic 2, before the spell ends?”

“Have fun with that!”

Hit points & Berserker

Does Berserker increase an adventurers hit points as a result of of adding half again to their effective CON for the duration of the spell. This can increase their CON above species maximum.

Yes. Hit points are derived from CON with modifiers based on SIZ and POW. A human berserk with a CON of 15 would have half again the CON, so 23, giving a base of 23 hit points.

GMs may find it helpful to have this and the hit point locations calculated in advance.

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Binding Enchantment

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Bind Ghost

Is this an Enchantment?

Is the Bind Ghost spell considered an Enchantment as Humakt may have some slightly-different rules here?

No. 

More specifically, are bound ghosts released with the death of the spell caster?

No. It is not a spirit binding enchantment. 

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Bless Crops

When is this spell cast?

When you plant the crop or with crops such as fruit trees, at a blessing day appropriate to when they wake up from winter.

When are the rune points recovered?

At the Earth Season Holy Day after the harvest.

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Bless Pregnancy

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Chameleon

Chameleon and Darksense

Can trolls detect someone hiding using Chameleon using Darksense?

No. It is an important defense spell against trolls.
Chameleon is only available to initiates, shaman, Elder Sister and Gardeners of the Aldrya cult.
As the target of the spell is self, only elves will use it. An occasional Chameleon matrix may be made by Rune levels of the cult (shaman, Elder Sister and Gardeners), so it is possible that an elf friend may have the use of one.

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Chaos Feature

Chaotic Features table (page 25)

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Charisma

Does Charisma Increase Spell Holding

Do the additional points increase your capacity for holding Spirit Magic spells and Rune Points? Obviously this isn’t a question without Extension being involved. What happens to those spells or RP if the additional CHA goes away?

The spell’s description on page 28 says it will increase the target’s limit of spirit magic spell holding, so yes. 

If you sacrifice more permanent POW for Rune points while the Charisma spell is in effect, you could temporarily have Rune points up to this new CHA limit, but they will go away when your CHA returns to its normal value. So you will have spent permanent POW to get a temporary supply of Rune points that can be wiped out with Dispel Magic.

Using Charisma and Glamour together

If you have, say, a CHA of 16, and cast Glamour, it goes up to 24.

If you cast Charisma in the next round, does CHA double to 48? Or does it only double the base stat, making 40? Or does Charisma just supplant Glamour, making 32?

Use only the base stat:

• Glamour, base +8 for two minutes (10 rounds) = CHA 24
• Charisma, base x 2 for 15 minutes = 32 + 8 = 40

A GM could rule that they are incompatible, or Charisma displaces Glamour, avoiding the fiddley maths.

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Claws

Can these Claws be used in Spirit Combat?

No.

Can they be interpreted as magical weapons created by Rune Magic?

They are magically created claws (likely transforming the targets nails’), not magical claws.

I’m running it that they can, it adds something to a super weak spell.

The spell doubles fist damage (1D3) and allows two attacks, and adds 50% to Climb. If you want the attack to affect spirits, you need something else.

Note that, when stacked with all of the correct spells and Transform self:

That would damage spirits.

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Comfort Song

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Command (cult spirit)

Clarification

If a cult has specific command spells use those, otherwise use the Command Cult Spirit spell. The specific spells are always better.

Command Cult Spirit vs Control (Entity)

The difference between 1 magic point of and 1 Rune point is huge for the many players who would like to use an elemental. It’s too expensive in terms of Rune points, especially new PCs who only have 3 Rune points.

	Command Cult Spirit	Control (Entity)
Cost:	2 Rune points	1 Magic point
Duration:	15 minutes (extendable)	2 minutes
Specificity:	Any cult spirit	Specific to (entity) eg. Control Fire Elemental
Availability:	Common Rune magic	Control spells are not taught by any cult (except Aldrya), so are only available to cults with Shaman. Currently that’s Aldrya, Daka Fal, Kyger Litor, Waha, Yu-Kargzant (ignoring Malia and Thed as they are NPC cults). To learn a specific Control (entity) spell from a shaman, you’d need to find one that’s cult friendly and can find the control spell you want. Just because the rule book say they can teach any spirit magic spell doesn’t mean they actually can.

Starting adventurers are limited to small elementals.

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Command Worshipers

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Consume Mind

Whose Runes to Cast stolen magic

What Runes would the evil guy use to cast obtained Rune Magic? In this case, unlike “Create Head”, my assumption is that it’s the evil guy’s own ratings? (but this would severely limit the type of spells that are worth consuming in this way)

Yes, it’s the caster’s runes, a GM may allow the caster to subsume the victims rune abilities per the Knowledge and Magic skills in the spell description. GMs should always allow the substitution of the Chaos rune where appropriate.

It’s worth remembering that Thanatar NPCs are dangerous chaos monsters that should be carefully crafted, and are likely to have rule bending abilities commensurate with that role. More information will be available in the Thanatar cult, in the upcoming Cults of RuneQuest.

And… If it’s the evil guys own ratings, then shouldn’t the evil guy also have mastered the Runes and Techniques before being able to cast sorcery?

They have absorbed that knowledge from the mind of the victim.

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Counter Chaos

Does Counter Chaos work against illuminated chaos things?

Yes. See Anti-Chaos spells and Illumination

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Create Fissure

What are the dimensions per Rune point?

Are all dimensions multiplied by the number of Rune points in the spell, or just the depth? If you create it underneath a target do you have to overcome their POW or does it just work? Why DEX x 3 rather than Dodge to not fall in?

The spell’s overall dimension (5x1x5 meters) is multiplied by the Rune points. So with two rune points you could make it longer, wider, or deeper.

It just works. No need for a resistance roll. The spell would say so if it were the case. 

DEXx3 is easier to keep track of for creatures that may not have Dodge skills defined. If you want, substitute Dodge.

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Create Head

Whose abilities are used to cast the head’s magic?

Create Head lets the creator cast spirit, Rune, and sorcery magic known by the victim. What ability would be used to cast this magic?

The key phrase in the description is All spirit magic, Rune magic, and sorcery spells the victim knows are usable by the head’s creator. Usable not known. So it’s the head’s magic points, rune points and rune abilities. This is the same as Spell Trading – Rune rating of the person who provided the spell, even if it is lower than their own. 

What about manipulating sorcery spells… which Free INT would we use?

The head’s. GMs may wish to simplify this for ease in managing NPC Thanatar cultists, by using POW x5 (like rune enchantments) to replace a list of rune abilities. With sorcery spells GMs are advised to calculate spell needs and record them in advance, based on the Head’s free INT.

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Create Market (Create Neutral Ground)

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Create Shadow

Can it be cast on a target and move with the target.

It can move with the target, as it has a Movement Rate. 

Dark Walk and Create Shadow

If One point is enough to allow Dark Walk – does that mean I can cast both and become invisible and soundless for 15 minutes while moving around even in daylight (well there will be a bit of haze)?

You can cast Dark Walk and Create Shadow simultaneously. You may be a bit conspicuous, though, with a blurry darkish haze surrounding you.

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Create Wildfire

Fire intensity

The description references the Fire rules on p.157, but it talks about increasing “intensity by one level”. This sounds like a rules reference but I can see nothing about intensity levels in the fire rules, so this seems confusing.

An intensity 1 fire does does 1D6 damage, an intensity 2 fire does does 2D6 damage.

Here’s an equivalent table for clarification, note that sorcery damage is  based on sorcery intensity and so does not match up exactly with descriptions.

Combined Fire Intensity table for clarification, note that sorcery damage is based on sorcery intensity and so does not match up exactly with descriptions.

Fire intensity	Damage	Heat Metal (RBM 115)	Conflagration (RQG 392)
n/a	1D3	–	1-3 Candle
1	1D6	Too hot to hold	4-7 Torch
2	2D6	Tin melts	8–11 Raging fire, hot enough to melt tin
3	3D6	Lead becomes soft
4	4D6	Lead melts.	12–15 Intense fire hot enough to melt lead
5	5D6	Copper, gold, silver, aluminum, bronze, and iron become soft for hammering and smithing.
6	6D6	Copper, gold, silver, aluminum, bronze, and iron melt	16-19 Hot enough to melt bronze, copper, gold, or silver

Fires burning out much sooner

It also describes the affected fire burning out much sooner, but there are no rules on how soon a fire burns out, so this seems a bit confusing.

This is a situational call by the GM, but having burn time halving each level is not unreasonable. For example a wicker torch may burn for 10 minutes and cause 1D6 damage. Casting Create Wildfire 1 on it would cause it to flare to 2D6 damage and half its burn time to 5 minutes. Casting Create Wildfire 4 on it would cause it to flare to 5D6 damage and reduce its burn time to 30 seconds (hopefully the holder has thrown it!). For larger fires the GM will need to determine how long the fire would normally burn, for example a barn full of grain may burn for hours.

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Crack

Defining Magical items

What is a magical object?

Items that have a permanent magical effect on them, no matter how simple.

• Enchanted items (they cost permanent POW to make)
• Blessed items (from gods, spirits, etc)
• Magic Crystals (noted in the spell description)
• Spell matrices (noted in the spell description), these are enchantments
• Elf Bows (noted in the spell description), these have their own POW and are living, not magical objects

If the effect is time related (spells, etc) it’s not a magical object as the effect is not permanent (noted in the spell description). 

Is an unenchanted iron helm seen as a magical object ?

No, it is not enchanted. However note that unenchanted iron reduces the chance of both casting and being affected by a spell by 5% per point of ENC (W&E 14, GMSPA 121).

Is an enchanted iron helm seen as a magical object ?

Is a dagger with Magic Point Enchantment

Yes, these have been enchanted

Is an sword with an Humakt blessing seen as a magical object ?

Yes, it has been blessed to give an effect that is magical. Blessings are magical in nature.

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Cure Chaos Wound

Strike Rank and additional Magic Points

It provides the magic points needed for the spell. Does it take place on SR 1, like most rune spells, take place on the SR of the stacked spells with or without additional SRs for the ‘provided’ magic points?

For example, if Heal Wound is cast, it goes off at SR 1 plus one SR for each magic point after the first. Heal Wound healing 6 damage would go off at SR 6. With CCW stacked, would it take effect on SR 1 or SR 6.

Heal 6 would go off at DX SR +5. With CCW stacked, would it take effect at SR 1 or DX SR +5?

It goes off at SR1. As Cure Chaos Wound provides the magic points there’s no strike rank cost for magic points.

Using Cure Chaos Wound with Sorcery

It would make a significant difference in speed for the potential and unlikely Chalana Arroy sorcerer casting a Mend Flesh 12 stacked with CCW.

Sorcery is more complex as there is a minimum casting time of one turn before any magic points are calculated for additional strike ranks. So Mend Flesh would activate on the following melee round.

Cure Chaos Wound and Disease

CCW states ‘This spell is of no use by itself’. A Storm Bull initiate desires to cast it on himself because he has been infected by Cause Shakes cast by a Mallia initiate, and is far from town. Hence, the Storm Bull has no hit point damage. Does he have to stack e.g. Heal 1  with CCW? If he doesn’t have Heal X in his initial spirit spells, would he need to use 2 Rune Points to stack it with Heal Wound (Common Rune Magic, so he would have it available)? Alternately, for diseases and broo impregnation it could be of use by itself.

Heal and Heal Wound have no effect on The Shakes. Cure All disease or Fight Disease would need to be stacked with it. A Kind GM may allow it to be cast with a treat Disease roll.

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Cure Poison

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Dark Walk

Does the Dark Walk spell make the character undetectable to Second Sight, Soul Sight, Detect enemies, Detect life, Darksense etc.?

Dark Walk vs. other spells

• Second Sight – ineffective, as the character in darkness is still hidden totally.
• Soul Sight – ineffective, as the character in darkness is still hidden totally.
• Detect Enemies – caster determines roughly where a Dark Walker is, such as “in that patch of shadow” somewhere… but does not see them. 
• Detect Life – as the spell indicates, gives direction and distance, but not actual location. 
• Darksee – The caster is invisible and soundless while in darkness or shadow to those with Darksee.
• Darksense – The caster is invisible and soundless while in darkness or shadow to those with Darksense.
• Earthsense – The caster is invisible and soundless while in darkness or shadow to those with Earthsense (See RBM spell description).

As for others, I generally take the rule of thumb that a Rune spell is almost always more powerful than a spirit magic one (especially if points are equal).

When in doubt, the implied intent of the Rune spell should be weighed versus any exploit or apparent weakness.

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Detect Honor

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Detection Blank

Detection Blank countermagic

Does Detection Blank works as two points of countermagic against ALL incoming spells? Not just detect spells?

No. See the first sentence of the spell description.

As most detection spells are 1 point (except detect traps), the two equivalent levels of countermagic will block those spells. Stacking Detection Blank will stop increasingly boosted detection spells.

Detection Blank is only available to Cacodemon initiates.

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Dismiss (type) Elemental

Seven Mothers Clarification

Seven Mothers initiates can Summon / Dismiss Elementals (max 1pt) using the Moon rune, but cannot Summon / Dismiss any form of Air Elemental.

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Dismiss Magic

Extension and Dismiss magic I

Does Dismiss Magic always take the main spell away or is it drawn between the Extension and the main spell. if there is Earth shield 3 and Extension 3 and an opponent casts Dismiss Magic 3. Which spell is cancelled? 

Extension just increases the duration of the spell, it doesn’t exist separately after casting. See: Extension in the Q&A

The Dismiss Magic 3 eliminates the Earth Shield 3.

What if your opponent notices that there is a spell on a shield because the shield shines and targets the shield with Dismiss Magic. Is it enough to automatically select the Earth Shield and not the Extension

See above.

How come it is irrelevant? There are two spells on that shield, extension and earth shield.

There is one spell, Earth Shield 3, with a duration of a week.

Extension and Dismiss Magic II

How does Dismiss Magic work on Rune spells with extension?

As normal.

Does extension make the main spell bigger and harder to dismiss?

No. Extension makes the spell last longer. That’s all it does.

Why wouldn’t Extension make a Runespell more powerful?  For example, an opponent casts Charisma and Extension III, Charisma is now cast with 4 RPs, and you should need a Dismiss Magic of at least 4 pts (or 8 pts Dispel Magic) to dismiss it.

You’re not making the spell more effective or more powerful, you’re just making it last longer.

Sorcery and Dismiss Magic

How do you calculate the intensity of a Sorcery spell for the purposes of countermagic / dispel? As far as I can figure, the total intensity is 1 + the levels of intensity purchased, is that right?

That’s correct.

Can a powerful Dismiss Magic remove multiple spells at once?

Yes. But it must completely overcome each of them.

A Dismiss Magic 2 against Protection 3 and Shield 1, would only knock out the Protection 3. 

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Divination

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Earthpower

Repeated use of Earthpower

What’s to stop a priestess of Ernalda from using Earthpower repeatedly to draw POW from Earth? Say she makes a binding enchantment costing 3 POW. She then uses her mps to zero, falls to ground and uses 5 RPs to Earthpower, drawing 3 POW from Earth. She then sacrifices the POW she gained to whatever she fancies, prays her rune points back, and does it again. The spell isn’t one use or temporal, so this seems possible.

If the caster is not in mortal or existential peril, then the spell doesn’t work. Your GM is the adjudicator on this. Your above example is neither.

Note that when your adventurer’s POW reaches zero, they die. When your adventurer’s magic points reach zero, they become unconscious. 

If your POW has not been depleted, you won’t get any more back, this is not a loophole to increase your adventurer’s POW.

Plus 1 POW and 1d8 mps per stacked rune point. Some mortal perils seem to be worse than others, since you can draw max 19 POW if you have 21 rune points.

There is nothing preventing the stacked spell using as many Rune points as wanted by the player. If you have reached zero POW, that is a serious situation. Likewise reaching zero magic points would render the adventurer unconscious, getting an excess of magic points may save the day.

In the theoretical scenario of your human adventurer having 21 rune points (assuming species max CHA), they can regain up to 19 points of their POW. They would also receive 19D8 magic points.

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Enchant (metal)

Broken weapons

When you create an enchanted rune metal weapon, like a sword, and it gets broken, then you have to re-enchant it after you fix it?

What about spears and suchlike weapons where the most likely part to get broken is the shaft? Do you still have to re-enchant it after you put the head on another stick?

The rules don’t differentiate the HP of the various components of weapons. So the answer is yes you have to re-enchant it.

Alternatives include:

• Assume that the entire weapon is made out of the enchanted material, retaining the bronze equivalent ENC.
• Your GM can always introduce more complexity into their game, so it would not be unreasonable to allow hafted weapons to track damage to the head and shaft separately, although we give no guidelines on how to do so. Be aware in this case with iron weapons, that only the head will have the increased HP.

What is the production sequence. Do you enchant the metal and then forge the weapon? Or do you forge the weapon and then enchant it? 

Enchanting multiple items

Can multiple items be enchanted, e.g. 10 swords of 1 ENC each, in a single ritual for one point of POW? Do enchanters save up broken items to be re-enchanted in a batch for greater efficiency?

Yes. It’s not prohibited in the spell description and specifically says One point of POW must be sacrificed for each 10 ENC (or fraction thereof) of the metal enchanted.

With broken items, a temple may just do that. As they may have replacements.

I suspect that the most common way additional enchantments are made is when enchanting a suit of armour, where the ENC is 11 and so made up to 20 with repairs, weapons and other items. As usual, all the items would need crafting.

If you want to gain favour with your thanes, spend some resources and give them each an enchanted silver broadsword…

The biggest limitation to enchanting is metal, smiths and time.

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Enchant Iron

Associated Rune

The spell description says the Rune used varies with the metal, but I can’t find any information on what Rune is associated with iron.

It’s the Death Rune.

Who can use Enchant Iron?

Some earlier edition imply that the knowledge of the Enchant Iron spell was limited to Rune levels [Lords and Priests] as a way of enforcing the cultural prohibition that those who were ‘unworthy’ should not have access to the Metal of Death. Is that still the case?

I cannot not comment on earlier editions as this is the RQG Q&A.

Enchantments as a whole are only available to Rune Levels, Gustbran is the only exception. As such Enchant Iron is only available to Rune Levels. Craft (Iron) is only available to Initiates of Humakt, Yanafal Tarnils (full cult) and dwarves.

The Yanafal Tarnil information comes from the upcoming Cults of RuneQuest and is not the Seven Mothers subcult, but the standalone full cult.

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Extension

Extension and Dismiss magic

Does Dismiss Magic always take the main spell away or is it drawn between the Extension and the main spell. if there is Earth shield 3 and Extension 3 and an opponent casts Dismiss Magic 3. Which spell is cancelled? 

Extension just increases the duration of the spell, it doesn’t exist separately after casting.

So the answer is none of them. The Dismiss Magic 3 eliminates the Earth Shield 3.

What if your opponent notices that there is a spell on a shield because the shield shines and targets the shield with Dismiss Magic. Is it enough to automatically select the Earth Shield and not the Extension

See above.

How come it is irrelevant? There are two spells on that shield, extension and earth shield.

There is one spell, Earth Shield 3, with a duration of a week.

Questions

Why wouldn’t Extension make a Runespell more powerful?  For example, an opponent casts Charisma and Extension 3, Charisma is now cast with 4 RPs, and you should need a Dismiss Magic of at least 4 pts (or 8 pts Dispel Magic) to dismiss it.

You’re not making the spell more effective or more powerful, you’re just making it last longer.

For reusable spells, can the RPs be regained while the spell is still in effect?

Yes, unless the spell description says otherwise (Extension for example).

Extension allows spells to last for extended periods.  If a spell (Shield for example) was extended for a season, could the RPs used for the Shield spell be regained via a worship ceremony before the Shield spell expires?

No. Extension specifically states:

If you don’t have the Red Book of Magic see Extension in the Q&A 

Can you cast Extension on a spell in a matrix or truestone?

No, unless the matrix or truestone contains Extension.

Extension & Lunar Cyclical Magic

If you’re subject to Lunar Cyclical Magic (RQG p. 303) and you cast a temporal spell during Full Moon (“Temporal spells have double the normal duration”) and with Extension, does it double the extended duration of the spell? E.g., does it make a temporal spell cast with a 3-point Extension last two weeks, or is it still just one week?

Yes It would double the extension, so a 3 point extension would be 2 weeks. To recap:

• Black, Dying, No extension possible
• Crescent-come and -go, 1pt extension possible (2 hours)
• Empty and Full Half Moons, no Extension limit
• Full Moon, Extension time doubled.

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Fireshield

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Float

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Free Ghost

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Gnome to Gargoyle

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Group Dance

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Group Laughter

Dispelling Group Laughter

Our clan was hosting a major Sacred Time ceremony when a trickster cast a powerful Group Laughter spell that covered several hundred people. We think it must have been around 20 points, and also suspect that a lot of Extension was also used. Obviously we see the funny side of all this, even a few days later, but in all seriousness we need to do something about it.

My question is: when we muster enough points of Dismiss Magic, will one casting be sufficient to dispel the effects of the entire spell on everyone, or will we need to cast it on each victim individually? If the latter, then we will need to enlist the aid of our wyter?

As the spell is centred on the caster one a single Dismiss Magic would work. However as Eurmal’s magic is clearly MGF,  you would need to cast it on each victim…

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Hallucinate

Hallucinations

Is this intended to imply that this spell alone can create all these effects and combine them

Yes.

or that it must be cast as well as the other spells?

No.

Just to note that Create Hallucination is only on a individual, where the illusion spells are grander affairs perceived by all.

Can a Trickster casting Hallucinate see a door in a wall for example that nobody else can see, and walk through it? I’m hoping the answer is yes, as that sort of thing was a favorite of my old RQ2 Trickster. I called it “the roadrunner spell.”

That would be an extraordinarily powerful 1-pt spell. 

As a gamemaster, I’d rule that yes, they could cast the spell and open that illusory door. What’s on the other side of that door, if anything… that’s the chance the trickster takes. 

Can the caster Hallucinate a spirit casting spells?

As long as they could already perceive the spirit or it’s corporate that’s fine, otherwise they are hallucinating something they have no basis for perceiving.

For example to Hallucinate a human sized spirit, that could be perceived to cast spells it would need 4 Illusionary SIZ and 1 illusionary motion for starters.

Would a fumbled Fireblade attack burn the trickster?

Yes as long as it has illusionary substance, size and motion. That’s fine. Fireblade is likely one point of each. The fireblade will damage the target, but only the Eurmali will perceive it, that costs more illusion points.

What about Healing?

As longs as there are enough points of Hallucination that’s fine.

There is ZERO info in the RAW about illusions of spells, illusions of spellcasting, and so forth.

The rules don’t cover everything. The illusions of spells and spell casting are effectively combinations of illusionary substance, size and movement, there’s no actual rules mechanics driving the illusion of a spell.

Following the rule that 1 point Hallucinate is worth 12 points of mixed Illusion magic, would the Hallucinated spirit have 12 POW, and so have 12MP to cast spells with, and 12 points of Spirit Magic?

No. There’s no actual POW in a hallucination, you hallucinate the effects not the mechanics to cast the spell. An adventurer could hallucinate being hit by a huge thunderbolt, but there’s no mechanics (other than controlling illusionary motion), just points of Hallucinate, it would need enough Substance to damage the hallucinator or it’s just a special effect.

Must the trickster must have some personal real-world experience with any magic their Hallucination casts upon them?

Yes, that’s what the GM is for.

Fortunately the Truant aspect is limited to East Isles, Kralorela and Peloria. It’s main use is to trap others who have a magical mental link with the caster.

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Heal Body

Effective against Poison

Yes

Shouldn’t this be tagged as Permanent?

No. It’s healing a variable (hit points), we don’t want give the impression that those hit points are now permanent, but the regenerate limb (Regrow Limb) part is permanent.

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Heal Wound

Boosting

Do the extra MPs added to Heal Wound count towards boosting the spell? Eg, if I cast heal wound and spent 5mp on it , would it count as a 2 point spell or a 7 point spell for the purposes of countermagic?

Yes, just like other spells where magic points are spent.

Shouldn’t this be tagged as Permanent?

No. It’s healing a variable (hit points), we don’t want give the impression that those hit points are now permanent, but the regenerate limb (Regrow LImb) part is permanent.

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Hide Fire

Fire intensity

The description refers to the “intensity” of a fire as if it’s a rule mechanic, which it isn’t.

See the Combined Fire Intensity table for clarification

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Illusory Motion

Movement

The wording around movement could IMHO be clearer. It says that each additional point moves at a rate of 3m/round which taken literally could be taken to mean it doesn’t move at all with the basic 1 point but only animated. I assume it’s intended to move at 3m/round per point, and it would be clearer if the wording said that, not per additional point.

The first point gives it motion, so an illusionary dog with 1pt could sit up, beg, rollover. etc. Each point after the first lets it walk or run about.

It’s not clear to me what the last sentence about manipulating the illusion on a DEX x3 really means. For example, if this roll fails does it mean the illusion is totally static if it’s been cast on a stationary object? Or it moves but in an unintended way (as chosen by the GM)? If the illusion has been cast on moving object then can this spell move both the object and illusion covering it together? Or is this spell only useful on an already-moving object just to control what the illusion appears to do whilst being tied to moving with however the object is moving? Is this roll made at first casting and then each round, or at some other interval?

Back to the illusionary dog, ultimately this is a GM call, but if the dog was sitting and the caster wanted it to get up and chase someone, they would need to manipulate the illusion into standing up and running. Likewise getting it to attack a target. If they fail it just sits there, doesn’t stop running or fails to attack.

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Illusory Odor

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Illusory Substance

Invisible weapons

Can Illusory Substance be used alone to create a solid, invisible substance? For 4 points, could I wield an invisible weapon that deals 2D6 damage?

No, re-read Illusory Substance on RQG 332 / RBM 59. You would need to cast Illusory Motion in tandem with it to be able to move and manipulate your 2D6 invisible weapon. You could create a stationary illusory spike under someone to fall on, but both spells would be needed for something you’d wield in combat.

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Impede Chaos

Penalties

How does Impede Chaos actually work? The spell talks about a penalty to “attack skill”, but there are no longer any attack skills. Should it be read as inflicting a -20% penalty to all attack rolls, or a -20% penalty to all weapon (including Unarmed) skills?

Any skill a Chaos creature is using to attack is penalized by -20% per point.

Every creature in the Bestiary and all existing publications has a section in their description for their weapons or attacks. You can also apply this penalty to spells, unarmed combat, and Spirit Combat that target an adventurer. 

Is the Chaos creature attacking an adventurer? Modify the skill it is using. 

Does Impede Chaos work against illuminated chaos things?

Yes. See Anti-Chaos spells and Illumination

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Inviolable

Effects

Does Inviolable only work to calm down those it affects,

Yes.

but not the non-associated cult members?

Yes, Ernalda and associate cult members only (currently 15). You may also include in that members of the relevant Husband-Protector where appropriate. So for a Sartarite caster, Orlanth, Grazelander, Yelm, etc.

Does Inviolable also affect the caster

Only if she gets above 50% in the POW vs POW roll. The caster needs to get a POW vs POW result above their own POW for it to affect them.

and potentially prevent them from being violent?

Yes.

Do lay members count for the Inviolable Spell?  Does ‘Member’ generally mean initiate?

Yes, my emphasis:

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Invisibility

Questions

Invisibility isn’t an actual visual change, but merely a distraction, so how does the spell hide you and your spirit from creatures that have different senses (i.e darksense, heat vision, spirits/shaman/second sight, etc. )?

Yes to those abilities using conventional vision (darksense, heat vision, etc.), as the spell is magic invisibility, not tied to conventional real-Earth physics. 

Second Sight I would also say no to also, because the spell specifically eludes the viewer’s notice, so someone would have to know where the invisible character were to see their POW.

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Lava Spear

Questions

How often can you use the lava spear ?

Practically you are limited by strike ranks. eg with a 2mp volley and a DEX SR 3 (reaction time, aiming, change targets, etc):

• SR 2 (1+2mps-1) + roll to hit, 1D damage
• SR 6 (+DEX SR 3+2mps-1) + roll to hit, 1D damage
• SR 10 (+DEX SR 3+2mps-1) + roll to hit, 1D damage

and with a 4mp volley

• SR 4 (1+4mps-1) + roll to hit, 2D damage
• SR 10 (+DEX SR 3+4mps-1) + roll to hit, 2D damage

Note that Lava Spear is only available to the Lodril subcult of the Spear, found only in great temples.

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Leap

Questions

How often a character can actually leap using the Leap spell. The spell description says a fully encumbered person can jump 6 meters high, or away, for the spells duration.  I assume that’s not just once during the spell’s duration. I’m going with once per melee round( plus you get your normal movement in that round ), but I could see arguments for once every DEX SRM.

Outside of combat, any reasonable number of times in 15 minutes.

In combat maybe DEX SR + 1SR per 1m so a character with a DEX SR of 2 would jump on SR 2 travel 6m, land on SR 8, not really enough time for another jump. Very quickly they would be disengaged, so apply the outside of combat version above.

Ultimately what ever seems reasonable for the activity required.

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Lie

Questions

Is the limitation of “one full melee round” correct? This seems like a very short time. Is it perhaps meant to be “one full turn”?

It is correct, it’s the minimum amount of time.

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Lightning

Questions

One Rune point gets me a single lightning stroke for 1d6 damage? Or do I have 15 minutes of 1d6 damage? I realize the effects are instant, but does the ability to shoot lightning last for 15 minutes?

The effect is instant, which replaces the default duration of Temporal, see Spell Durations, RQG page page 248 or RBM page 6.

The text for Lightning says it damages “a single hit location”. No use of the word “random”. Do you get to pick the hit location?

All spells are random location:

See also Disruption in the Q&A.

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Lock

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Madness

Questions

When the Madness wears off it leave trace effects, and we are referred to the table. These effects seem severe: in the case of 3, 5 and 6 the character becomes unplayable. Is there any way of treating these effects? madness seems to be the only thing that has no remedy.

To clarify, if a caster overcomes the adventurer’s POW with a critical success, they become insane:

For the average character with an POW of 11 it’s only going to be 19 days, just under three weeks. Not that long at all. With the recommended adventure being seasonal, and hopefully it not affecting the their Occupation Income Roll, there’s plenty of time to be mad in an 8 week season.

The INT can be restored using Restore Health (page 337) from Chalana Arroy, Daka Fal, Ernalda, Lhankor Mhy, Orlanth, Yelm, at the standard 20L/pt, or using standard natural healing: see RuneQuest Glorantha Corrections and Q&A, Chapter 05 Game System Q&A, Healing (page 149-150), Natural Healing (page 149):

GMs may realise that adventurers slowly dying in their bed’s by failing their Natural Healing rolls may not be considered a dramatic circumstance, and are reminded that if this is the case, no roll is required as it’s an automatic success:

Questions

What about a Magic Point Enchantments? Do these also need to be attuned in a similar fashion to crystals?

No. The week long crystal investigation is to determining the nature of the crystal (powered or not). It either results in an attuning attempt or storing a magic point (See GM Screen Pack, Adventure book, Determining the Nature of a Crystal, page 121).

Magic point Enchantments just need identifying before use (Analyze Magic, Knowledge, etc). There may also be User Conditions on use as part of the enchantment (RQG page 251)

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Matrix Creation

Questions

Is it meaningful to create a Rune Magic Matrix of a stackable spell with more than the POW for the basic casting invested in it? i.e. If you create a Shield 4 matrix for the sacrifice of 4 POW, does it mean you can cast Shield 4 using the Matrix without spending Rune Points at the time of casting? Or is the intent that you create a Shield matrix which allows you to spend your Rune Points to cast Shield even if you don't have access to the spell (making Rune Magic matrices something you make for others)? If the latter, what is meant by the section on 'recharging' them? Do they automatically recharge to full if involved in a (presumably successful, based on the officiating Priest's roll) Worship ceremony?

For your example, you would need to spend the Rune points to cast Shield 4 with the spell matrix. The matrix's virtue is that it allows someone without the spell to cast it using their POWx5 chance, regardless of their rating in the associated Rune. Yes, a successful Worship ceremony will re-ready the matrix for use.

If I want to store a one use spell in a matrix, how do I do this?

You cannot put a one use spell into a matrix.

If they even exist, they are likely to be rare cult objects, recovered on heroquests.

Is this a mistake and should the character use the correct Rune percentage instead?

No.

If the person who made the matrix was using it, a GM could rule that they could use their appropriate rune ability. 

Can you cast Extension on a spell in a matrix?

No, unless the matrix contains Extension.

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Multispell

Casting Disruption with Multispell:

do all the Disruptions strike the same location

Yes, the single multispelled Disruption strikes a single location.

And do you roll to overcome the target's POW for every Disruption spell or only once?

Once, it's a single attack.

or only a maximum of two Disruptions?

Multispell	Disruption Damage	Magic Point Cost	SR
1	2D3	2	1
2	3D3	3	1
3	4D3	4	1
4	5D3	5	1
5	6D3	6	1
6	7D3	7	1
7	8D3	8	1
8	9D3	9	1
9	10D3	10	1

Casting Multimissile with Multispell:

An adventurer is using a 1pt Multispell to prep arrows in advance with Multimissile (touch, temporal, passive which I interpret to mean that the spell can be cast on an arrow to be used up to 10 rounds later)

Yes - This spell can be cast onto a missile: the spell works (once only) if the missile is used any time within the spell’s duration.

If my adventurer has an arrow and casts multimissile with 5 mps, it goes off at SR1 + 4 (5-1).

Now with Multispell 1

If my adventurer has an two arrows and casts two multimissiles with with 5 mps, both go off at SR1 + 4 (5-1).

Does he, on the same strike rank:

• make two Spirit Magic casting rolls to cast the two Multimissile spells on the two arrows, or

Yes. Each spell is separate and you need to cast multispell (three rolls in total) 

• One Spirit Magic roll because it is now considered to be a single spell action affecting two arrows?

No.

In my example it be worth casting multimissile with (12-DEX SR) mps, it goes off at 12, but only one roll.

As in all cases GMs may make their own rulings, some may rule that only the Multispell roll is needed (plus attack rolls), others may rule that all the spirit magic if identical is one roll only - however there is only one specific example of this (disruption).

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N-Z is here

Related Pages

• CHA4034 Red Book of Magic – Chapter 01 Introduction Q&A
• CHA4034 Red Book of Magic – Chapter 02 Rune Magic Q&A
• CHA4034 Red Book of Magic – Chapter 02 Rune Magic Spells Q&A (N-Z)
• CHA4034 Red Book of Magic – Chapter 03 Spirit Magic Q&A
• CHA4034 Red Book of Magic – Chapter 03 Spirit Magic Spells Q&A

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Page Last updated: 2023-09-28 09:48:55