CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 07 Combat Q&A pages 206-225

Official Answers by Chaosium

This covers Chapter 7, pages 206-225

Part 1: Chapter 07 Combat Q&A pages 191-206

Part 2: Chapter 07 Combat Q&A pages 206-225

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Weapons (page 206-216)

Explanation of Headings (page 207)

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Weapon Types (page 207)

Questions

On page 203 Weapon types listed are Thrusting, Cutting, Cut and Thrust and Blunt.

On page 207 the Weapon types are listed as Crushing, Cut-and-Thrust, Hand-to-Hand, Impaling and Slashing. Which is correct?

Blunt	= Crushing
Thrust	= Impaling
Cut	= Slashing
Hand-to-hand	= Fist / Kick / Grapple / Headbutt

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Hammers, Maces, & Clubs table (page 209)

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Axes (page 210)

Questions

Axe, small (page 210), It refers to its use in both melee and as a hurled weapon, no mention of a separate skill. Axe, Throwing even refers back to Axe, Small.

Separate skills. 

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Swords and Daggers (page 210)

Questions

Is the Parrying Dagger (page 210), a different skill than the dagger (melee)?

Yes.

Why is the bastard sword missing from Runequest in Glorantha? It was present in both my RQ2 and RQ3 weapon lists. Bronze greatswords exist, so the issue can’t be one of metallurgy. Why the deletion?

Bastard Swords (hand-a-half swords) were dropped as they are pretty much a rules construct. 1D10+1 damage instead of 1D8+1. Greg was never particularly happy with them. Originally we were going to drop greatswords (or two-handed swords), but they were far more popular with players and writers (and much easier to justify). So that’s fine – at some point in the Second Age, the Shadowlands had their human bronze workers make two-handed swords for their great troll slaves. Some humans use the weapon, although it is nobody’s cultural weapon.

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Hammers, Maces, and Clubs (page 210)

Mace, Heavy (page 210)

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Spears (page 211)

Questions

There is no mention, in the Javelin description on p.211, of the Throwing Javelin skill, I would have expected the same comment as the above quote in that context. Does someone with a javelin use the same skill for both melee and throwing then?

Separate skills.

Spear, Long or Short (page 211) refers to its use in both melee and as a thrown weapon, no mention of a separate skill.

Separate skills.

Tridents

What are the rules for Tridents?

See Weapons & Equipment, pages 62 & 67.

Would it just be a shortspear? or should it be different to that?

They are treated as 1H (2D3+db) or 2H spears (2D3+1+db) each with their own skill.

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Missile Weapons

Thrown & Melee skills for same Weapon

So, in general, are there separate skills for throwing and for melee with the same weapon?

Yes. It’s not explicit.

Cultural bonuses. Some weapons receive separate cultural bonuses as melee and missile weapons, they don’t receive both.

eg Sartarites get a Cultural bonus of 1H Spear +10% and Javelin +10%, So (Thrown) Javelin (10) +10% = 20%, and 1H Spear (Javelin) (5%) +10% = 15%.

Note that a Throwing Axe is the same weapon as 1H Axe, small (not a Battle axe). Only Sable riders can receive a cultural bonus to 1H Axe, and if they choose small axe, add the bonus to thrown axe as well.

Occupation or Cult skill bonuses. With these, you add the bonus to the melee and thrown weapon value.

Customizing your adventurer. Assign those points to either the melee or thrown ability (you may add points separately to both).

If it is the case, do you get half-skill with the other method (say if you have 80% with the melee skill, do you get 40% with the throwing skill)?

Yes.

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Rates of Fire (page 211)

S/MR rates of fire by DEX SR (unengaged)

DEX SR	Reload	First Attack	Reload	Second Attack	Reload	Third Attack	Next Round
DEX SR0	Prepared	DEX SR0 so SR1	SR1+5SR = SR6	SR6+DEX SR0 = SR6	SR6+5SR = SR11	SR11+DEX SR0 = SR11	Unprepared
(DEX 19+)	Unprepared +5SR	SR5+DEX SR0 = SR5	SR5+5SR = SR10	SR10+DEX SR0 = SR10	No reload possible	No 3rd Attack possible	Unprepared
DEX SR1	Prepared	DEX SR1 so SR1	SR1+5SR = SR6	SR6+DEX SR1 = SR7	SR7+5SR = SR12	No 3rd Attack possible	Prepared
(DEX 16–18)	Unprepared +5SR	SR5+DEX SR1 = SR6	SR6+5SR = SR11	SR11+DEX SR1 = SR12	No 2nd reload possible		Unprepared
DEX SR2	Prepared	DEX SR2 so SR2	SR2+5SR = SR7	SR7+DEX SR2 = SR9	No 2nd reload possible		Unprepared
(DEX 13–15)	Unprepared +5SR	SR5+DEX SR2 = SR7	SR7+5SR = SR12	No 2nd Attack possible			Prepared
DEX SR3	Prepared	DEX SR3 so SR3	SR3+5SR = SR8	SR8+DEX SR3 = SR11	No 2nd reload possible		Unprepared
(DEX 9–12)	Unprepared +5SR	SR5+DEX SR3 = SR8	No reload possible				Unprepared
DEX SR4	Prepared	DEX SR4 so SR4	SR4+5SR = SR9	No 2nd Attack possible			Prepared
(DEX 6–8)	Unprepared +5SR	SR5+DEX SR4 = SR9	No reload possible				Unprepared
DEX SR5	Prepared	DEX SR5 so SR5	SR5+5SR = SR10	No 2nd Attack possible			Prepared
(DEX 1–5)	Unprepared +5SR	SR5+DEX SR5 = SR10	No reload possible				Unprepared

Questions

Considering Vasana’s DEX SR 3 and Composite Bow. How many times can Vasana fire her bow over multiple rounds of combat?

If prepared 2 shots in the first round, then 1 thereafter. However most GMs and players would not do two shots in the first round, so that they reload and be ready to fire on SR3 next round. DEX SR0 & SR3 are problematic as at the end of each round, if you start prepared or unprepared, you always end unprepared.

See the S/MR rates of fire table above.

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Range (page 213)

Is there a minimum range for thrown weapons or missile weapons, or can you attack an opponent in melee with a ready weapon?

This is a GM call at your table depending on the current situation. All of this should be covered in a statement of intent.

Realistically there is a minimum – when is jabbing with a javelin more effective than throwing it? A Javelin is 1.5m long and given arm lengths I’d say it would be hard to throw at less than 3m (and you would have lost your weapon). How close does someone have to be before throwing stones at them is ineffective? (Slings do have a minimum range.)

If you can, does this count as shooting into a melee?

This is a GM call at your table depending on the current situation, but If the target is in front of you, no. 

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Bows and Crossbows (page 213)

Questions

Crossbow, Repeating: How long does it take to replace/refill the clip of a repeating crossbow, once it has been spent?

A mostali takes +5 SR.

For the whole clip, or per new bolt into the clip?

(I’m not sure whether it has replaceable clips or whether you load bolts into the clip.)

Don’t confuse clip with magazine, a clip is a group of ready assembled ammunition, that is a way of quickly loading a magazine. They are likely similar to en bloc clips for firearms, however mostali are smart so there could well be stripper clips too. Either way it’s +5 SR to load a clip into a Repeating Crossbow magazine. Some versions may allow the magazine to be filled with individual bolts, but that would be slower.

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Javelins, Spears, and Darts (page 213)

Questions

It states “Using an atlatl makes a javelin slower to use (it must be reloaded)”.

Yes.

This is not reflected in the actual rules (same speed for Javelin and Atlatl, 1/MR).

The Javelin category also includes darts which are S/MR, becoming 1/MR.

Actual Javelins are slower as you would attack later in the round: DEX SR + 5 SR to load.

Is this an oversight?

No. An Atlatl is better (longer range, more damage, but harder to wield (different skill, need to get ready). Atlatl skill is not transferable to Javelins and vice-versa.

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Thrown & Missile Weapons Damage Bonus (page 213)

Clarification

Can you clarify which Thrown & Missile Weapons receive half Damage Bonus?

• Bows & Crossbows do not receive any Damage Bonus
• Javelins, Spears get half Damage Bonus
• Thrown Weapons get half Damage Bonus
• Slings, get half Damage Bonus

Also clarified in Weapons and Equipment, page 70.

Questions

What about Atlatls? They are in the “Javelins, spears, darts” section, but so is Blowgun and I don’t think that it would. Is the +1D6 instead of a half damage bonus, or in addition to it? I would assume that if it’s added to the Javelin damage, which is D10+½db, then it would be in addition.

This is clarified in RuneQuest – Weapons and Equipment, page 70: This is an extra damage bonus.

So for a Javelin & Atlatl D10+½db+1D6

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Armor (page 215-219)

Armor Table, page 215

Armor (page 216)

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Shields (page 217)

Explanation of Headings (page 218)

Shields as passive armor

Can you bear a shield with, let’s say, a Great Axe or a Bow, although you can not parry, in order to get some kind of “passive defense” against missiles, or, otherwise,  what is the meaning of the expression “A shield may not be ready for use when the adventurer is using a two-handed weapon” in p. 219

Here’s where we get into some crunch, based on how realistic you want to go. In the real world, shields usually require a hand to hold onto an interior strap or handle so they don’t get in the way or slip around. Part of a shield’s virtue is being mobile enough that it doesn’t take hits directly, angling them away from the defender when possible. 

These straps not like Captain America’s magical shield that has grips tight enough for him to wield it like a weapon AND then slip over his shoulder with backpack like straps. (Comics version Captain America, in the movie he has some sort of magnetic harness.) That’s not super-fun, though, and fantasy art and fiction is full of characters with a shield slung over one arm loosely while using a two-handed weapon like a bow or great axe. 

So if as a GM you want to allow it, we suggest using this ruling: 

• The adventurer will receive no benefit from the shield unless against melee or missile fire that happens to strike that or an adjacent hit location (see p219) AND comes from a direction that would reasonably have a chance of hitting (gamemaster discretion). In this case, the shield will protect for half its usual armor points (as per the rules for a slung shield on the back, p219). 

For example, an adventurer is using a bow, holding it with their left hand and drawing the string with the right hand. The shield is affixed to the back of the left arm. An attack comes from the adventurer’s left and rolls the left arm hit location. The shield, being between the attacker and the arm in question, protects for half its normal value. Later in the same combat, an attack comes from the right/front or back and rolls the left arm hit location. The gamemaster decides that the arm is exposed and that the shield isn’t between the attack and the arm, so the shield is useless.

Does a shield protect the left arm passively in a melee ?

No. Although your GM may rule otherwise. 

Looking at the Attack & Parry Results table on page 199

Assuming a normal attack and a failed parry: Attacker rolls normal damage. Defender takes damage.

Roll for damage location, gets left arm. Defender takes damage to the left arm, armour protects.

A successful parry puts the shield between the Attacker and the Defender’s weapon.

A failed parry does the opposite, it puts the shield in a place where it cannot protect the Defender, in this case their left arm. 

same for missile weapons?

Missile weapon cannot be parried, thrown weapons can.

Shields can protect against missiles: 

However, a shield can be used to provide coverage against projectile weapons, if it is not used to parry that round.

An adventurer may specify in their Statement of Intent (page 192) that they are holding their shield in one place, covering specific hit locations instead of parrying.  Use of Shield Against Missile Weapons, page 219

For example a player states that they are not parrying with a large shield, but using their shield against incoming arrows, and protecting their left arm, chest and head. If an arrow successfully hits, and when hit location is rolled, strikes one of those three locations, they get the full value of the shield’s armour

So if I want to actively protect myself with a shield,  do I get 100% of its hit points as protection?

Yes if it strikes the stated protected location.

when it is a “passive” protection it provides half its points…but only if it is slung on the back ?

Yes, and only against chest hits.

For example, if an adventurer is riding away from an archer, with a slung shield on their back, and the archer makes a successful attack and rolls chest, the shield acts as 50% of its armour.

what about the arm for example (and the loop to the “passive” protection in my melee question)

Your GM may rule this possible in a specific case of an adventurer presenting their back to an attacker and happening to have a slung shield.

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Notes on Shield Use (page 218)

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Shield Attacks (page 219)

Questions

If you make an attack with a shield, do you only loose the parry of  the shield, or do you also loose the ability to parry with a weapon held in the other hand?

You only lose your shield parry, having shifted it into an offensive position vs. a defensive one.

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Shield & Weapon Attack

Can you make an attack with a shield and a weapon held in the other hand in the same round? RAW – weapon and shield use appear to be excluded from Two Weapon Use rulings page 225.

If you decide to give up any parries with the shield that round, you can use it as if in two-weapon fighting. Basically your shield is now an ungainly disk-shaped club.

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Dodge & Shield Attack

Is dodge restricted (like parry) if you make an attack with a shield? 

No. And again, only shield parrying is eliminated. 

Why would anyone use a shield? 

You can’t parry missile weapons with a hand weapon, though your GM may decide to let you try at some astronomically low chance of success. (Maybe a Martial Arts roll?) Shields are also more durable than most weapons, and offer passive defense, even when slung. You can also do mass combat formations with shields. 

If you choose to attempt a knockback attack with your shield, you attack on SR 12 and can’t parry with it that round.

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Mounted Combat (page 219-220)

The Lance (page 219)

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Other Combat Rules (page 223-225)

Closing

Questions

I can’t find anything on Closing, as in moving in on a longer weapon with a shorter one. Not in the Core Rules. So is it the same as RQ3, or not a thing because of RQ2 roots?

The Close Combat and Closing Against a Long Weapon rules from RQ3 are not part of RQG. However as usual, GMs are welcome to include them their games.

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Attacking from behind

Attacking from behind is part of Attacking From Advantage or Disadvantage (RQG 223) +40%

Attacking from higher ground, not mounted

No modifier, but changes the hit locations per mounted combat (RQG 220)

Attacking in [semi] darkness?

If you want granularity, have a look at Create Shadow for some guidance on Darkness. The spell gives 4 levels with Dark Walk working at level 1 and total darkness at level 4. If you match this to the Darkness rules you get roughly:

0 Daylight (No penalty)
1 Hazy shadows (Dalk Walk works)
2 Dark (-5 to 25% darkness penalty)
3 Moonlit night (-25 to 75% darkness penalty)
4 Pitch black (-75% darkness penalty)

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Knockback (page 224)

Dodging or Parrying Knockback

Can knockback attacks be dodged or parried?

Yes

The initial attack can be dodged or parried. Use the Attack & Parry Results as usual, with any level of attacker damage allowing an attempt at knockback. Note that the knockback does not cause damage.

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Two Weapon Use (page 224)

Cumulative Parry Penalty

With two weapons, one in each hand you can attack with both (subject to strike ranks), and parry with both (though only 1 parry allowed per attack) and subsequent parries (in a combat round) are subject to the -20% cumulative penalty, regardless of which weapon is used to parry.

I can figure out that two weapons allow for two attacks if you have the strike ranks for them, that two parries allow to avoid the 20% penalty on the second parry. But one attack and one parry? Maybe I am mistaken (possibly so and then it will solve all my problems) but a parry doesn’t require SR if the weapon is ready, so you can parry with an attacking weapon (maybe that’s where I am wrong) so you could still get one attack and one parry with only one weapon. Or do you get a malus if you attacked already? Otherwise what would be the benefit? A second parry without malus? But then that would fall into two parries because you could still attack.

What is the real meaning of one parry and one attack as opposed to one weapon fighting.

Rune Fixes 2 addresses two-weapon fighting in some detail and hopefully addresses your questions adequately. 

But ultimately you still take a cumulative -20% penalty to multiple parries after the first, even if using two weapons. 

What is the disadvantage of using 2 weapons? I feel like it’s way more advantageous to dual wield 2 weapons and have the option to attack twice (plus defend normally) than carrying a shield, where all you get is maybe some passive defense for missiles? 

Hand weapons can’t parry missile / thrown weapons, and they have lower HP than shields.

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Why would anyone use a two-handed weapon vs two weapons? 

Two-handed weapons do more damage on average, have low SRs, have more HP, and are much more likely to penetrate armor. 

I hope that clarifies everything. For those who want more grit in the system, you can blame Jason. The subdivision of weapon skills into attack/parry and RH/LH is, to me, a overly crunchy level of detail that adds nothing to the facilitation of gameplay. 

By all means, if those are desired details, add them right back in. Your RuneQuest will vary.

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Intervening in attacks

If an adventurer is being attacked by an enemy, and they have already engaged, and another PC wants to get in the middle to avoid his friend getting attacked, does the adventurer originally being attacked needs to disengage first (page 195 of the rules), or the only effect of his friend getting in the middle would be supporting the original adventurer in combat but without freeing the PC from the attacks, correct?

This very much situalitional. If the player says in the statement of intent (SoI), that they want their adventurer to be between the two to prevent further attacks that fine. If the GM says in their SoI that their attacker will move to continue attacking the same target. What happens now, I usually get them to roll DEX vs. DEX to position themselves, however to avoid this, my players always cast Distraction first, then attack. It’s a great screening spell.

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Notes on Combat (page 225)

Related Pages

• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 01 Introduction Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 02 Glorantha Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 03 Adventurers Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 03 Pregenerated Adventurers Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 04 Homelands Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 05 Game System Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 06 Skills Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 07 Combat Q&A pages 191-206
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 08 Runes Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 09 Passions & Reputation Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 10 Magic Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 11 Spirit Magic Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 11 Spirit Magic Spells Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 12 Rune Cults Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 12 Rune Cults The Cults Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 13 Rune Magic Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 13 Rune Magic Spells Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 14 Shamans Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 15 Spirits & the Spirit World Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 16 Sorcery Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 16 Sorcery Spells Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 17 Equipment & Wealth Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 18 Between Adventures Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 19 Adventurer Sheets Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 20 Conversion Guide
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Index Q&A

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Page Last updated: 2024-08-03 11:26:37