RPG Systems & Versions

Roleplaying games are full of shorthand when referring to versions, and RuneQuest is no different. It’s often abbreviated to just RQ with an edition number. To avoid confusion, this site uses the following abbreviations and descriptions for the various editions:

NameYear(s)PublisherAKASKUNotes
RuneQuest1978ChaosiumRQ1CHA4001
RuneQuest1979ChaosiumRQ2CHA4001Re-released as RuneQuest Classic
RuneQuest1984 – 1994Avalon HillRQ3AH857Written by Chaosium,
published by Avalon Hill
Basic Magic2004, 2009Chaosiumn/aCHA0370Book 2, Magic Book of RQ3 for BRP
Basic Creatures2004, 2009Chaosiumn/aCHA0371Book 4, Creatures Book of RQ3 for BRP
Basic Gamemaster2004, 2009Chaosiumn/aCHA0372Book 3, Gamemaster Book of RQ3 for BRP
The Magic Book20120Chaosiumn/aCHA2027-PDFCHA0370 Basic Magic republished. Available on DTRPG
RuneQuest:
Adventures
in Glorantha		1994unpublishedRQ4Unofficial, never published
RuneQuest2006 – 2010MongooseMRQ1MGP8100Licenced by Issaries, rewritten
text as Chaosium held the copyright
RuneQuest II2010 – 2011MongooseMRQ2MGP8170Licenced by Issaries. Became Legend
RuneQuest2012 – 2016Design MechanismRQ6TDM100Licenced by Moon Design. Became Mythras
RuneQuest:
Roleplaying
in Glorantha		2018ChaosiumRQGCHA4028
RuneQuest Starter Set2021ChaosiumRQSSCHA4035
Runequest: Fantasy Roleplaying2025Chaosium RQFRCurrently a Limited access playtest
Hero Wars2000IssariesHWISS1101
HeroQuest
July 2003		IssariesHQ1ISS1001
HeroQuestJuly 2009Moon DesignHQ2ISS2001Became QuestWorlds
HeroQuest
Glorantha		Summer 2015Moon DesignHQGISS2007Became QuestWorlds
Questworlds SRDMay 2020ChaosiumQWSRDSystem Reference Document
QuestworldsFebruary 2025ChaosiumQWCHA3400
13th Age
Glorantha		2018Chaosium13GCHA4400

Note that RuneQuest Slayers (an unpublished Avalon Hill project) is completely unrelated to RuneQuest except in name.

Items with a blue background are available to purchase or download (in print).

RQ Tree 2025Download

Related Pages

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Page Last updated: 2025-03-18 12:00:37