So you might be wondering what is with all these posts referring to White Bear & Red Moon?
- WBRM is the foundation for RuneQuest. It underpins what we are presenting in the new RuneQuest line and is key to understanding the Hero Wars. More than any single reference source, this is the one that lets you understand the inspiration behind the setting – and gives you a fell for the dynamics of what is coming.
- We are relaunching the game this year. Susan O’Brien and I have been working hard on giving WBRM the same sort of visual, graphic, and clarity upgrades that Galeforce Five recently gave the classic Dune board game.
As I work on the RQ Campaign book, the connection between it and WBRM becomes ever stronger.
WB&RM originally designated its counters with the runes we all know from RQ instead of the usual military iconography. Looking for a unique name for the RPG, and not wanting Greg’s work on the runes to go to waste, I cobbled runes together with heroic quests to get RuneQuest. You’re welcome.
Steve Perrin, March 2021
Rick Meints – Avalon Hill sold more copies of the game Dragon Pass than Chaosium sold of WB&RM.
Steve Perrin – WB&RM was sold by word of mouth and minimal advertising in an envelope, no way to display it without work by the game store proprietor. Dragon Pass was boxed, with a catchy title on the spine. It’s all marketing.
Rick Meints – I have no opinion on which version is superior, I never played Dragon Pass. At one point I got Into an epic game of WB&RM with Dave Hargrave and Greg and I think one other, so there were four players. I think Dave won in the way such games are usually won, he had the best position when we had to put it away. I think I was playing Sartar, the fourth player had the Lunars, and Greg and Dave had strong independent forces. I think Dave was centered on the nonhumans with the Inhuman King leading and Ironhoof as his Superhero. Greg had Cragsider and Androgenous in the positions.
Steve Perrin – The original map for Shadows Dance was very small. Warren James brought it home (he was our housemate at the time) and attached it to the DP and NG maps we had pinned to the wall. A couple of years later I was about to sell it as a bit of Glorantha trivia when Greg spotted it and said it was the only map he had. Warren could be acquisitive that way.
Rick Meints – WB&RM had 3/4″ hexes. Dragon Pass had 5/8″ hexes. Regardless of that, it was 5 miles per hex
