Gloranthan Cults in Runequest 6 – and Adventures n Glorantha

[Andy Staples]

I can’t speak for Hannu, but I can tell you why I like RQ6 so much.

I played RQ2 a lot – my second fantasy game after A/D&D. I loved the feel of it, the integration with the setting, the feeling that your character belonged, in some way, to a larger world (through guilds & cults). I delayed adopting RQ3 when it came out because of the price (I was still at school), but eventually bit the bullet. Unlike many old schoolers, I like the RQ3 system far better than RQ2 – I find it more finely tuned, more flexible.

But the mechanics of RQ3 are very much on display. It can be hard to see the game world beyond them. That, for me, is its major flaw.

When Mongoose RQ came out, it left me rather cold. I think I have a PDF of the second edition on my drive somewhere, but I never really bothered with it. That may have been a mistake.

RQ6 is, from what I understand, the “Designer’s Cut” of Mongoose RQII (aka RQ5).

Mechanics are far less in-yer-face that RQ3. Modern narrative elements such as Passions are built into the system, so your Loyalty (Clan) can have an effect on your abailities. It means your characters almost certainly have gameworld connections they care about.

Combat is smooth and streamlined and full of options. It’s aimed at descriptive combat, not tactical battlemap play (though an appendix discusses how to use minis and battlemaps). No longer do we just impale on a special success – gaining better success than you opponent opens up a whole series of options (compel surrender, impale, bypass armour, and many more).

There’s a full range of Glorantha-appropriate magic systems (Folk Magic = Battle/Spirit Magic; Theism = Rune/Divine Magic, plus Animism, Mysticism and Sorcery).

Cults are back as a key compenent of the game (alongside Brotherhoods, which could represent guilds, fighting bands, or any non-magical society). That also ties characters into a larger world.

There are a lot of little doffs of the cap to RQ2, from the cover illustration to the guidance on designing a cult.

So, smooth modern mechanics with the flexibility and detail of RQ3 and the heart and soul of RQ2.

What’s not to love?

[GCKlug]

Thanks for your thoughts. I am beginning to read it now. Getting through the combat section, does RQ6 combat play any quicker than RQ3? I understand no mat, but the basic structure seems pretty much the same, no?

[Hannu Kokko]

Why I like RQ6 so much – it is RQ but the best edition. Andy above channeled me well – how can one be telepathic across countries.

Quite crunchy. Special effects in combat make every combat different if you care. Nuances in combat for example – falling can be quite deadly – wounds can matter a lot – it can be quite brutal. Sorcery works. Animist can be really deadly opponent. There is Mysticism.

About the speed: it can vary. Use the special effects – they can force the combat to end quickly. With lots of armor vs puny weapons – fights can last but special effects can stop them quickly. Much more variance than old RQ waiting for the critical/fumble on 100%/100%

[Lawrence]

Getting through the combat section, does RQ6 combat play any quicker than RQ3?

In general, yes. However, fights tend to be over with fewer mortalities and more surrenders and wounded-and-helpless opponents because the Special Effects place unfortunate combatants at a disadvantage far more quickly than in the old war of attrition model where most fights were aiming for death. For example, at a GenCon game I ran last week, a fight between 6 PCs and 6 Saxons ended with five of the Saxons badly wounded and one fatality, in a combat that went for four rounds (and took about 30 minutes to play-out). The combat saw lots of trips, over-extends, blinds and disarms and these contributed to a really thrilling fight that then enabled a whole lot of scheming as it was decided what to do with one of the surviving Saxons (he was sacrificed to the Goddess of the Solent, but that’s another story)…

[Hannu Kokko]

Shorter melees with high powered characters. Schools of ‘magic’ outside folk magic and rune magic work. Mysticism, Sorcery, Spirits. Fights are more interesting.

[Thomas Devine]

Seeing Cacodemon in the gods list, I’m assuming Ogres are still playable in RuneQuest 6th. Are Orges who’ve rejected Cacodemon and are seeking Illumination to overcome their Choatic heritage still a playable option?

[Hannu Kokko]

Would be quite interesting option and challenging to play If they cannot control their urge or need to feast on long pork

[skoll]

[quote]Seeing Cacodemon in the gods list, I’m assuming Ogres are still playable in RuneQuest 6th. Are Orges who’ve rejected Cacodemon and are seeking Illumination to overcome their Choatic heritage still a playable option?[/quote]
There is no official Gloranthan supplement yet for RQ6 and there is no Gloranthan Ogre in the Monsters-section of the rulebook. The cult writeups of Hannu are unofficial fan material.

having said that, and regardless of what the Adventures in Glorantha will say about Ogres (I doubt they will be promoted as player character options, but you never know), I see no reason to not allow Orges as PC’s if that’s what you want to do.

[Hannu Kokko]

like skoll said – unofficial. There is a Gloranthan Ogre in RQ Encounter tool but of course it is our fan interpretation. All cult material is fan material and subject to (drastic) change after the AiG is out. YGWV but have fun with whatever is available or create your own interpretation – it is your game

[Hannu Kokko]

Adventures in Glorantha Take 3: Gloranthan Cult Onepagers Come for AiG
Adventures in Glorantha Preview finally brings us official RQ6 versions of multitude of Runespells in Glorantha. So far we have 35+ years of history of different versions of spells in various versions of Runequest and magazines. AiG gives us an unified view of the spells.

Cults have not been released yet for AiG – they will come later on in Chaosium Runequest but that is still far away in time. For the time being I have created as a fan contribution my view of the cults in one pager format.

This is how I view them to be now that we know what the spells will be and how the general structure will look like. I have crawled thru the original one pagers and all the supplements that I could get my hands on and created my view of the cults based on the view given by AiG. This is a first cut and contains 140+ cults in the one pager format. This should help those few who have the preview but also any others as most of the spells are available in other material. There are many spells that are from older versions of RQ and supplements – you can see the descriptions of the spells there or from Gloranthaphiles conversion. If a spell is missing from AiG – it is missing on purpose. The common spells are different.

Format is now somewhat different as we do not have acolytes anymore in AiG. There is now information about spells given by allied and subservient cults. All the spells that are cult specific should now have rune signs in front of them. Progressive folk magic spells have been marked as such. There are still a few spells there that are either fan created or directly from RAW Runequest 6.

The original one-pagers will still be available in their location. The new ones will be in Aig directory and have in small print on upper right corner “Aig Preview version”. I expect I need to tune these still – so I added print date and time info on bottom of the page.

There are now couple of previously missing cults available : Ancestor Worship and Tokaz Varaz – the trollkin cult.

This of course meant that I need to change later on the stats in RQ6 Encounter Generator as the cult members there have been so far my interpretation of RQ6 Glorantha without Aig. The cults that have been changed are still my interpretations of the AiG as they are based on the Preview and the rules are not fully complete yet. Like noted in my first look at Adventures in Glorantha elder races are not yet described in AiG Preview. I remain in gratitude that I got permission at GenCon to do this upgrade to the Gloranthan Cult One-pagers under the normal Fan Policy.

Feedback is welcome.

I will likely not be updating the original one pagers but will be working on this AIG preview version until Chaosium Runequest comes out – I will likely update the one pagers at that time for it as well.

So we have the Glorantha One Pagers for AiG in rough pantheon format

Arkat

Chaos – Genertela with Atyar, Bagog, Cacodemon, Devil’s Hand, Gark the Calm, Hungry Jack, Krarsht, Krjalk, Lemure, Mallia, Pocharngo, Primal Chaos, Ragnaglar, Seseine, Sidana, Taeterisus, Than, Thanatar, Thed, Tyram, Ulforg, Urain, Vakalta, Vivamort

Chaos – Pamaltela with Atyar, Cacodemon, Gark the Calm, Gloomshark, Ikadz, Krarsht, Lemure, Mallia, Ompalam, Primal Chaos, Seseine, Sidana, Than, Thanatar, Thed, Urain, Vivamort

Darkness – Ancestor Worship, Annilla, Aranea, Argan Argar, Gorakiki, Himile, Kyger Litor, Mee Vorala, Moorgarki, Subere, Tokaz Varaz, Xentha, Xiola Umbar, Zong, Zorak Zoran

East Isles with Hobimaron, Lumavoxoran, Saliligor

Elf with Aldrya, Babeester Gor, Flamal, Grain Goddesses, Mee Vorala, Voria, Yelmalio

Hsunchen with Ancestor Worship, Basmol, Hungry Ghosts, Hakim & Mikyh, Telmor

Independent with Baraku, Blackfang, Bloody Tusk, Caladra & Aurelio, City God, Dorasta, Flintnail, Lamsabi, Selern, Sun Dragon and Um-Oradin

Kralorela with Black Sun, Dendara, Grain Goddesses, Hakim & Mikyh

Lunar with Seven Mothers (Danfive Zaron, Irrippi Ontor, Jakaleel the Witch, Queen Deezola, Shw Who Waits. Tele Norri, Yanafal Tarsils), Annilla, Crimson Bat, Etyries, Lanbril

Malkion with Dormal and Arkat

Ompalam with Burayha Xolagi (the Good Doctor), Calari the Hunter, El-Jazuli (the Earth Witch), Ennung, Ernamola, Evukindu, Garangordos the Wise, Hanjethulut (the Angry One), Ikadz, Jokotu the Liberator, Karkisso the Seer, Ompalam, Orjethulut

Pamalt with Ancestor Worship, Babeester Gor, Basmol, Bolongo, Lodril, Maran Gor, Nyanka, Pamalt, Rasout, Ty Kora Tek, Uleria

Praxian with Ancestor Worship, Basmol, Dark Eater, Eiritha, Foundchild, Gagarth, Hungry Ghosts, Pavis, Storm Bull, Waha, Zola Fel

Sea with Annilla, Dormal, Magasta, Triolina, Tsankth, Wachaza

Storm with Ana Gor, Asrelia, Babeester Gor, Chalana Arroy, Donandar, Dormal, Ernalda, Eurmal, Gagarth, Grain Goddesses, Heler, Humakt, Hykim & Mikyh, Issaries, Lanbril, Lokarnos, Maran Gor, Mastakos, Odayla, Orlanth, Storm Bull, Ty Kora Tek, Uleria, Valind, Vinga, Waha, Ygg of Threestep and Yinkin

Vormain with Tsankth

Yelp´m with Chalana Arroy, Dendara, Donandar, Grain Goddesses, Lanbriul, Lodril, Lokarnos, Shargash, Uleria, Yelm, Yelmalio and Yelorna

Yu-Kargzant with Henird, Hiia the Swordsman, Jardan and Yu-Kargzant

https://notesfrompavis.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/adventures-in-glorantha-take-3-gloranthan-cult-onepagers-come-for-aig/

[Francis Tiffany]

A quick question:

I notice a few “interesting” choices of source material. No usage of the 2nd Age material (i.e. the MRQII Cults book – it was written by Lawrence Whitaker after all)?

It is odd, especially as some cults are extremely unlikely to alter even in the intervening 700 years (largely due to isolation, cultural inertia etc…).

Do you not have the book, or is it personal preference? I’m just asking.

[Hannu Kokko]

i have the books. The material is not cnsidered canon nowadays. It is my choice… i have picked the third age plus some fan material and invented some…over time I will shift to Chaosium Glorantha when it comes out as the main source

[Francis Tiffany]

There again, you do use a lot of other “non-canon” material also.

I first noticed this with Ompalam. I have to say that honestly I think the 2nd Age version is better (personal opinion).

[Hannu Kokko]

It is all a personal preference. If you find it useful – you are welcome. i created all of this for my campaign and share it for community. It will evolve over time towards Chaosium Glorantha. If your glorantha (cults etc) is different – that is cool as well. I am not using any second age material…

[Hannu Kokko]

Things I will update in near term are Hsunchen cults plus Rasout and Pamalt to be fully or almost fully animist…

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