Sample File by SANDY PETERSEN, JEFF RICHARD, JASON DURALL, MICHAEL O’BRIEN, STEVE PERRIN, GREG STAFFORD, and CORY-TREGO-ERDNER
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Sample file BY SANDY PETERSEN, JEFF RICHARD, JASON DURALL, MICHAEL O’BRIEN, STEVE PERRIN, GREG STAFFORD, AND CORY-TREGO-ERDNER WITH DAVID DUNHAM, CHRIS KLUG, SVEN LUGAR, JAMIE REVELL, AND KEN ROLSTON COVER ARTIST: Andrey Fetisov EDITOR: Jason Durall PROOFREADING: Richard Perry ART DIRECTION: Jeff Richard DESIGN & LAYOUT: Simeon Cogswell and Malcolm Wolter CARTOGRAPHY: Colin Driver ARTISTS: Cory Trego-Erdner SPECIAL THANKS GO to these people who contributed greatly or a little, but whose impact has affected the game: Simon Bray, Nick Brooke, Rob Heinsoo, Martin Helsdon, Kris Alice Hohls, Oliver Jovanovic, Sebastian Körner, Robin Laws, Claudia Loroff, Daniel McCluskey, Rick Meints, Christine Reich, Neil Robinson, Dana Schack, Harald Smith, David Scott, and Jonathan Tweet. Our apologies to any others who were unrecorded. As always, a special thank you and credit goes to Greg Stafford, without whom none of us would be reading this, or playing games in Glorantha, and to Ray Harryhausen, who first brought the fantastic beasts of mythology to life. May Hykim and Mikyh Consume and Devour those that would misuse this book. Sample file “We do not know what the dragon means, just as we do not know the meaning of the universe, but there is something in the image of the dragon that is congenial to man’s imagination, and thus the dragon arises in many latitudes and ages.” —Jorge Luis Borges, The Book of Imaginary Beings RUNEQUEST A Chaosium Game First Chaosium Edition 1978 Second Chaosium Edition 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 Third Chaosium/Avalon Hill Edition 1984, 1993 Fourth Chaosium Edition 2018 Copyright ©1978, 1980, 1984, 1993, 2018 by Moon Design Publications, all rights reserved. RuneQuest, HeroQuest, and Glorantha are trademarks of Moon Design Publications. The reproduction of material from within this book for the purposes of personal or corporate profit, by photographic, optical, electronic, or other media or methods of storage and retrival, is prohibited. Art provided by A Sharp is copyright © 2018 A Sharp and is provided under license. Art provided by Petersen Entertainment is copyright © 2018 Petersen Entertainment and is provided under license. Chaosium Publication 4032 ISBN-9781568825021 SamplePrinted in China. First Printing. file CHAOSIUM INC. www.chaosium.com 3450 Wooddale Ct, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Copyright 2018 Contents Introduction .............................................................. 4 Distribution Maps ....................................................12 The Elder Races ....................................................... 16 Chaos Monsters ....................................................... 88 Monsters ................................................................108 Giant Arthropods ...................................................130 Animals ................................................................. 140 Spirits ....................................................................164 Terrors ...................................................................188 Flora ......................................................................197 Sample file Introduction his book is a compendium of creatures—animals, themselves for battle, even if all that means is spending a spirits, and plants—found in the northern continent few rounds calling upon their god and casting Rune spells! of Glorantha. Some of these creatures have terrestrial This can pose a challenge for the gamemaster. Encounters analogues, others exist only in fantasy. Some of these will often not be fair or balanced for a given party of creatures are as intelligent as humans—some even more adventurers. A few suggestions include: intelligent than our species. Others are completely non- intelligent and respond simply to basic stimuli. Give the players some warning of the deadliness of What unites them all is that they are the sort of creatures the encounter. They might not understand that a that adventurers are likely to interact with in a RuneQuest band of dark trolls backed up by a mob of trollkin campaign. These creatures all have motivations and drives and a great troll are more than a match for their and occupy their own ecological niches. adventurers, but their adventurers likely would! . Let the adventurers run away. Most creatures are perfectly content to allow a foe to flee. The Game Balance and players can enjoy their lucky escape or decide to RuneQuest plan a rematch. Be willing to negotiate. Most intelligent creatures Many of the creatures in this bestiary are very dangerous would rather negotiate than fight if possible. for any group of adventurers, even a party of Rune Masters. Remember that most adventurers have a ransom Several of the Terrors described within can best armies price. A dream dragon that talks with the and are perhaps better thought of as pieces of vast and adventurers and makes demands on them is more deadly geography. memorable than one that just attacks. The best strategy adventurers may have in some . Let there be a way around the encounter. Maybe encounters is to try to negotiate with the creature, or failing there is a way to sneak around the giant, or maybe that, to just run away. the adventurers can hide until the giant leaves. In RuneQuest, few creatures are mere cannon fodder— Avoiding a fight with the monster can spur player mobs of weaker monsters that can be cut down safely in creativity and ingenuity. large numbers. Instead, every creature is an individual. Even . Don’t fight to the death. As the gamemaster, be a trollkin or a rubble runner might get a lucky critical hit willing to have creatures surrender or run away. If against a far more skilled and better equipped foe. Every the adventurers clearly have the upper hand, most confrontation poses the risk of death or maiming to the intelligent creatures would prefer to surrender adventurers.Sample Players and the gamemaster alike should than fight to the death. Or runfile away if the combat be aware that blindly engaging in combat with every looks like it is going poorly. Remember, too, that encountered creature is a good way to get the adventurers many intelligent creatures have ransoms as well. killed. Even a party of Storm Bull berserks take care to prepare 4 Introduction Creature Classification Darksense sensations within their caves, they are right, and can be proud of their achievement. In this book creatures are classified into seven categories: Due to constant contact between different species, Elder Races, Chaos, Monsters, Animals, Spirits, xenophobia among the common races is virtually unknown Terrors, and Flora. on Glorantha. Specific combinations, such dwarfs and elves, Elder Races: The intelligent non-humans of Glorantha dwarfs and trolls, and elves and trolls, are engaged in constant are known collectively as the Elder Races. The Elder Races warfare, but the reasons are based on ancient treacheries and have their own histories and cultures, some far more ancient religious differences. than humanity. Humankind is the most prevalent race on Glorantha. Chaos: Many species, including the Elder Races, were They are prolific and have spread throughout the world. The corrupted by Chaos during the Gods War. These species reincarnating dragonewts are slowly dying through evolution, may be intelligent or non-intelligent, social or loners—what the elves are too tied to their forests, and the Surface World unites them all is their Chaos taint. holds no appeal for the dwarfs. The ancient curse resulting Monsters: Glorantha has numerous gigantic or monstrous from the Gbaji Wars has turned the slow-breeding trolls into creatures. Some are intelligent, others non-intelligent. Not all a fading race. Into this vacuum, humankind has stepped. monsters are malevolent, and some are known to serve (or at Human philosophers theorize that only humanity has truly least work with) friendly humans. Dinosaurs and draconic adapted to the onset of Time and made the full transition monsters fall into this category. Some monsters could be from the God Time before the Great Darkness. classified as Elder Races (such as dragons, wyrms, magisaurs, Yet, during the time of the Hero Wars, there are still many and unicorns) but not all. Giant arthropods are a subcategory strange intelligent beings on Glorantha. Many can be used of monsters so numerous as to merit their own chapter. as player character adventurers, as described below. Animals: Glorantha has a wide variety of mammals, birds, and reptiles. Gamemastering Intelligent Spirits: Creatures without corporeal bodies, petty gods, Creatures demons, etc. fall into this category. Intelligent creatures should be played appropriately by the Terrors: Unique creatures which are far greater in power gamemaster. Creatures should use their weapons, magic, and than any ordinary mortal. other abilities to good effect. A band of dark trolls are as Flora: Glorantha has a tremendous variety of plant life. A intelligent as a band of humans. When confronted with a small selection of unique or interesting flora is presented here. strange party of armed adventurers, they may try to negotiate, while using that time to cast spells and get their trollkin into position, in case the negotiations fail. Remember all the Intelligent Creatures advice to the players on dealing with creatures applies to the Glorantha is home to many intelligent species other gamemaster in dealing with the adventurers. Few intelligent than mankind. Different gods have created intelligence creatures have much enthusiasm in fighting to the death in their