RUNEQUESTRUNEQUEST The Fantasy Role-Playing Game BY STEVE PERRIN RAY TURNEY STEVE HENDERSON WARREN JAMES with editing and special sections by John Sapienza and Greg Stafford illustrations by LUISE PERRIN Sartar and Prax maps by WILLIAM CHURCH based on the universe created by GREG STAFFORD with second-edition clarifications and corrections added by STEPHEN J WELLS 1 This book is dedicated to Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax, who first opened Pandora's box, and to Ken St. Andre, who found it could be opened again. With thanks to the following playtesters and critics - Richard Barnhart Ken Kaufer Greg Stafford Clint Bigglestone Bill Keyes Anders Swenson Ann Bruner Rudy Kraft Art Turney George Bruner Charlie Krank Bill Voorhees Ruth Bruner Jody Lee Warren Walton Mark Chilenskas Les Lugar Al Dewey Steve Marsh special 2nd edition thanks to Don Dupont Hal Moe Mark Chilenskas Tadashi Ehara Gordon Monson Bill Keyes David Forthoffer Hendrik Pfeifer Dan Pierson Hilda Hannifen Dan Pierson John Sapienza Owen Hannifen Hilary Powers Greg Stafford Terry Jackson Zack Richardson Anders Swenson Bill Johnson Rory Root Bill Jouris John Sapienza Sherman Kahn Wayne Shaw and all the playtesters whose names we forgot to get, and the contributors to ALARUMS AND EXCURSIONS, THE WILD HUNT, and THE LORDS OF CHAOS, who helped us find what was needed for the second edition. I INTRODUCTION 3 weapons use and training 24 VII RUNE MAGIC 53 background 4 missile weapons 27 mastering the Runes 53 map: Glorantha 6 shields 28 Rune cults 54 Pelorian Chronology (3rd age) 7 armor 28 becoming a Rune lord 55 helmets 30 becoming a Rune priest 58 II HOW TO CREATE AN Rune magic 59 ADVENTURER 8 V BASIC MAGIC 31 Rune magic spell descriptions 60 characteristics 8 battle magic 31 elementals 64 abilities, and how character- descriptions of battle magic sample cults 67 istics affect them 9 spells 34 Orlanth 67 money and equipment 12 spirit contact 40 Kyger Litor 70 shamans 41 Black Fang brotherhood 72 III MECHANICS AND MELEE 14 time 14 VI OTHER SKILLS 44 VIII MONSTERS 73 movement 14 introduction 44 creatures of Glorantha 73 encumbrance 15 alchemists' guild 44 non-human races 73 the melee round 15 the free sages 47 monster descriptions 74 strike rank 16 thieves' association 48 non-humanoid hit location hit location and wounds 17 other guilds and brotherhoods 50 table 91 players and minstrels 50 IV COMBAT SKILLS 19 maritime brotherhood 50 IX TREASURE HOARDS 92 notes on combat 19 foresters 51 treasures 92 special damages 19 armorers 51 special items 93 optional rules - parries, horsemasters 51 critical, and fumbled 21 X APPENDICES 98 learning fighting skills 22 contents of appendices 98 XI INDEXES 120 All contents copyright © 1978, 1979, 1980 by Chaosium, Inc., May Arachne Solara bless and protect this book. Address all comments and questions to Chaosium, Inc. P.O. Box 6302, Albany, CA 94706, U.S.A. Published in the U.K. by Games Workshop Ltd., London, under licence from Chaosium Inc. Printed in Great Britain. SJW 09 Aug 2012 - Original typos preserved; Converted to Imperial ('English') measures. 10 Oct – Flawed crystal table fix; Money & Equ1pment typo fix. 2 I INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Players who devise cults, new spells, and new monsters are urged to write them up in terms similar to those found herein and send them to WHAT IS A FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAME? us. You will receive full credit for your creations and, of course, a copy A role-playing game is a game of character development, of the supplement the contribution appears in. simulating the process of personal development commonly called Have fun. “life.” The player acts a role in a fantasy environment, just as he might act a role as a character in a play. In fact, when played with PURPOSE OF THE GAME just paper and pencil on the game board of the player's imagination, The title of the game, RuneQuest, describes its goal. The player it has been called “improvisational radio theatre.” If played with creates one or more characters, known as Adventurers, and plays them metal and plastic figurines, it becomes improvisational puppet in various scenarios designed by a Referee. The Adventurer has the use theatre. However it is played, the primary purpose is to have fun. of combat, magic, and other skills, and treasure. The Referee has the use of assorted monsters, traps, and his own wicked imagination to WHAT IS THIS FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAME ABOUT? keep the Adventurer from his goal within the rules of the game. A RuneQuest is a departure from most FRP (as they are abbreviated) surviving Adventurer gains experience in fighting, magic, and other games issued since the concept's introduction in 1974. Unlike most skills, as well as money to purchase further training. others, this game is tied to a particular world, Glorantha, first The Adventurer progresses in this way until he is so proficient that he glimpsed through, Chaosium's board-games White Bear and Red comes to the attention of the High Priests, sages, and gods. At this Moon and Nomad Gods. Those who have not seen this world before point he has the option to join a Rune cult. Joining such a cult gives will find part of it within these pages. him many advantages. not the least of which is aid from the god of the However, this game is not limited to Glorantha. The experience cult. system, the combat system, most of the magic system, and the Acquiring a Rune by joining such a cult is the goal of the game, for training/guilds system, and everything but the specific references to only in gathering a Rune may a character take the next step, up into the the world of Glorantha can be adjusted to fit any time and space ranks of Hero, and perhaps Superhero. with a minimum of hassle. We think you will find this system more realistic, and at the same time more playable, than any system you EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO PLAY have seen before. Besides this set of rules, RuneQuest players will need the following materials: HOW TO USE THESE RULES Read these rules very carefully. Read all the way through once. DICE Then roll up a character and see how the rules apply to that Dice of many shapes and sides are needed for this game. They are character. Get together with some friends and map out some usually available at any game store. If there are no games stores in beginning scenarios, with no surprises to anyone until you are sure your area, an address of a supplier is printed in the appendix. The of how the rules work. Then, your imagination is your only limit. minimum mix needed for play is as follows: We have tried to make these rules easily understood by anyone interested in the concept, not just experienced gamers. If you are an Type Abbreviation experienced FRP gamer, take those portions you can use and ignore one pair of 20-sided percentile dice D100 the rest. Like any FRP system, these can only be guidelines. Use one 20-sided die marked from 1 to 20 D20 them as you will. one 12-sided die D12 one 8-sided die D8 FURTHER RULES three 6-sided dice D6 There are some questions left unanswered in these rules. We have one 4-sided die D4 attempted to provide a unified game system which can be played as-is. Further supplements will ice the cake and expand on both Within these rules, dice will be referred to using the above how the game fits into the world of Glorantha, and how it can be abbreviations. Thus, if it is necessary to roll two 12-sided dice, it will expanded into other worlds. be written as 2D12. Occasionally, it will be necessary to roll one 3- We are interested in input from those who play this game. sided die, D3. Simply roll a D6 and divide by two, always rounding up. Thus, 1-2=1, 3-4=2, 5-6=3. 1D12 is no longer used. Where it appears substitute 2D6. [2ed] 3 Other Playing Aids for 500 years, proud of and famous for their friendship with the RuneQuest does not need a playing board. The player's dragons and wyrms of the pass. The peoples and places thrived, made imagination provide the stage on which the characters act. As contact with two other continents, and delved deep into spiritual assistance in this drama, you'll find the following helpful: byways. After several hundred years the empire was replaced by a ruling PAPER, blank, lined, and quadrille ruled (graph paper) body of men and gods called the Third Council. Legends relate that there was no telling the men from the gods in the council chambers. PENCILS AND PENS But the magic of the council could not counter the miseries of its worshippers, or control the swords of the rebels who did not sacrifice TIN/LEAD OR PLASTIC FIGURINES (These are optional, but to them. Foreign gods gained power and prestige as the provinces of give the play some focus and help settle arguments over who was the Third Council Revolted or were overrun by invaders. where. We recommend 25mm miniatures as the best all around At last the council turned its energies to defending its worshippers. size.) Epic battles raged across the land. Finally, the dragonewts, dormant for centuries, rose against the council and slew them all. TIME (ranging from a couple of hours for a quick scenario to Some 78 years later the human allies aiding the destruction of the years for a long-running campaign) empire turned against the dragonewts.