As a shout out to the people at Chaosium. I bought the starter box and found the rules book had pages 22-30 twice and was missing pages 15-21. I reached out to Chaosium hoping they would replace the rule book. They sent me a whole new starter set. Great customer service.
One of my biggest chagrines is how revivifying the world of Gloranta (Rune Quest's setting) feels to explore - as if you were someone who grew in a claustrophobic, jam-packed, concrete city and one day went outside that metropolis and saw for the first time a a green forest. Gloranta feels like this but for the soul. In this world you actually understand why people worship deities, not for some blind devotion to an incomprehensible ideal like we might find in real world religions. But because the gods and the world and us mortals are all like one in the same: When some priest in Gloranta ask the river for advice, he is connecting with the same water that courses through his body, that he drank and washed in all his life. So it's like he is talking with a wiser, older yet that filled child like wonder, part of himself. And yet my chagrine emanates from the fact that there is so little discussion on TH-cam explaining this wonderful, inspired and cathartic setting.
Runequest is my go-to TTRPG. The system is as logical as anything with magic in it can be, combat can be *lethal* and even a know-nothing character with minimal skills can get in a lucky shot and kill a seriously badasset character with one blow. It's also the most amazingly well laid out world, has two different magic systems (three of one considers spirit combat to be a magic system unto itself) and it isn't a system that comes out with a completely new version every two years. I'd love to get a new campaign going in the Chicago area sometime soon!
I've been playing Runequest since Edition 0 (during the 70's playtesting & Steve Perrin used to call me Mr Resistance Table since I came up with it) and I can affirm to you Runequest precedes Traveller. According to an old study I read when I was in the Navy & getting involved with Wargaming and writing a Fletcher Pratt replacement a percentile system is the most intuitive.
Hi Sven, in the video I meant I was pretty sure I originally purchased RuneQuest before I picked up Traveller way back in the day as opposed to when the games actually came out. So you invented the resistance table? You're the ONE all those people over the years can blame for pulling their hair out?!?!?! :) Personally, I never found the table to be all that difficult to wrap one's head around. ~ Jeff
@@Thegaminggang I came up with it during a dog watch on-board ship with nothing else to do but wait for a buzzer to sound (it never did) because One of our players couldn't do basic math to save her soul but was a great artist. So, it was a way of simplifying the whole process. I have no idea how it could be difficult to use. The original was on US Navy graph paper, LOL. When they reprinted the original playtest rules, those were my copy still in the same brown Ring binder for 45 years, LOL
Sven, great to hear from the original “Mr Resistance Table” and, like Jeff, I too feel your creation has copped a lot of (undeserved) bad press over the years. Its simple but effective, like many of the best things!
I think the Resistance Table is bloody brilliant. It's also handy if you want to make the entire process player-facing: Have the players roll as the "active" party even when they're defending, since it works out the same anyway. One less thing for the GM to roll.
I loved RuneQuest since my teens, I've been following it since from RQ2 onwards These days I prefer the RQ6 (now Mythras) game mechanics just a bit more than classic RQ game mechanics, so I'ld run Glorantha with Mythras if I was going to do it now. It's personal preference as they are both BRP systems. I think the RQG supplements are about 90% compatabile between RQG and Mythras, so its all good. Glorantha is such a rich setting, I can see you giving it the respect it deserves. I love how Glorantha is presented these days, and I'm looking forward to upcoming Chaosium RQG supplements. Great overview of the RQG corebook and starter set Jeff!
Great video! Just one very minor nitpick haha. Pendragon IS based on Runequest! They just simplified the math! It’s basically the same system though. It is in increments of 5% (IE a d20 instead of d100) but it’s still a roll under skill system with opposed combat rolls!
If there's any drawback with the starter set, it's that there are no rules for generating characters (like the D&D Starter Set); the pre-gens (twelve of them) will probably suffice for those dipping their toes in the world of Glorantha. While I haven't played RQ to any extent, I got the 1st edition rules when they were on Kickstarter a couple of years ago, and I got the starter set after watching your enthusiastic presentation of it. It really is a great intro to RQ and Glorantha.
Have played Runequest from the 1st edition on . Ran a 7 year campaign in Glorantha of RQ3 in the early 2000. Then family life pulled me away, we plan on using this new edition for our next game. We love Chaosium games. I even got them to play Call of Cthulhu on Fantasy Grounds during the pandemic. Some the group don't care for horror RPGs. I guess because of the crunchy rules RQ never got the popularity D&D has?
@@davidblair4150 Because it wasn’t D&D, it never got the popularity D&D has. The head start gave it the win, otherwise something else would have been the 800 lb gorilla in FRPG space.
Excellent video! I am very often the DM/GM/Referee for my groups... RuneQuest is one of the games that I have always wanted to *play*! Maybe some day....
Runequest was always one of my holy trinity, Runequest, D&D, and Traveller. The setting is superb, and it’s a breath of fresh air compared with your standard quasi medieval European settings. It’s gone through several iterations, but the latest is the best, and oddly enough, more like the original edition than it’s predecessors. I highly recommend it.
Traveller was my first rpg back in the eighties, and runequest was my second and all time favourite. The new RuneQuest books are gorgeous and there has been quite the Renaissance in the game now.
Being a player/GM of RuneQuest since the late 1970s, the two biggest problems I see RuneQuest having is 1) the lack of a serious sustained marketing effort over the years which allowed D&D to capture the majority of the world RPG market, and 2) tying the game to the world of Glorantha. Having Glorantha *available* as an campaign for the game is great but, thanks to D&D, most D&D players and DMs develop their own worlds or at least run published adventures linked _loosely_ to a campaign world. I've seen tying the game mechanics to Glorantha put off D&D gamemasters who have put a lot of time and effort into developing their own worlds or buying world background material from Wizards of the Coast. As a game, RuneQuest is no more complicated than D&D 5e. And I've seen D&D players really commit to the RQ combat system because it allows for much more free-form tactics and strategies the D&D ever can.
Skyrim is vaguely like RQ. And I seem to remember someone saying that at least part of it's system comes from RQ. RQ from the early days was my favorite gaming system. Glorantha has been my favorite setting.
Yeah, Pendragon uses a twenty sided dice but really, everything else is BRP. It is very very BRP-esque. Everyone seems to confuse the compound noun D20, meaning the Dungeaons and Dragons game system with classes and experience points etc.. with just using a D20 in a completely different game system. So yeah not quite BRP but based upon it. A shout out for Pendragon, in that a beautiful colour new edition is coming out soon. I can't wait.
I'm so glad that I got my physical (german) copy of this rulebook. It reads so absolutely wonderful, I can't wait to play it. Also the recent announcement of what? 10 upcoming Runequest supplements? Hell yes...
I have a question, I bought my English editions of several Cuthulhu books from that famous international haulage/ wharehouse company named after a south American river, over in Spain where I live with my Spanish wife. The prices were comparable to prices in the UK. The German editions were super cheap and looked like the standard Chaosium excellent quality but like two thirds of the price. Are books in Germany subsidised or have less tax on them, or something?
I have played and run Runequest since it was first released and loved it for many years. However, I have given it up in disgust at the unfriendliness of the Glorantha community. I have replaced it with BRP - Basic Role Playing (and Call of Cthulhu).. This is the original system for Runequest and can be adapted easily to any setting. BRP is a great system and very easy for beginners to learn. Also by Chaosium.
The Runequest systemand it's multiple spinoffs are great. I tried to get into the whole Glorantha setting around the days of the Avalon Hill edition. It's insanely complex. A UK based company named Mongoose Publishing released some of the best non Glorantha stuff when they gad the RQ license in the early 2000s. Elric of Melniboné and Hawkmoon from Moorcock's Eternal Champion books were fantastic with some fantastic adventures. Another great one that seemingly slipped under the radar was Slaine, based on the 2000AD comic strip. Mighty Celtic heroes defending the Land of the Young from the hideous Fomorians, the bloodthirsty berserkers of Midgard and the nefarious Drune Lords with their armies of Skullswords and War Witches.
Hang on. You said at 3:30 that Pendragon is not a BRP? It is. Like, just take a look at the basic structure of the game. It might use a d20, but it is basically the same chassis.
I'm with you on that. Chaosium themselves, in the past few years, seem to talk more about RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu being BRP but not really Pendragon. I guess I should have focused more on Pendragon not being a D100 game rather than mentioning BRP. ~ Jeff
The only d100 frpg I ever played was RoleMaster, and it couldn't be different from RQ. I love the setting, and the starter set looks cool too. Funny how some companies get it, and some don't.
I've been trying to get people to play Rune Quest since I picked up the 3E Avalon Hill box set back in 1984. In not a fan of Glorantha, but the system is solid and the game is fun.
I got the German version of Mythras just yesterday. It seems to be a "Glorantha-free" streamlined version of RuneQuest 3rd Edition to me. Looking into my 30-year-old RuneQuest rulebook, I found the two books to be quite similar. The Mythras sorcery magic system is quite flexible, and one of 5 magical systems. And Mythras offers a surprising amount of playable worlds and adventures. So, if you are into playing a "RuneQuest style" game (percentile skill system, no classes, magic for everybody, detailed deadly fights), but not in Glorantha, you might enjoy Mythras.
@@ConlangKrishna I may be wrong, but I believe Mythras is just Runequest 6th Edition with the serial numbers filed off. It’s by the same studio after they lost the RQ license, and even has the same cover art.
Excellent review and presentation ! I've been playing RQ since 3rd AH edition and it has always been apart from other RPG games. The combat rules are epics. This new edition is amazing due to its quality.
I'm going to give this game a shot with my two sons as the party, I'll GM. I have the starter box. I'm wanting the rest of the books already. I think I'm going to like the percentile system.
I've been struggling a bit with the density of the lore, though now that I've got the starter set, I'm hoping it'll help me take it in, in smaller doses. I find the setting fascinating, but daunting. I love the wild, Bronze Age Fantasy of it, which is such a refreshing change from so many northwest European/Tolkien/1950s Hollywood's idea of the Middle Ages type settings we get in other games. I love the mechanics, though. I got my start with Worlds of Wonder and used to lift a lot of monsters from RuneQuest all the time. Basic Role-Playing is the system I tend to use when I'm introducing folks to the hobby (usually via Call of Cthulhu).
I would recommend just using as much lore which will simply get you by and get your players to the table. Remember the player characters don't know everything about the world, so just focus on their small part of it and expand out from there. Otherwise it's going to begin to feel like a slog researching the lore and you'll find yourself infodumping on your players. ~ Jeff
You might be a fan of Mythras. It's literally RuneQuest 6e, but the authors lost the license so they turned it into a more generic game using a bronze age setting as a base. IMO it's the best version of RuneQuest rules-wise, and on top of that you can adapt it for nearly anything. Wheras Roleplaying in Glorantha is basically an adaptation of RQ2e and has Glorantha baked hard into the ruleset.
@@colbyboucher6391, I've thought about grabbing Mythras a few times, but at this point (no pressing need for it right now), I'll probably wait to check out the new edition of Basic Roleplaying that is theoretically coming at some point in the future. Part of what I like about Glorantha is its setting. It's just so dense that it kinda freaks me out.
I know Chaosium Inc shared a series of videos about RuneQuest not too long ago. I know it's not an actual play but it does discuss a lot of aspects of the game. Maybe one of these days I'll put a quick primer together. ~ Jeff
Ive played a lot of CoC back in the day. Recently started playing dnd and I always missed the more gritty and realistic feel of CoC so Runequest is propably a good fit for me
Hey Jeff, I just have to say how likeable I always find you and your videos. I've known Runequest for a long time but have never played it. As a big 13th Age fan, I bought the corresponding book back then. Do you know the adaptation and can it reflect the feeling of the setting well? Best regards from Germany.
Thanks for the kind words Luzian! I'm not familiar with that volume, unfortunately. But I can say if Greg Stafford was associated with it in any way, it should reflect Glorantha really well.
Is there a way to play it without the gods and the runes? Neither appeals to me but Glorantha does. The d100 system seems downright epic and the addition of the Pendragon traits system will be amazing
Like RuneQuest, 3rd edition, Mythras doesn't use Glorantha and is a much more flexible game. Full disclosure: I've never liked Glorantha. I find it too constraining and very cliche'. For anyone who enjoys a game without character classes, likes a flexible and detailed combat system, and wants the flexibility to create their own vision, I would highly recommend Mythras from the Design Mechanism. It is by far my favorite system.
IMO a lot of the weirdness is fixed by Mythras. It has a less strange initiative system (weapon range is split into it's own optional thing), and all the tables have been simplified a bit by boiling most of your options down to whether you're successful enough to get a "special effect". Which lets you do alll kinds of cool stuff.
Nice review, thanks for it. But I don´t think that this fantasy system/setting is my cup of coffee. In my opinon there are more flavourful systems and settings out there. But hey, everyone as he likes, that is the beauty of our hobby, isn´t it?
Ok, Why the low quality video......Are you on a budget? Great coverage of this game. Looking at getting the starter set and checking it out. Thanks Jeff.
@@PohatuEudyptulaMinor Yeah, I think you are right. Never had that happen before so I figured it was uploaded to youtube that way. Working now though, the video lets me select HD now.
Why you shouldn't... * heavy crunch straight from the 80ies * hit points for weapons (who counts them nowadays?) * critical, special and fumble ranges depending on Ability Score (consult the table, slog your game) * various Special Damage depending on type of weapon (more slog) * tables for basic combat maneuvers like PARRY vs ATTACK or DODGE vs ATTACK (even more slog) * convoluted initiative rules - Strike Ranks (scratch your head and slog) * ridiculously punishing fumbles (hitting yourself or your friend is fun, right?) * tons of unnecessary skills (11 for communication? really?) * uninspiring spells. majority of them feel like simple bonuses to stats (just compare them with Aquelarre, WFRP, World of Darkness, WH40K... anything) * it does not explain anywhere what is heroquesting and how to do it I love the setting, but in terms of ruleset this system was a disappointment.
So weird, I see most of those points as pluses. Tastes differ, I guess. I like 80's simulationist systems (Rolemaster, Harnmaster, Gurps etc.). Modern games seem boring, tame and limp to me (Fate, Savage Worlds and their ilk) Remember when I started Playing in the late 90's and Vampire was big, I hated it and went straight to Rolemaster, haha.
RuneQuest certainly isn't for gamers who can't be weaned off of 5E; I see many of those folks panic because they can't handle the math involved in Pathfinder 2E so a non-D20 system is most likely far too crunchy for their tastes ~ Jeff.
@@Thegaminggang LOL I see this a lot: boring combat, slog, "I have combat maybe once in 3 or 4 sessions." Huh? WTF? Why are you playing a "squad based tactical combat simulator" game? i.e Wotc's D&D or a derivative (PF2)? Oh, right, wotc has done such a good job convincing you 5E is such an easy game to play all the other ones must be ridiculously hard. Well played Hasbro, well played.
This has nothing to do with 5E or WOTC. And I am no stranger to crunchier rulesets. MERP and Cybepunk 2013 were the thing in college years, but over 40 my patience and time for this kind games grew thin. And it's not just the crunch. Magic and myths are supposed to be the central part of RQ setting, right? Take a look at spell lists then. Bless Animals, Bless Champion, Bless Crops, Bless Grave, Bless Pregnancy, Illusory Motion, Illusory Odor, Illusory Sight, Illusory Sound, Illusory Substance, Summon Ancestor, Summon Cult Spirit, Summon Elemental... It feels so bloated and unispiring. Compare that to any spell from Aquelarre. I came to RQ from Pendragon and I really intend to run a decent campaign in Glorantha, but not on original ruleset. Too much of a chore.
I played RQ2 back in the day , then had a playing hiatus from the late 90's until about a year ago when I moved to a new place that has a small but quite active gaming group mostly focused on TT antique/medieval/fantasy miniature wargaming. It turned out there are ppl there interested in TTRPG and I started playing with the idea of starting an RQ campaign. Lo & behold! it turned out there was a new edition, one that bypassed the horror that was RQ3 and was an RQ2 update sanctioned by Greg Stafford himself! So I ordered the slipcase set and awaited it with great anticipation. And... Horror! Greg must be spinning in his grave fast enough to supply electricity to the whole of New Pavis! For this is not Runequest, this is WokeQuest. So I will indeed be running an RQ campaign, but it will be an RQ2 campaign using the old RQ2 material.
As someone who is really sick of the magic-is-commonplace type of fantasy that is so prevalent these days, the fact that that is also true of Runequest turns me off big time.
As a shout out to the people at Chaosium. I bought the starter box and found the rules book had pages 22-30 twice and was missing pages 15-21. I reached out to Chaosium hoping they would replace the rule book. They sent me a whole new starter set. Great customer service.
Thanks for sharing!
One of my biggest chagrines is how revivifying the world of Gloranta (Rune Quest's setting) feels to explore - as if you were someone who grew in a claustrophobic, jam-packed, concrete city and one day went outside that metropolis and saw for the first time a a green forest.
Gloranta feels like this but for the soul. In this world you actually understand why people worship deities, not for some blind devotion to an incomprehensible ideal like we might find in real world religions. But because the gods and the world and us mortals are all like one in the same:
When some priest in Gloranta ask the river for advice, he is connecting with the same water that courses through his body, that he drank and washed in all his life. So it's like he is talking with a wiser, older yet that filled child like wonder, part of himself.
And yet my chagrine emanates from the fact that there is so little discussion on TH-cam explaining this wonderful, inspired and cathartic setting.
Literally played my first game hours before this video, loved it and can't wait to play more!
Have fun!
How did you enjoy the game ?
Runequest is my go-to TTRPG. The system is as logical as anything with magic in it can be, combat can be *lethal* and even a know-nothing character with minimal skills can get in a lucky shot and kill a seriously badasset character with one blow. It's also the most amazingly well laid out world, has two different magic systems (three of one considers spirit combat to be a magic system unto itself) and it isn't a system that comes out with a completely new version every two years. I'd love to get a new campaign going in the Chicago area sometime soon!
I've been playing Runequest since Edition 0 (during the 70's playtesting & Steve Perrin used to call me Mr Resistance Table since I came up with it) and I can affirm to you Runequest precedes Traveller. According to an old study I read when I was in the Navy & getting involved with Wargaming and writing a Fletcher Pratt replacement a percentile system is the most intuitive.
Hi Sven, in the video I meant I was pretty sure I originally purchased RuneQuest before I picked up Traveller way back in the day as opposed to when the games actually came out. So you invented the resistance table? You're the ONE all those people over the years can blame for pulling their hair out?!?!?! :) Personally, I never found the table to be all that difficult to wrap one's head around. ~ Jeff
@@Thegaminggang I came up with it during a dog watch on-board ship with nothing else to do but wait for a buzzer to sound (it never did) because One of our players couldn't do basic math to save her soul but was a great artist. So, it was a way of simplifying the whole process. I have no idea how it could be difficult to use. The original was on US Navy graph paper, LOL. When they reprinted the original playtest rules, those were my copy still in the same brown Ring binder for 45 years, LOL
Sven, great to hear from the original “Mr Resistance Table” and, like Jeff, I too feel your creation has copped a lot of (undeserved) bad press over the years. Its simple but effective, like many of the best things!
@@kevinforde1720 Thank you. I'm used to it as even Steve Perrin disliked it but acknowledged that it did give the most even distribution.
I think the Resistance Table is bloody brilliant. It's also handy if you want to make the entire process player-facing: Have the players roll as the "active" party even when they're defending, since it works out the same anyway. One less thing for the GM to roll.
I loved RuneQuest since my teens, I've been following it since from RQ2 onwards
These days I prefer the RQ6 (now Mythras) game mechanics just a bit more than classic RQ game mechanics, so I'ld run Glorantha with Mythras if I was going to do it now.
It's personal preference as they are both BRP systems. I think the RQG supplements are about 90% compatabile between RQG and Mythras, so its all good.
Glorantha is such a rich setting, I can see you giving it the respect it deserves.
I love how Glorantha is presented these days, and I'm looking forward to upcoming Chaosium RQG supplements.
Great overview of the RQG corebook and starter set Jeff!
Thanks a bunch! I've never had a chance to check out Mythras but have always heard good things.
Avalon Hill’s RQ was third edition.
This has definitely put RQ on my radar. Hope to introduce it to my players
The Starter Set is a great place to ...um... start.
Great video! Just one very minor nitpick haha. Pendragon IS based on Runequest! They just simplified the math! It’s basically the same system though. It is in increments of 5% (IE a d20 instead of d100) but it’s still a roll under skill system with opposed combat rolls!
Good point!
If there's any drawback with the starter set, it's that there are no rules for generating characters (like the D&D Starter Set); the pre-gens (twelve of them) will probably suffice for those dipping their toes in the world of Glorantha. While I haven't played RQ to any extent, I got the 1st edition rules when they were on Kickstarter a couple of years ago, and I got the starter set after watching your enthusiastic presentation of it. It really is a great intro to RQ and Glorantha.
Thanks Jeff, as Runequest veteran I appreciate the love you gave the starter set
I saw the book in a shop and am looking to know If I'll like it and the more and hear and read about it the more I think I should give it a try.
This is nice content. Please do more videos like this.
Every month! Stay tuned!
Have played Runequest from the 1st edition on . Ran a 7 year campaign in Glorantha of RQ3 in the early 2000. Then family life pulled me away, we plan on using this new edition for our next game. We love Chaosium games. I even got them to play Call of Cthulhu on Fantasy Grounds during the pandemic. Some the group don't care for horror RPGs. I guess because of the crunchy rules RQ never got the popularity D&D has?
@@davidblair4150 Because it wasn’t D&D, it never got the popularity D&D has. The head start gave it the win, otherwise something else would have been the 800 lb gorilla in FRPG space.
Excellent video! I am very often the DM/GM/Referee for my groups... RuneQuest is one of the games that I have always wanted to *play*! Maybe some day....
Runequest was always one of my holy trinity, Runequest, D&D, and Traveller. The setting is superb, and it’s a breath of fresh air compared with your standard quasi medieval European settings. It’s gone through several iterations, but the latest is the best, and oddly enough, more like the original edition than it’s predecessors. I highly recommend it.
Traveller was my first rpg back in the eighties, and runequest was my second and all time favourite. The new RuneQuest books are gorgeous and there has been quite the Renaissance in the game now.
Being a player/GM of RuneQuest since the late 1970s, the two biggest problems I see RuneQuest having is 1) the lack of a serious sustained marketing effort over the years which allowed D&D to capture the majority of the world RPG market, and 2) tying the game to the world of Glorantha. Having Glorantha *available* as an campaign for the game is great but, thanks to D&D, most D&D players and DMs develop their own worlds or at least run published adventures linked _loosely_ to a campaign world. I've seen tying the game mechanics to Glorantha put off D&D gamemasters who have put a lot of time and effort into developing their own worlds or buying world background material from Wizards of the Coast.
As a game, RuneQuest is no more complicated than D&D 5e. And I've seen D&D players really commit to the RQ combat system because it allows for much more free-form tactics and strategies the D&D ever can.
The whole we are a psrt of a community with relationships and responsibilities is a GREAT part of RQG.
Skyrim is vaguely like RQ. And I seem to remember someone saying that at least part of it's system comes from RQ. RQ from the early days was my favorite gaming system. Glorantha has been my favorite setting.
Ken Rolston, who did some writing for Chaosium, brought in the Glorantha influence as the lead designer of Morrowind.
Thank you for the video! I have just picked up the book to broaden my RP game knowledge, but i feel like this will be a long lasting love haha
Yeah, Pendragon uses a twenty sided dice but really, everything else is BRP. It is very very BRP-esque. Everyone seems to confuse the compound noun D20, meaning the Dungeaons and Dragons game system with classes and experience points etc.. with just using a D20 in a completely different game system. So yeah not quite BRP but based upon it. A shout out for Pendragon, in that a beautiful colour new edition is coming out soon. I can't wait.
Isn’t Dragonbane (now from Free League) also kinda like Pendragon in that it’s kinda a d20-based BRP engine game?
@@Sanguivore Yes, it is.
I agree with you on the quality of this game. Been playing since 1981. Storm Bull forever!!!!
I'm so glad that I got my physical (german) copy of this rulebook. It reads so absolutely wonderful, I can't wait to play it.
Also the recent announcement of what? 10 upcoming Runequest supplements? Hell yes...
I have a question, I bought my English editions of several Cuthulhu books from that famous international haulage/ wharehouse company named after a south American river, over in Spain where I live with my Spanish wife. The prices were comparable to prices in the UK. The German editions were super cheap and looked like the standard Chaosium excellent quality but like two thirds of the price. Are books in Germany subsidised or have less tax on them, or something?
I have played and run Runequest since it was first released and loved it for many years. However, I have given it up in disgust at the unfriendliness of the Glorantha community. I have replaced it with BRP - Basic Role Playing (and Call of Cthulhu).. This is the original system for Runequest and can be adapted easily to any setting. BRP is a great system and very easy for beginners to learn. Also by Chaosium.
I've played Runequest for years....I play other things too ...but I always want to go back to Runequest....
The Runequest systemand it's multiple spinoffs are great. I tried to get into the whole Glorantha setting around the days of the Avalon Hill edition. It's insanely complex. A UK based company named Mongoose Publishing released some of the best non Glorantha stuff when they gad the RQ license in the early 2000s. Elric of Melniboné and Hawkmoon from Moorcock's Eternal Champion books were fantastic with some fantastic adventures. Another great one that seemingly slipped under the radar was Slaine, based on the 2000AD comic strip. Mighty Celtic heroes defending the Land of the Young from the hideous Fomorians, the bloodthirsty berserkers of Midgard and the nefarious Drune Lords with their armies of Skullswords and War Witches.
Hang on. You said at 3:30 that Pendragon is not a BRP? It is. Like, just take a look at the basic structure of the game. It might use a d20, but it is basically the same chassis.
I'm with you on that. Chaosium themselves, in the past few years, seem to talk more about RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu being BRP but not really Pendragon. I guess I should have focused more on Pendragon not being a D100 game rather than mentioning BRP. ~ Jeff
@@Thegaminggang for what it is worth, David Larkins and I definitely consider Pendragon to be part of the BRP family of games.
Great video. Signed up to play The Broken Tower adventure at my local games club 🥳
Have fun!
The only d100 frpg I ever played was RoleMaster, and it couldn't be different from RQ. I love the setting, and the starter set looks cool too. Funny how some companies get it, and some don't.
Talk about a glow-up on the intro, kudos!
We did Traveller before we got to RQ, but we were homebrewing D&D mechanics before that.
Cool video and idea for a series
Thanks!
Happy New Year
Same to you!
I've been trying to get people to play Rune Quest since I picked up the 3E Avalon Hill box set back in 1984. In not a fan of Glorantha, but the system is solid and the game is fun.
Love me some Runequest! What are your thoughts on Mythras?
I've never had an opportunity to check out Mythras. I have heard good things though. ~ Jeff
I got the German version of Mythras just yesterday. It seems to be a "Glorantha-free" streamlined version of RuneQuest 3rd Edition to me. Looking into my 30-year-old RuneQuest rulebook, I found the two books to be quite similar.
The Mythras sorcery magic system is quite flexible, and one of 5 magical systems. And Mythras offers a surprising amount of playable worlds and adventures.
So, if you are into playing a "RuneQuest style" game (percentile skill system, no classes, magic for everybody, detailed deadly fights), but not in Glorantha, you might enjoy Mythras.
@@ConlangKrishna I may be wrong, but I believe Mythras is just Runequest 6th Edition with the serial numbers filed off. It’s by the same studio after they lost the RQ license, and even has the same cover art.
Fyi, this game is currently on Humble Bundle for July 2024.
Excellent review and presentation ! I've been playing RQ since 3rd AH edition and it has always been apart from other RPG games. The combat rules are epics. This new edition is amazing due to its quality.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I'm going to give this game a shot with my two sons as the party, I'll GM. I have the starter box. I'm wanting the rest of the books already. I think I'm going to like the percentile system.
I hope you all have a great time! ~ Jeff
I've been struggling a bit with the density of the lore, though now that I've got the starter set, I'm hoping it'll help me take it in, in smaller doses. I find the setting fascinating, but daunting. I love the wild, Bronze Age Fantasy of it, which is such a refreshing change from so many northwest European/Tolkien/1950s Hollywood's idea of the Middle Ages type settings we get in other games.
I love the mechanics, though. I got my start with Worlds of Wonder and used to lift a lot of monsters from RuneQuest all the time. Basic Role-Playing is the system I tend to use when I'm introducing folks to the hobby (usually via Call of Cthulhu).
I would recommend just using as much lore which will simply get you by and get your players to the table. Remember the player characters don't know everything about the world, so just focus on their small part of it and expand out from there. Otherwise it's going to begin to feel like a slog researching the lore and you'll find yourself infodumping on your players. ~ Jeff
You might be a fan of Mythras. It's literally RuneQuest 6e, but the authors lost the license so they turned it into a more generic game using a bronze age setting as a base.
IMO it's the best version of RuneQuest rules-wise, and on top of that you can adapt it for nearly anything. Wheras Roleplaying in Glorantha is basically an adaptation of RQ2e and has Glorantha baked hard into the ruleset.
@@colbyboucher6391, I've thought about grabbing Mythras a few times, but at this point (no pressing need for it right now), I'll probably wait to check out the new edition of Basic Roleplaying that is theoretically coming at some point in the future. Part of what I like about Glorantha is its setting. It's just so dense that it kinda freaks me out.
Is there an actual play or rules primer video you'd recommend? I've always wanted to try it and would be nice to see a good example of play.
I know Chaosium Inc shared a series of videos about RuneQuest not too long ago. I know it's not an actual play but it does discuss a lot of aspects of the game. Maybe one of these days I'll put a quick primer together. ~ Jeff
they do. check out their youtube channel
Ive played a lot of CoC back in the day. Recently started playing dnd and I always missed the more gritty and realistic feel of CoC so Runequest is propably a good fit for me
I bought Runequest when it was new, and there were no editions, yet. Cool system. Unfortunately never have played it. Maybe one of these days.
Hey Jeff, I just have to say how likeable I always find you and your videos.
I've known Runequest for a long time but have never played it. As a big 13th Age fan, I bought the corresponding book back then. Do you know the adaptation and can it reflect the feeling of the setting well?
Best regards from Germany.
Thanks for the kind words Luzian! I'm not familiar with that volume, unfortunately. But I can say if Greg Stafford was associated with it in any way, it should reflect Glorantha really well.
Is there a way to play it without the gods and the runes? Neither appeals to me but Glorantha does. The d100 system seems downright epic and the addition of the Pendragon traits system will be amazing
Those are rather baked into the proceedings. I suppose with some work you could strip that out. I might recommend a look at BRPG. ~ Jeff
I still have a few of the original lead mini’s
I’m curious if you’d say that RuneQuest is your primary gaming system
Nope. Not at all. It's a fantastic system and setting but it isn't a game I typically run for my gang. ~ Jeff
First played with 2nd edition, got serious with 3rd (Avalon hill's version), no regrets....
Have you made any review videos on Dungeon Crawl Classics?
I've reviewed the core rulebooks for DCC and MCC. ~ Jeff
Like RuneQuest, 3rd edition, Mythras doesn't use Glorantha and is a much more flexible game.
Full disclosure: I've never liked Glorantha. I find it too constraining and very cliche'. For anyone who enjoys a game without character classes, likes a flexible and detailed combat system, and wants the flexibility to create their own vision, I would highly recommend Mythras from the Design Mechanism. It is by far my favorite system.
Thanks jeff for the review. It is intriguing but not sure how I feel about the combat system as look into it.
IMO a lot of the weirdness is fixed by Mythras. It has a less strange initiative system (weapon range is split into it's own optional thing), and all the tables have been simplified a bit by boiling most of your options down to whether you're successful enough to get a "special effect". Which lets you do alll kinds of cool stuff.
I'm always told that RuneQuest is "too crunchy" and "too simulationist". It does if you use ALL the optional rules.
Such people that tell you that need to try GURPS and Chivalry & Sorcery.
I basically play runequest with COC 7E ruleset and just added the rune magic system. It’s simpler and I have had a blast with it.
Cool!
Nice review, thanks for it. But I don´t think that this fantasy system/setting is my cup of coffee. In my opinon there are more flavourful systems and settings out there. But hey, everyone as he likes, that is the beauty of our hobby, isn´t it?
Fair enough! :)
Glorantha is underdefined when compared to the detail of The Dark Eye. That's the most detailed world I know of.
Ok, Why the low quality video......Are you on a budget? Great coverage of this game. Looking at getting the starter set and checking it out. Thanks Jeff.
The vid is in 1080p so not sure what you might mean by "low quality."
@@Thegaminggang TH-cam would only let me select 360 for some reason. Went to another video and had no problem getting HD.
@@jdebarr I'm getting 1080p60fps so it sounds like a temporary glitch on your end
@@PohatuEudyptulaMinor Yeah, I think you are right. Never had that happen before so I figured it was uploaded to youtube that way. Working now though, the video lets me select HD now.
Why you shouldn't...
* heavy crunch straight from the 80ies
* hit points for weapons (who counts them nowadays?)
* critical, special and fumble ranges depending on Ability Score (consult the table, slog your game)
* various Special Damage depending on type of weapon (more slog)
* tables for basic combat maneuvers like PARRY vs ATTACK or DODGE vs ATTACK (even more slog)
* convoluted initiative rules - Strike Ranks (scratch your head and slog)
* ridiculously punishing fumbles (hitting yourself or your friend is fun, right?)
* tons of unnecessary skills (11 for communication? really?)
* uninspiring spells. majority of them feel like simple bonuses to stats (just compare them with Aquelarre, WFRP, World of Darkness, WH40K... anything)
* it does not explain anywhere what is heroquesting and how to do it
I love the setting, but in terms of ruleset this system was a disappointment.
So tell us how you really feel...
So weird, I see most of those points as pluses. Tastes differ, I guess.
I like 80's simulationist systems (Rolemaster, Harnmaster, Gurps etc.). Modern games seem boring, tame and limp to me (Fate, Savage Worlds and their ilk) Remember when I started Playing in the late 90's and Vampire was big, I hated it and went straight to Rolemaster, haha.
RuneQuest certainly isn't for gamers who can't be weaned off of 5E; I see many of those folks panic because they can't handle the math involved in Pathfinder 2E so a non-D20 system is most likely far too crunchy for their tastes ~ Jeff.
@@Thegaminggang LOL I see this a lot: boring combat, slog, "I have combat maybe once in 3 or 4 sessions." Huh? WTF? Why are you playing a "squad based tactical combat simulator" game? i.e Wotc's D&D or a derivative (PF2)? Oh, right, wotc has done such a good job convincing you 5E is such an easy game to play all the other ones must be ridiculously hard. Well played Hasbro, well played.
This has nothing to do with 5E or WOTC. And I am no stranger to crunchier rulesets. MERP and Cybepunk 2013 were the thing in college years, but over 40 my patience and time for this kind games grew thin.
And it's not just the crunch. Magic and myths are supposed to be the central part of RQ setting, right? Take a look at spell lists then. Bless Animals, Bless Champion, Bless Crops, Bless Grave, Bless Pregnancy, Illusory Motion, Illusory Odor, Illusory Sight, Illusory Sound, Illusory Substance, Summon Ancestor, Summon Cult Spirit, Summon Elemental... It feels so bloated and unispiring. Compare that to any spell from Aquelarre.
I came to RQ from Pendragon and I really intend to run a decent campaign in Glorantha, but not on original ruleset. Too much of a chore.
The rules are great...the world however is a dog's breakfast, no thank you.
I played RQ2 back in the day , then had a playing hiatus from the late 90's until about a year ago when I moved to a new place that has a small but quite active gaming group mostly focused on TT antique/medieval/fantasy miniature wargaming.
It turned out there are ppl there interested in TTRPG and I started playing with the idea of starting an RQ campaign.
Lo & behold! it turned out there was a new edition, one that bypassed the horror that was RQ3 and was an RQ2 update sanctioned by Greg Stafford himself!
So I ordered the slipcase set and awaited it with great anticipation.
And...
Horror!
Greg must be spinning in his grave fast enough to supply electricity to the whole of New Pavis!
For this is not Runequest, this is WokeQuest.
So I will indeed be running an RQ campaign, but it will be an RQ2 campaign using the old RQ2 material.
Not sure why Greg Stafford would be spinning in his grave seeing the latest edition was written by him, with an assist from Jeff Richard.
As someone who is really sick of the magic-is-commonplace type of fantasy that is so prevalent these days, the fact that that is also true of Runequest turns me off big time.