From: David Cake (davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au)
Date: Wed 17 Mar 1993 - 10:16:23 EET
Re: The Runes
The Undead rune is indeed now the Hunger rune, according to both Greg and Sandy ( I got two replies to the same letter). It is associated with abnormal (often chaotic) hunger, such as Krarsht. It also applies to many undead (such as ghouls, vampires, or wraiths) but not too others (they mantioned it not applying to Zorak Zoran, as his zombies do not hunger, and his hunger is normal and natural). Another chaotic candidate to possess the rune would be Gloomshark. The only probably non-chaotic candidate for possession would be Daga.
Greg and Sandy called the 'up-arrow' rune given to Pamalt the Pamalt rune, and said that it and the Dragon Rune (for Godunya and Immanent Mastery) were actually God-Learner inventions, assigned for completeness. Perhaps the Pamalt rune symbolises co-operation or leadership, in the same way as the 'Issaries' rune (which I now call Trade) symbolises trade and communication.
I would like to mention one anomaly in the runes so far documented. The Ice rune (filled in vertical diamond shape) is mentioned nowhere outside Cults of Terror. All the other minor elemental runes represent sub-sets of another rune, while Ice is more likely a combination (probably Dark/Cold and Water). And more importantly, the god Himile, who has Ice spells and is served by Ice Demons, does not have the Ice rune. If he doesn't, who would? I suspect that Chaosium now believe that this rune was a mistake, and are no longer using it, just using Cold (Darkness without loss of light!) instead. SO I propose that we stop using it too.
Re: Dodge
I have been for some time of the opinion that Dodge is actually way UNDER-powered, as it is far too unreliable. Before I saw RQ4 I actually wrote to Ken Rolston and suggested the same change that is used in RQ4. I think that this is about right (dodge is still unreliable, but when criticaled it is not catastrophic). The RQ4 system (which is that level of sucess in dodge 'subtracts' from level of sucess in attack, so that eg a special attack and a normal dodge means a normal hit) is just about right.
For my (former) Sog city based campaign, I wanted it possibly to be a fencer who relied upon dodge, rather than parrying with light weapons. In RQ3 it just didn't work, because you died on the first special.
Dave Cake
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