From: Guy_Robinson.sbd-e@rx.xerox.com
Date: Fri 07 Jan 1994 - 19:56:02 EET
>But there are entire sorcerous cultures in western Genertela! (You've seen
I have not read Gods of Glorantha nor the boxed Glorantha overview. I suspect
BTW if the Spellteaching rune spell still exists then this is something
>Gods of Glorantha and the boxed Glorantha overview?)
that you are refering to material associated with RQ3 which would naturally
promote the inclusion of RQ3 style Sorcery into Glorantha.
I throughly approve of.
Joerg Baumgartner looks at the cultural side of things:
)Sorcerers are the rare
)independent users of that kind of magic, as well as anybody using
)strange magics. Delecti is considered a sorcerer, Argin Terror, Zzabur
)and the Orathorn inhabitants are, too, but what all these use can hardly
)be called sorcery in RQ3 terms. Oh, even some Praxian shamans or khans
)can justly be called sorcerers, e.g. when meddling with spirits like
)Cacodemon or Thed.
This is a definition of a sorcerer that I can except in terms of cultural
use as well as a game term. I feel that in RQ for sorcery, or alledged
sorcery, to exist it would have to be exotic, or at least exotic from
a Praxian perspective.
)I think it is impossible
)to fit all of Gloranthan or RuneQuest magic into one volume of the size
)of say the latest Pendragon rulesbook, let alone in a rulesbook aiming
)at newcomers. If RQ4 is to be released complete, it will a) take several
)years before it is issued, will b) be out of date by then, and will c)
)be more expensive than RQ3 (relative to other games, with the possible
)exception of Gygax's Dangerous Journeys).
I'd be happy with a partial coverage. Cover one culture well and
provide pointers to the magical basics of other cultures. Write it
so you need only the base ruleset to play but the other supplements
provide the full details and more of that fine Gloranthan background.
Ultimately magic provides the flavour of a fantasy background. In
The proof of RQIV magic "pudding" will be in the eating.
Unfortunately the only reference I can give to Rune Lords and Priest
Dragon Pass (I could be suffering Gloranthan geography problems) the
predominence of Cults is due in part both to the social and political
strength of the Cult organisation and it's access to Rune magic.
mastering certain Runes is the RQ2 rulebook itself. I'll attempt to
find the quote.
)you think did the Games Workshop edition fail to hit the market? I
)remember it as at least reasonably priced in Germany. I used it for a
)start, but switched to the AH "DeLuxe" edition after getting fed up with
)looking up everything in two different books, without cross-references.
The flagship of Games Workshop was, and continues to be, it's White
Dwarf magazine. At the time it was attempting to cover only Games
Workshop products after a distinguished history as the premier role
playing magazine in the UK. It shifted it's focus to games that sold
lead figures in bulk as the profit margin on them was impressive.
Roleplayers started to abandon the publication and avoid their shops.
The new audience they attracted was obviously not interested in an
even more complex version of an old classic. Games Workshop now
virtually sells only figures, paints for figures and war games for
figures.
Note that this is entirely a personal view and is not to associated
in any fashion with my employers. Games Workshop are probably not to
blame as they merely developed something that will sell to their
target market.
Regards
-- Guy Robinson --
0,,
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