From: David Cake (davidc@cs.uwa.oz.au)
Date: Tue 18 Jan 1994 - 14:24:30 EET
>
>
> While I wait, in hope, for a copy of RQIV to review I thought I'd review the
> Runes in RQ2 as I was unable to reach a games shop last weekend (sigh)
>
> People have been stressing how hard it was to find a copy of RuneQuest 2
> so I fell this could be relevent to any RQIV reviews.
>
[general survey of Runes deleted]
> Within the descriptions of the Runes lies evidence of cultural relativism
> which is mainly based on Gods being strengthened by local whorship.
>
The same cultural relativism that Greg know uses to dethrone them from their
completely central place (they are know one of several Runic systems, they are
largely a God Learner invention, etc.).
> If you cross reference the Elemental Rune for the Moon with the Time Line
> on page 7 of RuneQuest 2 you will see that the Red Goddess was born a
> mortal before she obtained immortality and became the Moon goddess. Hence
> the rules not that her Rune is too new and young to be recognised by many
> outside the Lunar Empire and hence is not potent there.
>
Well, the Gloranthan scholar in me has to point out the Blue Moon, old as
most deities and older than many. But Gloranthan pedantry belongs on the
daily not here so I'll shut up now :-)
[bit about Rune cults deleted]
> The Runes do tie up to the Common Magic, the instance of which described
> The associated between Spirits and Runes is mentioned once but is scantly
> in RQ2 is described as Battle Magic. Certain kinds of Battle magic can
> be associated with the Runes just as Rune Magic can be, Neither is
> associated explicitly though.
>
Well, the relationships are pretty damn vague for anything without the
name of an element [Light, Fire, Dark] in its name. Certain cults have
certain spells, but apart from the elemental spells they follow no coherent
Runic line. And for that matter, the same goes for the majority of Rune
spells - apart from the obviously elemental ones (such as elemental summoning
or Sunspear) spells do not necessarily follow a Runic line. I mean, what
Runes do extension, shield, dismiss elemental, and absorbtion come from in
RQ2? Spirit spells are spells, and the majority of them are associated with
the Magic Rune and no other, if you insist on Runic associations, and Rune
magic comes from the nature of the religion - Runes help classify, but by no
means define.
In short, the Runic underpinnings of RQ2 magic are overstated. This is
not to say that Runes are not of massive cultural importance - but they have
damn little to do with the magic rules of RQ2, so lets not try and force them
on RQ4. A good explanation of the Runes (and the RQ2 explanation is still the
best, though now a little incomplete) should be in any explanation of
Gloranthan magic in RQ4 - but I am not in favour of basing the RQ4 magic
book just around the Runes.
BTW, does anyone else think that the term Battle Magic was one of the
things about RQ2 that we should forget about? Its not that I really like the
term Spirit Magic, but Battle magic is wildly inappropriate in many cases
(sure, Food Song, Detect Detection, and Glamour help me through pitched
battles everyday :-)) but it is also reminescent of hack and slash, monster
killing gaming - which reflects RQ2s age. Hmm, how do these soap boxes get
under me :-)
> exploited elsewhere. It is noted that Spirits can percieve Mindlinks and
> Runic associations (page 40). This tends to support the some what
> scandalous view that Gods and Rune Cults are merely a phemenomena
> associated with the nature of Runes.
>
Maddeningly vague - and compatible with various completely different
theories as well - personally, I think it supports the 'Runes as classification
system' theory (I mean, who really thinks that you see little runes hoverin'
round people, huh :-))
> Mind you this is RuneQuest and as I said as the begining the background is
> very pleasantly ambigious. A very rich environment for role playing indeed
> as the range of prespectives possible only serve to enrich the game.
>
Yep. I think we agree to disagree on the Runic point, OK. Obviously both of
us are absolutely corect in our very different views, and neither one should
be pushed in the rulesbook for RQ4. The discussions about gloranthan
metaphysics will come, but eventually. I prefer to see less emphasis on Runes,
and more on religion in society, and clear rules.
> Regards
>
> -- Guy Robinson --
>
Cheers
Dave
0,,
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