Runequest

[Grey Paladin]

I want to pick up Runequest, mainly due to falling in love with Glorantha through playing King of Dragonpass. What edition/version should I go for?

[Lensman]

If you can get hold of a copy, get second edition (Chaosium). The third edition (Avalon Hill) turned it into a much more generic D&D clone, with Glorantha bolted on as an optional setting. There are other games set in Glorantha, including the Heroes variants, but straight RQ2 is the definitive.

You will need Cults of Prax as well, which is the key to the cults that make the game come alive. The bad news - I have no idea if these are still available in any form at a realistic price.

Hmm - just did a search, and discovered there is an RQ4! Not seen it, not experimented with it, can't say if it's any good - sorry! (I'm showing my age again - I haven't played RQ in 20 years!)

[Tsotha-lanti]

Download Mongoose's free RuneQuest SRDs (http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/series.php?qsSeries=39). It's a better version than the old ones in a couple of ways, and requires less hammering to fit its own main setting (Glorantha).

Frankly, getting the old RuneQuest to work requires too much trawling through (absolutely wonderful, admittedly) houserules on websites, in Tales of the Reaching Moon, in Tradetalk, and in Ye Booke of Tentacles issues. I did it all, and it was fun, but the new edition was a relief.


RQ4 was never published, though I think some PDFs of a beta core book are floating around the net.


If you really get into the world of Glorantha, though, you'll be best off either playing HeroQuest, or at least PenDragon Pass (assembly required, again; it's introduced on a website somewhere, so you don't need the TotRM issue). HeroQuest just matches Glorantha as it is portrayed so much better, and really catches the feel of the living myth and legend.

[HamsterOfTheGod]

Runequest 2 definitely was a great game. And Glorantha is IMHO, one of the best settings. Though RQ 3 was not that bad.

In addition to the basic ruleset, Cults of Prax is a must have as is Cults of Terror, Trollpack. Of course, I also recommend Snake Pipe Hollow, Borderlands and the various solo adventures. Runequest Companion is also great even thouh it's almost all stories and fluff. Here (http://www.waynesbooks.com/RuneQuest.html) is a list of the out of print books. You can still find them on eBay and conventions at reasonable prices.


Download Mongoose's free RuneQuest SRDs (http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/series.php?qsSeries=39). It's a better version than the old ones in a couple of ways, and requires less hammering to fit its own main setting (Glorantha).

I will definitely have to check that out.