Today I had the opportunity to peruse a copy of Monster Coliseum, for MRQ2.
And you know what? I liked the Gloranthan races a great deal more than I expected. In fact, I liked them a lot. I was particularly taken by the automaton-dwarves and plant-elves; I can see a wonderfully gonzo fantasy campaign with such outré takes on the "same old, same old" races. Who needs pointy-eared fashion models, when you can be a badass plant-man warrior?
The other races are not half bad, either. Everybody goes on about the Uz, but it's the Gloranthan Ogres I'm scared of. And the Morokanth are just fucked up, and I mean that as a compliment. Hell, even the Ducks look cool, with the duck-man warrior decked out in full mail and looking all business.
I understand that throughout its publishing history, Glorantha and Runequest have been closely associated, much like Traveller and the Third Imperium, for good or for ill. I know very little of Glorantha, and even though I like what little I know (mostly Third Age, as I find the Dragon Pass situation very Howardian; Second Age doesn't quite grab me), the cruft of a 30-year-long publishing history shows in places.
Maybe there's an older edition which is more accessible, much like Forgotten Realms 1e. But what's on my mind right now is a brand-new setting using the Gloranthan take on classic races; Aldryami for elves, Mostali for dwarves, Uz for trolls and so forth. I'd like a gonzo pulp fantasy take, which might require some working around the Campbellian metaphysics implicit to the magic system, but I'm confident it can be done.
So, who's with me? Who's tried anything like it? Share your ideas, if any. All input appreciated!
Well, honestly, I'm a huge fan of Glorantha, and have gone back to it recently after I got a hold of Griffin Mountain, thanks to T. Foster. I haven't checked out MRQ II yet, but will. The French version of RuneQuest up until Mongoose went the way of translating its stuff into French was in effect, RQ3.
So. With all this in mind, my advice is: get to know Glorantha better. Get a hold of Glorantha: Genertela - Crucible of the Hero Wars. This is the Third Age equivalent of the Second Age main sourcebook Mongoose put out. From there, select an area you want to play with. Not necessarily Dragon Pass. There are some GREAT areas in Genertela alone that you can flesh out to your liking.
What kind of feel/time period/culture would you like in your game? What are your base ideas on this? Maybe there's something in the setting that already fits what you're searching for, is what I'm saying.
Quote from: Das ButcherI can see a wonderfully gonzo fantasy campaign with such outré takes on the "same old, same old" races.
See, after years and years of this, I find the serttings that subtly change normal tropes or twist ideas are the most interesting. If it is too unfamilar, the reader/player has less to latch onto.
But by making things 'familiar yet strange', the setting creator can make something very memorable.
It's all knowing how far to bend stuff.
Quote from: Benoist;379213So. With all this in mind, my advice is: get to know Glorantha better. Get a hold of Glorantha: Genertela - Crucible of the Hero Wars. This is the Third Age equivalent of the Second Age main sourcebook Mongoose put out. From there, select an area you want to play with. Not necessarily Dragon Pass. There are some GREAT areas in Genertela alone that you can flesh out to your liking.
Now that's gonna be a tricky find. There are a few copies on eBay (ranging from $32 to a whopping $150), and with overseas shipping factored in, that becomes an even more expensive proposition... :eek:
I like Glorantha, but the Campbellian metaphysics (stuff like the Overworld, and mythic resonance, and heroquesting, and the God Learners swapping gods around like a psychotic, sorcerous Richard Dawkins) weird
me out. I'd be more comfortable with a more "materialistic" world, but maybe I can use Glorantha and downplay the spiritual mumbo-jumbo.
Quote from: Benoist;379213What kind of feel/time period/culture would you like in your game? What are your base ideas on this? Maybe there's something in the setting that already fits what you're searching for, is what I'm saying.
Not sure. Like I said I'm no connoisseur of Glorantha, but I am under the impression that Glorantha is more "Ancient" and less "Medieval" than your average fantasy setting. *shrug* Either works fine for me. My homebrewed fantasy settings typically combine elements of both.
More specifically, though, I do remeber seeing an old RQ book (Sun County?) with some Near Eastern-looking types on the cover, and finding myself intrigued. And like I said, vaguely Celtic barbarians vs. vaguely Roman imperials is a situation anyone can identify with, even if it's almost impossible to take a side because both are so freakin' awesome.
For a homebrew, though, I've considered taking a Burroughsian sword & planet angle, taking the "lost technology of the Ancients" page from Prof. Barker's Tékumel.
Quote from: LordVreeg;379218See, after years and years of this, I find the serttings that subtly change normal tropes or twist ideas are the most interesting. If it is too unfamilar, the reader/player has less to latch onto.
But by making things 'familiar yet strange', the setting creator can make something very memorable. It's all knowing how far to bend stuff.
I'm not sure; both have their merits. Dark Sun was (for us, at the time) a radical departure from what we expected from D&D (remember, those were the days of AD&D "I'm a high fantasy RPG, I swear!" 2e) and the sheer strangeness of the setting was a big draw.
I want to share with my players the sense of weird wonder that I experienced when I first read Clark Ashton Smith, or when I first read about Tékumel, or Encounter Critical, or yes, Glorantha itself.
Quote from: The Butcher;379272I like Glorantha, but the Campbellian metaphysics (stuff like the Overworld, and mythic resonance, and heroquesting, and the God Learners swapping gods around like a psychotic, sorcerous Richard Dawkins) weird me out. I'd be more comfortable with a more "materialistic" world, but maybe I can use Glorantha and downplay the spiritual mumbo-jumbo.
Thanks for clarifying. Maybe it's just me (I've been hit by a nasty cold the last few days), but I didn't get that the first time I read the OP.
Yes, I can see how that can be a problem. It is totally possible to downplay the whole mythical/heroquesting thing, and as a matter of fact, that's what I like about Glorantha+
RuneQuest as opposed to Glorantha+
HeroWars/Quest, the fact that the scale is still very much human, and such mythical concerns, though present in everyday life, real and tangible things in many ways, are still just out of reach of the PCs. They have a change to live and breathe in the world itself before they get to this stage of mythical clusterfuck during the Hero Wars.
Anyway. I get your issue much better know. Indeed, either selecting some area of Glorantha and just downplaying the whole thing, or just make up your own setting, will just work nicely.
Quote from: The Butcher;379272Not sure. Like I said I'm no connoisseur of Glorantha, but I am under the impression that Glorantha is more "Ancient" and less "Medieval" than your average fantasy setting. *shrug* Either works fine for me. My homebrewed fantasy settings typically combine elements of both.
More specifically, though, I do remeber seeing an old RQ book (Sun County?) with some Near Eastern-looking types on the cover, and finding myself intrigued. And like I said, vaguely Celtic barbarians vs. vaguely Roman imperials is a situation anyone can identify with, even if it's almost impossible to take a side because both are so freakin' awesome.
For a homebrew, though, I've considered taking a Burroughsian sword & planet angle, taking the "lost technology of the Ancients" page from Prof. Barker's Tékumel.
Sure, pretty much anything would do, in fact. See, on Genertela alone (the Northern continent of Glorantha where Dragon Pass is located), you've got different cultures coexisting in the Third Age, and not all of them are at a Barbarian stage of civilization (that's why just stating that Glorantha is a Fantasy "Bronze Age" setting is actually not quite accurate).
Loskalm for instance is a region to west of Peloria/The Lunar Empire, and is very much inspired by Arthurian/
chanson de gestes romantic medieval sources (I'm guessing it might be an actual prototype for what would follow with
Pendragon on Greg Stafford's mind. It'd be interesting to run games in Loskalm using the
Pendragon rules).
Seshnela, to the South, feels like a much more gritty, Dark Ages version of medieval Europe, with warring lords, decadent kings and so on.
Kralorela to the extreme East of the continent is the land of an Asian-type culture with an all-powerful, literally-divine Emperor, basically blending Chinese and Japanese cultures into a single Gloranthan whole.
There's more. Just to show you it's not all about Barbarians versus Romans/Lunars.
Quote from: The Butcher;379272I'm not sure; both have their merits. Dark Sun was (for us, at the time) a radical departure from what we expected from D&D (remember, those were the days of AD&D "I'm a high fantasy RPG, I swear!" 2e) and the sheer strangeness of the setting was a big draw.
I want to share with my players the sense of weird wonder that I experienced when I first read Clark Ashton Smith, or when I first read about Tékumel, or Encounter Critical, or yes, Glorantha itself.
Hmm. Seems indeed that the otherworldliness of the setting is what you really want nail, in fact, without going into spiritual, mythological, Campbellian multi-worlds and quests.
Quote from: The Butcher;379212...But what's on my mind right now is a brand-new setting using the Gloranthan take on classic races; Aldryami for elves, Mostali for dwarves, Uz for trolls and so forth.
...
So, who's with me? Who's tried anything like it? Share your ideas, if any. All input appreciated!
I ran a brief campaign, years ago (we're talking the mid-1980s), using RQII and a set of variant rules for playing a 'D&D-style' game with RQII taken from the magazine
White Dwarf (I believe the article was called something like 'Runes in the Dungeon'). So I've run a RQII game with Aldryami, Mostali, Uz, etc., but set in a 'D&D-ish' medieval setting. It worked really well (rather, as well as any game involving high-school students can go).
If I were to do it today, I would initially not allow non-human PCs, in order to emphasize the 'strangeness' and 'otherness' of the non-human races. Maybe after some time certain non-human PCs would be permitted.
Quote from: Benoist;379286Thanks for clarifying. Maybe it's just me (I've been hit by a nasty cold the last few days), but I didn't get that the first time I read the OP.
NP, I might not have been entirely clear on that.
Quote from: Benoist;379286Sure, pretty much anything would do, in fact. See, on Genertela alone (the Northern continent of Glorantha where Dragon Pass is located), you've got different cultures coexisting in the Third Age, and not all of them are at a Barbarian stage of civilization (that's why just stating that Glorantha is a Fantasy "Bronze Age" setting is actually not quite accurate).
Damn, I
have to get this book. Let's check Noble Kn-- eek (http://www.nobleknight.com/ProductDetailSearch.asp_Q_ProductID_E_16922_A_InventoryID_E_2147685649_A_ProductLineID_E__A_ManufacturerID_E__A_CategoryID_E__A_GenreID_E_)
Nevermind. :(
Is there any other Gloranthan atlas or gazetteer in print? Or online? Because it's looking like [strike]I could[/strike] the world could really use a Glorantha Wiki...
Quote from: Benoist;379286Hmm. Seems indeed that the otherworldliness of the setting is what you really want nail, in fact, without going into spiritual, mythological, Campbellian multi-worlds and quests.
Exactly.
I might even drop a few references to the Overworld and other mythic elements, but always shrouding it in mystery, never "open" to the PCs whether it's the Great Setting Truth or just folk belief.
Quote from: Akrasia;379375So I've run a RQII game with Aldryami, Mostali, Uz, etc., but set in a 'D&D-ish' medieval setting.
That's very close to what I have in mind.
Quote from: Akrasia;379375If I were to do it today, I would initially not allow non-human PCs, in order to emphasize the 'strangeness' and 'otherness' of the non-human races. Maybe after some time certain non-human PCs would be permitted.
I suppose that won't be much of a problem with my group, as they tend to either shy away from the weird races, or to take them up and have fun with the weirdness (those familiar with the old Star Wars WEG/D6 RPG may recall the Alien Force Student, which is to this day our measuring stick for weird PCs, and which one of us played back in the day with great flair. Think Vorlons, before there was a Babylon 5).
It's just that standard-issue Tolkienesque dwarves and elves are so
very human, and are so solidified in people's brains, that anything deviating from stereotype finds criticism from the other players. While the Gloranthan version opens up so many interesting avenues of "alienness" to explore.
Quote from: The Butcher;379432Damn, I have to get this book. Let's check Noble Kn-- eek (http://www.nobleknight.com/ProductDetailSearch.asp_Q_ProductID_E_16922_A_InventoryID_E_2147685649_A_ProductLineID_E__A_ManufacturerID_E__A_CategoryID_E__A_GenreID_E_)
Nevermind. :(
Is there any other Gloranthan atlas or gazetteer in print? Or online? Because it's looking like [strike]I could[/strike] the world could really use a Glorantha Wiki...
Ah Geez. Yeah. Not Cheap.
Glorantha: The Second Age book is actually very good, and fulfills the same role in the Mongoose line up. There *are* differences between the two settings at the local/detail level, when you get to know the world fairly well, but nothing a good GM can't fix, or that someone new to the setting would notice, or find particularly wanting.
The book's organization is fairly similar to
Glorantha: G - CotHW, with a gazetteer of the world, its people and cultures, then a gazetteer Genertela in particular, then a particular area detailed at regional level, as a template to use to homebrew your own areas or as such, if you like it as it is. It's a Barbarian area (Safelster, the Cities of Intrigue, in the region of Ralios) with plenty of conflicts to build adventures with.
PS: See there for a preview (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=12632). That'll give you an idea of the layout, style of writing, these kinds of things.
Quote from: Benoist;379446PS: See there for a preview (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=12632). That'll give you an idea of the layout, style of writing, these kinds of things.
I'll look into it. Thanks!