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Chaosium has published a reformatted version of Runequest 2e, that also includes all errata in it's correct locations. I've heard of this game for years, and it's always been very expensive on eBay, so I finally got myself a copy.

I like it, though I don't know that it would be my preferred version for d100 gaming (Openquest is the best version I've tried). I was also surprised that no Sorcery rules were included. I guess they got introduced in 3e by Avalon Hill.

I was also surprised that the rules really aren't that Glorantha specific. Yeah, the cults included and some of the monsters are definitely Gloranthan, but the way lots of old gamers talked, I thought this book would be stuffed with it. I think the RQ Deluxe Set from AH had more Glorantha info in it. Just a weird thing I noticed from what forum-goers say vs. what is actually in the product.

Quote from: danbuter;921098I was also surprised that the rules really aren't that Glorantha specific.

Yeah, 2e was a revelation to me back then but I never clicked with Glorantha... and happily the rulebook didn't shove Glorantha down my throat.

Quote from: Simlasa;921160...happily the rulebook didn't shove Glorantha down my throat.

Fortunately the forthcoming RQ '4' will correct this mistake. :rolleyes:

Quote from: Akrasia;921162Fortunately the forthcoming RQ '4' will correct this mistake. :rolleyes:

Yeah, that's been my assumption.
That's OK... I've got all the BRP/D100 material I could ever need.

Same here - I have enough of d100 right now.

But making the new RQ tied to Glorantha, seem like making the same mistake again. Wasn't the decision to strip out the setting for good reason in the first place?
I would have preferred new settingless "core" brp fantasy book instead and have multiple setting-books to support it. But then again, I already have OpenQuest.

Here what my friend said about it in the comment section.

QuoteIt was one of the bloodiest games I had been in. Out of the three goblins that came in the front door, one lost a leg, another lost an arm and one poor guy lost both arms. And one head was completely completely obliterated. I think there were two more arms in the back group. I lost my leg, but had a high enough healing to re-attach it. When I bought healing that high I never thought I would need it right away. It was like a Rob Zombie movie.

The majority of the info about Glorantha is in the Cults of Prax supplement and in the scenario packs like Griffin Mountain. Or in Pavis and the Big Rubble. Or in Trollpak and Haunted Ruins. These publications were revolutionary for the time, maybe even more than RuneQuest itself. When you hear someone lauding the "RuneQuest of old", he is probably referring to the experience of playing the game with the aid of those supplements, which provide a level of detail and uniqueness unknown to other RPGs of the time.

RQ2 is my favorite runequest. I've played them all, and some of the others I've played for extended campaigns, but I went back to RQ2 a few years ago and don't really have any urge to use anything else. I think the core book is basically the best single-volume roleplaying system ever produced.

Honestly, I have no problem with the next Runequest being heavily based in Glorantha. There are tons of setting-free versions of d100 now, so making yet another would not be a great idea for Chaosium.

Does anyone have experience to share using rq2 for a non-Glorantha campaign?

Quote from: The_Shadow;921584Does anyone have experience to share using rq2 for a non-Glorantha campaign?

Read the many White Dwarf RQ scenarios/articles of the time and it's reasonable to suggest that the system was frequently used for more generic, gritty swords & sorcery games at the time. Conan-esque tales, and the like. Unfortunately I can't post any of them here.

RQ2 should work fine for other settings, as long as you don't need sorcery. It's pretty generic, as is, barring the cults and a few monsters. If your setting has wizards/magic-users, it would be a tougher fit.

Quote from: The_Shadow;921584Does anyone have experience to share using rq2 for a non-Glorantha campaign?

Yes. Questworld (1982) was an "RQ2 Gateway" to a more generic fantasy setting than Glorantha (but still a well-crafted one, with the lively humor that Chaosium was noted for). It included a setting continent with prevailing winds and currents, several scenarios (one with was a dungeon-style haunted mansion and another was based on the Western movie The War Wagon. A few Questworld supplements were later published.[1 (http://www.maranci.net/rqpast.htm)] I'd put the scenario quality as roughly similar to Apple Lane e.g. somewhere in between Balastor's Barracks and the extremely well done Griffon Mountain.

The idea that RQ2 makes a good generic fantasy system has seemed strange to me when compared with the Stormbringer games or Basic Roleplaying when it got big, of course both of those came after RQ2. Despite RQ2 being the best game ever it still has some baggage from the 70s that needed binning, and a few big gaps which Stormbringer/Elric!/BRP eventually dealt with. I'm not sure BRP did that well for Chaosium compared to Call of Cthulhu so that might explain why BRP remained on the back-burner for years.

Quote from: Bilharzia;921748I'm not sure BRP did that well for Chaosium compared to Call of Cthulhu so that might explain why BRP remained on the back-burner for years.

CoC, for Chaosium, seems to have become pretty much like Munchkin is for SJG... sucking up all the air in the room. BRP got some support... mostly the 'monograph' stuff which a lot of folks seemed wary of.

Quote from: Bilharzia;921748The idea that RQ2 makes a good generic fantasy system has seemed strange to me when compared with the Stormbringer games or Basic Roleplaying when it got big, of course both of those came after RQ2.

Battle Magic and Rune Magic have a particular flavor and mechanical effect. They work well for a Mythic Greece or Trojan War setting. They also work for something based on Ancient Irish myth and legend. But they aren't a mechanic that is universally useful. Of course the same is also true of Storm Bringer and it's demons which are most appropriate to setting dominated by demons and demonic aritifacts - which is hardly generic.

QuoteDespite RQ2 being the best game ever it still has some baggage from the 70s that needed binning...

I'm curious what you see as 70s baggage that needed binning.

I'd say the training rules are one thing I'd ditch immediately. I don't want or need that much "realism" in my game.

Quote from: danbuter;921098I like it, though I don't know that it would be my preferred version for d100 gaming (Openquest is the best version I've tried)

Sorry for derailing the thread, but, why do you prefer Openquest over other versions of the 1d100 system?

Quote from: Claudius;922087Sorry for derailing the thread, but, why do you prefer Openquest over other versions of the 1d100 system?

It eliminates most of the fiddly bits. You get the same game, but with less unnecessary stuff (imo).

Quote from: danbuter;921939I'd say the training rules are one thing I'd ditch immediately. I don't want or need that much "realism" in my game.

It's certainly fine to ditch the training rules, but I think they have value beyond simple realism. Having discounted training in certain skills linked to cults is a way to connect PCs to the setting. The game won't break without it though.