Quote from: CRKrueger;453144This is really what I hoped MRQII would do - get Runequest the hell out of Glorantha

(Maybe Loz or Pete Nash can comment on this).

Was MRQII designed from the start to be completely independent of Glorantha?

Quote from: ggroy;453232(Maybe Loz or Pete Nash can comment on this).

Was MRQII designed from the start to be completely independent of Glorantha?

No, it was designed to support both Glorantha and generic play. If you note the various examples in the book, they're all Gloranthan set, but this doesn't mean the rule system is exclusively aimed at it.

The rules are flexible enough for Glorantha to be freely ignored and should be able to cater for most versions of fantasy.

Quote from: Loz;453241No, it was designed to support both Glorantha and generic play. If you note the various examples in the book, they're all Gloranthan set, but this doesn't mean the rule system is exclusively aimed at it.

The rules are flexible enough for Glorantha to be freely ignored and should be able to cater for most versions of fantasy.

Understood.

Btw, I picked up the MRQII "Abiding Book" and "Cities of the Young Kingdoms:  The South" books a few days ago.  I'm slowly making my way through them.  Great reads so far.

Quote from: ggroy;453242Btw, I picked up the MRQII "Abiding Book" and "Cities of the Young Kingdoms:  The South" books a few days ago.  I'm slowly making my way through them.  Great reads so far.

I'm definitely picking up the latter, and undecided on the former.

The world needs more MRQII book reviews. I was miffed that I couldn't find one of MRQII Elric, which I ended up picking up anyway, and it's an absolutely stellar book. Even though it's been out for a while, I've been thinking of writing a review myself, because it's such a great book.

Quote from: CRKrueger;453144This is really what I hoped MRQII would do - get Runequest the hell out of Glorantha, just like they got Traveller the hell out of the OTU, while still releasing lots of OTU-specific material.

Well supplements like Vikings bring a lot to my table in that regard. I'm a big fan of Glorantha as a game setting (read: not canon-anal BS, but actual living game play and organic campaigning where you build your own Glorantha from the game books), but at the same time, I completely agree RuneQuest can do so much more it'd be kind of a shame to not explore other possibilities with it.

QuoteThe world needs more MRQII book reviews. I was miffed that I couldn't find one of MRQII Elric, which I ended up picking up anyway, and it's an absolutely stellar book. Even though it's been out for a while, I've been thinking of writing a review myself, because it's such a great book.

I'm really glad you like it, and a review would be most welcome. For some reason there is a dearth of RQII reviews, save for a few capsule reviews on Drivethru and reviews on personal blogs, but very little on the main traffic sites.

I just came out of the woodwork and registered on theRPGSite - I've authored an MRQ2 book called Age of Treason: The Iron Simulacrum which should be out later in the summer.  And happy to say Loz and Pete's MRQ2 is a pleasure to work with. I was an RQ3 diehard...

Quote from: Iron Simulacrum;453761I just came out of the woodwork and registered on theRPGSite - I've authored an MRQ2 book called Age of Treason: The Iron Simulacrum which should be out later in the summer.  And happy to say Loz and Pete's MRQ2 is a pleasure to work with. I was an RQ3 diehard...

From what little I've heard about it, sounds interesting with inspirations in antiquity combined with the title (a pun on Age of Reason perhaps?)

Anything you'd like to tell us about the setting or what we can expect with the MRQ book?

Welcome, IT! I'm curious about the book as well. Why "Age of Treason"? What is the book about?

Thanks!

Quote from: Cole;453762From what little I've heard about it, sounds interesting with inspirations in antiquity combined with the title (a pun on Age of Reason perhaps?)

Anything you'd like to tell us about the setting or what we can expect with the MRQ book?

A lot of inspiration from antiquity - I can't help that, that's what I studied back in the day and it is still my reading of preference - and as they say, write about what you know...

Age of Treason - because I like a plot. Once you get under the skin of a culture, you just keep finding great reasons why people are trying to tear it apart from inside and out - and why others are desperately trying to patch it up. The core book deals with the leading civilisation of the day, ruled by an immortal emperor who nobody has seen for a couple of centuries, via his regent, the Iron Simulacrum - who is both a golem and a sorcerer's familiar (cue some rules about how to create both of these things). Who is a tough but fair ruler, and the patriarch of an "emperor cult" keen to add new worshippers (aka citizens), but worried that his own maker may cease to have a use for him at some point in the not too distant future. So treason starts right at the top.

AoT is somewhere to find a complex plot that might be driven by ideological, religious or downright venal motives, whether in the corridors of power or the dirty streets of a major city, and beneath which lies some straight forward adventuring fun.  Beyond the scope of the book but certainly outlined are those lands beyond where humanity, or at least civilisation, has a tenuous hold - so the future offers the opportunity for seafaring adventures, jungle exploration and magical landscapes for those citizens for whom exile is a matter of choice or necessity...  

A significant portion of the book is dedicated to an extended campaign in which shiny young citizens get called up to serve in the militia, and are sent to the southern frontier..where things start going quite wrong quite quickly. At the end of those, it will be clear who is suited for a future life of adventure!

There is extended Chargen for the setting, with over 50 civilised professions to choose from, plenty of rules tweaks and options - a different take on religion and cults, and bespoke rules for creating completely customised enchantments as well as useful alchemical potions. Plus the setting is a great one for porting in ideas from Pete's Blood Magic.    

I hope that helps!

IS

Quote from: Iron Simulacrum;453777I hope that helps!

IS

Sounds good. Will the book include any advice or charts to help GMs come up with factions and conspiracies?

Sounds pretty dang rockin. Looks like I'm gonna be a BRP fanatic for the foreseeable future.

Quote from: Cole;453778Sounds good. Will the book include any advice or charts to help GMs come up with factions and conspiracies?

Well to start with the "fluff" is laced with many hooks a GM can use, as are some of the cults and associations detailed. To give one example, Vampires. These are a recent innovation, the oldest and first vampire is perhaps 120 years old. Ordinary folk don't like vampires because they resort to unpleasantness such as kidnap, murder and simple assault to feed their habit. So a suspected vampire may be hunted by a mob of concerned citizens and if lucky hauled before the courts - where he may get off if evidence is lacking or he has a good advocate (you'll find rules on oratory and court cases, of course). Failing that there is a foreign cult of spirit worshipper fanatics who may deal with the matter quietly because they are self-appointed policemen of the boundaries between life and death. Then of course if the suspected vampire is brought to the attention of the state an emperor cult inquisitor will turn up, who has the power to short circult due process, generally with bad consequences for the vampire - not because vampires are dangerous, but because immortality is treason. But beneath it all is a world in which immortality is possible - not only through vampirism - and whether or not the state allows it some people will attempt to achieve it.

I've started work on an article for Signs and Portents giving more detail on some of the top conspiracies that characters may encounter, or that may just touch their lives in unexpected ways - and such things are a great tool for a GM to bring NPC motivations to life as well as keeping players guessing about what is actually going on.

Actually - don't want to thread hijack here - if there are any other questions maybe post another thread, I'll be happy to respond to interested enquirers!

EDIT - just saw that last sentence. Will create a specific thread for that.

Count me in as someone else who considers Blood Magic a must have, it sounds awesome.