My two clacks:
1. If some people are really too mathematically-challenged to use Strike Ranks, just have everyone go by order of descending DEX or some other super simple method stolen from another BRP-based frp game.
2. If an introductory frp game different (but not too different) from RQG is really sorely needed, why doesnʼt Chaosium speak to Free League and do a ‘Glorantha Dragonbane’ boxed set?
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But the one Iʼve read this morning on reddit made my day:
Children of the Flame must be one of the darkest and most disturbing campaigns ever written.
The aim of the players is to reinstate the Dundealos tribe in their lands—which were stolen by the Lunars, and given to the newly-created Enstalos tribe after an ill-fated uprising by the Dundealos.
The adventurers are either former Dundealos hiding amongst fellow Sartarites or relatives of the Dundealos wanting to right past wrongs now that the Lunars are on the wane.
The supplement describes in detail the city of Swenstown, a former trading hub between Sartar and Prax slowly falling into poverty, and then works its way through six epic scenarios of growing difficulty until a final confrontation between militant Dundealos, Lunar loyalists, Praxian nomads, and some other opponents I shanʼt name because I donʼt want to spoil the adventure.
Children of the Flame will soon be available on DriveThruRPG, both as a PDF and as a print-on-demand book.
Note: this supplement is the English-language translation of Les Enfants de la flamme, an official supplement for the French version of RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha.
Revised RuneQuest is not the same as NuRQ. The latter is Jeffʼs ongoing effort to lure D&D and Pathfinder players to play RuneQuest, whilst the former is a proposed streamlined presentation of the RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha core rules (deemed too long or too complex by people who apparently are literacy-challenged).
Anyway, there was a panel about Revised RuneQuest (lets call it ReRQ from now on) at Chaosium Con UK; Nick Brooke live-posted about it. Here is a summarised version, with my comments:
Revised RuneQuest
Goals: reduce page count, edit rules for clarity, remove barriers to entry for new players, and maintain full compatibility with all RQG products. It is a “polish pass”, not a new game.
Overhauled character generation:
- reduce time to create;
- remove barriers to entry;
- maintain rich, diverse options;
- introduce non-human adventurers in the core book;
- reduce the total number of cults in the core book.
Five cultures, including humans, ducks, minotaurs and baboons. [Minotaurs? Is that for power gamers? I canʼt possibly remember a time when Minotaurs were mentioned as adventurers in Dragon Pass]
Nine cults: Issaries, Lanbril, Yelmalio, Babeester Gor, Orlanth, Ernalda, Humakt, Storm Bull, Chalana Arroy. [Lanbril... thatʼs an ultra-minor cult; again this reeks of ‘let them play D&D-style thieves’. OTOH Chalana Arroy is a good choice; Iʼve had good experiences with the Chalana Arroy pregen, both as a player and as a GM]
New, clearer spell templates (consistent presentation of information). [Good]
What isn’t changing?
The current RQG book is not going away. This is RQG. It’s the same game, fully compatible with the 2018 release. It is a re-presentation of the rules, not a new edition.
What won’t be in the new book?
Phalanx combat; family history (because many new fans bounced off it); sorcery; shamanism. [This is a shame. Greg was an actual shaman! Shamanism is what sets RQ apart from vanilla fantasy TTRPGs. I agree the current rules are poorly written, but all we need is a good edit.] There are simply too many things for somebody who is brand new to RQG to take in. The rules for these things aren’t being changed at all; they just won’t be in the revised core slimmed-down rulebook, so new players won’t hear about them (yet).
Does this mean the Starter Set is obsolete?
No, it's the same game.
Does this mean the old RQG Core Rulebook is obsolete?
No, it's the same game. RQG (2018) is still widely available in print and digital formats, please buy as many copies as you need.
Does this mean stuff cut from the old Core Rulebook will be changed?
(Are we getting new Shamanism, Sorcery, Phalanx rules etc?)
No, you can still use all those, as it's the same game. But new players won't be overwhelmed by options in the revised core rules.
What's next for RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha?
Goals: Playable Content: “show, don’t tell”. Let players discover Glorantha through play.
The Apple Lane Campaign: This reworks and expands on material from the GM Screen Pack Adventures Book.
Welcome to Glorantha: Collected scenarios, each highlighting a different, unique aspect of Glorantha. Compatible with the RQ Starter Set (that’s all you need to play them). One of the scenarios will be a mundane world heroquest. The book will show off different things that you can do with the game and setting. It’s designed for new players, like the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set. [Excellent, we need introductory scenarios. But we also need fully-fledged campaigns in the style of the old boxed sets]
Return to Snakepipe Hollow: A new adventure in the same dungeon set after the Dragonrise. This is not a reprint. It’s a whole new campaign dungeon; the denizens have changed since the Dragonrise.
On the Royal Road: A collection of encounters, with full NPCs incl. deep backgrounds, adventure hooks, etc. Use them any way you like in your own campaigns.
Cults of RuneQuest: Gods of Darkness: Including troll adventurer creation [at last] and everything else you expect from the Cults of RuneQuest series. After that, there may be a handful more books (2-3?) to complete the Cults of RuneQuest series. ❌ There are no current plans to publish a "Cult of the Invisible God" book. [Drat it]
Amateur Press Association (APA) zines were the internet forums/social networks for the SFF nerds of the 1970s: each contributor would write a mini-zine (1 to 10 pages), send it to a central mailer who would collect all the mini-zines in order to produce a massive, 100+ pages zine that he or she would then post back (via snail mail!) to all the contributors. Alarums and Excursions was the main APA zine devoted to pen & paper role-playing games. In Alarums and Excursions issue No.26 (September 1977), Steve Perrin writes that he, alas, will have no time to participate in the APA zine scene any longer because he is
engrossed in RUNEQUEST, the role-playing game based on the world of Dragon Pass (from White Bear and Red Moon, Nomad Gods, etc.). About the ideas in this game, more later, but it has thoroughly eaten up my D&D time.
(...)
RUNEQUEST
The name of the game is my invention, and it describes the basic focus of the game. The characters must improve themselves so as to earn the Runes which will set them on the road to Herodom. (...) It is a long, hard trail to earn a Rune and that does not guarantee a Hero status. (...)
The other principal unique feature of the game is that everyone knows magic, or at least can learn it.
Note how Steve mentions that it is the ‘world of Dragon Pass’, rather than ‘the world of Glorantha’. Also of note (from another part of Steve’s contrbution): at the time flame wars were called fan feuds.
So while I was away in Lyons at Octogônes, running 3-hour RuneQuest adventures for newbies and sitting at an “ask me anything about RQ” table, Chaosium Con UK was happening. The chaps who attended the latter sent the following information about the RQG roadmap (NuRQ was NOT tackled):
Sept 2026: Lands of Runequest, Sartar, with a PDF-only supplement containing three short adventures set in Boldhome
Q4 2026: The Apple Lane Campaign, revisiting the adventures from the Gamemaster Screen Pack (unclear whether it’s merely the same stuff re-published with new art or if the content will have been improved); as a consequence, the current version of the Gamemaster Screen Pack itself will be discontinued, and it will be replaced by a newer version
Q4 2026: Greg’s unfinished novel, A Pyre for Gods and Heroes, with an ending written by Andrew Logan Montgomery
Q1 2027: The streamlined edition of the core rules, thinner, with fewer cults, with simpler chargen, but adding non-human adventurers (minotaurs, durulz, baboons)
Q2 2027: Welcome to Glorantha adventure pack; each adventure will showcase a different aspect of Glorantha:
- Prax
- the Lunar Empire
- disease spirits and Broo
- a hero quest
Q3 2027: Return to Snakepipe Hollow (adventure pack): the Dragonrise has affected the denizens of Snakepipe Hollow in unexpected ways…
Q4 2027: On the Royal Road (encounter collection): dozens of NPCs, each with their own adventure hooks, to be used as a collection of random encounters or as an NPC codex
Q4 2027: Cults of RuneQuest: the Gods of Darkness: as per its title, plus how to create troll adventurers
This is from social media, so I guess it’s OK to share it.
Update on the new RuneQuest
An update on the work on a new edition of RuneQuest. Thanks to the countless hours of playtesting, feedback, and revisions, we’ve realized that we need more time to keep developing a new edition. Consequently we're pushing back the estimated release date to 2027 at the earliest.
However, all that work has made clear to us that the existing RuneQuest rules can be presented in a far more concise and clear manner. The process has also helped us identify where the existing rules need to be clarified to make it easier for newcomers to learn the game mechanics and for us to make VTT adaptations.
So without further ado, what we are going to do is release a Revised RuneQuest core rule book. This will be significantly shorter than the existing RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha core rule book—about a third the size. Combat rules are cleaned up, and the rules are far clearer and better presented than in RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha. This book will include a Bestiary, and will focus on Sartar, Prax, and the Big Rubble.
In the meantime, we will continue to roll out new releases for the RQG line; stay tuned for some exciting announcements!
A bit of context first. While the rest of the world, in the late 1990s, was experiencing a dearth of RQ products, Japan had its very own edition of RQ, with a new set of rules, and a slew of supplements.
Since I only have the core book, this post will concentrate on it: ©1992, 160 pages, perfectbound, with apparently everything needed to start playing (so kind of like RQ2).
Summary of the book (note that these are the English-language headings of the chapters):
1. Introduction
2. Character Generation
3. Basic Laws of RuneQuest
4. Melee Combat
5. Power of Spirit & Rune
6. Character Development, Natural Damage, Large Scale Movement, Item Pricelist, and others
7. Game Masters Guide
8. Creatures of Glorantha
9. Introduction to Glorantha or Gate to the Dragon Pass
10. Wings of the Wind [an introductory scenario]
I will try to delve deeper into some of these chapters using my magic item.
Character Generation
Characteristics are the usual 3D6, except INT & SIZ, 2D6+6.
HPs are CON+SIZ halved, MPs are equal to POW, damage bonus is also the usual.
Then choose a cult from the list that starts on page 21.
The cult you choose will determine the skills, equipment, and spells you start with.
Skills: The base percentage of each skill is either INT% (knowledge-based skills) or DEX% (athletic skills). Then for each skill from the cult list, add +40%. Finally, choose three skills from outside your cult list and add +20%. Cults with a ‘*’ cannot be selected in this way.
Spells: An adventurer starts with 2 Spirit Magic spells from the ones available in their cult description.
Cults are listed from page 21 on, they are: Orlanth Adventurous, Yelmalio, Humakt, Storm Bull, Odayla, Bebeester Gor, Issaries, Chalana Arroy, Donandar, Ernalda, Lhankor Mhy, Lanbril, Eurmal.
That is all! Nice and easy. No encumbrance, no fatigue, no useless bookkeeping.
I like Issaries, so let us have a look at the Issaries cult:
Cult - Issaries is worshipped by people who are involved in travel and business. There are many types of faithful, such as shopkeepers, merchants, and monks. They are known for their shrewd negotiation skills and their ability to travel far and wide. They are at their best in negotiations and bargaining siruations. There are temples to Issaries in every city of Dragon Pass.
Myth - In the Gods Age, Issaries was famous for his great wisdom and his extraordinary talents. When the world was destroyed, Issaries was heartbroken so he accompanied Orlanth on a journey to Hell to rescue the Sun God Yelm. Issaries became the eyes and ears of the Lighbringers, guiding them to a successful journey.
Enemies and allies - The followers of Issaries, who govern communication, make no enemies. The followers of Etyries, the Lunar goddess of trade, are rivals with Issaries.
Runes - Harmony, Issaries, Movement.
Symbols - Quarterstaff, Mule.
Skills - Two-handed weapon attack, two-handed weapon parry, Speak Tradetalk, R/W Tradetalk.
Spirit Magic Spells - Mindspeech, Mobility.
Rune Magic Spells - Spell Trading, Lock, Passage [Rune spells are listed because there is an optional rule that lets you start with Rune Magic].
Equipment - Quarterstaff, knife, soft leather armour, sacred items (pen and two parchment scrolls), goods worth 200-2000 L (to be determined with the GM), blanket, waterskin, backpack, tinder and flint, 7 days worth of preserved food.
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I believe I havenʼt mentioned it yet, but myself and fellow Gloranthaphile Dasfynx have started a French-language podcast about RuneQuest and the world of Glorantha, called Runecast.
There are quite a few episodes online already, with a significant variety in the topics weʼve addressed.
Don’t be fooled by the title, I did not go to Chaosium Con, UK. However, several of my friends did, and there’s a video of Jeff Richard’s panel available on YouTube.
I get conflicting impressions from all this. The new RuneQuest rules were not supposed to be a new edition, see my earlier posts and everything that has been shared on social media by Chaosium since February 2025. The general idea I could gather via FB & Discord exchanges with insiders, or people close to them, was that there would be a “starter set” sort of boxed set to play Griselda-like adventures in the Big Rubble, and that this could lead to people either being content of limiting themselves to this style of gaming or transitioning to RQ:G. However, the latest posts on social media and my private exchanges with friends who went to Chaosium Con are leading me to think that NuRQ will be a new edition indeed.
The following new books have been announced at Chaosium Con, all for the new rules, and apparently targeting H1 2026:
Honestly, these look like the perfect set to launch a new edition. And if the four-part campaign is the one that Robin D Laws had been working on before COVID, it’s going to be ace.
New RuneQuest?The cat is out of the bag! Mike Mearls, Jason Durall, and I have been secretly working on refining and streamlining the RuneQuest rules for the better part of a year! The rules are in final playtest (and any playtesters present please do not comment on them publicly until we give the word). And man we are EXCITED! Loads more info very soon, so watch this space.But sharp eyed folk might want to carefully review some of my posts over the last year!
Remember? Two years ago, Rebellion Unplugged purchased the Tunnels & Trolls licence from Webbed Sphere who were idly sitting on it.
We haven’t heard much since; however, a few days ago, Rebellion Unplugged posted the following on Bluesky:
2024 is drawing to a close but we're already looking ahead to 2025. We see big, big things on the horizon that may change TTRPGs forever... Illustration by @nathanandersonart.bsky.social
— Rebellion Unplugged (@rebellionunplugged.bsky.social) 20 décembre 2024 à 11:45
[image or embed]
That sounds rather... bombastic, but here’s hoping.
Day 6 — RPG That is Easy to Use
I’m not sure what this entails. All RPGs are easy to use. All you need is a table, a few friends, and your imagination.
This may leave out a few RPGs that mandate the use of minis or of weird dice but that still leaves 99% of games in.
Day 7 — RPG with ‘Good Form’
Without the shadow of a doubt, the RuneQuest Starter Set.
RuneQuest has often been maligned as being “only for Grognards” or “only for Gloranthaphiles”. The Starter Set shows how this criticism is rubbish.
The Starter Set is a beautiful, sturdy box containing everything needed to start playing RQ in the world of Glorantha: four booklets, a set of pre-generated characters, several maps, and a few accessories, like the super cool Strike Rank Tracker for mathematically-impaired players.
The first booklet contains the rules, which are perfectly laid out (I feel they’re even clearer than in the core book). The absence of what is probably the most daunting part of RQ:G, character generation, makes them almost standard fare as far as fantasy RPGs go. The slim booklet makes the rules easier to use as reference than a thick book.
The second booklet gives an overview of the world of Glorantha, with an emphasis on a single city, which I think is a good idea because it sets the tone of RQ adventuring, which is often city- or wilderness-based rather than dungeon delving.
The third booklet is a solo adventure. This is a terrific idea— an inexperienced GM can get the gist of RQ adventuring before they set up a table for their friends by playing this advenure, although I think the adventure itself may be a tad too complex.
The fourth booklet contains three adventures. The focus of the adventures is to have the novice players slowly discover the peculiarities of RQ and Glorantha as they start adventuring. The adventures are really good— but while I appreciate the surprise effect of the third one on long-term RQ aficionados I’m not sure it’s a good example of what a 21st century RQ game usually revolves around.
The character sheets are practical and beautifully illustrated. The characters are a good mix of adventuring types and make it perfectly clear that RQ is not your typical vanilla fantasy TTRPG.
For a mere €16, you can get the PDFs of most of the books of the latest edition of RuneQuest via this incredible offer.
Whether you have sat on a fence, or only purchased the dead tree versions, or even if you want to offer this bundle to a friend, you can’t possibly ignore this unbelievable offer.
In detail, this is what you’ll get:
Again, this is amazing value for €16!
This tome gives us at last the cult descriptions for the following deities: the Seven Mothers, the Crimson Bat, Danfive Xaron, Deezola, Etyries, Hon-eel, Hwarin Dalthippa, Irrippi Ontor, Jakaleel the Witch, Nysalor/Gbaji, the Red Emperor, the Red Goddess, Teelo Norri, Yanafal Tarnils, Yara Aranis. Many cult write-ups contain significant nuggets of Lunar lore, e.g., the write-up of the cult of the Red Emperor, or even wider information, e.g., about Illumination within the Nysalor/Gbaji write-up (and yes, there is much more stuff than in Lords of Terror).
The book may be ordered here (if you buy it from Chaosium, you also get the PDF).
