A question on some game systems

Slit518 · Jun 12, 2019

For those of you who have played RuneQuest - how is it?
What editions are your favorite?

What TTRPG are the Witcher games based off of (I know the character and story are based off of novels)?
If you have played this TTRPG, how is it?

What TTRPG are the Drakensang games based off of? Is it a German TTRPG called Dark Eye?
If you have played this TTRPG, how is it?

Tony Vargas · Jun 13, 2019

Slit518 said:
For those of you who have played RuneQuest - how is it?
What editions are your favorite?

Awesome, for the era in which I played it, with little besides D&D to compare it to.
RQII was the version I played. I did get a good look at a later ed, 3 or 4, that included more elaborate rules for magic - Sorcery, I think it was - didn't grab me.

The mythology of the setting, though, is some pretty amazing stuff, too, regardless of system.

Dannyalcatraz · Jun 14, 2019

I haven’t played RuneQuest proper, but have played other games that used the core system, like Stormbringer. I’d say it’s a relatively fun system to use.

Riley37 · Jun 14, 2019

I have never played the first edition of RQ, and I don't know anyone who played it as it was originally written: as a TRPG set in Homeric myth. I'd love to give that a try!

I have played the Glorantha version of RQ, that is to say, RQ as it became popular, with a setting more easily understood by a general audience. Talking ducks and so forth.

One session was mostly ho-hum, with players who weren't playing close attention to the story. A series of sessions much later on, with a different group, was rather enjoyable. The setting had depth; I learned more and more, one question leading into the next. The system, in terms of stats and mechanics and so forth, didn't particularly impress me, not for its era and certainly not by current state of the art.

pemerton · Jun 14, 2019

Slit518 said:
For those of you who have played RuneQuest - how is it?
What editions are your favorite?

I've mostly played RQ III, although I don't think we've ever used the Sorcery rules.

Characters have a lot of colour. Resolution is generally straightforward enough.

The system is set up to make combat an important aspect of play, but it also tends to produce fairly brutal results. That's probably the biggest weakness of the system.

muppetmuppet · Jun 14, 2019

Combat will result in maiming was our biggest gripe with it. This is ok if that is the sort of game you want. It is quite similar to things like MERP in this regard.

Bobble · Jun 15, 2019

I played RuneQuest for about a year in '79 I think. The GM was good and it played well if a bit slower than AD&D. Never heard of the other games you mentioned.

aramis erak · Jun 15, 2019

Slit518 said:
For those of you who have played RuneQuest - how is it?
What editions are your favorite?

I've run RQ3 as a generic bronze-age fantasy. Works really well for that. I never got into Glorantha until Hero Wars came out.

System is solid, combat deadly. CHaracter gen in 3E is background based.

Mongoose version isn't as good - but is playable.

Riley37 · Jun 16, 2019

aramis erak said:
I've run RQ3 as a generic bronze-age fantasy. Works really well for that.

I'm green with jealousy. How many of the people at the table had read (some or all of) Iliad, Odyssey, Aenead, or similar works? (Or Mary Renault novels?)

aramis erak · Jun 16, 2019

Riley37 said:
I'm green with jealousy. How many of the people at the table had read (some or all of) Iliad, Odyssey, Aenead, or similar works? (Or Mary Renault novels?)

Only me. But we'd all seen the old Harryhouse films...