Glorantha - a d20 setting?

[Glyfair]

While RQ was based on a set of homebrewed D&D rules, I don't really feel that D&D works well with the feel for Glorantha. The key to D&D is the leveling mechanic, and it doesn't work well with the feel of Glorantha.

If I was forced to do a d20 variation, it would be heavily modified. Hit points would be scaled down. Leveling would not be automatic and tied much closer to the campaign. Only by staying true to your cults or cultures would you actually gain higher levels. Given the amount of ubiquitous low level magic, I might start with a 4E power system.

 

[Plane Sailing]

While RQ was based on a set of homebrewed D&D rules,

Where do you get this idea?

RQ is so different from D&D in almost every respect... It is a wholly different game. Inspired by D&D in the same way that other RPGs are inspired by D&D, but you can't call it 'homebrewed D&D rules'.

Cheers

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

I agree

Thinking back to the first wave of RPGs, I can't think of another fantasy game besides RuneQuest which had mechanics more unlike D&D. Just about everything is different.

That's what makes a d20 conversion so difficult to contemplate. Then again , they did it for Traveller!

Ken

 

[ggroy]

If the percentile dice targets, bonuses, etc ... are in multiples of 5%, in principle the probabilities can be replicated on a d20 die. For example, the resistance table in Chaosium Basic Roleplaying can be replicated easily with a d20 die mechanic.

From what I remember of Runequest back in the day, the way the system is structured is very different from the level based (A)D&D. A possible "d20 system" for Runequest, would have to be greatly modified (from the 3.5E D&D SRD) to accommodate Runequest's classless and skill improvement system.

 

[The Greene Knight]

I would actually discourage someone from trying to convert RuneQuest's flavor (the three types of magic, the generalist nature of the system alluded to above) in a d20 context. It just wouldn't work that well.

What you have to do, in my opinion, to make Glorantha work with d20 is embrace the d20 system's assumptions (specialization, niche roles, and such) and convert straight from the universe, and not from RQ. Which means that there would be say fighters, clerics and wizards in Glorantha from then on, with perhaps alternate types of magic (such as ritual types of magic for the Britini, or the Cult of the Emperor of Kralorela, or even power types of magic akin to Incarnum for the adepts of inner mastery...) to emulate specific types of magical feels in the world.

The concept of Prestige Classes would work formidably well in Glorantha, what with all the mercenary companies, the cults, sub-cults, various types of agents, specific magical abilities, the rune lords themselves, and so on, so forth!

It could work really well.

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

well

I don't think Glorantha really maps well to D&D classes.

At a minimum, you have to have sorcery, spirit magic/shamanism, and rune magic , or it isn't glorantha. And these 3 types of magic have virtually nothing in common with D&D magic. So you need 3 new magic systems.

And magic is ubiquitous in Glorantha. Every peasant and commoner has a point or two of spirit/battle magic -- generally acquired from the cult they belong to. But this magic is generally narrow in focus -- you can't just give them a level of cleric, with 100 spells to choose from every night, without totally changing things.

Finally, there are way, way fewer magic items in Glorantha. And there are no scrolls, or other easy and general ways to store magic. You have power crystals and bound spirits, and that's about it.

Ken

 

[ggroy]

In a possible "d20 system" version of Glorantha, there's also the issue of whether combat should be made very deadly (or not).

Back in the day, I remember the Runequest combat being very deadly. Even with a relatively lenient DM, we churned through many more characters in Runequest than in our 1E AD&D games (even with the same person DMing both games).

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

yes

That's a good point , ggroy.

Because combat is so deadly in RuneQuest, Glorantha has been depicted as a place where people place a high premium on having good armor -- armor absorbs damage in RuneQuest and is pretty much necessary to survive a challenging battle. For example an unarmored character in RuneQuest has an excellent chance of being incapacitated by a single shot from a crossbow, and this basic fact does not change as the character becomes more powerful.

A whole character path -- the runelord -- is oriented around holy warrior types getting access to armor that no other PC can wear, made possible due to their devotion to their cult.

Ken

 

[The Greene Knight]

I don't think Glorantha really maps well to D&D classes.

At a minimum, you have to have sorcery, spirit magic/shamanism, and rune magic , or it isn't glorantha. And these 3 types of magic have virtually nothing in common with D&D magic. So you need 3 new magic systems.

These are the three magic types as described in RuneQuest. They don't have to be translated exactly this way in d20. Cue HeroQuest and the way it does magic.

And magic is ubiquitous in Glorantha. Every peasant and commoner has a point or two of spirit/battle magic -- generally acquired from the cult they belong to. But this magic is generally narrow in focus -- you can't just give them a level of cleric, with 100 spells to choose from every night, without totally changing things.

You could create a houserule akin to rituals in 4e, or some way for commoners to perform some minor spell equivalents in daily life, without it necessarily jeopardizing the casting system you use for plain spellcasters, whether its Vancian, Spell points... whatever it may be.

Finally, there are way, way fewer magic items in Glorantha. And there are no scrolls, or other easy and general ways to store magic. You have power crystals and bound spirits, and that's about it.

Ken

You could change the nature of magic items in d20 by assuming that some mundane items have some bonuses due to craftsmanship or other sources than straight up magic. It all depends on how you interpret it.

My point is, thinking in RuneQuest terms won't be helpful, because RQ and d20 are obviously not the same thing, with, in some cases, opposite philosophies as to the way this or that concept is handled by the rules, as far as the emulation is concerned. This does NOT mean, however, that d20 can't mesh well with Glorantha with a bit of work. It absolutely can, IMO.

If you want Glorantha d20 to feel exactly like RuneQuest Glorantha felt back in the day, you're screwed, just like the way the guys designing HeroWars would have been screwed if they had attempted to recreate the RQ feel stricto sensu.

 

[grodog]

Where do you get this idea?

RQ is so different from D&D in almost every respect... It is a wholly different game. Inspired by D&D in the same way that other RPGs are inspired by D&D, but you can't call it 'homebrewed D&D rules'.

The Perrin Conventions speak to this, in particular, IIRC; see:

• KNIGHTS & KNAVES ALEHOUSE :: View topic - THE PERRIN CONVENTIONS
• Ray Turney RQ
• Steve Perrin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm sure that RQ historians will be able to provide more-informative links, too....