Should there be ducks in the new RuneQuest?

[ColonelHardisson]

Actually, when I spoke of eagles, I referred to them as they existed in FR, so FF is another take from the one I was referring to entirely.

In actual myth they were crows.

I suspected that, given the kenku was described as coveting and collecting shiny objects.

None of which (Eagles, Parrots, or Crows) evoke images of Daffy or Donald to me.

Me either, but neither do ducks when they are discussed in the context of RPGs - see my post above. It's akin to how people think of Tolkien-like elves when discussing RPGs, rather than "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" elves. Both are pretty common versions of elves, but one leaps more readily to mind as suitable for gaming.

(shrug) To each their own, I guess. I thought he was cool. But thanks for peeing on my childhood heroes.

I thought he was cool - then. But as I got older, he started to bug me. I mean, there was no evidence that his race had evolved from birds at all, beyond a fairly silly cap of feathers. He just looked like a guy with a silly hat.

 

[mythusmage]

Greg Stafford is a shaman. A real, practicing shaman. He was also an early practitioner of what we now call chaos magick. Glorantha from the very beginning was designed to showcase shamanistic tropes and the workings of chaos in the world. Think of Michael Moorcocks Elric of Melnibone as another example of the latter.

In short, Glorantha is a world of chaos. A world formed by chaos and informed by chaos. Every facet, every aspect is shaped by chaos.

Much as the broo and the trolls - and even the elves, dwarfs, and dragons - the ducks of Glorantha are chaos spawn. Products of chaos, and victims.

Frankly, Daffy and Donald have as much to do with the ducks of Glorantha as plywood has to do with teak panelling.

Yes, you can play them as a joke, but ultimately the Gloranthan duck is a tragedy.

 

[Voadam]

I cannot take anthoropomorphic ducks seriously.

I can. I played a lot of TMNT as a kid and anthropomorphic animals of different stripes are no big deal. But if I couldn't then I'd be with you, gaming as farce does not appeal to me either. I've also been reading a lot of Usagi Yojimbo lately and having anthro animals in a sword and sorcery world would not be a detriment to me.

 

[Psion]

I thought he was cool - then. But as I got older, he started to bug me. I mean, there was no evidence that his race had evolved from birds at all, beyond a fairly silly cap of feathers. He just looked like a guy with a silly hat.

Yep. Certainly not a monument of well thought out character creation. But still, though the term "corny" applies in retromspect, nothing about his image ever struck me as "comical", as the image of an anthropomorphic duck does.

Again, no expectation to convince you of anything.

 

[Psion]

I can. I played a lot of TMNT as a kid and anthropomorphic animals of different stripes are no big deal. But if I couldn't then I'd be with you, gaming as farce does not appeal to me either. I've also been reading a lot of Usagi Yojimbo lately and having anthro animals in a sword and sorcery world would not be a detriment to me.

It's worth noting for the record that TMNT is a game/franchise that I don't take too seriously, either.

Not that I didn't have fun throwing together some of my own mutant animals in the day. But just as the good Colonel outgrew the likes of "Hawk" from Buck Rodgers, I eventually decided that games that struck me as silly weren't worth my gaming time either.

Again, all just a matter of taste.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Greg Stafford is a shaman. A real, practicing shaman. He was also an early practitioner of what we now call chaos magick. Glorantha from the very beginning was designed to showcase shamanistic tropes and the workings of chaos in the world. Think of Michael Moorcocks Elric of Melnibone as another example of the latter.

In short, Glorantha is a world of chaos. A world formed by chaos and informed by chaos. Every facet, every aspect is shaped by chaos.

Much as the broo and the trolls - and even the elves, dwarfs, and dragons - the ducks of Glorantha are chaos spawn. Products of chaos, and victims.

Frankly, Daffy and Donald have as much to do with the ducks of Glorantha as plywood has to do with teak panelling.

Yes, you can play them as a joke, but ultimately the Gloranthan duck is a tragedy.

Well said. Here's hoping the new RQ introduces a new generation to the dark wonders of Glorantha.

 

[GrayLinnorm]

A duck walks into a bar.
"Got any bread?", he asks the bartender.
"No we don't", says the bartender.
"Got any bread?", asks the duck.
"No", says the bartender.
"Got any bread?", asks the duck.
"No", says the bartender.
"Got any bread?", asks the duck.
"For the fourth time, no!", says the bartender.
"Got any bread?", asks the bread.
"Still no", says the bartender.
"Got any bread?", asks the duck.
For the last time, NO!!!", says the bartender.
"Got any bread?", asks the duck.
The bartender snaps. "Listen", he yells, "If you ask me that one more time, I'll nail your beak to the wall!"
"Got any nails?", asks the duck.
"No", says the bartender.
"In that case", asks the duck, "got any bread?"

Incidentally, the kenku are portrayed as anthropomorphic parrots in Hackmaster.

 

[BWP]

Much as the broo and the trolls - and even the elves, dwarfs, and dragons - the ducks of Glorantha are chaos spawn.

Unless the "Gloranthan Theory of Everything" has been radically redefined since the last time I looked, the only genuine "chaos creature" in the above list is the broo, who were once men ... or something ... but long ago were corrupted by chaos. All the others are just regular living critters. (Well, except the dragons, who are more of a cosmic force than "critter", per se.)

 

[Glyfair]

"Got any bread?", asks the duck.
"For the fourth time, no!", says the bartender.
"Got any bread?", asks the bread.

When did the bread walk in?

 

[mythusmage]

Unless the "Gloranthan Theory of Everything" has been radically redefined since the last time I looked, the only genuine "chaos creature" in the above list is the broo, who were once men ... or something ... but long ago were corrupted by chaos. All the others are just regular living critters. (Well, except the dragons, who are more of a cosmic force than "critter", per se.)

Everything in Glorantha is touched by chaos. Except for the trolls, where it's radiation poisoning.