Some Details About Chaosium's Runequest 4th Edition

While Runequest 2 is currently being revived on Kickstarter, a brand new version (4th Edition) of the game is coming in 2016. Runequest (and other properties, such as HeroQuest) were acquired by Moon Design in 2013; and Chaosium now owns Moon Design. Runequest 4E is the fourth Chaosium edition of the game and was announced at Gen Con earlier this year. The 4E version will be developed from the 2E game, building up from what they refer to as "first principles", and incorporating lessons from other editions, plus games such as Call of Cthulhu.

Other elements include influences from RQ6 -- "combined Attack & Parry skills, opposed rolls, combat styles such as Sword and Shield, hit locations instead of general hit points, 100%+ scalability, actions, adding two characteristics to determine the starting values of skills." However, they are clear to disavow RQ3 -- "we avoid many elements of RQ3 that its own writers considered to be significant design flaws."

Glorantha is, of course, the setting. The project includes Sandy Peterson and Ken Rolston.

 

[Cody C. Lewis]

Very cool.

 

[JeffB]

There is some good stuff from RQ6 (and other variants like openquest) like fighting styles and 2 characteristic added together for skills. But I hope they avoid much of the crunchier combat and spellcasting rules in the core book. I get that Nash and Whitaker are proud of RQ6 and all their additions, but it makes the game just as complex and unweildy as RQ3.

 

[TrippyHippy]

I think it's frankly an insult to the work done by Pete Nash and Lawrence Whittaker that they are going with the RuneQuest 4th edition moniker. It's a 7th Edition of the game. indeed, I'm largely feeling at this point to give this new edition a miss now. RQ fans have been messed around a lot these last few years, and this late switch may well be enough for me at least.

 

[Narl]

Yeah, too many editions in too few years. It isn't the fact that it is the 7th edition, it is that within ten years there will be four editions of the game: Mongoose RuneQuest, Mongoose RuneQuest II, Design Mechanism 6th, and now Chaosium 4th. One every three years....

 

[TrippyHippy]

Yeah, too many editions in too few years. It isn't the fact that it is the 7th edition, it is that within ten years there will be four editions of the game: Mongoose RuneQuest, Mongoose RuneQuest II, Design Mechanism 6th, and now Chaosium 4th. One every three years....

And to be sure, only Mongoose RuneQuest actually lasted more than three years. MRQII, RQ6 and now Chaosium "4th" all within five years. As well as Legend, OpenQuest, Renaissance, D100 Reolution, Magic World, BRP, RQ2 Reprint......etc.

 

[psiconauta_retro]

I know RuneQuest by name (but I never played it and I dont know anyone who has, although we did play a lot of Heroquest when i was in middle-school). Would anyone please tell us something interesting about it? Does it offer something different or it could be considered as just another campaign setting (i am aware that it is not D&D).

Leaving aside the issue of the kickstarter and the possible new edition would you recommend to get a copy or RuneQuest (of any previous edition) and play it instead of D&D5e? Maybe it is an unfair comparison?

 

[Dumnbunny]

I think it's frankly an insult to the work done by Pete Nash and Lawrence Whittaker that they are going with the RuneQuest 4th edition moniker.

They're only calling it RQ4 internally, as it's Chaosium's fourth edition. It will be published as RuneQuest.

 

[TrippyHippy]

They're only calling it RQ4 internally, as it's Chaosium's fourth edition. It will be published as RuneQuest.

And externally, I'm calling it what it is - RQ7.

 

[nerfherder]

I know RuneQuest by name (but I never played it and I dont know anyone who has, although we did play a lot of Heroquest when i was in middle-school). Would anyone please tell us something interesting about it? Does it offer something different or it could be considered as just another campaign setting (i am aware that it is not D&D).

Leaving aside the issue of the kickstarter and the possible new edition would you recommend to get a copy or RuneQuest (of any previous edition) and play it instead of D&D5e? Maybe it is an unfair comparison?

Wikipedia has some information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuneQuest

And you can pick up a copy of Legend for $1 here: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/97239/Legend?manufacturers_id=45