Why You Should Play... RuneQuest 

As a shout out to the people at Chaosium. I bought the starter box and found the rules book had pages 22-30 twice and was missing pages 15-21. I reached out to Chaosium hoping they would replace the rule book. They sent me a whole new starter set. Great customer service.

One of my biggest chagrines is how revivifying the world of Gloranta (Rune Quest's setting) feels to explore - as if you were someone who grew in a claustrophobic, jam-packed, concrete city and one day went outside that metropolis and saw for the first time a a green forest. Gloranta feels like this but for the soul. In this world you actually understand why people worship deities, not for some blind devotion to an incomprehensible ideal like we might find in real world religions. But because the gods and the world and us mortals are all like one in the same: When some priest in Gloranta ask the river for advice, he is connecting with the same water that courses through his body, that he drank and washed in all his life. So it's like he is talking with a wiser, older yet that filled child like wonder, part of himself. And yet my chagrine emanates from the fact that there is so little discussion on RU-vid explaining this wonderful, inspired and cathartic setting.

Literally played my first game hours before this video, loved it and can't wait to play more!

Runequest is my go-to TTRPG. The system is as logical as anything with magic in it can be, combat can be *lethal* and even a know-nothing character with minimal skills can get in a lucky shot and kill a seriously badasset character with one blow. It's also the most amazingly well laid out world, has two different magic systems (three of one considers spirit combat to be a magic system unto itself) and it isn't a system that comes out with a completely new version every two years. I'd love to get a new campaign going in the Chicago area sometime soon!

Thanks Jeff, as Runequest veteran I appreciate the love you gave the starter set

I loved RuneQuest since my teens, I've been following it since from RQ2 onwards These days I prefer the RQ6 (now Mythras) game mechanics just a bit more than classic RQ game mechanics, so I'ld run Glorantha with Mythras if I was going to do it now. It's personal preference as they are both BRP systems. I think the RQG supplements are about 90% compatabile between RQG and Mythras, so its all good. Glorantha is such a rich setting, I can see you giving it the respect it deserves. I love how Glorantha is presented these days, and I'm looking forward to upcoming Chaosium RQG supplements. Great overview of the RQG corebook and starter set Jeff!

Skyrim is vaguely like RQ. And I seem to remember someone saying that at least part of it's system comes from RQ. RQ from the early days was my favorite gaming system. Glorantha has been my favorite setting.

This has definitely put RQ on my radar. Hope to introduce it to my players

I've been playing Runequest since Edition 0 (during the 70's playtesting & Steve Perrin used to call me Mr Resistance Table since I came up with it) and I can affirm to you Runequest precedes Traveller. According to an old study I read when I was in the Navy & getting involved with Wargaming and writing a Fletcher Pratt replacement a percentile system is the most intuitive.

Have played Runequest from the 1st edition on . Ran a 7 year campaign in Glorantha of RQ3 in the early 2000. Then family life pulled me away, we plan on using this new edition for our next game. We love Chaosium games. I even got them to play Call of Cthulhu on Fantasy Grounds during the pandemic. Some the group don't care for horror RPGs. I guess because of the crunchy rules RQ never got the popularity D&D has?

If there's any drawback with the starter set, it's that there are no rules for generating characters (like the D&D Starter Set); the pre-gens (twelve of them) will probably suffice for those dipping their toes in the world of Glorantha. While I haven't played RQ to any extent, I got the 1st edition rules when they were on Kickstarter a couple of years ago, and I got the starter set after watching your enthusiastic presentation of it. It really is a great intro to RQ and Glorantha.

This is nice content. Please do more videos like this.

Avalon Hill’s RQ was third edition.

Excellent video! I am very often the DM/GM/Referee for my groups... RuneQuest is one of the games that I have always wanted to *play*! Maybe some day....

Being a player/GM of RuneQuest since the late 1970s, the two biggest problems I see RuneQuest having is 1) the lack of a serious sustained marketing effort over the years which allowed D&D to capture the majority of the world RPG market, and 2) tying the game to the world of Glorantha. Having Glorantha *available* as an campaign for the game is great but, thanks to D&D, most D&D players and DMs develop their own worlds or at least run published adventures linked _loosely_ to a campaign world. I've seen tying the game mechanics to Glorantha put off D&D gamemasters who have put a lot of time and effort into developing their own worlds or buying world background material from Wizards of the Coast. As a game, RuneQuest is no more complicated than D&D 5e. And I've seen D&D players really commit to the RQ combat system because it allows for much more free-form tactics and strategies the D&D ever can.

Great video! Just one very minor nitpick haha. Pendragon IS based on Runequest! They just simplified the math! It’s basically the same system though. It is in increments of 5% (IE a d20 instead of d100) but it’s still a roll under skill system with opposed combat rolls!

I'm so glad that I got my physical (german) copy of this rulebook. It reads so absolutely wonderful, I can't wait to play it. Also the recent announcement of what? 10 upcoming Runequest supplements? Hell yes...

I have played and run Runequest since it was first released and loved it for many years. However, I have given it up in disgust at the unfriendliness of the Glorantha community. I have replaced it with BRP - Basic Role Playing (and Call of Cthulhu).. This is the original system for Runequest and can be adapted easily to any setting. BRP is a great system and very easy for beginners to learn. Also by Chaosium.

The whole we are a psrt of a community with relationships and responsibilities is a GREAT part of RQG.

Runequest was always one of my holy trinity, Runequest, D&D, and Traveller. The setting is superb, and it’s a breath of fresh air compared with your standard quasi medieval European settings. It’s gone through several iterations, but the latest is the best, and oddly enough, more like the original edition than it’s predecessors. I highly recommend it.

I agree with you on the quality of this game. Been playing since 1981. Storm Bull forever!!!!

Thank you for the video! I have just picked up the book to broaden my RP game knowledge, but i feel like this will be a long lasting love haha

I've been trying to get people to play Rune Quest since I picked up the 3E Avalon Hill box set back in 1984. In not a fan of Glorantha, but the system is solid and the game is fun.

Yeah, Pendragon uses a twenty sided dice but really, everything else is BRP. It is very very BRP-esque. Everyone seems to confuse the compound noun D20, meaning the Dungeaons and Dragons game system with classes and experience points etc.. with just using a D20 in a completely different game system. So yeah not quite BRP but based upon it. A shout out for Pendragon, in that a beautiful colour new edition is coming out soon. I can't wait.

I saw the book in a shop and am looking to know If I'll like it and the more and hear and read about it the more I think I should give it a try.

The Runequest systemand it's multiple spinoffs are great. I tried to get into the whole Glorantha setting around the days of the Avalon Hill edition. It's insanely complex. A UK based company named Mongoose Publishing released some of the best non Glorantha stuff when they gad the RQ license in the early 2000s. Elric of Melniboné and Hawkmoon from Moorcock's Eternal Champion books were fantastic with some fantastic adventures. Another great one that seemingly slipped under the radar was Slaine, based on the 2000AD comic strip. Mighty Celtic heroes defending the Land of the Young from the hideous Fomorians, the bloodthirsty berserkers of Midgard and the nefarious Drune Lords with their armies of Skullswords and War Witches.

Great video. Signed up to play The Broken Tower adventure at my local games club 🥳

The only d100 frpg I ever played was RoleMaster, and it couldn't be different from RQ. I love the setting, and the starter set looks cool too. Funny how some companies get it, and some don't.

Talk about a glow-up on the intro, kudos!

Fyi, this game is currently on Humble Bundle for July 2024.

I've played Runequest for years....I play other things too ...but I always want to go back to Runequest....

Cool video and idea for a series

Happy New Year

We did Traveller before we got to RQ, but we were homebrewing D&D mechanics before that.

Excellent review and presentation ! I've been playing RQ since 3rd AH edition and it has always been apart from other RPG games. The combat rules are epics. This new edition is amazing due to its quality.

Like RuneQuest, 3rd edition, Mythras doesn't use Glorantha and is a much more flexible game. Full disclosure: I've never liked Glorantha. I find it too constraining and very cliche'. For anyone who enjoys a game without character classes, likes a flexible and detailed combat system, and wants the flexibility to create their own vision, I would highly recommend Mythras from the Design Mechanism. It is by far my favorite system.

Ive played a lot of CoC back in the day. Recently started playing dnd and I always missed the more gritty and realistic feel of CoC so Runequest is propably a good fit for me

I bought Runequest when it was new, and there were no editions, yet. Cool system. Unfortunately never have played it. Maybe one of these days.

Hang on. You said at 3:30 that Pendragon is not a BRP? It is. Like, just take a look at the basic structure of the game. It might use a d20, but it is basically the same chassis.

I've been struggling a bit with the density of the lore, though now that I've got the starter set, I'm hoping it'll help me take it in, in smaller doses. I find the setting fascinating, but daunting. I love the wild, Bronze Age Fantasy of it, which is such a refreshing change from so many northwest European/Tolkien/1950s Hollywood's idea of the Middle Ages type settings we get in other games. I love the mechanics, though. I got my start with Worlds of Wonder and used to lift a lot of monsters from RuneQuest all the time. Basic Role-Playing is the system I tend to use when I'm introducing folks to the hobby (usually via Call of Cthulhu).

Cool!

Is there a way to play it without the gods and the runes? Neither appeals to me but Glorantha does. The d100 system seems downright epic and the addition of the Pendragon traits system will be amazing

First played with 2nd edition, got serious with 3rd (Avalon hill's version), no regrets....

Hey Jeff, I just have to say how likeable I always find you and your videos. I've known Runequest for a long time but have never played it. As a big 13th Age fan, I bought the corresponding book back then. Do you know the adaptation and can it reflect the feeling of the setting well? Best regards from Germany.

I still have a few of the original lead mini’s

Is there an actual play or rules primer video you'd recommend? I've always wanted to try it and would be nice to see a good example of play.

I’m curious if you’d say that RuneQuest is your primary gaming system

Love me some Runequest! What are your thoughts on Mythras?

I'm always told that RuneQuest is "too crunchy" and "too simulationist". It does if you use ALL the optional rules.

Nice review, thanks for it. But I don´t think that this fantasy system/setting is my cup of coffee. In my opinon there are more flavourful systems and settings out there. But hey, everyone as he likes, that is the beauty of our hobby, isn´t it?

The rules are great...the world however is a dog's breakfast, no thank you.

Thanks jeff for the review. It is intriguing but not sure how I feel about the combat system as look into it.

Have you made any review videos on Dungeon Crawl Classics?

Glorantha is underdefined when compared to the detail of The Dark Eye. That's the most detailed world I know of.

Why you shouldn't... * heavy crunch straight from the 80ies * hit points for weapons (who counts them nowadays?) * critical, special and fumble ranges depending on Ability Score (consult the table, slog your game) * various Special Damage depending on type of weapon (more slog) * tables for basic combat maneuvers like PARRY vs ATTACK or DODGE vs ATTACK (even more slog) * convoluted initiative rules - Strike Ranks (scratch your head and slog) * ridiculously punishing fumbles (hitting yourself or your friend is fun, right?) * tons of unnecessary skills (11 for communication? really?) * uninspiring spells. majority of them feel like simple bonuses to stats (just compare them with Aquelarre, WFRP, World of Darkness, WH40K... anything) * it does not explain anywhere what is heroquesting and how to do it I love the setting, but in terms of ruleset this system was a disappointment.

I played RQ2 back in the day , then had a playing hiatus from the late 90's until about a year ago when I moved to a new place that has a small but quite active gaming group mostly focused on TT antique/medieval/fantasy miniature wargaming. It turned out there are ppl there interested in TTRPG and I started playing with the idea of starting an RQ campaign. Lo & behold! it turned out there was a new edition, one that bypassed the horror that was RQ3 and was an RQ2 update sanctioned by Greg Stafford himself! So I ordered the slipcase set and awaited it with great anticipation. And... Horror! Greg must be spinning in his grave fast enough to supply electricity to the whole of New Pavis! For this is not Runequest, this is WokeQuest. So I will indeed be running an RQ campaign, but it will be an RQ2 campaign using the old RQ2 material.

Ok, Why the low quality video......Are you on a budget? Great coverage of this game. Looking at getting the starter set and checking it out. Thanks Jeff.

As someone who is really sick of the magic-is-commonplace type of fantasy that is so prevalent these days, the fact that that is also true of Runequest turns me off big time.