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From: steven@qubix.UUCP (Steven Maurer)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Runequest - Try It! - (nf)
Message-ID: <865@qubix.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 20-Feb-84 21:26:52 EST
Article-I.D.: qubix.865
Posted: Mon Feb 20 21:26:52 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 22-Feb-84 01:57:16 EST
References: <1602@pur-ee.UUCP>
Organization: Qubix Graphic Systems, Saratoga, CA
Lines: 57

> Sorry, but Runequest is a 'Realistic' game. It includes all the boredom that
> is sometimes present in real life. I get bored sometimes on my own, I DON'T
> need a game to help me. In AD&D, yes, there is a lot of magic, but at least
> there is some magic! The density of magic depends on your DM, but AD&D is
> playable at all levels of magic. If you want magic to be as scarce as in 
> RuneQuest, it can be. However, if you want magic to be slightly more common,
> that works also. Lastly, if you want every little kid to have a Staff of the 
> Magi, that will sometimes work, too! With RuneQuest, magic is RARE, period,
> end of statement. Sorry, I prefer at least a semblance of choice.

	You have obviously never played in a Runequest campaign.
    From your writing, I figure you tried playing a begining character
    for 2 advantures, and immediately gave up.

	If you think about it for more than about 2 seconds, you might
    realize that the amount of magic in a campaign is not a function of
    the game system, but rather a function of a referee.   There is no
    rule in Runequest that a referee cannot play a magic rich world.
    In addition, you are falling into the D&D trap of believing that
    the "density of magic", in a campaign, depends upon the number of
    +3 Swords you can pick up in the local "dungeon"; in Runequest II,
    with half of the mercenaries running around with a spell that
    temporarily gives a +4 enchantment on their weapons, this is not
    necessary.

	What really seems to be the problem, is that Runequest (unlike
    D&D or AD&D) is play-balanced.  That is, neither the characters, or
    their opponents, are particularly overpowering, and you might actually
    have to think twice before trying to kill off 100 trollkin.   Brute
    force does not work as well in Runequest as it does in D&D.

	I sympathise.   There are times when I don't want to think about
    the game, I just want to play "Gratutious Slaughter".   If a 1000
    man army comes up to one of my characters, I want to pick a fight
    and blow half of them away in one mele round.   The mere fact that
    Conan never did that, the Fafrhd and the Grey Mouser never do, Gandalf
    did not do that, and neither did SAURON, does not bother me.   The
    plain fact that characters from all the most famous fantasys, are almost
    never the equivalent of a tactical nuke, does not matter to me sometimes.
    I want to hear discriptions of guts popping out, and glorying in the
    many gross and awesome powers of my characters.

	In short, D&D Monty Haul is fun.   I am glad that you like to
    play it.  I only think that you are missing something by limiting
    yourself to a system, that if the monsters actually USED those items
    that they are "guarding", they would not immediately turn tactical
    nuke.   For this, you need a reasonable Referee, or a reasonable
    system.

    Steven Maurer


    p.s.   Have you ever ran your high level D&D Magic User against a
	Mirror of Opposition?   Who wins is a matter of who gets the
	reaction roll....