Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site qubix.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!mcnc!decvax!decwrl!sun!qubix!steven 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....