RuneQuest’s Unwritten Rules

I love RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha (RQG), but it's hard to claim that the game is "simple." With features such as two task resolution systems, three magic systems, and inconsistent circumstantial bonuses or penalties, any argument for "simplicity" would be based on my familiarity with the system rather than its actual properties. That said, rules … Continue reading RuneQuest’s Unwritten Rules

REVIEW: Mythology

No, I'm not reviewing the entirety of Earth's mythology this week—Mythology is the title of the fourth volume in Chaosium's Cults of RuneQuest series. Touted as the indispensable lynchpin to playing RuneQuest in Glorantha, I've been looking forward to this book since its announcement. Despite chewing away at the volume for about a week and … Continue reading REVIEW: Mythology

REVIEW: Tales From the Lone-Lands

This review contains spoilers. Following in the footsteps of last year's Ruins of the Lost Realm, this year Swedish publisher Free League has released another adventure compendium for The One Ring 2E (TOR). Drawing deeply from Tolkien's works, TOR is a game which I've fallen in love for its evocative mechanics, varied story opportunities, and … Continue reading REVIEW: Tales From the Lone-Lands

Lay Membership in RuneQuest

In Ritual and Religion in the Making of Humanity, anthropologist Roy Rappaport says that rituals "are public, and participation in them constitutes a public acceptance of a public order, regardless of the private state of belief." Being the sort of person I am, Rappaport's work has been doing an awful lot to poke my brain … Continue reading Lay Membership in RuneQuest

Behind the Scenes #8

Well by this point we're halfway into September, but my excuse is that I've been writing a lot about Chaosium's recent Cults of RuneQuest releases. So that means now it's time to talk about what else I've been up to during August… …over on my Patreon page! I share a behind the scenes peek at … Continue reading Behind the Scenes #8

Using “Cults of RuneQuest”

Chaosium has released three Cults of RuneQuest volumes out of a prospective ten. Last week (and the week before) we explored the latest volumes' content. Now what? How might players, gamemasters, and creators utilize and engage with the bevy of new myths, cultures, and powers presented in these works? That's what we'll explore today. As … Continue reading Using “Cults of RuneQuest”

REVIEW: The Earth Goddesses

Continuing on from last week's review of The Lightbringers, this week we're going to delve into the powers of Life and Death described in The Earth Goddesses. This is book is the third book in Chaosium's Cults of RuneQuest series, and was released a few weeks ago simultaneously with The Lightbringers. While this week we're … Continue reading REVIEW: The Earth Goddesses

REVIEW: The Lightbringers

They're here. Last month Chaosium released the first volume of their new Cults of RuneQuest series, the Prosopaedia. And as promised, last week they simultaneously released the next TWO volumes in the series: The Lightbringers and The Earth Goddesses. This week I'm reviewing The Lightbringers, and next week will be The Earth Goddesses. Finally, I'm … Continue reading REVIEW: The Lightbringers

First Impression: Dragonbane

First with Forbidden Lands, then again with The One Ring 2nd Edition, now Swedish tabletop game company Free League has cemented my belief that they understand how to launch a new RPG with their Dragonbane core set. Although it's in a box, Dragonbane's core set is certainly not a "starter" set—not in the sense that … Continue reading First Impression: Dragonbane

Behind the Scenes #7

It's kind of crazy that July's already ending—I feel like this month just started! This year is flying by. As usual, I'm going to take some time for a wrapup of what I've been working on this month! Unlike usual, this month's "behind the scenes" isn't a patron-exclusive. Patrons get to read articles a week … Continue reading Behind the Scenes #7