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I've had to sit back for a while and think about this before writing a review. I'm a long-time RuneQuester from the RQ2 days in the early 80s and I've spent more time running and playing games in it's primary setting, Glorantha, than any other game setting. I'm also a big fan of HeroQuest, a very 'modern' game with the same setting. Therefore I am likely to have strong feelings about anything RuneQuest, or Gloranthan.
Is it realy RuneQuest?
Yes, this is definitely RuneQuest. By that I mean that all the key things that were common between RQ2 and RQ3, the principle previous versions, are intact in this version in one form or another. The 7 characteristics are retained: Strength, Constitution, Size, Inteligence, Dexterity, Power (magical potential) and Charisma. Skills are rated in % terms and rolled against on two ten sided dice, simulating a hundred-sided dice. It has critical hits and fumbles. Characters have hit locations and armour which reduces damage from weapons. Characters roll attacks, parries and dodges to resolve combat. Finally, there is quite a bit of magic about and anyone can learn it (although not all characters start with it).
So what has changed?
Quite a lot, actually. Just about every rules mechanic has been simplified. There aren't any skill category modifiers, instead skill starting percentages are generally calculated using a basic percentile modified by adding or subtracting one or more characetristics. There are no rolls directly against characteristics, instead there are catch-all skills such as Perception, Stealth and Athletics. In fact skills are more generalized than in previous editions, for example characters have a single skill in each weapon, used for both attack and parry rolls (for weapons such as swords that can parry).
The combat system has seen quite a bit of modification. Most characters have 3 or 4 actions per combat round, and also a number of Reactions that are generally used for defensive maneuvers such as parries or dodges, but also riposte attacks against clumsy foes. There are quite a few options available in combat, presented as a menu of tactical choices. However the way in which attack and parry (or dodge) results are compared is a bit different from previous versions of the game. The system presents a tables for comparing attack and defence results. That's ok, but for example a successful parry against a failed attack can still result in damage to the defending character. There are a few other odd results in the tables.
One of the most controversial rules, and one that is much debated in the forums of the Mongoose Publishing web site, is the rule for opposed skill rolls where one or more characters have a skill level over 100%. The game system is intended to scale to very high skill levels - one of the examples has a character with an ability over 300%. The rule is that skills on both sides are halved. If one or more is still over 100 they are halved again, etc until both skill totals are under 100. The skills are then rolled against and compared as normal. The problem is that this rule can produce large statistical anomalies. For example a character with 100% skill against one with 40% has odds of victory well over 90%. However a character with a skill of 101% versus one with 40% actually rolls against a chance of 50%, versus an opponent on 20% for that contest. It turns out that the character's overall odds of victory are now actually lower by about 30%!
Such results are unintuitive, and since the skill advancement system is more generous than previous editions of RQ, characters will soon have skills in the low hundreds, where the statistical anomalies are the worst. Many game systems have anomalies at certain break points in skill level (e.g. in HeroQuest when skills near multiples of 20, you stop actually improving for a while), but I don't know of any other game where your odds of success can fall by about a third in some situations, just because your skill went up by a few points.
These anomalies are unfortunate, but not fatal. There are a number of ways they can be fixed, and Mongoose are to be praised for rapidly responding to many of the ambiguities by rapidly putting a PDF with rules corrections and clarifications on their site. Still, some of these anomalies remain to be addressed. Mongoose say that they want to encourage a modular approach to the rules and will be publishing optional rules in future.
How does it handle Magic?
Only one magic system is presented, called Rune Magic. This is in fact a reworking of Spirit Magic from RQ3 (known as Battle Magic in RQ2). The spell effects and names are familiar from previous editions, but now you must integrate certain runes before you can cast spells. Each spell has required runes and you have a separate skill for each rune, used in spell casting. This is novel and IMHO interesting but doesn't relay change the nature of the game. From looking at the rules for advanced characters with higher than average starting skills, most or all characters are expected to integrate multiple runes in their career, although using the straight rules only certain characters start of with integrated runes and hence the ability to cast magic at the beginning of a typical game.
The magic chapter mentions Sorcery and Divine magic. These seem to be very similar to the magic systems of the same name in RQ3, and will be detailed in the upcoming RuneQuest Companion along with rules for shamans, spirit combat and other familiar concepts from previous RuneQuest editions.
One new addition to the game are Legendary Abilities. These aren't skills, but special abilitis that can be used at will. They modify the rules for that character and allow spectacular effects such as walking along or up walls a la "Price of Persia" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". Becoming Berserk is now a Legendary Ability, for example. They seem similar to the ideas for powers gained on HeroQuests that ahve been talked bout for earlier Gloranthan games, but never realy defined in the rules.
What else is there?
Previous experience is based on professions and cultures, which give bonuses to lists of skills, rounded off with a pool of points that can be spent on skills, within limits. The rules cover common stuff like encumberance, diseases, healing, etc, etc competently without getting in the way of the action. You can take your time over tasks for a skill bonus, or rush it for a penalty. Advancement is familiar in that your chance of increasing your skill decreases as the skill increases, but you don't have to use a skill in an adventure to be able to increase it. Instead you just choose a few skills that you can then try to improve.
One very new thing is Hero Points, which allow free re-rolls to skills.
The book is rounded off with a selection of statistics for monsters such as Broo and Zombies, and and also elder races such as Dwarves, Elves (Aldryami) and Trolls.
The Background
One thing to note is that although the game is set in Glorantha (well technically the basic rules are supposed to be generic), it is set during the Imperal Age, hundreds of years before the 'traditional' time period for the game. This looks lie a great time to adventure in Glorantha and puts a fresh perspective on the game and setting. Mongoose have a typically aggressive schedule of produces detailing the setting slated for release.
Summary
I have found a lot to like about Mongoose's edition of Runequest. It reminds me of the Elric and Stormbringer games, and is very much in the RuneQuest Lite tradition of these games. The basic rulebook is pretty cheap by modern standards, but really will not be enough to play the game. The upcoming Companion will be a must-buy for GMs and players alike, and there are other core rulebooks coming out soon too. I fully understand the commercial pressures that lead to this, but those hoping for an all-in-one book like the big RQ3 rule book that came out in it's later years will be disappointed. Maybe a few years down the road.
My ratings may seem harsh, but they reflect the fact that this really isn't a complete game, and some of the basic game mechanics are significantly flawed IMHO. While it's 'Average' in these respects, I can't help being excited about this game. It's RuneQuest Baby!
