Character Creation Challenge 2023 - 4: Garandangian [Runequest Glorantha]

 Runequest: Roleplaying in Glorantha (the First)

I do not know how long I've had some edition or other of Runequest in my library. The second game I bought was a Runquest boxed set which I assume was 3rd edition. But teenage me didn't really grok it, being used to Basic D&D and WEG Star Wars at most. I currently have Runequest 2nd Ed reprint, Mythras (the rpg formerly known as Runequest 6th edition) and Runequest Glorantha in my bookshelf.

Yet I have never made a proper character for any of the systems, and never really seemed like a chance to play them. This has now changed. It is very likely there will be an attempt at a Runequest Glorantha campaign, and I seemingly have some victims for a Mythras Mythic Babylon oneshot. But guiding people through this extensive character creation without having done it myself seems a bit daunting, so it's time to break the 8 month CCC break and get going again.

The Fundamentals

The system was one of the original users of the Basic system, roll d100 and under, and it has lots of skills. That's my first thought when thinking Runequest. This edition in particular ties the characters a lot more into the setting; so besides assigning skill values and attributes it dives into backstory in a structured way, and personality traits that affects gameplay. So there's a lot of moving pieces in this game for a traditional laid out game with d100 roll under. So this will be a bit more involved than Mörk Borg...

We shall proceed step by step!

Step 1: Homeland

Sartar. Being my first created character, I feel legally obligated to pick Sartar as it's the main area of the setting in the "base" game. This bit does not seem to have all that much of mechanical effect on the character, but have some suggestions for cults and occupations. Non-humans might be different, but they are not available in the core.

The homeland choice does provide some base passions:

• Love (family): 60%
• Loyalty (clan): 60%
• Loyalty (tribe): 60%

 

Step 2: Family History

This is the most atypical part of the character creation, letting you roll on various events to see what your parents and grandparents were doing. For some reason the first thing I think of as Runequest characters are farmers, so this will be a running theme in this character creation. I'll say that the character's father and grandfather had the most impact on my character and that they were both farmers.

1561: Grandfather born.

1582: Father born. Grandfather participated in the Battle of Grizzly Peak and survived, and was a witness to events at the Battle of Alda-Chur. This event gives my character the Loyalty (Sartar): 60% passion.

1597: Grandfather fought in the Holy Country and survived.

1602: Grandfather fought in the Boldhome campaign. Got devoured by the Crimson bat, and his soul longer no exist. Grim! I get to choose between the Hate (Chaos) and Hate (Lunar Empire) passions at 70%, and I pick Hate (Chaos). Putting the character in the guns kill people, not people, bracket.

1604: My character is born.

1608: My father died of illness. I'm just going to assume the death of his fater, lean years and having kids over a short span of years was too much.

Family had a short and brutal background, what I ended up with from this was:

• Loyalty (Sartar): 60%
• Hate (Chaos): 70%

 

Step 3: Rune Affinities

At first glance, it's a bit odd to pick Rune Affinities before anything else statswise. But since it has bearing on pretty much everything that comes after I get the idea, but if you are new and just pick random this can get messy, fast. I started writing this post in september, but after having GMed the game a bit I have gone back to finish this and changed everything from this point onwards.

My thought process here is primarily what kind of cults my character is interested in, and having options open. Characteristics and what occupation I end up with will have a lot to say, but as for now there are three cults I am interested in:

• Babeester Gor (wants Earth and Death)
• Humakt (wants Death and Truth)
• Orlanth (wants Air and Movement)

Since cults are no exclusive, the character can theoretically end up in all three. To join a cult however, the character must possess one of the runes at 50% or higher.

Elemental Runes

The first thing to pick is elemental runes, one at 60%, one at 40% and one at 20%. Being a Sartarite, the Air rune will get a +10% bonus too. Looking at the cults, the only elemental runes at play is Earth and Air. So I get some leeway, and thus pick:

• Earth 60%
• Air 50% [40% pick plus the Sartar bonus]
• Darkness 20%
  

Having Earth and Air at 50% or higher means the character qualifies for both the Babeester Gor and Orlanth cults. The affiliated weapons for Earth and Air is axe and sword, and the skill category affiliations are Manipulation and Communication, which are both pretty handy. The Darkness Rune is not going to do much mechanically at 20% (nor would any other runes), so I took it for more personality - might be a bit crass and mean sometimes, and have like a small touch of the underworld about him.

Power | Form runes

Next part of the rune bit are the runes in opposition. These do not have any skills and such affiliated with them, but character outlook is kinda given with the names. Looking at the cult runs again, there are 3 interesting runes - Death, Truth and Movement. A bit easier to meet the 50% requirement here as all it requires is to not increase the opposing Rune. The game wants me to pick 2 runes at 75%, which then reduces the opposing Rune to 25%. I pick thus:

• Death 75%
• Truth 75%

In other words, the character fits very well in with both Babeester Gor and Humakt as it stands.

 Free additional points

I now get 50 points to put in whatever I like, but if I put them in Power | Form runes it will affect opposing runes still. Since I want to roll on Runes to augment and cast Rune magic, I'd like them high, but not too high so my character immediatly starts being super tied to a Rune. This happens at 80%, so I don't want that. Thus I choose:

• Earth gets 15 points, for a total of 75%
• Air gets 25 points, for a total of 75%
• Movement gets 10 points, for a total of 60%. Stasis gets reduced to 40% as a reaction.
  

 

Step 4: Characteristics

No plans ever survive rolling for characteristics. However, I generally enjoy being handed something to try to make something out of instead of having to choose something and point buy it, unless it's optimizing a CRPG character or making something for a hack and slash ttrpg campaign. There is however a box about minimum characteristics in the book - one of the options there is to reroll any 6s (non-int/siz)/9s (int/siz) if you do not have anything else above 13. I think that's fair. Not having any high scores and some really low ones makes for a miserable character.

Rolling

• Strength: 16
• Constitution: 9
• Size: 12
• Dexterity: 14
• Intelligence: 10
• Power: 6
• Charisma: 12
  

Modifications

The game states that any adventurer that has a total of 92 or less, gets 3 points to place where they want (but can't put a stat over 18). The stats adds up to 79 if I have been able to use a calculator. Having two players with under 10 POWs made me understand how miserable it can be to to struggle to get spirit magic going and for a lot of random POWx5 rolls the game wants you to roll. So that's an easy +3 to Power for me.

Runes affect the characteristics too, or rather the elemental runes. The highest gives +2 to a stat, the second higest +1 to a stat. There is a lot of secondary charateristics that gets modified, but the only thing I know is that melee damage modifier is based on STR+SIZ and HP is based on CON (modified by SIZ and POW). Looking up those tables, getting +2 STR or +1 STR doesn't do anything for melee damage modifier, while every point of CON gives something. So I choose that Earth is my highest rune (and pick CON as the bonus from that) and Air is second highest (picking CHA as the bonus). 

Some homelands changes your characteristics, but Sartar doesn't. Thus my modified characteristics are:

• Strength: 16
• Constitution: 11
• Size: 12
• Dexterity: 14
• Intelligence: 10
• Power: 9
• Charisma: 13

Attributes

Normally I would just put these stats into the Roll20 character sheet and get these calculated for me. But since the only attributes that stuck (melee dmg bonus and hit points) I remember from Elric/Stormbringer from 20+ years ago, it would prolly do to try to learn how the game works somewhat, so here we go...

• Magic Points equals Current POW (=9)
• Hit Points equals CON modified by SIZ/POW (=11)
• Healing Rate is based on CON (=2)
• Damage Bonus is based on STR+SIZ (=+1d4)
• Spirit Combat Damage is based on POW+CHA (=1d6)
• Maximum ENC is average of STR and CON (=13?)
• Dex strike rank is based on DEX (=2)
• SIZ strike is based on SIZ (=2)
• Agility Category Modifier is +5%
• Communication Category Modifier is +5%
• Knowledge Category Modifier is +0%
• Magic Category Modifier is +0%
• Manipulation Category Modifier is +5%
• Perception Category Modifier is +0%
• Stealth Category Modifier is +5%

 Tell me a RPG is old without telling me it's old? Looking at this, it kinda fits with the whole farmer idea. Kinda fit and can communicate a bit, but not very learned or magically apt.

Skill base chance changes

Every skill in the game has some base chances I will not bother to list. But your culture changes these base vaules some. Few choices here (ranged weapon the only choice having to be made), but a list of changes. I will put these down for posterity and as a way to remember.

• Ride (horse): +5%
• Dance +5%
• Sing +10%
• Speak Own Language (Heortling) (50)
• Speak other Language (Tradetalk) +10%
• Customs (Heortling) (25)
• Farm +20%
• Herd +10%
• Spirit Combat +15%
• Dagger +10%
• Battle Axe +10%
• 1H Spear +10%
• Broadsword +15%
• Sling +10%
• Javelin +10%
• Medium Shield +15%
• Large Shield +10%
  

So even more of a farmer vibe, not so strange that's what I keep thinking of. No perception or communication increases of note, however.

Step 5: Occupation

There is a lot of occupations here. Based on what the players picked in my campaign, I am thinking anny kind of Soldier is way too onesided and don't want to pick one. Farmer is what I went into this character creation thinking of, so will pick that. But Fisher/Healer/Hunter/Bandit would also be good other options. Merchant/Philosopher/Shaman and stuff like that would be more interesting with some other homeland and characteristic rolls.

Picking Farmer gives me some various stuff.

Occupational skills

• Lore (local) +15%
• Jump +10%
• Farm +30%
• Craft (any) +15%
• First Aid +10%
• Scan +10%
• Herd +15%
• Broadsword +15%
• Manage Household +30%
• Medium Shield +15%
  

Other stuff

• Standard of Living: Free
• Base income: 80 L
• Passion: Love (Family) +10%
• Ransom: 500 L
• Equipment: Foodstuffs and livestock worth 120 L, sickle, hammer, two draft oxen, composite helm (3 pts. protection), dagger, battle axe, 1h spear, broadsword, sling, javelin, medium shield, large shield.
  

I am assuming I am not keeping two draft oxen with me at all times, so some of this stuff is not very adventure relevant. I am very happy with the occupational skills, but the tradeoff is that all the armor I start with is a helm. So immediate concern of wanting some extra protection vs spending money on training between adventures will be a tough choice when starting out.

Step 6: Cult

So now the big stuff. I started thinking about Cults when choosing Runes early on. Reading the cult summary bits in the character creation section, I find out that Babeester Gor has a restriction: only accepts female members. While I haven't put into words what gender the character is, I've sorta thought male, so that excludes the character from that cult. The other two options for starting cults for me were Humakt and Orlanth. A quick glance at those cults makes me think that Humakt is a bit more narrow (it doesn't have any affiliated cults for more Spirit Magic training options), it has more flavour with the magic options and the fact you have to take a gift and a geas as part of joining. So Humakt it is.

Humakt cult bonuses and spells

• Broadsword +20%
• Greatsword +10%
• Intimidate +15%
• Cult Lore (Humakt) +15%
• Worship (Humakt) +20%
• Meditate +5%
• Greatsword +20% [First bonus]
• Intimidate +15% [Second bonus]
• Rune Magic: Shield, Sword Trance, Truesword
• Spirit Magic: Demoralize, Heal (1 pt), Protection (2 pts)
• Passion: Honor +10%
• Gift: Increase a raisable characteristic by 1 point. [POW]
• Geas: Never lie to a friendly cultist
   

All of this is pretty handy starting out. I would have picked Bladesharp (2 pts) over Protection, but the cult teaches Bladesharp (4 pts) for free according to the cult blurb, so that will be gotten during first downtime.

Step 7: Personal Skill Bonuses

I am now allowed to pic 4 skills that gets +25% and 5 other skills that gets +10%. This is perhaps the hardest thing to do any in rpg character creation I have done. There' so much useful stuff to have, and keeping in mind that having to be able to make rolls to get experience rolls means leaving skills at 5% or 10% means they are going to be "dead" unless every downtime goes to training them up for years. So some of these were easy, some were hard:

• Greatsword +25%
• Charm +25%
• Meditate +25%
• First Aid +25%
• Worship (Humakt) +10%
• Scan +10%
• Bargain +10%
• Javelin +10%
• Dodge +10%

The character's combined starting skills (before category modifiers)

•  Dodge: 38%
• Jump: 52%
• Ride (Horse): 10%
  
• Bargain: 15%
• Charm: 40%
• Dance: 15%
• Intimidate: 45%
• Sing: 20%
• Speak (Tradetalk): 10%
• Speak (Heortling): 50%
• Cult Lore (Humakt): 20%
• Customs (Heortling): 25%
• Farm: 60%
• First Aid: 45%
• Herd: 30%
• Homeland Lore (Sartar): 45%
• Manage Household: 40%
• Meditate: 30%
• Spirit Combat: 35%
• Worship (Humakt): 30%
• Craft (Bronze): 25%
• Scan: 45%
• Broadsword: 60%
• Dagger: 25%
• 1H Spear: 15%
• Battle Axe: 20%
• Greatsword: 55%
• Javelin: 30%
• Sling: 15%
• Medium Shield: 45%
• Large Shield: 25%

Overall I think I managed to catch most of the skills I'd like to have a chance to increase. The sword skills might seem low, but 75% Air Rune could be used to attempt to augment one of the skills, if that fails, cast Swordtrance and use the other sword.

Trying to successfully cast Demoralize every adventure (like at the start of mook fights or something, or where you don't want to use lethal force), learn Bladesharp (4 pts) during first downtime and then either pay for POW-training (if enough L) or some really low skill I'd like to use more if low on L, like if failing the yearly income roll badly so the adventure money needs to be put back into the farm.

Step 8: Other Info

There is somehow still stuff to do. But just fluffy bits!

Name: Garandangian son of Agrath son of Tarkalor.

Clan & Tribe: Colymar Tribe, Varmandi Clan, Apple Lane. [The core book is rather sparse on info on clan level, found that a bit odd. A  list of names would have been nice.]

Birthdate: 1604 Air Season, Death Month, Waterday. [The book says which runes decides what season and month you are born in, yet the no page reference to calendar, also a bit odd]

Handedness: Right.

Family Heirloom: Have an ancestor worshipped as a hero by my cult. Gain Devotion (Humakt) at 60 and +5% Orate and Reputation. [Roll for an item, have instances on item table that aren't item is also a bit odd]

Starting Reputation: 15% (base 5%, free 5% and heirloom 5%). 

Summary and opinions

While I really really like what sort of characters this game produces, it might be a bit much. Especially if you are new. But there are so many moving interacting parts, so many pitfalls. I'm also assuming a bunch of these things goes faster and faster, getting favorite skills, finding some occupations more useful and all that jazz. But going in with an open mind is hard.

I am very happy with how the character turned out. There are paths to take for development (what to train, what gear to buy), can be involved in most branches of play (combat primarily, but also have some ability to communicate and help look around) and runes/passions gives some interesting ways to play the character and try to augment skills. I'd play this character in a Runequest Glorantha game for sure.