As I mentioned last Saturday, it looks like I’ll be a player in a ‘Young Kingdoms’ campaign in the very near future. We’ll be using the (Mongoose) RuneQuest II system with the Elric of Melniboné supplements.
I’ve been mulling over a couple of character concepts for the campaign (which will take place about a century before the Elric saga):
· A Half-Melnibonean sorcerer. As the half-breed bastard of a Melnibonean sorcerer and an Ilmiorian slave, the character has no place within traditional Melnibonean society, and so has absconded (perhaps with one on his hated father’s minor grimoires) to the Young Kingdoms in order to find his fortune.
· A scrutineer (a kind of astronomer/astrologer) from Elwher, who studies and follows the Elithior (the constellation gods of the Eshmir). His patron deity is Angharand, the Chariot (god of travelers). Over a year ago, he received a ‘vision’ in a dream from Angharand, instructing him that his fate lay in the Young Kingdoms to the west. After a long journey (astrolabe and telescope in tow), he is ready for adventure!
Perhaps some other possibility will occur to me before we create characters on Tuesday. It should be a nice change from being a GM!
Cool. I have the 1st Edition of Mongoose's Elric. I'd be interested in hearing more about the RQ II version. I have been leery of Mongoose in the past and they are still spotty sometimes but it looks like it is getting a bit better.
ReplyDeleteJohnathan, the RQII version looks very good (I have not discovered any noticeable errors or typos yet). It includes a *lot* more setting material than the RQI version, since it is not burdened with reprinting the core RQ rules. Also, the RQII version doesn't have that annoying 'grey' background that made the RQI version difficult to read (at least for me).
ReplyDeleteIn short: Highly recommended! (Although I think that the RQI cover is superior.)
As for RQII line in general, I've found the core book, Monster Coliseum, Vikings, and Elric to be fine. The main complaints have been leveled against Armour & Equipment, Necromantic Arts, and Lankhmar Unleashed.
Hmm, interesting dichotomy of character ideas there. I tend to think the Half-Melnibonean is perhaps a bit more modular, in that he could probably work no matter what the other characters are like. But points to the Scrutineer for being an atypical choice. In the end, I'd base my decision on seeing how the rest of the group is shaking out.
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with Mongoose's line, but I did note their release of the Vikings book and it's on my wish list. How compatible with BRP would an RQII supplement like that be?
@sirlarkins: I think that 'Vikings' could be used about 85-90% 'as is' with BRP. There are some differences with respect to skills, and the hit locations would have to be ignored (if you're not using that option in BRP). The only real problem, I think, would involve one of the kinds of magic, 'shamanistic magic', which is based on the version in the MRQII corebook. But that's only one of the many magic systems included.
ReplyDelete