I too had my doubts when Jeff Richard of Moon Designs revealed to me that they we’re initially going to start the new HQ 2 Glorantha line with Pavis and then those doubts doubled when it shifted to Sartar (which was originally planed as a 100 page cults book).
“Why why oh why, are we getting what we’ve already got?” I thought.
Jeff was kind enough to send me an early draft (when it was only 300 pages long ) and I was immediately blown over! I’m not a big Dragon Pass/Sartar fan, but this has made me want to run a long campaign there. As a fan publisher it also inspired me to make the first Gloranthan Adventures book (a collection of adventures with a bit of supporting setting info, like RuneQuest Adventures if you remember that) set in Sartar. Hence Gloranthan Adventures #1 New Beginnings , a collection of four adventures centred on a Sartarite clan of the Balkoth tribe (which gets a full write up in the book) which leads into the campaign in the Sartar book. I’m hoping to get out Mar/Apr (subject to me finishing off layout and getting art in on time).
Quite simply its all the information that was previously scattered over many sources in one place, in a clear and playable form with tons of new info.
Highlights from the book for me.
It has a clear newcomers introduction to Glorantha which it gently builds on.
Easy to follow yet flavoursome character generation with copious examples.
The Clan Generator which allows the players to make fundamental decisions about the game’s setting, which leads to a heightened investment and interest in the game as a result.
The cult write ups, both a quick overview of the whole range of deities worshipped by the Sartarites and detailed write ups for the major deities.
The sections which detail clearly and simply, without becoming an pseudo-academic paper, the everyday life of the Sartarites.
The Campaign – Got to Delecti’s upland marsh, big life changing HeroQuest to the Underworld, all in the name of wooing a Priestess. Big stuff not the timid ‘herding sheep’ type scenario that HQ1 peddled at times.
This is coming from a long time Gloranthaphile,who has piles of books, but believe me when I say that its puts the setting firmly in the hands of a newcomer who just needs the HQ core book and Sartar to play in Glorantha for years and years and years.
Its just full of awesome and win, and my copy lives on the bookshelf next to my RQ2 Gloranthan Classics. That’s how good it is
In this issue, we present not one, not two, but three contest results! Matthew Cole’s Chaos Feature competition from January 2009, and Ian Cooper’s Sartar, Kingdom of Heroes Character and Feat contests from December, 2009.
We also have a look at the hexads of Kralorela, a First Age story by Greg Stafford, a FAQ for issue 2’s Peloria boardgame modification, and an Ogre cult from Carmania by Roderick Robertson.
Also in the latest issue of RPG Review (Dec 09) there’s serveral Gloranthan articles and an Interview with Greg Stafford.
After much uming and arring on my part, I’ve finally kicked off on producing Hearts in Glorantha issue 4
Here’s the rather splendid cover by John Ossoway
HiG #4 cover by John Ossoway
Here’s the contents.
“Junora: The lost province” by Jamie “Trotsky” Revell
“Mirrorshaft hall” an adventure location by Stewart Stansfield
“Thorula” an adventure location/homeland by Dr Moose
“12 Stories of Sacred Time” Fiction by Jane Williams
“Flotsam and Jetsam” Ships and Creatures from Glorantha’s oceans by Nick Davison
“The Hellwood” the most vile and corrupted Aldryami forest in all of Glorantha by Shannon Appelcline
Feature: All under the Red Moon
“Vastar” a Lunar Heartland Town by Newt Newport
“The Great Egg hunt” an adventure by Newt Newport
“Moon Boat Down” an adventure by Nick Davison
Ok as promised here’s a quick update with what is happening regarding D101’s Gloranthan publications (aka Hearts in Glorantha and Gloranthan Adventures).
Hearts in Glorantha #4
Most of the content for this is written and over XMAS I will be comissioning the Art.
I’ve also had a rethink about what I’m doing with the magazine, and that I think is the core realisation. Read the rest of this entry »
Its all part of Moon Design’s reboot of the Gloranthan setting after the release of HeroQuest 2, and its a big chunk of Glorantha detailing the Orlanthi of Dragon pass, their lifestyle, character gen, clan generator, cults and magic and a 100 pages of epic adventure. Take it from me this is a pick up and play book, both in the sense that a newcomer could grasp it and play it with their group and in the fact that all the stuff is there in one place for us old hands to grasp. Oh and its copiously and gloriously illustrated with COLOUR MAPS!
This one kinda has slipped out due to an internet store listing all the upcoming releases. Although Matt Sprange, head honcho of Mongoose Publishing, said there would be more information in his State of the Mongoose address later this month, the following is what online retailers FRP games has said about the releases so far;
Entitled Greg Stafford, Mythmaker, this interview by Allen Varney rather than focusing on Glorantha it looks at his career overall and the influence of his Shamanistic beliefs on game’s design. Oh and there’s a postscript with a full explaination and photo of the tatoo he has on his arm.
Preorders have now shipped, so I’m now releaseing Hearts in Glorantha issue 3 into the wild.
92 pages for £8 +P&P for the printed version, £5 for the print quality pdf, available via our Lulu store (http://stores.lulu.com/d101games) it contains the following articles:
Poisonthorn Forest
One of the two groups of Dorestor Elves detailed by Shannon Appelcline.
Within the Poisonthorn
Creatures of Poisonthorn by Shannon Appelcline.
Iron
A look at this magical Gloranthan metal by Jane Williams.
Not Plunder
A series of short flavoursome pieces of equipment by Stewart Stansfield
Wonderous Statues
Two plunder items by John Harding.
Chaos Competition Top 10
Results of the recent Gloranthan Community competition.
The Three Legs of Vice
Details of the Lunar Imperial Army ‘supplies’ by Stewart Stansfield.
The Dragonsnail a part of the Devil
An in-depth look at these Chaos creatures by John Harding.
Uphold the Yellow Standard
Dara Happan morality by Newt Newport.
The Tomb of the Empty Emperor
A D100 ‘Gloranthan Heresy’Adventure by Newt Newport.
Casting a Spell
Part 3 of Greg Stafford’s ‘How to do Magic’ series.
Undersea Adventures feature
We all live in a Brass Submarine
An epic HeroQuest Dwarf adventure from Gemborg to Prax via the
Middle sea by Richard Crawley.
Monsters of Magasta
Ten sea monsters for RuneQuest and HeroQuest by Nick Davison.
) and I was immediately blown over! I’m not a big Dragon Pass/Sartar fan, but this has made me want to run a long campaign there. As a fan publisher it also inspired me to make the first Gloranthan Adventures book (a collection of adventures with a bit of supporting setting info, like RuneQuest Adventures if you remember that) set in Sartar. Hence Gloranthan Adventures #1 New Beginnings , a collection of four adventures centred on a Sartarite clan of the Balkoth tribe (which gets a full write up in the book) which leads into the campaign in the Sartar book. I’m hoping to get out Mar/Apr (subject to me finishing off layout and getting art in on time).
