                      RUNIC SORCERY FOR RUNEQUEST

                    Copyright 1993 by Peter Maranci
                       Updated October 12, 2000

Comments are welcome at peter@maranci.net

More RuneQuest and gaming material is available at:
http://www.maranci.net/rq.htm

[Note: The following is a work in progress. It is by no means a final 
draft. I have interspersed explanatory notes through the text in 
square brackets where necessary. I have also interspersed some of my 
own questions. Any comments or suggestions will be gratefully 
received. I would like to acknowledge the work of Bill Moodey, who 
came up with some of the original concepts from which this 
experimental system has been derived. This system uses the skill 
difficulty classifications from the playtest version of RuneQuest IV.  
No challenge is intended in this work to any pre-existing copyright or 
trademark. -->Peter Maranci] 


    Runic Sorcery is a science of magic, using purely human skills and 
abilities. It is based on evoking Elements and manipulating them to 
the Sorcerer's will via knowledge of the corresponding Runes. These 
Runes correspond with, but are not necessarily identical to the true 
Runes of Glorantha.  

    Spirit Magic depends upon the unnatural knowledge of spiritual 
entities; Divine Magic rests upon the Gods. Sorcery is the Third Way, 
using the natural non-personified Runes of Glorantha as a source of 
power. Use of the Runes in this atheistic manner strikes some as being 
reminiscent of the techniques of the God Learners. Sorcerers laugh at 
such suggestions -- at least in the West.  

    Sorcerers may create magic in either of two different ways. They 
may use their knowledge of the Runes to create off-the-cuff Castings, 
also known as Runic 'sentences'. These offer incredible flexibility 
within those Runes the Sorcerer knows.  

    Additionally, a Sorcerer may formalize a Rune sentence as a spell.  
Such a spell lacks the flexibility of a Casting, but is quicker to 
cast and easier to master. Spells may be created by the sorcerer or 
learned directly from another sorcerer or book.  

               *                   *                   *

    All Sorcery is based upon a sorcerer's knowledge of the Runes.  
Each Rune is learned as an individual skill; these are usually Hard 
skills, though some are Very Hard.  Knowledge of a specific Rune can 
be acquired as any other skill: through training, or research. All 
Rune skills are at (00) base percentage, with the exception of the 
Self Rune, which starts at (Age in years x 5%), and can be trained as 
a Very Hard skill.  

    There are six different kinds of Runes: Elements, Shapes, Forms, 
Names,  Conditions, and Powers.  


ELEMENTS 

    Every spell *must* include an element -- the Element is what the 
other Runes in the spell modify. Those which do not include an obvious 
Element incorporate at least one Intensity of Magic.  

    Element Runes are used to summon elements to be modified by other 
Runes.  In the West, the commonly recognized physical Elements are 
Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Light, and Darkness. Of these, Fire, and 
Light are clearly related.  All of these are Hard skills. There is 
also one non-physical Element: Magic. This is raw magical energy, used 
in spells and Castings which do not incorporate a mundane element. 
The Magic Rune is Very Hard to learn, since it cannot normally be 
seen, smelled, touched, or otherwise experienced.  

    The Element Runes are used to create or summon an amount of the raw 
element. Each magic point expended creates one cubic meter of an 
insubstantial element, or one kilogram of a solid one. If the element 
is already present, twice as much of the material may be controlled 
per magic point. The maximum number of magic points which may be used 
to create or control an element is the Rune skill divided by ten.  

[I considered 5% rather than 10% -- it seemed to fit in better with 
the basic mechanics of RuneQuest -- but it simply made Sorcerers too 
powerful.]

    Greater amounts of material may be created/controlled by 
incorporating the Rune in question more than once. However, the magic 
point cost per point is increased by one for each re-use of the Rune.  
For example, with a skill of 50% in the Fire Rune 5 Intensities of 
Fire may be summoned, with a damage potential of 5D3. This would cost 
5 magic points, before costs for Shape, Movement, and any other 
modifications. If the Fire Rune was used twice, however, up to 10 
intensities of Fire could be created.  Each of the first 5 points 
would cost one magic point each; each point from 6 to 10 would cost 2 
magic points apiece.  Therefore, eight Intensities of Fire would cost 
a Sorcerer with a Fire Rune skill of 50% 11 magic points to summon: 
five times one (5) plus three times two (6). The same Intensity of 
Fire would cost a Sorcerer with a Fire Rune skill of 80% merely 8 
magic points to summon (8 x 1 = 8), and would cost a Sorcerer with a 
Fire Rune skill of 10% 36 magic points! (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 
8). Each time the Rune is re-used counts as a separate Rune, with a -
10% penalty to skill for each use (see CASTINGS). Obviously the chance 
of success in the last case would be virtually nil.  

    If the Fire Rune were incorporated three times, the first five 
points would cost one MP apiece, the second five points would cost two 
MP apiece, and the third five points would cost three MP apiece. A 
maximum strength triple-Fire summoning with a skill of 50% would 
therefore cost 30 MP before any additional modifications.  

    Different Elements have different effects. Armor subtracts from 
all attacks using the physical Elements; since such Elements still 
have a physical manifestation, however, they still do half damage even 
if the caster fails to overcome the target. The Magic Element ignores 
armor, but has no effect upon the target if resisted.  

When used for attack:

    Fire is the most destructive Element.  Each Intensity of Fire 
causes 1D3 damage to a target. This damage is absorbed by armor. Fire, 
however, causes no extra damage for a Special result.  

    Earth causes 1D2 damage per Intensity. Unlike Fire, Earth can 
Crush on a Special result. Stone may be summoned using the Earth Rune, 
at a cost of two magic points per kilogram. Depending on its shape, 
Stone may Crush or Impale.  

[Note: Is it necessary to differentiate Earth and Stone at all? Should 
Earth do less damage?]

    Water causes 1 point of damage per Intensity. It is also more 
likely to knock down a target. When striking an object, each point of 
Water counts double for Knockdown purposes. Water Slashes on a Special 
success.  

    Air, Light, and Darkness each cause 1 point of damage per 2 points 
of Intensity.  They have no additional effect on a Special success. 
They may have special effects on some creatures, however. Light, for 
example, may blind a target, and in addition would do extra damage to 
Shades. It would also be especially demoralizing to Darkness-dwelling 
creatures such as Trolls.  

    Magic causes 1 point of damage per Intensity. It has no additional 
effect for a Special success. However, only one point of magic is 
usually necessary for a spell affecting the target's mind. More magic 
would have a proportionately greater effect. One point of magic 
combined with the Disorder Rune in a spell intended to confuse, for 
example, could cause -5% to all skill chances. Two points would have a 
-10% effect.  

    Metals can be summoned by using a second Element with the Earth 
Rune. Bronze, for example, is summoned through the combination of 
Earth and Air, and costs two magic points per Intensity, rather than 
one. The volume summoned is also less than that of a pure Element: one 
gram per Intensity.  

    The various Elements have other properties deriving logically from 
their natures. Fire, for example, would offer little protection 
against most physical attacks, but would damage those things passing 
through it. Earth (or Stone) would generally be the most protective.  
Water would be most effective against Fire. Air would be useful to 
breathe. Light would discomfort Trollkin.  

[Note: The possibilities are so widespread that it is probably 
impossible to detail every case; the most that could be done would be 
to write a broad set of guidelines, and let the GM extrapolate. All 
amounts, incidentally, are adjustable.  I've chosen the cubic 
meter/kilogram standard because that's what is in the description of 
the RQ3 Sorcery Form/Set (substance) spell. This may not be an ideal 
figure.] 


SHAPES 

    Shapes are perhaps self-explanatory: they represent geometrical 
ideals, and are commonly used to shape elements. There are, therefore, 
as many possible Shape Runes are there are shapes. However, some are 
more common than others.  The simplest Shapes are Bolts, Balls, and 
Walls. Bolts are usually used to fire an Element toward a target, 
intersecting a single hit location. This is an Easy skill. Balls are 
used to shape an Element into a large sphere, possibly encompassing a 
large area indeed. The Ball Rune skill is a skill of Medium 
difficulty, as are the Rod and Spike Shapes. Walls are, again, self-
evident; the complexity of the Wall Shape makes it a Hard skill to 
learn. Cones, solid Cubes, and solid Cylinders are also Hard. Hollow 
Spheres, Cylinders, Cubes, and other hollow forms are Very Hard, as 
are some irregular and multi-sided Shapes.  More complex shapes can 
also be created by combining less complex Shape Runes.  

    If no shape is used in a Spell, the element summoned has no 
cohesion once the active portion of the spell is finished, and will 
behave normally. Water flung at a target will simply fall to the 
ground, doing little if any damage.  Fire will disperse, unless there 
is fuel to sustain it. Light and Dark will be absorbed by the ambient 
environment, etc. The exception to this is magic, which if directed 
towards a living target will conform to the target's shape -- unless 
the target has successfully resisted the Spell.  

    Size and Shapes: A Shape may be any size the caster desires.  
However, the larger the Shape the more dilute the Element becomes.  
Logic applies. One Intensity of Fire does 1D3 damage, and covers 1 
cubic meter. If spread over an area equal to 2 cubic meters, it will 
do half as much damage. If spread over an area equal to more than 3 
cubic meters, it will do no damage at all. If covering an area greater 
than 6 cubic meters, it will no longer be visible.


FORMS  

    The Forms are as those listed in the RQ2 book: Plant, Beast, Man, 
Dragonewt, Spirit, and Chaos (the last not being generally available).  
Other Forms almost certainly exist.  In addition there is a generic 
Target Rune. Forms are generally used to target magic against 
creatures which can resist it. The various Forms are Hard skills. with 
the exception of the Sorcerer's own species Rune(s), which is/are Easy 
to learn.  The basic Target Rune (Very Hard) simply allows the Casting 
to reach a specific point in coherent form. The caster must roll 
separately against his Target Rune skill. If species-appropriate Runes 
are used instead (Man for men and women, Dark and Man for Trolls, 
Plant and Man for Elves, etc.) then the Casting will automatically 
strike the intended target. A spell cast at a target other than the 
spell's incorporated Target Rune will have no effect.  

[Note: I'm not at all sure that the Target Runes are a good idea. The 
concept seems sound, but the division of the Runes seems to have a 
certain unfairness built in. For example, magic cast against Trolls 
would be harder than against humans, since they'd involve an extra 
Rune. Alternatively, a set of Species Runes could be considered as 
one. It would be necessary to know both Dark and Man to specifically 
target Trolls, but there would only be a -10% penalty for the two 
Runes, rather than -20%. However this may be over-complicated, though 
it does not seem unreasonable that Sorcery should be the most complex 
thing in RuneQuest. A third possibility: the use of *any* Rune 
appropriate to the Target's species will enable the spell to be 
effective.] 


NAMES 

    Names are actually refinements of Form Runes; they are the true 
name of a specific creature. They can be learned only with the 
greatest difficulty, if at all -- long and intimate association with 
the creature in question would be necessary. A spell or Casting 
created with the true Name of the Target cannot be resisted, though 
protective magic will work.  

    Every Sorcerer knows his own true Name, the Self Rune, at a 
percentage equal to [(his age in years x 5%) + magic bonus]. It can be 
trained as a Very Hard skill.  

    A Sorcerer may substitute his or her personal Name in any spell 
including his or her Species Rune(s), without penalty or effort.  


CONDITIONS 

    Condition Runes are usually used to modify magic. When embedded in 
a Spell, they allow a greater degree of flexibility. The most commonly 
used Condition Runes in Sorcery are Duration and Range. All are Very 
Hard. Mastery, Magic, and Infinity are rarely if ever used as such.  
The theoretical differences between Magic as an Element and as a 
Condition have occupied thousands of pages in obscure Western 
philosophies.  

    At least one magic point must be expended in the Duration Rune, or 
else the Spell or Casting will be instant. At least one magic point 
must be used in the Range Rune, or else the range will be touch only.

[Note: The manipulation Runes can be used to duplicate any form of 
RuneQuest sorcery desired. All that is necessary is to set an 
appropriate minimum effect. For example: every ten percent skill in 
the Duration Rune allows one point of added Intensity. This could be 
used to duplicate the Intensity skill in either RQ3 Sorcery or the 
version currently being playtested for RQ4.] 


POWERS 

    Harmony, Disorder, Fertility, Death, Stasis, Movement, Truth, 
Illusion, Luck, Fate, and possibly others. 

[These would be the most fluid Runes. Harmony + Magic + Man, for 
example, could heal, cause sleep, or calm a target -- and other 
interpretations are imaginable. The players' and GMs imaginations 
would be the defining factors.] 


CASTINGS 

    A runic sentence, or Casting, is created by a sorcerer using Runes 
he or she knows. To determine the chance of success, take the lowest 
Rune skill among all the Runes being used in the Casting, and subtract 
10% for every other Rune used. Then add the magic bonus, and subtract 
Encumbrance, if such is being used. The standard requirements apply: 
a point of magic will create 1 cubic meter of an insubstantial 
Element, or one kilogram of a substantial one. The time to cast is the 
caster's DEX strike rank + 3 strike ranks if unprepared + 1 strike 
rank per magic point used in the spell. There may be a very rare 
Condition Rune which allows faster casting. There may also be certain 
methods of casting which allow for faster results.

    If success is rolled, the desired magic takes place, modified by 
the GM's assessment of the appropriate effect. All the magic points are 
expended. If a failure is rolled, no effect takes place, but *all* the 
magic points alloted to the effect are still expended. On a fumble, 
roll on the Sorcery Fumble Table. The GM must adjudicate the results of 
a Special or Critical success.

    Remember, knowledge of Runes may not increase through experience.  

[Note: I use a Fumble Table for RQ Sorcery, and may present a version 
for consideration at some future time. Since Sorcery is a human skill 
rather than a spiritual/Divine ability, it seems to me that it should 
be liable to error.] 

[Note: Can't I find a better name than "Casting"?]  


SPELLS 

    Spells are much like Castings. They are formed of the same Runes. 
In fact, spells may be created by studying a Casting until it becomes 
'crystallized' in the sorcerer's mind. Spells may also be learned from 
books or taught. It is impossible to learn a spell without previously 
knowing all the Runes which make up that spell.

    Spells have several advantages over Castings: 

    They are less expensive; to cast a Spell, one need only expend 
Magic Points for the Elements and Condition Runes (Range, Duration, 
etc.) used. As a result, Spells are faster to cast, too.  

    No Target Rune need be included -- the Spell will hold together of 
itself, and strike the desired target.  

    Spells are less risky to cast -- failure to cast only costs a 
single Magic Point.  

    And finally, Spells are skills, and may increase from experience.  

    However, once a Spell is learned it is effectively cut off from 
the Rune-skills of the caster. In other words, any increase in a 
sorcerer's knowledge of the Fire Rune, for example, will not increase 
his ability with previously learned Spells incorporating the Fire 
Rune. Once learned, changes in the Rune skills do not affect the spell 
chance.  

    It takes 100 hours per Rune involved to formulate a Spell from a 
Casting via research and meditation. It takes 50 hours per Rune if 
learning from a book, or 25 if taught by someone who knows the Spell. 
All Runes in the Spell must be known by the caster.  

    Though Spells are less flexible than Castings, a spell with an 
Element Rune in it may still be manipulated by the sorcerer's 
appropriate Element Rune skill. If the Duration or Range Runes are 
part of the Spell, these may also be manipulated. In other words, a 
Fire bolt Spell consisting of: 

                          Fire + Bolt + Range

can be cast with whatever amount of Intensity and Range the sorcerer 
wishes and is capable of using. In addition, the Bolt can be whatever 
size the caster desires.  


METHODS

    The Runes may be manipulated in any number of ways; different 
schools use different methods. Each method has advantages and 
disadvantages. Among the tools used to evoke the Runes are:

    Speech (in many different languages)
    Song (ditto, with and without a musical instrument)
    Writing (on specially prepared parchment, in the dirt, in the air 
with enchanted wands, etc.) 
    Gesture 
    Dance 
    Pictograms 
    Manipulation of Rune-marked blocks
    Touching different Runes inscribed on an enchanted staff (or 
ceremonial robe, silver dagger, etc.) -- as the sorcerer learns new 
Runes, they are added to the item.

    ...or any other means of expression. Combinations are not 
unlikely, either. There is said to be a school of magic which allows 
casting simply by thinking of the necessary Runes, but this would be 
very difficult indeed, and require great powers of concentration.
The GM must determine the advantages and drawbacks of whatever means 
of casting is being used. Knowledge of one type of sorcerous magic 
does not enable a sorcerer to understand a different method.  

ENCHANTMENTS

    These are generally treated in the same manner as standard 
RuneQuest sorcery (whatever version you prefer), except that obviously 
the greater range of enchantment spells possible will have to be 
individually interpreted by the GM.


SPELL EXAMPLES

    Wall of Fire:            Fire + Wall + Duration

    This would allow the caster to create a wall of fire next to him.  
He could then walk away from the wall. If he wished to create the wall 
at a distance from himself, he would have to cast: Fire +Range + Wall 
+ Duration (+ Target, if this were a Casting rather than a Spell).  

    Movable Wall of Fire:  Fire + Wall + Duration + Movement
    Magic Bolt              Magic + Disorder OR Death + Bolt + Range
    Heal                    Magic + Fertility OR Harmony
    Earth Armor             Earth + Self + Movement + Duration
    Skin of Life            Air + Movement + Duration
    Telekinesis             Air OR Magic + Movement + Duration + Range
    Shapechange Man to Wolf (by touch):
          Magic + Man + Movement + Beast OR Wolf Name Rune + Duration

    Obviously there are many ways to cause similar effects. Careful GM 
supervision is necessary. Given that Castings are unlikely to be used 
often due to their low chance of success and high cost, and that 
Spells have standard effects upon being formulated, it is unlikely 
that a GM will have to spend a great deal of time adjudicating magic. 
And this system should give the player of a sorcerer character a much 
greater feeling of involvement with and control of his magic.


[More Questions: 

    What Sorcery spells cannot be duplicated by this system? 

    How may Spells affect characteristics? How would one duplicate 
Enhance Strength, for example? One possibility: Magic + Fertility + 
Man OR whatever species is being affected) + Duration. This would then 
work for any characteristic; the sorcerer's will would determine the 
effect of the spell. Another possibility would be to link the seven 
Elements to the seven characteristics, combined with the species Rune: 


                              Fire  = STR
                              Earth = CON
                              Dark  = SIZ
                              Water = INT
                              Magic = POW
                              Air   = DEX
                              Light = APP


    In which case Enhance Strength would be Magic + Man + Fire + 
Harmony OR Fertility + Duration

        My intention is that it should be very difficult to learn many 
sorcerous Runes. This would lead to sorcerers with narrower but more 
interesting abilities, and would involved player intelligence in the 
crafting of spells. Of course, given the open-ended nature of the 
system there is certainly potential for abuse.]

-------------------------------------
Copyright 1993 by Peter Maranci. This version may be distributed 
freely on a non-profit basis, as long as all text is included.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Maranci             peter@maranci.net              Woonsocket, RI
Pete's RuneQuest Page! Adventures & more: http://www.maranci.net/rq.htm
