Game Procedures

A few things about how I run the game: Generally, anything you say, your character says.  The exception would be if you start out "Marc,..." or "GM, ..."  So, if you say "How does the mobility spell work", your character says that. I will make all lore and perception skill rolls for the player characters.  The primary reason for that is that, if you fumble those rolls, I may lie to you.  'Cause you really messed up!  :) The RuneQuest melee round procedure starts out with a Statement of Intent phase.  During this, each player will announce what his character is going to do in the round.  AFTER everyone has stated, I'll start calling out strike ranks, and everyone will carry out what they announced.  One thing I do is that you make your Statement of Intent in reverse INT order.  This gives the characters with higher INT a bit more information. We'll go over the melee round procedure in more detail as it becomes necessary.

I like all of these and that reverse INT based initiative is something I've never seen before.  Where did you get that?

I honestly can't remember for sure.  The "lowest INT declares first" is something I did when I first ran RuneQuest( 2nd edition ), back in the early '80's.  I'm not sure if I came up with it on my own, or if the group I played with did it jointly.  In any case, it seems to work well.

I decided to post this procedure for RuneQuest melee rounds.  I also put it up in Discord. RuneQuest Melee Round. The round consists of 4 phases: 1. Statement of Intent 2. Movement of non-engaged characters 3. Resolution 4. Bookkeeping 1. Statement of Intent. Each player will state what thier adventurer will do in the round.  Doesn't have to be incredibly specific.  "I'm standing fast, will attack any opponent that closes, and parry attacks with my shield".  If possible( may not be because not specific enough ), give the strike rank the action happens in. So, this is probably a good point to talk about Strike Ranks. Strike Ranks determine the order of actions in a melee round.  Each adventurer has a DEX based strike rank modifer( how quick you are ), and a SIZ based strike rank modifier( your reach ).  Each weapon also has a strike rank modifier.  For hand-to-hand weapons you add all those up to get your melee strike rank.  This is calculated for you by the character sheet, and displayed in the SR column of the Melee Weapons list on the Main tab of the character sheet. If you have to move to be able to attack, each MOV unit( 3 meters ) add 1 to the final strike rank.  NOTE: You may only move 1/2 your MOV rate( 8 for humans ) and be able to attack in that round. For simplicity, I use hex on my maps, and each one is 3 meters. For Missile weapons, you shoot( throw, cast, whatever ) on your DEX strike rank modifier, if the weapon is ready.  A javelin in your hand, arrow knocked and drawn, etc.  If not, you spend 5 strike ranks to ready the weapon, and then your DEX strike rank modifier to shoot.  On the character sheet, the strike rank(s) you can shoot( assuming no other modifiers to strike rank ) are shown above the list of missile weapons on the Main tab. If the Rate shown for the weapon is "S/MR", you can attack with it multiple times in a round.  For example, Nathem has a DEX strike rank modifier of 1.  So, if at the start of the round, he has his composite bow ready to shoot, he shoots first on SR 1, then spends 5 SR to ready the bow again, and the DEX SRM of 1 to shoot on SR 7.  With 5 strike ranks left in the round, he can ready the bow again, so he's set to shoot at SR 1 in the next round. For Spirit magic spells, you cast the spell on your DEX strike rank, plus 1 strike rank for each magic point after the first that you add to the spell. Continuing with Nathem, he has the Speedart spell( which add +15% to hit, and +3 damage to a missile ), which costs 1 magic point.  Using the example where he's ready to shoot at the start of the round, he could cast that spell on SR 1( since it only costs 1 MP ), then shoot on SR 2, spend 5 SR to ready the weapon again( we're up to SR 7 ), and shoot a second time on SR8.  At that point, with only 4 strike ranks left in the round, he doesn't have time to ready the weapon again, so will start the next round with the weapon not ready.  In RuneQuest, with the exception of some spells that use a lot of magic points, you can't start something in one round, and finish it in the next. For Rune magic spells, you cast on SR1, unless you are adding magic points to the Rune spell( not normally needed ), in which case you add 1 SR for each MP after the first that you add. None of you know Sorcery, so we're not going to get into that now. So, returning to the statement of intent, if you're currently engaged in melee, you might say, "I'm going to attack the Broo in front of me with my broadsword, at SR 5, and parry with my shield." Or if you're using a composite bow, "I'm going to shoot the closest Scorpionman on SR1, reload, and shoot him again on SR 7" I'm sure there will be questions, and I may need to get you to expand on your statement during play.  2. Movement of non-engaged characters. At this time all character that are not engaged( involved in anything related to other characters ) move as was indicated in the statement of intent.  My interpretation of "not engaged" mean basically that the character moving won't impact anything else happening in the round.  So, if your adventurer is not currently engaged in hand to hand combat, but an NPC is going to shoot at you, you are engaged for purposes of this, and your movement will happen SR by SR. 3. Resolution Now, all adenturers and NPC's perform the actions indicated in the statement of intent, in SR order.  If there is a tie on SR, then highest DEX goes first.  If that is also a tie, simultaneous. During this phase, if something happens that causes you to want to change your Statemnent of intent, you can do that, but you pay a 5 SR "reaction" penalty 4. Bookkeeping. Record damage, Magic points used, Rune Points used, check successful skills. That should be it. Feel free to ask questions. 

How to Augment skills.  This has also been posted to Discord: Augmenting Skills. There are 3 ways you can attempt to augment one of your skills.  1. Using another skill. At the GM's discretion, you can use a skill to augment another skill.  The augment will be applied to 1 use of the augmented skill. You simply roll the skill you want to use to augment the other.  Based on the results, you chance for the augmented skill is adjusted: Critical success - +50% Special success - +30% Normal success - +20% Failure - -20% Fumble - -50%. The augmenting skill has to make sense to the GM.  For example, you wouldn't use Orate to augment a Scan roll.  On the other hand, using Dance to augment a Dodge roll seems perfectly reasonable. 2. Use a Rune. You can use your Rune affinities to agument a skill.  With the Elemental Runes, the specific skills that can be augmented are listed with the Rune descriptions( see the RuneDetails.pdf file ).  For the Power/Form Runes, it's more a case of you making a good argument that the Rune is appropriate for the skill and situation. Once it's been decided you can augment, you just roll against the desired Rune, and evaluate the results: Critical Success - +50% Special Success - +30% Normal Success - +20% Failure - -20% to ALL further rolls of that Rune until you spend a day meditating on the Rune.  Note that the skill you were trying to augment is not affected Fumble - -1d10% to the Rune, plus Psychic Turmoil for a period of time ranging from a few melee rounds, to up to 3 days.  During that time, you cannot use the Rune for anything. With an augment from a Rune, the augment lasts for the current situation, as defined by the GM.  Additionally, you may only attempt 1 Rune augment during a situation. 3. Use a Passion. You can also use one of your Passions to augment a skill. You need to convince the GM that the Passion is appropriate.  If you do, you roll against the Passion and evaluate the results: Critical Success - +50% Special Success - +30% Normal Success - +20% Failure - You are despondent.  Subtract 10% from ALL rolls for the duration of the situation Fumble - You are crushed by negative thoughts.  The Passion is reduced by 1d10%. You are in despair for a period of time ranging from a few melee rounds, to up to 3 days. During that time, you are incapable of doing anything other than running away or hiding. Like a Rune, the augment from a passion lasts for the current situation.