Core Rulebook (2e)
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This new edition of the classic game has taken just about every aspect of the first edition¸ scrutinised it¸ revised it¸ and restructured it to bring RuneQuest aficionados and new players alike the very best incarnation of the classic games engine. RuneQuest fans will not be dissappointed in the attention lavished on the new game. In particular they can expect:
"A streamlined and revised character creation system¸ with greater emphasis on character background¸ but also significant changes that influence a character's starting skills and abilities and the speed with which adventurers develop¸ improve and progress. Particular attention has been paid to training and skill improvement¸ but you will also find that the structure and range of skills is greatly enhanced¸ meaning that new RuneQuest adventurers begin with a greater degree of competence across the board.
"Combat - perhaps the most controversial aspect of the first edition of the game - has been almost completely retooled. Although all the familiar concepts remain (Combat Actions¸ Strike Rank and so forth)¸ the combat process is based on simple rolls¸ does not rely on any resolution matrix¸ and introduces special Combat Manoeuvres simulating the cut and thrust of real combat whilst offering a truly epic¸ cinematic edge. Combat is faster than before and perhaps more deadly¸ but every RuneQuest character will find a greater range of tactical options and combat effects that create a satisfying¸ exciting¸ combat flow.
"Magic¸ too¸ has undergone radical redefinition. Common Magic¸ available to all¸ replaces Rune Magic; Divine Magic establishes and emphasises the need for¸ and importance of¸ a relationship with a god; Sorcery¸ the most complex of the magic systems¸ has been considerably streamlined to reflect the nature of the sorcerer and the immense power a cunning sorcery practitioner can command. Spirit Magic has been completely rebuilt¸ truly focusing on the nature of the spirit world and how the shaman interacts with it: spirit magic is intuitive and dynamic in its approach. Fundamentally though¸ the importance and nature of the runes - the heart of RuneQuest - are explained and linked through each magic system without ever dominating one particular magical type.
"Cults¸ another crucial facet of RuneQuest¸ have been redesigned and extended in scope. The nature of the relationship with the cult is at the heart of the cult rules¸ with the most devout gaining the greatest rewards. Cults are more than just places to gain spells and cheap training; their mythical significance¸ and relationship to myth¸ runs through the cult structure¸ driving and shaping the way its members behave.
"Elsewhere¸ RuneQuest II tweaks and brings subtle changes to other aspects of the core system. The presentation of the game rules has been restructured to make it easier for Games Masters and players to find what they need¸ when they need it. The system is designed with clarity and ease of use in mind. Some - many - rules have needed little or no alteration. Others are common sense tweaks to assist both game balance and maximising game fun¸ whilst retaining the 'realism' for which RuneQuest is renown.
"Great pains have been taken to ensure full backwards compatibility. Although RuneQuest II changes many things¸ its core and heart remains the same. With a little conversion work Games Masters will be able to easily adapt their first edition characters and settings to the new and¸ in just about every case¸ adventurers will improve as a result of conversion. All first edition books and expansions remain compatible with RuneQuest II and¸ indeed¸ material presented in first edition expansions has become the foundation for the new game.