RuneQuest
Roleplaying in GloranthaBest For
Groups who want deep mythic fantasy where characters are embedded in cults, clans, and cosmic forces: with tactical hit-location combat and a world steeped in decades of lore.
Core Mechanic
Roll d100 under your skill percentage. Criticals at 1/20th of skill, specials at 1/5th, fumbles at 95+. Seven characteristics (STR, CON, SIZ, DEX, INT, POW, CHA). Combat uses hit locations (d20) with per-location HP and armor. Strike ranks determine action order. Runes are percentile-rated cosmic affinities that fuel magic and shape personality. Passions (Love, Hate, Honor, Loyalty) augment skills when invoked.
The d100 core rolls under a skill, with criticals and fumbles at the edges. Combat is where the weight lands, using hit locations with their own HP and armor plus strike-rank timing. Runic magic, passions, and cult ties add further interlocking layers. Bound tightly to Glorantha, it rewards real study before play.
- Free to tryQuickstartA free starter you can actually play
- Get it nowSold newIn print or as a legal PDF
Not listed
We have not listed this book's reference tools. Very short games are read straight from the page, so there is nothing to look up, and some older entries have not been checked yet.
Highlights
Glorantha is one of the most detailed settings in RPG history, Rune and Passion mechanics tie characters to the mythic world, hit-location combat adds tactical detail, skill-based advancement through use, three distinct magic systems
Considerations
Very steep learning curve, tightly coupled to Glorantha setting, combat bookkeeping is heavy, expensive to collect all sourcebooks, dense lore for new players
Rules license All Rights Reserved
Similar systems
- The Riddle of Steel — Lethal historical swordplay and costly sorcery in Weyrth, where personal convictions earn extra diceCompare RuneQuest vs The Riddle of Steel
- Pendragon — Play a line of knights chasing glory, love, and honor through the rise and fall of King Arthur's BritainCompare RuneQuest vs Pendragon
- Cyberpunk 2020 — Cybernetic outsiders taking dangerous jobs in a corporate-controlled futureCompare RuneQuest vs Cyberpunk 2020
- Cyberpunk RED — Cybered mercenaries take dangerous jobs in a city rebuilding after corporate warCompare RuneQuest vs Cyberpunk RED
- Aces & Eights: Shattered Frontier — Alternate-history Wild West where careers, reputations, and split-second gunfights shape a frontier lifeCompare RuneQuest vs Aces & Eights: Shattered Frontier
- Legend of the Five Rings — Samurai in Rokugan navigate court intrigue, duels, and supernatural threats while balancing sworn duty with personal desireCompare RuneQuest vs Legend of the Five Rings