Table Of ContentA E D A L U S
Editorial workshop for the role-playing hobby
FFEEAATTUURREE SSTTOORRYY
HHeerrooQQuueesstt uunnbboouunndd!!
QQ&&AA wwiitthh GGrreegg SSttaaffffoorrdd,, ppaaggee 33
bbyyMMaatttt SSnnyyddeerr
PPLLUUSS
RReeddeeeemmiinngg TThheedd,,
ggooddddeessss ooff rraappee,, ppaaggee 1100
bbyyRRoonnEEddwwaarrddss
TThhee ppoowweerr ooff mmyytthh,, ppaaggee 1188
bbyyCChhrriiss CChhiinnnn
Daedalus
Volume 1, Issue 1
Fall, 2003
Editor
Matt Snyder
Contributing Writers
Jason L. Blair
Chris Chinn
Lisa Clark-Fleishman
Pete Darby
Emily Dresner-Thornber
Ron Edwards
Bruce Ferrie
T.S.Luikart
Jonathan Walton
Eddy Webb
Cover Artist
Chris Martinez
Special Thanks
Greg Stafford
& the Issaries staff
Happy Halloween
Argonauts
From cover artist Chris Martinez and Daedalus.
This creepy illustration is copyright 2003 © Chris Martinez Sneak peek, page 10
By Jonathan Walton
Daedalus Fall 2003
We want to hear FROM THE EDITOR
FEATURE
from you! What I want to be
Daedalus wants to hear
what you think about the when I grow up
inaugural issue. Please
HeroQuest revives Glorantha legacy.......3
send an email if you
An eye-opening Q&A with Greg Stafford, cre- TThree months ago I decided it was high time
would like to comment
ator of HeroQuest, By Matt Snyder. I grew up. Ihave spent many, many hours
on the e-zine or any of
playing role-playing games, reading role-
the articles.Daedalus will
Redeeming Thed, Goddess of Rape........10 playing game books, participating in online dis-
feature select letters on
One group’s amazing heroquest that delves cussion groups like the Forge and RPG.net, talk-
this page in future issues.
deep into painful subject. By RonEdwards
ing with my friends and fellow gamers, and even
designing my own games. I’m passionate about
Looking for The power of myth in role-playing.........18
role-playing games, and I decided its time to give
articles, artwork
Harness the power of myth in your role-playing
something back to the
for Winter 2004 sessions. By Chris Chinn.
role-playing community.
Daedalus is looking for
This e-zine, DAEDALUS,
contributors for the winter
is my effort to do just
2004 issue. If you would SNEAK PEEK! that, to give something
like to write an article, Argonauts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
back to the role-playing
showcase a game, review Epic Greek heroes and their inevitable tragedies; an
hobby and hopefully to
a game, or provide art- M&M Superlink game preview. By Jonathan Walton.
do a little growing up in
work for the upcoming
ARTICLES the process.
issue, please contact edi-
Ihave some pretty
tor Matt Snyder: You do what for a living? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
strong opinions about
[email protected]. The The economics of adventuring. By T.S. Luikart.
this hobby, and especially
Winter 2004 feature will
World design, block by block . . . . . . . . . . . 35 the industry. Hopefully, Matt Snyder
be cyberpunkand science
How to build a setting with a creepy haunted I’m also wise enough
fiction in role-playing
Halloween example. By Emily K.Dresner Thornber. not to let that confound what DAEDALUS can be
games. The deadline for
for you, the reader.
contributions is Improvisation techniques for gamers. . . . . . 39
What is DAEDALUS? It is an editorial work-
December 31, 2003. How to use the tools of improvisational theatre in
shop and forum, a crossroads where designers,
your gaming sessions. By Pete Darby.
writers, and readers can come to think critically
Please donate COLUMNS & EDITORIALS and seriously bout their beloved hobby. And
Daedalus is free e-zine This just in:Your favorite game sucks . . . . . 44 let’s not forget that this hobby is about having
with volunteer contribu- A critical view of harsh critics. By Jason L. Blair. fun. My mission with this publication is to help
people have more fun with their hobby.
tors. Please consider A role-playing game by any other name . . . 47
So, three months have passed, and here I am
donating via PayPal to
Accept no substitute—role-playing games are their
on the eve of the inaugural issue’s release. It’s
keep Daedalus going! You own thing. By Eddy Webb.
been a lot of work. Fortunately, I had a number
can make payments to
Guilty pleasures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 of role-playing enthusiasts who agreed to go
[email protected]
A call for change in the way hobby markets itself the along for the ride. And what a ride it’s been. I’m
the mainstream public. By Lisa Fleishman. proud of DAEDALUS, and I hope that DAEDALUS
Advertise shows it.
COMIC
Game publishers, please Welcome to the first issue of DAEDALUS. Long
contact Daedalus Trollbabe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 may we run. Ω
“Sex and Death, with Music.” By Ron Edwards and
Editor Matt Snyder
James V. West.
([email protected]) for
information about ads for
your game or product in
Issue contents www.chimera.info/daedalus 2
this e-zine.
Daedalus Copyright © 2003, Matt Snyder /Chimera Creative
Daedalus Fall 2003
HeroQuest revives Glorantha legacy
Creator Greg Stafford explains the evolution of his world
By Matt Snyder
Daedalus Editor
IIn the history of role-playing games, there
have been a few imaginative places that
have truly stood the test of time. Like aging
siblings, legacy game-related settings like
Greyhawk, Tekumel, and Glorantha have
become the grandfathers and great uncles of fan-
tasy role-playing games.
Greyhawk is, of course, the long-lasting realm
About
in which countless Dungeons &Dragonsadven-
Greg Stafford
tures have taken place. With the release of the
Greg Stafford began
third edition of Dungeons & Dragons,
publishing games in
Greyhawk became the “default” setting, and it
1974 as a founder of
has been recast and rekindled as a fan favorite.
Chaosium. He has
Tekumel, that baroque, bizarre realm world
created numerable
imagined in games and writings by M.A.R. Barker,
role-playing games,
persists in an online site (www.tekumel.com) and
including RuneQuest,
in the hearts and minds of dedicated fans and col-
Pendragon, Prince
lectors.And, Guardians of Order promises a new
Valiant, Hero Wars
Tekumel role-playing game in December 2003.
This year, Issaries, Inc., published HeroQuest,
and his newest game,
And then there is Glorantha. It is the creation a revitalized edition for Gloranthan role-play-
HeroQuest. Stafford
of Greg Stafford, a living legend of the role-play- ing. Issaries reached an agreement withSteve
was born in 1948, is
ing game community.Glorantha began, in the Jackson Games to distribute HeroQuest, and it
married to Suzanne public eye, with the relase of the board game is available online at:
Courteau, and has
White Bear, Red Moon in 1975. Stafford
three children: Noah, explains Glorantha existed well before that in www.warehouse23.com/item.cgi?ISS1001
Alisha, and Jason.
his writings and imagination.
After another board game called Nomad a new game set in Glorantha called Hero Wars.
Gods, Glorantha became the setting for fantasy Hero Wars experienced problems in produc-
role-playing game RuneQuest. RuneQuestwas a tion, and the product was difficult to read and
very popular game for a young hobby. The game use. However, it contained an innovative system,
developed a fan base that continues to play the designed by Robin Laws, that broadened the
game today, despite the fact that the 3rd edition scope and story of Glorantha. The game devel-
of the game was published in in 1985. oped a dedicated following of fans, and it changed
In 1998, Stafford split from Chaosium, with the way players interacted withGlorantha, urging
whom he published RuneQuest and other more mythic stories and heroicstruggles.
Learn more about remakable games like Pendragon and Prince HeroQuest is an outstanding game. It
HeroQuest and Valiant, as well as working on classics like Call employs a single, simple mechanic to model con-
Glorantha online: of Cthulhu and Thieves World. He formed flicts of all kinds. The system scales beautifully,
www.glorantha.com
Issaries, Inc., and put together the publication of allowing conflicts among everything from peas-
HeroQuest revives Glorantha legacy By Matt Snyder 3
Daedalus Copyright © 2003, Matt Snyder /Chimera Creative
HeroQuest Copyright © 2003, Issaries, Inc. Images used by permission.
Interview replies Copyright © 2003Greg Stafford
Daedalus Fall 2003
ants to demigods. The game emphasizes the ments from other people that in turn cause me to
value of community and relationships more so consider, reconsider and discover new things.
than the might of a solitary hero as other fantasy Thus, this game is the culmination of 28 years of
games so often do. Characters can overcome creativity. It has been fun, but also hard work. I
challenges using their spent almost a whole
personal relationships “I wanted to create the world, year doing little else
in exactly the same but write HeroQuest,
show how it worked, crank it
way as they would use but as a result I feel it
their own ability with up and then send the machine really does bring it
a sword. This empha- home this time. I feel
towards it logical end …
sis on community and like HeroQuest cap-
truly makes the game tures the vison, the
HeroQuest is the game for it.”
and its well-developed color and the excite-
world shine. The result ment of Glorantha in a
is a game system that practically begs players to form that is the most accessible yet. Robin Laws
craft powerful, meaningful myths on their own. created a slick and dynamic system that makes
In short, HeroQuest is a milemarker for role- storytelling more important than rules lawyer-
playing games. Greg Stafford and company have, ing, so Glorantha is now quite accessible.
at long last, achieved a great accomplishment with
the game. It is one that will hopefully encourage Q: Has Glorantha changed in its latest
years of enjoyment among gamers and one that iteration? How so?
inspires future designs to live up to its legacy.
A: Glorantha has always been changing.
Glorantha realized However, I don’t feel that is has changed
Greg Stafford agreed to answer some ques- radically. With each game I’ve just added more
tions from DAEDALUS to shed some light on the detail and interesting depth.
creation myth of Glorantha and HeroQuest. But, this time some changes feel larger than
others. For instance, this is the first time that I’ve
Q: I understand HeroQuest is, for you, the had the clarity of vison to definitely state that
ultimate realization of Glorantha? the three Otherworlds of magic are absolutely
separate from each other, except where they
A: Perhaps not the “ultimate,” but certainly overlap in the human world. But the lands and
the best to date. peoples have remained essentially the same from
the first game, the gods and goddesses are the
Q: Can you explain what about this specific same and so on.
game really makes it all “come home” for
you? Q: Where is Glorantha going from here?
A: I’ve been writing about Glorantha since
1966. I’ve been making games set there A: To the End of the World. I have always
since 1975. I’ve made or helped to make two had a perception that I wanted to create
board games, two roleplaying games and a com- the world, show how it worked, crank it up and
puter game set here. During that time it has always then send the machine towards it logical end,
been a growing thing, and each game has helped which is the self destruction that precedes a new
to clarify Glorantha for me. That is, it’s an ongo- creation. HeroQuest is the game for it. It shows
ing process where I learn something new about the how the world is, sets the mechanics to make it
word and attmept to put it intoshape as a game. work and also provides the tools to break it. So
Then the game provokes all kinds of com- Glorantha is going to end.
HeroQuest revives Glorantha legacy By Matt Snyder 4
Daedalus Copyright © 2003, Matt Snyder /Chimera Creative
HeroQuest Copyright © 2003, Issaries, Inc. Images used by permission.
Interview replies Copyright © 2003Greg Stafford
Daedalus Fall 2003
Reaching out Q: Do you think the dizzying amount of
material and even things like potentially
Q: Who is the primary target audience of this confusing game titles are an obstacle for them?
game? Is it existing Glorantha fans, or do
you aim to capture new fans? What is A: No, not if they actually look at what is
Issaries marketing target, and how does there. Think of it this way. Does a couple
the game strive to that goal? of million books about World War II make it
harder for someone to
A:This is aimed at learn to play their first
new comers. I war game? Not if the
am really happy that game is simple! Same
I’ve finally managed to for Glorantha. Ignore
make the depth and whatever you don’t
compexity of Glorantha know, take what is
into a feature instead there and play.
of a bug. This game is
designed from the Q:What can you
ground up to be acces- suggest to these
sible to newbies. It people as the best way
always bugged me no to “getting into” the
end that people were game?
intimidated by the
game and the world. A:Start small. Not
So this time I wrote it even the Narrator
so that everything has to know every-
needed to play was thing about the world.
concise and simple and No one has to know all
made it clear that play- the gods, cults and
ing the game would magical spells. Just use
reveal other things, but what you need. And
all you need to start is the narrator needs to
Darra Happans, members of the Lunar Empire
right there. always remember the
So, a new player really has to read two pages two main principles of the game:
to make a new character. Since the game is based YGWV: Your Glorantha Will Vary. Even I
on verbal storytelling with a very simple rule sys- don’t know everything, so be confident that
tem it’s easy to get into without reading a hun- whatever you want to make up is OK; and
dred pages of complex rules. MGF:Maximum Game Fun. If there is a con-
flict betwseen a “known fact” and fun, then go
Q: How well do you think HeroQuest serves for the fun!
people new to Glorantha? By the way, neither of these abbreviations
were made up by me. I got them off the lists.
A:Very well. It has a simple rule system and
is written to start small and go larger if Q: What about people who’ve loved Glorantha
you wish. It stresses "This is all you need to for years—how does the game serve them?
know." The new comers I have communicated Do they lose anything in this edition?
with have found it to be so.
A: I don’t think so. Most of the comments
that I have heard in person or read on the
HeroQuest revives Glorantha legacy By Matt Snyder 5
Daedalus Copyright © 2003, Matt Snyder /Chimera Creative
HeroQuest Copyright © 2003, Issaries, Inc. Images used by permission.
Interview replies Copyright © 2003Greg Stafford
Daedalus Fall 2003
lists are extremely positive. Most of them express manuscript to submit it to us first.
satisfaction that so many of their previousquestions As for non-Gloranthan materials, we have
have been answered. The only thing lost is a lot of some items in the long-term works that will take
dizzying detail for such odious things as hours-long the game system and expand it to other settings.
hand-to-hand combat and limitless spell lists. But I think it’s counter productive to talk about them
now we have a good presentation of what in detail at this date. I have just too much expe-
HeroQuesting is and how it works. People can take rience of letting a single sentence slip out and
their characters into the worlds of the gods and then be plagued by people for years who want to
spirits now, and participate in the great myths. see it and are so often disappointed when I
haven’t lived up to their desires. We are a small
Issaries’ stance on third-party publishing company and have a plan for the next couple of
years to make sure that Glorantha is properly
Q: I recently read a post describing the supported. Then we will see about the next stage.
HeroQuest rules as “narrative GURPS,” As for licensing the system to someone else,
meaning that it is a fantastic rules set for creating we would be more than happy to entertain any
stories of many kinds, Glorantha or otherwise. offers. But we are a professional company, and
we expect to work with professionals. But, I
A: Thank you. We feel the same. want to repeat: If someone has an idea or a new
setting, contact us first!
We have no interest in doing an open license
Q: So, I'm interested in hearing what Issaries thing, either. And on that subject, let me say here
stance is on development of supplemental that we have no plans to use the d20 license for
materials for HeroQuest. I see two prongs here: Glorantha. Glorantha is bigger than d20. I
Gloranthan support materials (clearly, there's would, frankly, licence it for the right amount,
already a thriving Glorantha fan following) and paid up front. But the number is such that I
non-Gloranthan materials. Can you explain doubt anyone would want to pay it.
your company's position on people creating sup-
plemental material and/or conversions of the Creating by collaboration
HeroQuest engine for other settings? Does
Issaries support this? What about for-profit Q: Glorantha is your creation, an yet it is
materials? Have you considered any kind of pro- obviously a world made by a number of
gram or licensure for such development? people. Was there a point at which you had to
“let go” and let others color the world and its
A: As for Glorantha, we have a program myths, regardless of what they did fit some nas-
underway to update known material and cent vision you once held? How have you
also, more excitingly, to publish a lot of new approached that over the years, and how has it
material about the unpublished regions of shaped your own view of a world you created?
Glorantha. We are going to concentrate on
expanding knowledge of the Lunar Empire first, A: It has been a struggle. Obviously I have and
but we are also preparing supplements for other have had a lot invested in Glorantha, and
regions of the world. I used to be horribly possessive about it. I regret
Fans have the liberty to do what they wish my attitude from years ago where I turned off
with their own games of course, and we support some very creative individuals and forfeited their
their publications as long as they are not for prof- contributions. But part of the appeal of
it. We don’t especially feel obligated to agree with Glorantha has always been its internal consis-
fan publications, of course, but then, YGWV. tancy, and I don’t regret holding that vision.
That said, we often draw official material from One of the virtues of HeroQuest is that it
the fan material. We urge anyone with a finished really does set the frame, the macro-structure, to
HeroQuest revives Glorantha legacy By Matt Snyder 6
Daedalus Copyright © 2003, Matt Snyder /Chimera Creative
HeroQuest Copyright © 2003, Issaries, Inc. Images used by permission.
Interview replies Copyright © 2003Greg Stafford
Daedalus Fall 2003
such an extent that I am confident people will be time, but didn’t know he was a Glorantha fan. If I
able to work within it without me peering over had I probably would have asked him to collabo-
their shoulders. rate earlier. I was ecstatic when he agreed to do it.
That said, it was only within the last decade that We spent a lot of time in conversation and
I rally began to loosen email with me outlin-
up. My attitude used to ing and detailing my
be that everything had to ideas and needs, and
match my preconcep- with Robin asking his
tions, and if I didn’t have own questions, pump-
preconceptions then I’d ing me for details. He
spend time working was astute in his ques-
those out, often to the tions, even bringing
detrtiment of potential me to clarify things
contributors. It was as if, that I’d not consid-
“If it isn’t mine, it does- ered. And he was
n’t work.” absolutely sensitive to
There have always my desires. As a result
been exceptions, of he came out with a sys-
course. Sandy Petersen tem that worked. He
was one person in par- even did things that I
ticular who could per- insisted on that he did-
fectly anticipate my n’t really want, like the
own vision. But I have edges and handicaps.
changed that old atti- He submitted his
tude. I have always manuscript on time.
wanted Glorantha it to We tweaked the system
be a group effort, and a bit. For instance,
Heortlings, free people and worshippers of Orlanth
so now I have convert- Shannon Applecline
ed to the practice that, “if it isn’t wrong, it is convinced me that the numbers in the original res-
ok.” olution system were backward, and so we
reversed them. But most of the system remained
From Hero Wars to HeroQuest intact. Then I began to fill in the details, ran out
of money and published the then-current result as
Q: How did the rules system emerge? That the incomplete game called Hero Wars.
is, how did you work with Robin Laws to
create this system for Hero Wars, and what Q: Incomplete? Care to explain what you
input did you have on the design? I'm interested mean by that?
in the thought process and the objectives for cre-
ating this rules system as seen in Hero Warsand A: Sure. I’d been publishing games for decades
now HeroQuest. as Chaosium, but we owners and debtors
broke the company up in 1999 or so. I got what
A: I struggled for years with HeroQuest. I I had begun with: Glorantha and its products.
wrote hundreds of pages, dozens of rules But I needed money to finish the game and
and systems to try to make it work. I never could. publish it, so I asked the fans if they could help
Fianally I decided to try to find someone else to help out to make the new game. They responded gen-
out. Rob Heinsoo told me one day that Robin Laws erously and I exceeded my mark of $50,000.
was a Glorantha fan and I went right to him to ask Well, that seems like a lot of money but it was
for his input. I had admired Robin’s skill for some really just a tad compared to what we needed.
HeroQuest revives Glorantha legacy By Matt Snyder 7
Daedalus Copyright © 2003, Matt Snyder /Chimera Creative
HeroQuest Copyright © 2003, Issaries, Inc. Images used by permission.
Interview replies Copyright © 2003Greg Stafford
Daedalus Fall 2003
It wasn’t enough, so I reached the point where Q: What do you see as the most significant
I had just enough money left to print the game changes in HeroQuest versus Hero Wars
up. I had a choice of either publishing it as it was in terms of system?
or never dong it at all. Since I’d made a promise
to the contributors to release a game I printed A: The most significent changes are not really
Hero Wars. I was never happy with the result. It to the system at all, but to the way they
was unprofessional, full of typos and mis- are presented. The biggest change is that now
spellings. I always thought it was an embarass- the rules insist that people tell the narrator what
ment, and that my world and Robin’s game sys- they want to do, then the numbers are figured
tem deserved better. out. In Hero Wars the numbers came first, but
If I had had the assistance of my loyal sidekick that was awfuly clumsy and got in the way of the
Stephen Martin at that time it would have been story. I owe that insight to my friend Fergie who
much better, but he was busy having a baby and used to play in my game and say, “Look, Greg, I
tending to his wife. Nonetheless, the established don’t care about the numbers. I just want to jump
fans took to it, and it sold out. So, we could gath- on his head and push my spear through its eyes.”
er enough new funds in and work some more,
then print the finished version that is HeroQuest. Personal myths
Q:What about in HeroQuest—what roles did Q: How much of you is in this game? How
you and Robin (and others?) play in terms much of your own philosophies have col-
of game system for this new iteration of the game? ored both Glorantha as a fantastic place, and
HeroQuest as a workable game?
A: The biggest changes are in the presentation.
HeroQuest makes it accessible, presented A: I have been working on Glorantha for
in digestible bites instead of a massive feast. more than half my life, so of course it has
If there are faults, I take most of the blame for a lot of me in it. It is my primary artistic expres-
them. Robin had met his obligations and didn’t sion. I love mythology, both as a subject of study
do much for the new version, for HeroQuest. and a personal practice, and so of course that is
His contribution was and is the graceful game expressed in this game. But I don’t try to use it as
system and for asking the questions that brought a propaganda tool for either politics or religion.
out the details in Glorantha.
For the second version I’d been playing it for Q: Are you making a statement with
some time, and I had decided to take some of the HeroQuest, and if so can you explain that?
confusing game system parts out, like edges and
handicaps that I had originally insisted on. As I said, A: If I am making a statement it is that we
Robin had put them in at my insistance, but they are still beings with a mythological part
were bad rules, just gumming up a sleek system. So deep within us. The modern Western world pre-
now they are supplemental or optional rules. tends that it fosters a superior way of thinking. It
Other people also helpd to improve and finish insists on a scientific, rational perspecive and has
the system and details. I am especially indebted dismissed spirituality and consciousness as being
to Stephen Martin, Mark Galeotti and Roderick just superstition and primitive nonsense. This is
Robertson who filled in spell and feat lists and of course bunk. I certainly believe in science and
so on. I also owe a huge debt to Jonathan Geere rationality, but don’t believe that they hold the
who oversaw the manuscript at a critical juncture secrets of meaning that so many people seek.
and both made suggestions and filled in some Except for health, science hasn’t made people hap-
details. And there is a host of others, whose pier. Sure, it has given us computers, let us fly
credits are in the game. If I listed them all it around the world and talk with each other on the
would fill up a page. internet. Big deal. Science hasn’t done much to let
HeroQuest revives Glorantha legacy By Matt Snyder 8
Daedalus Copyright © 2003, Matt Snyder /Chimera Creative
HeroQuest Copyright © 2003, Issaries, Inc. Images used by permission.
Interview replies Copyright © 2003Greg Stafford
Daedalus Fall 2003
people learn more about each other, to find love, and treat magic as if it was another technology. But
or to remove the barriers of fear, jealousy, and it isn’t. Magic comes from the place where poetry
prejudice. Those are and psychology meet,
things that live within “The game isn’t going to which is in our souls. I
us all, and it is mythol- don’t try to proselityze
solve the terrors of life, fill
ogy and spirituality that with my games, but I do
can change us inside. try to provide soul food,
someone with love, or help
Of course, I am not in the form of fun, cre-
promoting irrationality them find the right mate. It ativity and group com-
of blind belief, either. We munication. So I guess
doesn’t teach magic. It just
must struggle to live with you could say this is a
our need for both ration- feeds our spirit.” sort of "correction" for
ality and irrationality. the erroneous method-
ologies that are promot-
Q: Do you have any hope that what ed in other games and in our culture at large.
you're “saying” with this game will have
an effect on people who buy and play the game? Teacher’s pet
A: I don’t really hope that the game will Q: For you, and perhaps your own group,
change people. That isn’t part of my pro- are there any particular regions or myths
gram. I want to provide this game to have fun. I that you’ve found special affection for using the
do believe that it provokes and feeds, in a posi- new game?
tive way, the mythological selves that we all
have. I also feel that feeding those parts of our- A: I have always had affection for the
selves is a good thing. But the game isn’t going stormy mythologies, but this is just a
to solve the terrors of life, fill someone with love, reflection of my own tumultous spirit. That is, I
or help them find the right mate. It doesn’t teach think, the source of my long-standing develop-
magic. It just feeds our spirit. ment of the Heortlings, the Orlanth-worship-
ping people of Dragon Pass. At the same time I
Q: HeroQuest has a three-pronged approach have developed a deep understanding for the
to magic, and each is defined by worship or reflective values that manage to reconcile the
deification, even the type of magic labeled wiz- contradictions of life This has come about more
ardry. While this may be more fitting considering recently, hence the development of the multi-
the historical nature of magic and myth in actual faceted Lunar Empire. Nonetheless, all of the
cultures, it is contrary to the “secular” magic found aspects of Glorantha are a part of my love of
so commonly in RPGs. Can you explain this a bit, mythology in its many, many masks. I have deep
and comment on why you've included no “secular attachments to all of it. If I had enough time I
magic?” Do you see it in any way as a “correction” would eventually develop the subtleties,
for a hobby trend that demystified the nature of strengths and weaknessess of the rest of
magic, ritual and worship in human history? Glorantha as well. As it is, I am extremely happy
to have the assistance of so many others who
A:Of course, it isn’t the hobby that has secular- have had their own imaginations and creativity
ized the idea of magic. Everything in our provoked to contribute to the world. I am happy
Western way of life has done that and the majority to have such a team of people helping out. I am
of game designers don’t have real experience with happy to have fed so many minds and spirits,
magic, so they just mimic the "common knowledge" and look forward to this continuing. Ω
HeroQuest revives Glorantha legacy By Matt Snyder 9
Daedalus Copyright © 2003, Matt Snyder /Chimera Creative
HeroQuest Copyright © 2003, Issaries, Inc. Images used by permission.
Interview replies Copyright © 2003Greg Stafford
Daedalus Fall 2003
Redeeming Thed, Goddess of Rape
A powerful account of one group’s profound heroquest
““HHello, my name is Ron Edwards, and worshippers are the broo, or goatkin, a stock
I’m a rabid advocate for playing monster for the setting and arguably the most
HeroQuest.” Everyone else: “Hi, debased kindred ever invented for a fantasy-
Ron!” This article is intended to illustrate just world. They propagate exclusively through rape,
what you can get from playing the game, and it’s and they are cross-fertile with just about any-
pretty deep-end. HeroQuest isn’t about swinging thing. The offspring may have features of the
swords and improving victim-parent, but it’s
your character’s abili- a broo, usually male,
ties, although that and usually riddled
does happen. Playing with “Chaos features”
this game is about (i.e. magical muta-
stuff, and the good news is that ultimately, what tions) and diseases. They worship Thed in ani-
the stuff really means is up to you. What do you mistic terms as an ancestor-spirit, and probably
need to know, to read this article? Not much. through misapplied theistic worship as well,
The name of the setting is Glorantha, and there using all manner of sacrifice and vicious evil-
Article by are lots of cultures involved. Gods and goddess- doing as currency.
Ron Edwards es are a big deal, very much like what you’d find The broo are found in all published versions
in reading The Iliad. This essay is about one of of Gloranthan role-playing. They’re always the
Ron Edwards is the
them: Thed, the Gloranthan goddess of rape. same: humanoids with nearly-random animal
owner of Adept Press,
In my role-playing group, during our very features, although with a tendency toward goat-
and he has published
first discussion of the setting’s mythology and part; festering and stinking with diseases; dis-
several role-playing
cultures, the other players’ initial reaction to this playing all sorts of deformities and wild magical
games including
concept was probably similar to most people’s: features; and running around intent on rape and
Sorcerer, Trollbabe, and
“Whaaat? You must be kidding me.” I saw their pain. On occasion, united by a shaman or the
Elfs. Ron won the 2002
point. It doesn’t sound good, does it? Especially occasional debased human, they may be
Diana Jones Award for
the “of” part, which means what it sounds involved in more subtle plots, on the scale of
his work in independent
like—this goddess represents, facilitates, pro- “poison the village well” or “steal ten babes for
role-playing publishing
motes, and rewards the act in question. To wor- sacrifice.” They’ll hire out as mercenaries,
and success with
ship her is to perpetrate rape and its associated although their employer would certainly be
Sorcerer.He was also
agony of all kinds. I was looking at my players, ostracized by his or her other potential allies.
named Person of the
and they’re giving me that No Freaking Way Broo vileness shows up everywhere. Check out
Year in the 2002 Indie
look back. Now, years later, I’m writing this arti- any edition of RuneQuest (The Chaosium 1977,
RPGAwards.
cle to show that the Gloranthan setting is built 1978), and the supplements Snakepipe Hollow,
to prompt these kinds of responses from people, River of Cradles, The Big Rubble, Dorastor:
and that HeroQuest has the guts, as a game, to Land of Doom, and Shadows on the
take even such a difficult ball and run with it for Borderland.
some outstanding, uniquely powerful play. In The role-playing source material on the
many other games, such a response means, mythos can be found in Cults of Terror (The
“Avoid this issue from now on.” In HeroQuest, Chaosium, 1981). Its text was recapitulated in
it can mean, “Go there, now.” the Avalon Hill publication Lords of Terror
So here we go, on a discourse about Thed. (1994) and also in the first three chapters of
She isn’t a very powerful deity. Her primary Glorantha: Introduction to the Hero Wars
Redeeming Thed, Goddess of Rape By Ron Edwards 10
Daedalus Copyright © 2003, Matt Snyder /Chimera Creative
Article Copyright © 2003 Adept Press
