RQII renamed LEGEND

[Piperdog]

Mongoose dropped the Runequest license apparently; from what I gather, they found the Glorantha setting was not as popular as the rules set they came up with, so they are divorcing the system from the setting so it is more generic, which I think is a smart move. So now it will be called LEGEND, and they are following the Savage Worlds Explorers Edition trend and making the books digest sized softcovers.

I really dig the system. I only started running it, and last night ran a buddy of mine through a solo session. It is really a blast, but even with just one player, combat is crunchy. I cringe at how it will go with a large group. See, in this game, it's hit points by location, so if you are the GM, you have to keep track of not just how many points of damage were done, but where it was done. I made up some npc/monster combat tracking sheets to make things go a lot faster. I like the system though a bit much in the book keeping department. I may use this game as inspiration to do my C&C CKG variant I have been dwelling on.

[Sir Ironside]

Mongoose dropped the Runequest license apparently; from what I gather, they found the Glorantha setting was not as popular as the rules set they came up with

They didn't come up with the rules it is mostly BRP (Basic Role Playing) that goes back many, many years. It has been used by Chaosium for a long time.

It is still one of my favourite systems.

[Piperdog]

Right. I am aware of BRP....as a matter of fact, talking with a Chaosium representative at Origins, they were not pleased with Mongoose, because apparently they didn't have license or permission to copy the BRP system, but did it anyway. Not sure of the particulars, but it was obvious there was some bad blood between the two over it. That being said, the Mongoose RQII/Legend has a truncated skill list (which I appreciate), and has a nifty combat manuever system (choosing special effects, tricks, etc. when you gain a level of success over the opponent), which from what I gather, is unique to their version. Does BRP have that? I have the pdf of BRP but haven't read it through yet.

[Traveller]

I'm very familiar with BRP, but not overly familiar with MRQII/Legend. I have a copy of MRQI so I cannot properly answer your question about the differences between the two, though I can tell you that the combat maneuver system does not appear in BRP. What I can also tell you is that Chaosium's displeasure means nothing, because as the editors of the simulacrum games love to point out, game rules cannot be copyrighted. What can be copyrighted is the text and layout. The two I believe have sufficient differences that any legal action Chaosium could contemplate would not stand in a court of law.

While Mongoose could have sought permission and got a license from Chaosium, they didn't need to and chose not to. Probably not a bad idea on their part, because if they had sought permission, they likely would not have gotten it.

[Piperdog]

I have to say I really do like this system....the combat manuever thing makes combat very tactical. If you hit and the opponent fails a parry, then you can choose one manuever, like Choose Hit Location or Trip or Impale or whatever. Certain weapons allow certain manuevers. Some manuevers can only be chosen if you get a critical success...so then you can Maximize Damage and so on. If you get a crit. success and they fail their parry, that is a difference of two success levels, so you get to choose two manuevers, and so on. It goes both ways though, and if you succeed at a parry but the opponent failed to hit, you can do Overextend Opponent and so on.

So it is pretty cool.....but combat is slow of course, but that is the trade off. When I get tired of that, I just hop back to C&C!

[Lord Dynel]

Interesting. I almost bought the system at Gen Con, but resisted the urge. I had picked up a lot of new systems at the con as it was (well two, TOR and Burning Wheel, but I picked up Dragon Warriors shortly after I got home because I couldn't find it at the con). I got to talking to the Mongoose guys and apparently the "original" owners of the Glorantha wanted the setting back (and apparently the name, too), so Mongoose got to keep the mechanics and they're letting the setting go back to whoever now owns it. I might have to pick up the system now, dammit!

So Legend (for those who don't know) will be 100% compatible with the current MRQII system.

[Piperdog]

Yeah, the game will now be a generic setting free system. I dig the name too for some reason. They may be adding some supplemental material to the new release, so they say. But I like the system a lot, so much so, I just launched a brand new campaign with it.