Close
Close
Advanced Search

RuneQuest - Roleplaying in GloranthaClick to magnify
Quick Preview
/gs_flipbook/flip.php?xml=/demo_xml/243427.xml&w=500&h=326
Full‑size Preview
https://watermark.drivethrurpg.com/pdf_previews/243427-sample.pdf

RuneQuest - Roleplaying in Glorantha

ADD TO WISHLIST >

Get Started in RuneQuest with beautiful full-color PDF!

RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha is an all-new edition of one of the world’s most influential and acclaimed fantasy roleplaying games. First appearing almost 40 years ago, RuneQuest is as dynamic and vital as ever. This all-new, deluxe edition introduces RuneQuest and its setting of Glorantha to new players everywhere.

Try out a skill-based percentile system that balances experience-based progression with deadly combat!

The core rules of RuneQuest are essential for players and gamemasters, as they contain all the rules for character creation, starting homelands, background history, professions, skills, starting Runes and magic, and the cults and gods whose influence will define your character’s activities. Further, the rules for character advancement are contained here, for the times between adventures.

An RPG with a difference

harmast.jpg

RuneQuest is part of Chaosium’s D100 Basic Roleplaying system. It is intuitive and easy to play: virtually all rolls determining success or failure of a task are determined via the roll of percentile dice.

RuneQuest has no character classes or alignments; characters are defined by their culture, the gods they follow, and the Runes that inspire them.

Nor does the RuneQuest system use levels; instead, characters advance in skills and abilities by using them in course of play. Anyone can try to pick a lock, cast a spell, or decipher some ancient runic script.

Combat in RuneQuest is exciting, immersive, visceral and always potentially deadly; players should be mindful even the lowliest trollkin can take out an experienced warrior with a lucky blow.

 

Players will want this book to create their unique characters, diving into sorcery, picking their cult, or taking up shamanism to converse with mysterious spirits. 

Gamemasters need this book, as it contains the core rules for the game, including task resolution, combat, and damage, as well as guidelines for special situations in combat, such as formations and chariots. These core rules are designed to be used in conjunction with the upcoming Glorantha Bestiary and the RuneQuest Gamemaster Pack and Screen.

Here are some useful downloads that are included with your purchase: 

  • RuneQuest Glorantha Character Sheet
  • Character Background Worksheet
  • Holdings/Family/Allies sheet
  • Glorantha Bestiary Sample

For gamemasters wanting to jump right in, the RuneQuest Quickstart contains a complete adventure suitable for new characters, and we have included a preview of monsters and creatures from the Glorantha Bestiary provides a few classic creatures.

Have you played Call of Cthulhu? You will pick up RuneQuest in no time thanks to our Basic Roleplaying System! 

Adventures in Snakepipe Hollow

Take the battle to the foul minions of chaos! 

Two Rules to Remember

You might be getting the feeling that with multiple editions and more than 40 years of existence, that RuneQuest and Glorantha are big! And they are. But Bigger than you can manage? A steep wall that can’t be climbed? Nothing could be further from the truth!

Over the years, Glorantha has existed in many incarnations — roleplaying games, boardgames, computer games, fiction, etc. — and many inconsistencies have crept in, or been deliberately introduced. That’s a good thing! Myths have many versions, and the mythic world of Glorantha is no different, with wildly divergent beliefs about how the world works, how history played out, the influence of groups and individuals, etc. This perfectly sets the stage for you, whether a player or gamemaster, to determine your own vision of the world and how things work for you and your fellow players.

Two important principles have developed among fans of the setting, and should always be kept in mind:

  • Your Glorantha May Vary — This is the belief that you and your group are ultimately the ones who decide what the world is like. You can use or ignore published materials, change them as desired, and introduce your own elements to Glorantha. Think of it like a buffet: you can take what you want and leave the rest. Combine things to suit your own taste. You know better than anyone else what works for you.
  • Maximum Game Fun — If an aspect of your game is fun, that’s a good thing. If something is not fun, whether it’s rules lawyering or excessive attention to background, then ignore it or de-emphasize it. The point of playing this game — or any other — is enjoyment, and anything that stands in the way of that experience should be carefully rejected.

This new edition has been explicitly written with the goal of approachability, reaching out to new players and gamemasters as well as returning fans, making sure that the game line remains vital and engaging for everyone.

These rules are backward-compatible with the previous versions of RuneQuest from Chaosium and the scenarios

Are you a fan of old-school RuneQuest? Use RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha to augment your current campaign.

Want to keep playing the classics with the new rules? Take advantage of our conversion guide, also included in the core rulebook. 

 Rurik RunespearVasana

Heroes take cross generations. The Old (Rurik) Meets the New (Vasana)

 

Order your copy today of this 446-page epic and begin your journey in Glorantha today!

 The Elements

It wouldn't be RuneQuest without Runes, now would it? 

What the Critics Say

"Greg Stafford's supreme creation brought fully up to date with the presentation it deserves and tremendous added depth. A fitting memorial. STYLE - 5/5. SUBSTANCE - 5/5: Can it go higher than 5?"—Paul StJohn MacIntosh, RPGNet review.

"One of the most stunning RPG books ever made"—Games Vs Play.

"10 out of 10 - that's right, it is that good, it is fantastic, I love this tome!"—Jeff McAleer, The Gaming Gang (video review).

"In a market stuffed to the gills with fantasy RPGs, RuneQuest offers something a little different from the heroic norm – something a little deadlier, rooted in a time of bronze and barbarians, where historic realism mixes with raw, primitive magic that hangs in the air like early morning mist."— Tabletop Gaming review, Oct 2018.

"This iteration of RQ is going to redefine my view of what is role-playing... it seems to have everything I could wish to find in a game: smooth mechanics, different levels of gameplay, and a whole mythical world presented for the player to explore from within. It feels like the Chaosium of my twenties is back, there at the forefront of innovation in gaming. As a game designer I must say It will be hard to top that, but it feels good have a new mountain to climb!"— Francesco Nepitello (lead designer, One Ring RPG).

"It’s RQ2 on steroids!... Glorantha is baked in at every step and like the HeroQuest Glorantha book, it gives enough to robustly play in the setting."—Hearts in Glorantha

"Like 2nd edition, but better...a really solid version of RuneQuest which should set the bar for BRP-based Gloranthan gaming for years to come."— ‘RuneQuest Comes Home’, Refereeing and Reflection.

"…if you’re looking for a fantasy game that gives you a taste of something different, then check out RuneQuest."— Bell of Lost Souls.

"A beautiful product and the beginning of a very promising re-birth or reinvigoration of a tabletop RPG classic... one of the best examples of using mechanics in a tabletop RPG to create and reinforce setting and tone... just let the game carry you along into the high-magic, mythology-focused, Bronze Age fantasy game you never knew you wanted to play."—Play To See What Happens.

"A game steeped in both real-world and fictional history, where wild myths meld with a realistic approach to rules… Ultimately, RuneQuest succeeds in carving out a powerful niche in the crowded world of fantasy roleplaying, building something that is truly unique."—Tabletop Gaming Magazine.

"…a fascinating blend of wild heroism and ruthless simulation that goes to create a game that offers something utterly unique…[RuneQuest] breaks away from the core tropes of gleaming armour and codified magic that have come to dominate fantasy in recent decades and replaces it with something that feels closer to ancient myths and legends – more The Odyssey than Lord of the Rings."—EN World.

"RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha is a landmark, and was even before it was written... it marks the return of one of the most influential and storied games in our hobby back to the house that built it... No other RuneQuest—and this is coming from a guy from whom you’d have to pry his Cults of Prax or Cults of Terror from his cold, dead hands—does Glorantha as well as RQG."—Andrew Logan Montgomery, Exploring the Otherworlds of Fiction, Magic, and Gaming.

"RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha is a work of art. It is a gorgeous book and an engrossing game in one, the future of the RuneQuest system superimposed on the most detailed RPG setting of them all. The design dynamically delivers the impossible, turning crunch and fluff into one. Its capability to create stories even before the characters are presented to one another, and its crunchiness when the going gets tough and hard decisions are required, have already earned it a place in the pantheon of gaming. Veterans will feel right at home, while new fans will wonder how come a game like this didn't exist up to now. Everything the new Chaosium touches turns to gold. Buy and play, immediately!"—Antonios S., RPGNet review.

"…this is a very impressive book. The art, binding and writing is all first rate. I would say it is the most attractive book I own. Looks are great, but the real value goes deeper than appearances. The content of RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha is up to the standards set by its appearance."—White Box and Beyond.

"Second only to Dungeons & Dragons in the fantasy roleplaying pantheon, RuneQuest cemented Greg Stafford’s world of Glorantha as one of the tabletop’s most imaginative creations and introduced innovative mechanics that would go on to become staples of RPGs for decades to come, most significantly in other Basic Roleplaying titles. Its unique approach to advancing skills and the percentile system used to resolve attacks and actions are still as clever today, while the expansive Glorantha continues to draw in adventurers looking for an immersive and vibrant setting."—Tabletop Gaming (UK) 150 Greatest Games of All Time (RuneQuest ranked #9)

2019 ENnie Awards Best Interior Art (Gold)

2020 UK Games Expo Awards - Shortlisted for Best Role Playing Game


pixel_trans.gif
pixel_trans.gif
 
 Customers Who Bought this Title also Purchased
pixel_trans.gif
pixel_trans.gif
Reviews (4)
Discussions (30)
Customer avatar
Stuart B November 11, 2021 10:12 am UTC
Purchased the hand cover version of RuneQuest Roleplaying in Glorantha to compare to my original copy of RQ (showing age here) and have to say the quality of the artwork and binding is vastly better than the original. Basic rules are broadly the same which I see has showing the strength of the original system with majority of the changes being in extended magic esp wider use of re-usable Rune Magic by lower levels and much more information on Sorcery and the Spirit Magic of Shaman. Which may reflect fact that RQ in Glorantha seems set in later period and closer to the Hero Wars than the original RQ plus the fact that original RQ was designed for starting characters with with no set political/religious opinions but with option in appendix to add experience via merc service etc. In contrast RQ in Glorantha with its detailed sections on character family history and background is aimed as starting play with much more experienced characters almost certainly on side of the Rebel alliance against the Lunar Empire...See more
Customer avatar
Frank B January 15, 2021 9:35 am UTC
PURCHASER
Although I bought this book from DTRPG I received an email from Chaosium saying there's a second printing and an udated pdf. But my pdf redownloaded still says first printing?
Reply
Customer avatar
Frank B January 22, 2021 4:45 am UTC
PURCHASER
Updated version now on DTRPG
Customer avatar
Darren P April 18, 2020 1:27 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hi,

It is worth the money. I even ended up buying the hard copy too.
Customer avatar
Robert R November 12, 2019 10:34 pm UTC
I would really like to buy this but $28 seems a bit high considering I can buy the hard cover for less than $10 more on Amazon. Some companies are offering the pdf version FREE when you purchase the hard cover (such as cubicle7 and Modiphius). No warehousing, packing, printing logistics. The savings could be passed on the the gamers. I won't pay this much. No one should. This pdf could sell for $15-$20 and it still can profit as much as hardcover sales. I will buy the hardcover slipcase on Amazon and wait for a pdf sale. I use the pdfs for searching and portability. The hard covers (print versions) are where I do the bulk of my reading and prep.
Reply
Customer avatar
Michael O August 03, 2020 1:39 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Chaosium offers the PDF included with the printed book, for purchases made directly from Chaosium.com.
Reply
Customer avatar
Robert R October 08, 2020 4:18 am UTC
Thanks Michael. Just saw this recently. As a matter fact I bought a set of the room quest hard covers and got the PDFs as well. Thanks for the info.
Reply
Customer avatar
George F July 12, 2021 11:44 am UTC
Does that include the slipcase set?
Reply
Customer avatar
Robert R July 12, 2021 10:04 pm UTC
That’s what I purchased the slip case. I received the PDFs. You can double check when you get to Chaosium. But to clarify I did receive the PDFs when I bought I the slip case hard cover books directly from Chaosium.
Reply
Customer avatar
George F July 13, 2021 12:10 am UTC
Cool
Customer avatar
Paul B November 07, 2019 10:12 pm UTC
Purchased my copy direct from chaosium, and it was a pretty good buy.
The book is packed with Gloranthan goodness which makes the other editions feel rather light weight in comparission.
Very similar 2/1st editions but also ties in the runes to the character, for both magic and gain additional bonuses.
The only negative... and it really is a minor thing, the weapons listed are a bit nonsensical; Greatswords and broadswords in a bronze age setting. But you can leave them out if you want so its not a big deal.
Excellent edition, well worth gettting a dead tree version.
Customer avatar
Daniel S G August 02, 2019 9:30 pm UTC
Any plans for solo adventures?
Customer avatar
Mark S June 08, 2019 5:17 pm UTC
I bought this directly from Chaosium, so it appears I can't leave a review. A few words of appreciate, though:

RuneQuest was one of the important early RPGs that ensured roleplaying would be a hobby, not a singular game system. RuneQuest combined Steve Perrin’s innovation in game mechanics with Greg Stafford’s remarkable world of Glorantha, which deepened heroic fantasy with serious attention to a broad variety of world cultures and which took mythology seriously. Its lore is vast and deep, but approachable.

if you have fond memories of earlier editions and you care about Glorantha you should buy it now—this is greatly improved edition which integrates Glorantha into the game in a way that we haven’t seen since RQ2.

If you are a student of RPG design, it is well considering—the game doubles down on simulationist play, refining the ideas at it’s core. It is different than many other currently successful games, and true to its idiosyncratic pedigree.

If...See more
Customer avatar
Guy D March 10, 2019 9:58 pm UTC
Does this book contain enough background on the world to get a campaign started, or is the setting sourcebook required as well?
Reply
Customer avatar
David S August 02, 2020 2:02 am UTC
There is definitely enough setting on the world to play in the core book. If you want a ready made campaign that is easy for newcomers, one is included with the GM Screen booklet.
Customer avatar
Keith M January 16, 2019 1:52 pm UTC
PURCHASER
My apple lane map is showing up blank on iOS.

Is there a fix for this???
Customer avatar
Kai Z December 05, 2018 3:22 pm UTC
PURCHASER
The preview doesn't work
Customer avatar
John B November 25, 2018 2:53 am UTC
You'll find no better value for your money. This is the ultimate expression of Glorantha bound together by a set of rules that make every combat dangerous and every encounter breathtaking.
Customer avatar
Scott N September 20, 2018 5:22 pm UTC
Why is this PDF so dang expensive. They can keep it for that price, I just wanted the core book, I always hated the Glorantha setting anyhow. Besides I want a printed hardback version.
Reply
Customer avatar
Rick M September 20, 2018 7:03 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
The printed hardback goes on sale on chaosium.com as of 21/09/2018.
Reply
Customer avatar
CHRISTOPHER R November 15, 2018 5:35 pm UTC
Just play a different setting then?
Customer avatar
Peter S August 08, 2018 2:42 pm UTC
There is NO WAY I am paying $28 for a PDF... Nope...Not going to do it.
Reply
Customer avatar
Rick M September 20, 2018 7:01 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
If 100 page PDFs are worth $7, we feel a 450 page PDF is worth less than 4 times that.
Reply
Customer avatar
Peter S October 08, 2018 5:51 pm UTC
$15 for the Mythras PDF:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/191475/Mythras
I bought that...
Reply
Customer avatar
Peter S October 10, 2018 2:12 pm UTC
If you guys put out some combo of buy the hard cover and get a PDF (where the PDF add on doesn't cost me $28), I would really consider that. Is that option available?
Reply
Customer avatar
Peter S October 10, 2018 2:21 pm UTC
Nevermind, I just figured it out and ordered the hard copy and pdf.
Customer avatar
Robert R July 29, 2018 3:32 am UTC
I noticed that the Glorantha slip case titles use US/imperial measures (miles, yards, pounds...) but the RQ main book still uses metric. Being from the US I would have liked to finally see a RQ core book US/Imperial version ( I don't care for converting - some measures are far different and uncommon to me). That said, this new RQ product series is truly remarkable and I plan to get it. Can't afford the slip case right now but WOW - it's ALL in there and it's beautiful. Exceptional work!!

So, why imperial (I prefer Imperial) in the Glorantha slip case books?
Customer avatar
Nathaniel C July 22, 2018 8:17 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I read a review recently by Andrew Logan Montgomery that gave me the impression that the game was missing key components. I have purchased this as well as The Bestiary and System Agnostic Setting Sourcebook. Is this enough material to play the game, or is the forthcoming GM pack a must have?

I'm new to the setting and am unsure of what Heroquesting is but apparently, the rules for it are not in this tome. It sounds pretty important.
Reply
Customer avatar
Michael O September 20, 2018 7:29 am UTC
PUBLISHER
You have everything you need to play! The GM Screen Pack is not a must have, but does deliver a lot for the price - it's more than just a screen: 128 page Adventures book, reference charts, maps, calendar, character sheets etc.

The Heroquesting rules will be in a forthcoming title. The are eagerly anticipated, but RQ has been around since 1978 without them.
Customer avatar
Daniel C July 18, 2018 12:54 pm UTC
I didn't see it asked below, but if we purchase the .pdf will the eventual hard copy be offered at a reduced price?
Reply
Customer avatar
Blaine S July 18, 2018 4:33 pm UTC
That's the case purchasing from their website. I don't know if it applies here or not.
Reply
Customer avatar
Michael O September 20, 2018 7:30 am UTC
PUBLISHER
That is only for PDF purchases direct from Chaosium.com.
See 16 more
Narrow Results
$ to $
 Follow Your Favorites!
NotificationsSign in to get custom notifications of new products!















Product Information
Platinum seller
Pages
445
ISBN
978-1-56882-502-1
Publisher Stock #
CHA4028-PDF
File Size:
142.97 MB
Format
Original electronic Click for more information
Scanned image
These products were created by scanning an original printed edition. Most older books are in scanned image format because original digital layout files never existed or were no longer available from the publisher.

For PDF download editions, each page has been run through Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to attempt to decipher the printed text. The result of this OCR process is placed invisibly behind the picture of each scanned page, to allow for text searching. However, any text in a given book set on a graphical background or in handwritten fonts would most likely not be picked up by the OCR software, and is therefore not searchable. Also, a few larger books may be resampled to fit into the system, and may not have this searchable text background.

For printed books, we have performed high-resolution scans of an original hardcopy of the book. We essentially digitally re-master the book. Unfortunately, the resulting quality of these books is not as high. It's the problem of making a copy of a copy. The text is fine for reading, but illustration work starts to run dark, pixellating and/or losing shades of grey. Moiré patterns may develop in photos. We mark clearly which print titles come from scanned image books so that you can make an informed purchase decision about the quality of what you will receive.
pixel_trans.gif
Original electronic format
These ebooks were created from the original electronic layout files, and therefore are fully text searchable. Also, their file size tends to be smaller than scanned image books. Most newer books are in the original electronic format. Both download and print editions of such books should be high quality.
File Last Updated:
May 03, 2023
This title was added to our catalog on May 31, 2018.