RuneQuest - 4E - Roleplaying in Glorantha

Adventurers
he imaginary personae created and controlled by
players are called adventurers. Those used by the
gamemaster are called non-player characters. When these
rules mention adventurers, the same rules almost always
apply equally to non-player characters. The gamemaster
controls all other characters in the game, from the Red
Emperor to the most witless food trollkin.
Your adventurer is not expected to be an ordinary member
of society (although you can certainly create one who is, if
you choose). Instead, your adventurer is someone that might
become a Hero, and take their place in the Hero Wars. The
adventurer creation process reflects that bias, creating competent
and resourceful adventurers early in their adventures.
Follow the steps below to create an adventurer. This procedure
lets you create human adventurers from the greater
Dragon Pass region (Sartar, Lunar Tarsh, Old Tarsh, Prax,
Esrolia, and the Grazelands) that fit into their societies, even
if as outlaws!
Future supplements will provide additional guidelines
and support for creating adventurers from different lands,
religions, and even different species!
Additionally, the RuneQuest Gamemaster’s Screen
Pack provides an alternate quick adventurer generation
system which may be of interest when time is pressing.
Getting Started
Before making adventurers, the players and gamemaster
should discuss together the roles the players would like to
take on and play. The gamemaster should let the players
know whether they will be playing in a focused campaign
with a specific theme, or whether the campaign will be openended,
with a loose framework and no overarching plot.
The players and gamemaster should determine what
Homelands are appropriate for the campaign. They may
decide that all or most of the adventurers should be from
the same tribe or clan. Some may even be brothers or sisters.
Procedure
Follow these eight steps to create your adventurer. Each step
is explained in more detail in the pages that follow.
..
Step 1: Homeland. Choose your adventurer’s
Homeland.
..
Step 2: Family History. Develop the family
history for your adventurer, and their own history
prior to their life of adventure.
..
Step 3: Rune Affinities. Choose your adventurer’s
Runes. These quantify your adventurer’s connection
to specific Runes and drive personality and
social impulses.
..
Step 4: Characteristics. Determine characteristics
and secondary attributes.
..
Step 5: Occupation. Choose your adventurer’s
occupation.
..
..
Step 6: Cult. Choose your adventurer’s cult.
Step 7: Personal Skill Bonuses. Allocate personal
skill bonuses.
..
Step 8: Other Information. Give your adventurer
a name and determine other information needed,
such as gender, equipment, family heirloom, etc.
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