RuneQuest Panel at Chaosium Con UK (Sonntag 24.05.2026, 16:00 - 16:55 Uhr)
Nick Brooke on Facebook: Let’s see if I can live-tweet the panel…
The panel is about RQG, not any other versions of RuneQuest (which may or may not be called RuneQuest Fantasy Roleplaying).
Aim is to have 3-4 new physical releases per year, with a focus on adventures, dungeons and playable content. “It’s a good time to be a RuneQuest fan!”
MOB: the only problem with community content is that only fans have heard of it. It doesn’t help build an audience or introduce new players.
Revised Core Rulebook: reduce page count, edit rules for clarity, remove barriers to entry for new players and maintain full compatibility with all RQG products.
It’s a “polish pass,” not a new game.
Overhauled character generation: reduce time to create; remove barriers to entry; maintain rich, diverse options; introduce non-human adventurers in the core book; reduce the total number of cults in the core book.
Five cultures, including humans, ducks, minotaurs and baboons.
Nine cults: Issaries, Lanbril, Yelmalio, Babs G, Orlanth, Ernalda, Humakt, Storm Bull, Chalana Arroy.
New, clearer spell templates (consistent presentation of information).
What isn’t changing?
The current RQG book is *not* going away. This *is* RQG. It’s the same game, fully compatible with the 2018 release. It is a re-presentation of the rules, *not* a new edition.
What won’t be in the new book? Phalanx combat; family history (because many new fans bounced off it); sorcery; shamanism. There are simply too many things for somebody who is brand new to RQG to take in. The rules for these things aren’t being *changed* at all; they just won’t be in the revised core slimmed-down rulebook, so new players won’t hear about them (yet).
What’s next for RQG?
Playable Content: “show, don’t tell.” Let players discover Glorantha through play.
The Apple Lane Campaign
All new art by Ossi Hiekkala!
This reworks and expands on material from the GM Screen Pack Adventures Books. All-new layout, more detailed encounters, etc.
The book is at the printer, provisional release date Q4 2026.
Welcome to Glorantha
Collected scenarios inc. the recent PDF releases plus several more, each highlighting a different, unique aspect of Glorantha. Compatible with the RQ Starter Set (that’s all you need to play them), and with a new set of pregen adventurers for every scenario. One of the scenarios will be a heroquest!
The book will show off different things that you can do with the game and setting. It’s designed for new players, like the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set.
Return to Snakepipe Hollow
- Mega Dungeon
- Not a reprint – a whole new campaign dungeon
- The denizens od Snakepipe Hollow changed since the Dragonevent
A new adventure in the same dungeon set after the Dragonrise.
On the Royal Road
A collection of encounters, with full NPCs inc. deep backgrounds, adventure hooks, etc.
Use them any way you like in your own campaigns.
Gamemaster´s Screen Pack (Updated)
New screen art (three panels not four), updated quick reference tables, and the Gloranthan calendar.
The Gods of Darkness
Cults of RuneQuest: The Gods of Darkness, including troll adventurer creation and everything else you expect from the Cults of RuneQuest series.
And maybe a handful more books (2-3?) to complete the Cults of RuneQuest series. (It’s possible the Chaos cults won’t be in that series, as they’re for NPCs.)
Road map: no guarantees (these aren’t all at the printer, but this is what’s in active development for RQG):
Sep 2026: “Lands of RuneQuest: Sartar”
Q4 2026: “The Apple Lane Campaign”
Q1 2027: Revised “RQG: Core Rulebook”
Q2 2027: “Welcome to Glorantha”
Q2 2027: “Gamemaster Screen Pack”
Q3 2027: “Return to Snakepipe Hollow”
Q4 2027: “On the Royal Road”
Q4 2027: “Cults of RuneQuest: The Gods of Darkness”
MOB mentioned that there will be a 40-page scenario by Drew Montgomery called “Welcome to Boldhome,” to be released at the same time as the Sartar Book (Sep 2026).
MOB & Rick discuss the response to the recent Black Lodge clickbait video. The main concerns:
1. New players think they have to learn too much, too quickly.
2. Long-time fans want to see a RQG GM Book (promised in RQG Core) and rules for heroquesting.
Material that didn’t make the cut for the revised core rulebook and material that was always intended to go into the GM Book will be in a future release for RQG.
The Welcome to Glorantha scenario book will include an example of a “mundane world heroquest.”
Brian: revised core rules will include optional rules for using minis and a grid. Please back the Rune Marked Miniatures Kickstarter!
MOB: also, coming soon for QuestWorlds: a “genre pack” on how to run QuestWorlds in Glorantha. Ian Cooper explains this will probably be the second genre pack released. It will have heroquesting rules.
MOB: 50th anniversary edition of the “White Bear & Red Moon” board wargame.
MOB: Greg Stafford’s novel, “A Pyre for Gods and Heroes”: he left a 95% complete manuscript, and Susan O’Brien and Andrew Logan Montgomery have filled in the gaps.
And once that’s out, a Gloranthan Fiction line will follow.
RuneMarked Minis: Paul took a straw poll on whether he should work on minis for the forthcoming releases as per the road map. There was much rejoicing.
Connor (second youngest person in the room) asks if the original RQG Core Rulebook will still be in print. Rick says we still have plenty in stock, so no need to decide yet. Buy it if you want it!
And will the new revised core rulebook be compatible with the current starter set? Absolutely, they’re the same game.
And it’s a wrap.
