Runic Rune Magic

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General Glorantha

Prax and Yellowtail

Sartar and Cinsina

HeroQuest

Name Generation

Gloranthan Everway

Blue Planet

This is a revision of the RuneQuest divine magic system. In these rules, the knowledge of divine spells is separate from the power used to cast the spell. As such, it represents a half-way house between the traditional Rune magic system and the Runepower variant.

Acquiring Spells

Divine magic in Glorantha consists of re-enacting the myths of one's god, and using those myths to alter the material world in a manner the caster wishes. Using this model, when an initiate or priest learns a new divine spell, they are taught in detail the relevant myth and how to apply it to the material world. This also results in the person learning the spell gaining 1d8 points in the <Cult> Lore skill. However, he loses no Power, and may not have the magical strength to impose the myth on the mundane world. Each spell has a set of Runes associated with it: those are the Runes that are needed to power the spell.

Optional rule

A character may wish to re-enact a myth they have not been explicitly taught as a spell. If so, the player should describe the myth that is being re-enacted (or at least give a convincing account of a previously unmentioned myth), and roll d100. If the result is a special or critical success for both <Cult> Lore and Ceremony skills, the myth is re-enacted successfully. This should probably not take less than one minute per point of spell. The character must have sufficient runes to power the spell.

Acquiring Runes

Normally people have normal, unaspected, Power. This is used to cast and resist spells, and to damage or influence spirits in spirit combat. However, it is not potent enough for divine spells. To provide the magical power for divine magic, the magician must convert their Power to aspected or runic Power. During a Worship ceremony, any Initiate or Priest may convert one or more points of their unaspected Power to an aspect (Rune) of their god. Any Rune owned by the god can be obtained by the supplicant. For example, an Humakti Swordsister can gain Death or Truth aspected Power.

When a person is initiated into a cult, part of that ceremony is to aspect some of their Power to a Rune of that cult (this is the "costs a point of POW" requirement from standard RQ). It is considered a sign of great piety to convert more than one point at that time.

Having and Keeping Runes

Acting in a manner which goes against the core values of the cult may result in the temporary or permanent loss of runes. For instance, Humakti that poison their swords may find they lose a point or two of Death; Chalana Arroy healers that refuse to heal people may lose some Fertility. Also, possessing lots of a particular rune will bend a person's behaviour towards that rune. Possessors of many Truth runes will find it difficult to lie; possessors of many Storm runes will be mercurial.

Subcults

Subcults often represent deeper mysteries of a deity and often provide access to new runes and spells. When he joins the subcult, he must sacrifice to gain the additional rune as part of his initiation into that subcult. This is in addition to any other requirements of the subcult.

Associated Deities

Associated deities provide additional powers to a cult. Priests of an associated deity will teach the specified spell(s), and cultists are able to gain the associate's runes as aspects.

Multiple Cults

If a single character is a member of many cults, they must still convert one point of Power when they join another cult, even if they already have runes for the new deity. However, runes possessed by a character are not specific to a god: a Truth rune gained in a Lhankor Mhy worship can be used to power an Humakti Morale spell. That rune could then be regained in a Yelmalion temple.

Casting Spells

To cast a divine spell, the person must know both the myth to re-enact, and have sufficient runes to power the spell. When the spell is cast, the requisite number of points of aspected Power are used to provide the power for the spell. For example, an Humakti Swordsister with runes  can cast either one Sever Spirit ( ) or two Oaths ( ). If the spell is one-use, the runes used are gone permanently (note that only priests are normally allowed to learn such spells). If the spell is reusable, the runes used to power it can be regained.

Regaining Runes

Runes are regained during Worship ceremonies, providing the officiating priest succeeds in their Ceremony skill. All Runes owned by the deity are regained at this time. Initiates regain runes if they attend the High Holy Day ceremony, Acolytes regain runes at the seasonal Holy Days, Priests at the weekly rituals. Runes obtained from associated deities are regained on the associate's holy days (if the associate is not worshipped separately, the main cult will provide Worship ceremonies on the relevant days).

Optional Rule

If the deity worshipped is the current owner of the rune, that rune is regained as if the cultist is one level higher; Priests regain one point of that rune each day they serve the cult on holy ground, in addition to other regains.

Optional Rule

Attending the relevant Holy Day ceremonies will only gain the worshipper one rune of the appropriate type. Succeeding a Ceremony roll will get them all back. Each additional level of success will regain the worshipper runes as if the Holy day was one level more important. Fumbles will ensure no runes are regained. Worshipper's level of success is limited to priest's level of success. (Initiates will regain all runes on weekly holy day with critical ceremony, on seasonal holy day with special ceremony).

Common Spells

All common spells are either one point spells or rituals. The runes given below are the most effacious runes to use. If a cult has a particular divine spell, but does not have access to the rune specified, other runes may be substituted at a ratio of 2:1. For example, a Storm Khan (runes ) wishes to cast Spirit Block ( ). He does not have a Spirit rune, and so decides to use two Death runes to power the spell. Opposed Power Runes cannot be used (e.g.,  cannot be used to cast Heal Wound ( )).

Armouring Enchantment
Binding Enchantment	or <Species>
Dismiss Magic
Divination	or <Deity>
Excommunication	<Deity>
Extension
Find Enemy
Find <Substance>	or <Element> or <Form>
Heal Wounds
Magic Point Matrix Enchantment
Mindlink	or
Sanctify	<Deity>
Soul Sight	or
Spell Matrix Enchantment
Spellteaching	<Deity>
Spirit Block	or
Strengthening Enchantment
Summon	<Species> * 2
Warding
Worship <Deity>	<Deity>

Special Spells

For each cult, the deity's runes are listed, with those provided by associates in brackets following. Subcult spells and runes are in square brackets.

Waha    (   )

Command Gnome
Command Spirit of Law
Fix Intelligence
Release Intelligence
Shield
Call Founder
(Cremate Dead)
(Impede Chaos)
(Speak to Herd Beasts)

Eiritha   (      ) {}

Bless Animals
Speak to Herd Beasts
(Accelerate Growth)
(Command Gnome)
(Heal Body)
(Shield)
{Pathway}
{Peace}
{Seal Spirit}

{These spells are available only at the Paps}

Storm Bull    (     )

Rage of the Bull (Berserk)
Command Sylph
Face Chaos
Impede Chaos
Hide of the Bull (Shield)
(Cloud Call)
(Command Spirit of Law)
(Cure Chaos Wound)
(Earthpower)
(Fear)
(Increase Wind)
(Speak to Herd Beasts)

Daka Fal  

Axis Mundi
Free Ghost
Gift Power
Gift Spell
Incarnate Ancestor
Spirit Guardian
Spirit Melding
Summon Ancestor

Foundchild   (   )

Draw Beast
Sureshot
(Shield)
(Speak to Herd Beasts)

Orlanth     [   ] (         )

Bless Thunderstone
Bless Woad
Cloud Call
Cloud Clear
Command Sylph
Decrease Wind
Flight
Increase Wind
Shield
Thunderbolt
Wind Warp
Wind Words
[Lightning]
[Dark Walk]
[Mist Cloud]
[Great Parry]
(Analyse Magic)
(Charisma)
(Face Chaos)
(Guided Teleportation)
(Identify Scent)
(Lock)
(Rain)
(Restore CON)
(Restore STR)
(Teleportation)

Issaries    (    )

Create Market
Create Great Market
Lock
Passage
Path Watch
Spell Trading
(Analyze Magic)
(Clever Tongue)
(Flight)
(Regrow Limb)

Lhankor Mhy   (       )

Analyze Magic
Clairvoyance
Knowledge
Mind-Read
Reconstruction
Translate
Truespeak
(Clever Tongue)
(Create Neutral Ground)
(Restore INT)
(Wind Words)

Chalana Arroy    (      )

Comfort Song
Command Healing Spirit
Cure Chaos Wound
Heal Body
Regrow Limb
Resurrect
Restore Health <Any>
Heal Constitution
(Accelerate Growth)
(Analyze Magic)
(Create Neutral Ground)
(Shield)

Yelmalio   (    )

Catseye
Indomitability
Sunbright
Shield
(Bless Crops)
(Heal Body)
(Speak to Birds)
(Sunspear)

Humakt   

Death Song (Berserk)
Detect Truth
Morale
Oath
Sever Spirit
Shield
Truesword
Turn Undead

Seven Mothers    (                 )

Reflection
Resurrection
Shield
(Chaos Gift)
(Command Lune)
(Concealment)
(Eloquence)
(Madness)
(Mindblast)
(Regrow Limb)
(Resist Pain)
(Slay Horse)
(Truesword)

The Seven Mothers are Jakaleel, Teelo Norri, Deezola, "She Who Waits", Yanafal Tarnils, Irrippi Ontor, and Danfive Xaron.

Etyries   

Create Market
Eloquence
Exchange Spells
Pathwatch
Reflection

Jakaleel  

Command Lune

Teelo Norri  

Admonish

Deezola    ()

Comfort Song
Heal Body
Heal wounds
Regrow Limb
Restore Health
(Resurrection)

Yanafal Tarnils   

Death Song (Berserk)
Detect Truth
Morale
Oath
Sever Spirit
Shield
Truesword

Irrippi Ontor   

Analyze Magic
Clairvoyance
Mind-Read
Mindblast
Reconstruction
Translate
Truespeak

Danfixe Xaron   

Resist Pain

"She Who Waits"  

Concealment

Red Goddess    

Chaos Gift

Yara Aranis   

Shield
Slay Horse