[Runequest] Quick-and-dirty skill pyramid

Tue Nov 19 21:53:57 UTC 2013

Actually Styopa is correct & you are some. It's in the original version 
notes & discussions, but didn't become "official" if I recall correctly. 
If I remember correctly the "official" one was to roll a D10 & if it was 
a 1 or 2 your character is left-handed, a "0" meant ambidextrous.  A 
variant on the D6/D12 included if the scores matched then the character 
was ambidextrous. I have that hand written in my notes somewhere.

To address the being "Dexterous vs left-handed":
Another variant for that I played with when I was doing a VSF (now known 
as Steampunk) for testing setting variants back in '78 split the 
characteristics into paired characteristics. The Basic routine was to 
roll 2D10 (or 3D6 - is what I used originally) & assign them to the 
"Parent Characteristic" (the classic ones STR, CON, etc). Then you break 
up the value into two "Paired Characteristics" that match the Parent 
(these are the ones that actually get used in game play when you need to 
roll a basic percent or use an add-on). I then used the D6/D12 routine 
ofr D10 version depending on what Steve was using at the time.

Hopefully the charts survive getting yahoo-ed. If not send me an email & 
I'll send you the original chapter.

      Comparison of the Paired Characteristic for each Parent Characteristic

Strength

*Athletic*is more aerobic, long lasting flexible strength like a gymnast 
on the uneven bars.

*Brute*is more instantaneous like a weight lifter.

Constitution

*Durability*is the resistance and stamina against stress. <Wei Qi>

*Health*is the current measure of physical homeostasis. <Jing>

Mass

*Bulk*is the breadth, the build, ectomorph, mesomorph, endomoprh

*Height*is how tall.

---The size ratio is the balance between these two because that does 
have a measurable physiological difference.

Dexterity

*Quickness*is the reflexive speed of an individual

*Coordination*is the flexibility & the capability of subtle movement

Appearance

*Features*is the pleasant, physical looks

*Presence*is the non-physical attractiveness that allows even some ugly 
bastard to attract a happy crowd

Intelligence

*Learning*, the ability to acquire, store, & access knowledge (left brain)

*Intuition*is the insight, often subconscious, the native awareness & 
perception of ones environment. (right brain)

Gnosis

*Wisdom*is more an intellectual connection the ability to feel a moral 
plan & connection to a Divine Spirit (more human centric)

*Anima*is more instinctual, more mystic. Sees life & connections in 
everything natural.

Each Parent characteristic is broken into two paired characteristics as 
follows, which also includes a description of the characteristics.

Parent Charac.

Dice

Paired Characteristic

Assign

description

STR

2D10

Athletic

Assign 1-19

Aerobic, long-term basis of stamina

(strength)

Brute

Assign 1-19

hitting, lifting, short-term immediate - explosive

CON

2D10

Durability

Assign 1-19

Resistance to damage

(constitution)

Health

Assign 1-19

Overall Health (damage sickness, etc)

MAS

2D10

Bulk

Assign 1-19

weight

(mass)

Height

Assign 1-19

tallness

DEX

2D10

Quickness

Assign 1-19

speed, reflex, twitch muscles

(dexterity)

Coordination

Assign 1-19

flexibility, nimbleness

APP

2D10

Features

Assign 1-19

regular looks

(appearance)

Presence

Assign 1-19

charm

INT

2D10

Learning

Assign 1-19

ability to learn,increases readily, not the same as Education

(intelligence)

Intuition

Assign 1-19

Insight, an subconscious awareness of environment

GNO

2D10

Wisdom

Assign 1-19

Connection to the Gods... Deity strength

(gnosis)

Anima

Assign 1-19

Personal strength connection to spirits of nature

I revisited this for a campaign I was running back 2006 to 2008 & have a 
bunch of rough files in a MS-Word 2007 if anyone is particularly 
interested.

Sköl,
Sven

On 11/19/2013 12:36 PM, Peter Maranci wrote:
> That's interesting! I've been playing RPGs for almost as long, and 
> that method (or some variant using two dice of similar proportions, 
> such as a D4 and D8, or a D10 and D20) was used by every gamer I ever 
> met. I seem to recall reading it somewhere, but I don't remember 
> where. Maybe it's a regional gaming custom, extending from the US East 
> Coast at least out to Pennsylvania.
>
> I don't remember ever seeing ambidexterity represented as being 
> *higher* Dexterity, though. It was often considered desirable - more 
> so in D&D than RQ - but actually increasing the characteristic 
> seems...odd.
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 19, 2013 at 3:24 PM, Styopa <styopa1 at gmail.com 
> <mailto:styopa1 at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     On Tue, Nov 19, 2013 at 2:05 PM, Peter Maranci <pmaranci at gmail.com
>     <mailto:pmaranci at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>         Doesn't RQ use the usual method of resolving handedness? That
>         is, rolling a D6 and a D12? If the roll on the D6 exceeds that
>         on the D12, the character is left-handed. If the result is
>         equal, the character is ambidextrous. Otherwise, the character
>         is right-handed. I've been doing it that way for so long that
>         I just assumed it was in the system, but now I'm wondering if
>         that was actually taken from some other system!
>
>
>     The "usual" method?
>     It's clever, but I've been playing RPGs since 1979, and I don't
>     recall EVER hearing that method...
>
>     Wasn't perhaps Arduin Grimoire the first to have a character
>     advantage table?  Boy, that's hard to remember.
>
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>
>
> -- 
> Peter Maranci - pmaranci at gmail.com <mailto:pmaranci at gmail.com>
> Pete's RuneQuest & Roleplaying! http://www.runequest.org/rq.htm
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>
>
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