“Why why oh why, are we getting what we’ve already got?” I thought.

Jeff was kind enough to send me an early draft (when it was only 300 pages long ) and I was immediately blown over! I’m not a big Dragon Pass/Sartar fan, but this has made me want to run a long campaign there. As a fan publisher it also inspired me to make the first Gloranthan Adventures book (a collection of adventures with a bit of supporting setting info, like RuneQuest Adventures if you remember that) set in Sartar. Hence Gloranthan Adventures #1 New Beginnings , a collection of four adventures centred on a Sartarite clan of the Balkoth tribe (which gets a full write up in the book) which leads into the campaign in the Sartar book. I’m hoping to get out Mar/Apr (subject to me finishing off layout and getting art in on time).

Quite simply its all the information that was previously scattered over many sources in one place, in a clear and playable form with tons of new info.

Highlights from the book for me.

• It has a clear newcomers introduction to Glorantha which it gently builds on.
• Easy to follow yet flavoursome character generation with copious examples.
• The Clan Generator which allows the players to make fundamental decisions about the game’s setting, which leads to a heightened investment and interest in the game as a result.
• The cult write ups, both a quick overview of the whole range of deities worshipped by the Sartarites and detailed write ups for the major deities.
• The sections which detail clearly and simply, without becoming an pseudo-academic paper, the everyday life of the Sartarites.
• The Campaign – Got to Delecti’s upland marsh, big life changing HeroQuest to the Underworld, all in the name of wooing a Priestess. Big stuff not the timid ‘herding sheep’ type scenario that HQ1 peddled at times.

This is coming from a long time Gloranthaphile,who has piles of books, but believe me when I say that its puts the setting firmly in the hands of a newcomer who just needs the HQ core book and Sartar to play in Glorantha for years and years and years.

Its just full of awesome and win, and my copy lives on the bookshelf next to my RQ2 Gloranthan Classics. That’s how good it is

Issue three is now available at http://ruleonemagazine.com/

In this issue, we present not one, not two, but three contest results! Matthew Cole’s Chaos Feature competition from January 2009, and Ian Cooper’s Sartar, Kingdom of Heroes Character and Feat contests from December, 2009.

We also have a look at the hexads of Kralorela, a First Age story by Greg Stafford, a FAQ for issue 2’s Peloria boardgame modification, and an Ogre cult from Carmania by Roderick Robertson.

Also in the latest issue of RPG Review (Dec 09) there’s serveral Gloranthan articles and an Interview with Greg Stafford.

Here’s the rather splendid cover by John Ossoway

HiG #4 cover by John Ossoway

Here’s the contents.

“Junora: The lost province” by Jamie “Trotsky” Revell
“Mirrorshaft hall” an adventure location by Stewart Stansfield
“Thorula” an adventure location/homeland by Dr Moose
“12 Stories of Sacred Time” Fiction by Jane Williams
“Flotsam and Jetsam” Ships and Creatures from Glorantha’s oceans by Nick Davison
“The Hellwood” the most vile and corrupted Aldryami forest in all of Glorantha by Shannon Appelcline

Feature: All under the Red Moon
“Vastar” a Lunar Heartland Town by Newt Newport
“The Great Egg hunt” an adventure by Newt Newport
“Moon Boat Down” an adventure by Nick Davison

Expected release date March/April 2010

Hearts in Glorantha #4
Most of the content for this is written and over XMAS I will be comissioning the Art.

I’ve also had a rethink about what I’m doing with the magazine, and that I think is the core realisation.

As of issue 4, Hearts In Glorantha will be a ‘magazine’ not a ‘fanzine’. What this means that although I’ll still be getting input from the fan community and the magazine will remain for the fans by the fans, I’ll be upping the production values. I’m not talking about full colour or any thing to fancy, but simple things like making sure each article has art, has good clear maps and is pretty much playable in one form or another straight out of the book. So this means making sure that all the playable bits; such as keywords, suggested abilities and supporting adventures.

Putting together Gloranthan Adventures #1 has been a really eye opener of what can be achieved with a little bit more focus, and I want to bring that to HiG.

Another biggish change is that I’m dropping D100 support and going HQ 2 only.  Couple of reasons why. Its dead easy to write HQ2 material which contains enough pointers for a savy D100 GM to write their own stats. Also Mongoose prefer to keep any MRQ Gloranthan stuff in house. Moon Designs on the other hand have been incredibly supportive. My aim with this new improved HiG is to work in harmony with what MD is doing, supplementing the Sartar/Dragon Pass/Pavis material they are going to be producing, but also exploring other parts of Glorantha. This doesn’t tie us just to the 3rd Age, we can still write for the 2nd age since my License is for HQ & Glorantha

So inspirational rant aside what does this mean for HiG issue 4?

Well this is the proposed content’s list.

Mirror shaft hall- background with personalities by Stewart Stansfield
*Blood Red Beak – an adventure for the above

Hellwood Elves- background by Shannon Appelcline
*Into the Hellwood an Adventure for the above.

12 Days’ of Sacred Time -Jane’s Fiction

Thorula -Dr Moose’s Glacier setting
*Ice bound heart- an adventure for the above

Rumble in The Rubble – by Newt Pavis adventure with pre-generated characters, a complete pick up and try HQ 2 with Glorantha scenario, previously run as a demo

All the items marked * are short adventures 10 pages or so to support the articles they are linked to designed to make the mini-settings immeadiatly playable.

I’ve got GA#1 to get out the door first, but I expect HiG#4 to be available around the end of Feb/begining of March.

I’ll do a call for content for Issue 5 after 4 is out,  but if you are interested in helping out HiG by joining a regular staff for the magazine please let me know. I need proof readers, cartographers, writers – who can fill the gaps submissions have adding keywords and adventures. Email me at newt@d101games.co.uk

Glornathan Adventures #1 New Beginings
This is like a puzzle where all the pieces are falling into place nicely

Setting – Dr Moose has provided me with the oft delayed Balkoth Tribe. This small four clan tribe on the edge of Sartar, with their lands boardering Prax, is ideal for a starting Narator and players (and pretty damn lovely for all you existing Glorantha fans as well). Dr Moose has been putting this together for many years now and has kept to his original aim of producing a playable bit of Glorantha admirably.  Get ready for the Goat herders of

Art- this is being divided equally between Hearts in Glorantha regular Xavier Liobet (how did the awesome Jack O’Bears in HiG#2 and the Sea Monsters in HiG#3) and Moon Designs Art Director and all round working man of Glorathan Art Simon Bray.   Simon did the artwork for the Continuum 2008 Fundraiser Liber Newtus which saw HQ1 versions of three of the four adventures in GA#1 published. In fact Simon’s found three excellent pieces that were left out of that august tome, including this fearsome Vampire.

Adventures – Converting and enhancing the four adventures, which have been previously published (mainly in the limited edition Liber Newtus), to HeroQuest 2 has been dead easy and a joy to do. Now with Dr Moose’s Balkoth tribe as a setting this makes the Adventures so much stronger.

Option to play the adventure using Lunar PCs- Inspired by one of Simon’s illustrations I’ll be writing a short background of how a Lunar Association sends a group of missionaries to convert the clan at the centre of the adventure arc. This means that Lunarphiles will be able to make use of the adventures.

Well the big news of the decade, if not the last 30 years , for 3rd Age Glorantha is Moon Designs release of “Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes”.

• Sartar Kingdom of Heroes on Glorantha.com

Its all part of Moon Design’s reboot of the Gloranthan setting after the release of HeroQuest 2, and its a big chunk of Glorantha detailing the Orlanthi of Dragon pass, their lifestyle, character gen, clan generator, cults and magic and a 100 pages of epic adventure. Take it from me this is a pick up and play book, both in the sense that a newcomer could grasp it and play it with their group and in the fact that all the stuff is there in one place for us old hands to grasp. Oh and its copiously and gloriously illustrated with COLOUR MAPS!

But don’t take my word for it,

Here’s a review by Pete Nash, author of BRP Rome

• Pete Nash’s review on RPG.net

and here’s a video clip, filmed by Darran Sims at last weekend’s Dragonmeet, of Jeff talking you through the book.

RuneQuest II RPG: Core Rulebook Jan 2010

Mongoose stirred the roleplaying community when, in 2006, it announced the return of RuneQuest – one of the most loved and respected game systems of all time. That new edition introduced several changes to the basic system and brought RuneQuest to a new and wider community of gamers.

Now, in 2009, Mongoose is delighted to announce the release of RuneQuest II. This new edition of the classic game has taken just about every aspect of the first edition, scrutinised it, revised it, and restructured it to bring RuneQuest aficionados and new players alike the very best incarnation of the classic games engine. RuneQuest fans will not be disappointed in the attention lavished on this edition.

This edition comes as a stunning leather-bound luxury hardback as standard, ensuring every player has a true collector’s item on their shelves.

MSRP: $39.99
Size: 192 pages, Leather Hardback
Interior Art: Black & White
Author: Lawrence Whitaker

RuneQuest II RPG: Games Master’s Screen Jan 2010

With stunning RuneQuest artwork facing the players, and every vital table for the games master, the RuneQuest II Games Master’s Screen is the perfect complement to a well run RuneQuest campaign.

With all the important tables and charts, the new RuneQuest II Games Master’s Screen is constructed from quality heavy-weight cardstock that will stand the ravages of many years’ gaming.

MSRP: $14.99

RuneQuest II RPG: Arms & Equipment Feb 2010

An adventurer is only as good as his equipment, so the saying goes – and with this mighty tome, your adventurer will be the best-equipped he can be. From new weapons and armour, to the more mundane items that keep an adventurer going, Arms & Equipment is a complete catalogue that will keep players coming back for more after every adventure.

Arms & Equipment, like the rest of the core RuneQuest line, is a luxurious book, with a completely leather-bound cover.

MSRP: $34.99
Size: 160 pages, Leather Bound Hardback
Interior Art: Black & White
Author: Lawrence Whitaker

RuneQuest II RPG: Monster Coliseum Feb 2010

Foes, beasts and creatures from every corner of the world can be found in this tome, as well as detailed rules on how they clash in the centre of the Monster Coliseum! Whether you are looking to populate your world with rare and exotic fiends to foil your players, or simply provide them with some gladiatorial entertainment, this book contains just what you need for the new RuneQuest II rules.

Monster Coliseum, like the rest of the core RuneQuest line, is a luxurious book, with a completely leather-bound cover.

MSRP: $34.99
Size: 160 pages, Leather Bound Hardback
Interior Art: Black & White
Author: Lawrence Whitaker

RuneQuest II RPG – Glorantha: Pavis Rises (Adventure) Feb 2010

An epic campaign set in the heart of Second Age Glorantha, Pavis Rises is designed not only to provide players with months of gaming, but also to serve as an introduction into the world of Glorantha. Simply play through this campaign, and you can consider yourself something of an expert on the peoples, cultures and histories of Glorantha!

Fully integrated into the latest set of RuneQuest II rules, Pavis Rises promises exciting adventure and dramatic action at every step!

• Greg Stafford, Mythmaker

Issue 3 cover by John Ossoway

Preorders have now shipped, so I’m now releaseing Hearts in Glorantha issue 3 into the wild.

92 pages for £8 +P&P for the printed version, £5 for the print quality pdf, available via our Lulu store (http://stores.lulu.com/d101games) it contains the following articles:

Poisonthorn Forest
One of the two groups of Dorestor Elves detailed by Shannon Appelcline.

Within the Poisonthorn
Creatures of Poisonthorn by Shannon Appelcline.

Iron
A look at this magical Gloranthan metal by Jane Williams.

Not Plunder
A series of short flavoursome pieces of equipment by Stewart Stansfield

Wonderous Statues
Two plunder items by John Harding.

Chaos Competition Top 10
Results of the recent Gloranthan Community competition.

The Three Legs of Vice
Details of the Lunar Imperial Army ‘supplies’ by Stewart Stansfield.

The Dragonsnail a part of the Devil
An in-depth look at these Chaos creatures by John Harding.

Uphold the Yellow Standard
Dara Happan morality by Newt Newport.

The Tomb of the Empty Emperor
A D100 ‘Gloranthan Heresy’Adventure by Newt Newport.

Casting a Spell
Part 3 of Greg Stafford’s ‘How to do Magic’ series.

Undersea Adventures feature

We all live in a Brass Submarine
An epic HeroQuest Dwarf adventure from Gemborg to Prax via the
Middle sea by Richard Crawley.

Monsters of Magasta
Ten sea monsters for RuneQuest and HeroQuest by Nick Davison.

I’m running a pre-order up until Sunday 30th of August. Books will then ship the following week, wc Monday 7th September.

£6 +p&p (£2 UK/£3 Europe/ £4 Rest of the World) for a Printed copy and FREE Pdfs (print quality & ebook versions) of the issue.

• Go to our store page to pre-order.

• View a preview Pdf.

At 92 pages long this softcover book includes:

Poisonthorn Forest
One of the two groups of Dorastor Elves detailed by Shannon Appelcline.

Within the Poisonthorn
Creatures of Poisonthorn by Shannon Appelcline.

Iron
A look at this magical Gloranthan metal by Jane Williams.

Not Plunder
A series of short flavoursome pieces of equipment by Stewart Stansfield

Wonderous Statues
Two plunder items by John Harding.

Chaos Competition Top 10
Results of the recent Gloranthan Community competition.

The Three Legs of Vice
Details of the Lunar Imperial Army ‘supplies’ by Stewart Stansfield.

The Dragonsnail a part of the Devil
An in-depth look at these Chaos creatures by John Harding.

Uphold the Yellow Standard
Dara Happan morality by Newt Newport.

The Tomb of the Empty Emperor
A D100 ‘Gloranthan Heresy’ Adventure by Newt Newport.

Casting a Spell
Part 3 of Greg Stafford’s ‘How to do Magic’ series.

Undersea Adventures feature

We all live in a Brass Submarine
An epic HeroQuest Dwarf adventure from Gemborg to Prax via the
Middle sea by Richard Crawley.

Monsters of Magasta
Ten sea monsters for RuneQuest and HeroQuest by Nick Davison.