RuneQuest 6 released!

Yesterday morning the latest incarnation of RuneQuest 6 was released by The Design Mechanism. I have preordered the printed version and was able to download the pdf straight away. At first glance, the new rulebook looks tremendous. Very little errors found so far, excellent production, clean lay-out, a very readable tome it has become.

Upon further inspection, it becomes apparent that some chapters are very similar to MRQ 2, others have been completely rewritten. The most obvious novelty is the Magic chapter. The rulebook describes 5 magic systems, with new skills, allowing GMs to cater to every game world they want. The combat changes are less obvious, although the veteran will notice the new special effects, the next version of the Combat Manoeuvers introduced in MRQ 2.

But even in the chapters where changes are not immediately obvious, after through reading a lot of under the surface streamlining becomes apparent. One example is how character generation careers are no longer a complicated list of 5% and 10% increases,always a tedious moment during chargen, instead the player chooses 3 skills and distributes skill points, making matters a lot more simple.

Another example of increased ergonomy is the brilliant help sheet showing new players how to proceed, allowing the GM to handle other matters. Once I return home from holiday, I'll put the combat rules to the test, especially the optional miniature rules, but my first impression is positive: this looks like the RuneQuest version to rule all others!