Monday, 2 October 2023

Jonstown Jottings #82: Tiny Treasures

Much like the Miskatonic Repository for Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, the Jonstown Compendium is a curated platform for user-made content, but for material set in Greg Stafford’s mythic universe of Glorantha. It enables creators to sell their own original content for RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha, 13th Age Glorantha, and HeroQuest Glorantha (Questworlds). This can include original scenarios, background material, cults, mythology, details of NPCs and monsters, and so on, but none of this content should be considered to be ‘canon’, but rather fall under ‘Your Glorantha Will Vary’. This means that there is still scope for the authors to create interesting and useful content that others can bring to their Glorantha-set campaigns.

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What is it?
Tiny Treasures: 2 pages of neat stuff for adventurers is a supplement for use with RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha which describes six magical items that might be found at a market, on a caravan, hidden away, or on a body.

It is a two page, full colour 471.08 KB PDF.

The layout is tidy, the artwork rough, but serviceable.

With slight effort, the items detailed can be adapted to the rules system of the Game Master’s choice.

Where is it set?
The contents of Tiny Treasures: 2 pages of neat stuff for adventurers can be used anywhere.

Who do you play?
Tiny Treasures: 2 pages of neat stuff for adventurers does not require any specific character type. Worshippers of Lanbril, Humakt, Chalana Arroy, and Yemalio will find items items in this supplement to be of interest.

What do you need?
Tiny Treasures: 2 pages of neat stuff for adventurers requires RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha only. However, The Book of Red Magic and both Cults of RuneQuest: The Lightbringers and Cults of RuneQuest: The Earth Goddesses may be useful for the cult connections or significance that the items detailed in the supplement might have.

What do you get?
Tiny Treasures: 2 pages of neat stuff for adventurers lives up to its claim. It is a two-page PDF which describes and illustrates six magical items. For example, the Healer’s Gourd is described as a simple clay vessel with Harmony and Fertility runes carved on it and the Thief’s Dagger is a bronze dagger with no crossguard, a matching sheath, and the handle inscribed with the Death and Illusion Runes. Water drunk from the Healer’s Gourd grants a free roll on the Degrees of Illness table in RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha to reduce the severity of the illness, whilst the Thief’s Dagger grants bonuses to attack and damage, but a bigger bonus to the Sleight skill when cutting purses and pouchstrings and the Conceal skill when attempting to hide the weapon on one’s person. All six items have a suggested retail price.

All of the items are given a simple description and explanation of its powers. Alongside the text for each one is a simple illustration.

There is already a treasure sourcebook for RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha available on the Jonstown Compendium, Treasures Of Glorantha: Volume One — Dragon Pass, which is more expansive and detailed. The contents of Tiny Treasures: 2 pages of neat stuff for adventurers are more serviceable than necessarily noteworthy. Their barebones description means that they do not readily feel tied to the setting of Glorantha. Had each been given a legend or history, this might not have been the case, but the lack of legend means that the Game Master has scope to create her own entirely from scratch for each of these magical items.

Is it worth your time?
YesTiny Treasures: 2 pages of neat stuff for adventurers is a useful addition for the Game Master looking to add some potentially interesting artefacts or treasures to her campaign, if she is willing to develop some history or legend attached to them.
NoTiny Treasures: 2 pages of neat stuff for adventurers details items which might to be too magical for the Game Master’s Glorantha, too much like magical items from another fantasy roleplaying game, and lacks the background for each which might alleviate either issue.
MaybeTiny Treasures: 2 pages of neat stuff for adventurers works better for a high adventure style of play such as that for 13th Age Glorantha.

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