News from Mongoose

Mongoose Publishing’s 2009 “State of the Mongoose” address has been published and there are several things of interest to me in particular:

• Runequest II
• All Things Traveller

Runequest II

Apparently development on the new Runequest started in 2008, and the new set of Runequest rules will be released in January of 2010. Dubbed Runequest II, this new set of rules will apparently reflect major revisions because Mongoose “always believed it ended up feeling like it had been designed by committee.”
Some of the most important changes include:

Characters are now rolled up slightly differently, going back to the ‘straight’ 3d6 method but also including a points buy system as a formal option.

Backgrounds and professions have been streamlined, and a new attribute based on CHA has been introduced to influence character advancement.

Community, background history and connections are now part of character creation, making starting characters far more rounded.

Characters now advance with skills quicker, and training has been overhauled.

No more global armour-based skill penalties, but armour now affects strike rank – as do weapons. You won’t want to bring a dagger to a two-handed sword fight!

Special manoeuvres have been added to combat, based on levels of success in both attack and defence. Combat is now far more dynamic, getting away from the ‘static’ sword-swinging. The biggest fights will actually alter the environment around them. Combat tables are gone, with everything being resolved on simple attack and defence rolls.

The equipment list on the core book is far more comprehensive, and a weapon’s SIZ is now crucial for combat.

Every magic system has been overhauled, with the old Rune Magic now taking the place of Common Magic, and losing the ‘physical’ runes (though they can be kept as an option). Access to Divine Magic is related to your character’s relationship with his deity, while Sorcery and Spirit Magic have been redesigned from the ground up.

Cults now take on a far deeper meaning, with the character’s relationship with deity and cult taking priority.

Legendary Abilities are still present, but now work differently

Apparently support for Glorantha will continue, while a new setting will appear: Deus Vult – a game that involves a secret order of the Catholic Church, the Ordo Acerbus Devotio, an organisation dedicated to defending humanity against supernatural threats. Other RQ II settings will include the Eternal Champion line, and Wraith Recon.

Traveller

Mongoose intends on continuing their support for Traveller, to the extent that they plan on releasing a new setting every 3 to 6 months. So – in addition to the current Third Imperium and Mega-City One settings – what other Traveller settings can people expect from Mongoose?
Reaver – Piracy in a Sea of Stars and Codename Veil. Look them up on the Mongoose site, because I’m kinda running out of breath for this post.
Will update this post at a later date. Brain going.