Runequest, The Design Mechanism, and $1 Sourcebooks

This is not about Legend, but about Runequest. But I'll talk briefly about Legend first.

As you may know, Legend is Mongoose's current open ruleset that is pretty much their current take on the original Runequest rules (they had two prior takes on it in the past), but separated from the Runequest name and setting. Perhaps due to its $1 price, it has remained at the top of the RPGNow bestseller list for a couple of months and was mentioned favorably in Mongoose's end-of-year public wrap up report known as "State of the Mongoose".

So what happened to Runequest and the Glorantha setting?

Apparently, a company known as The Design Mechanism has picked up the IP and is having their own $1 sale. Just look at some of the products currently available at that price:

• Glorantha - The Second Age (Core Rulebook)
• Cults of Glorantha
• Trolls: Guide to the Uz
• Elfs: Guide to the Aldryami
• Dwarfs: Guide to the Mostali
• Ducks: Guide to the Durulz
• Dragonewts: Guide to the Eravssar
• Epic Campaign Sourcebook:Dara Hapa Stirs
• Epic Campaign Sourcebook: Pavis Rises
• Adventure: Blood of Orlanth

That's just half of them, I think. And there are some pretty sweet bundles there too. It kinda makes you wonder what they'll be coming out with this year. According to their site:

• "The Design Mechanism will be producing the sixth published edition of RQ for an early 2012 release."
• "We will be publishing the core rules and all future supplements in partnership with Moon Design. This allows us to call upon their resources for a wide range of things that would be too costly for us to develop singly."
• "Working with Moon we also have access to Glorantha, meaning that RuneQuest material for both Second and Third Age Glorantha will be not just possible, but a reality."

Here's the cover artwork from their site for Runequest 6th Edition.

Looks awesome. Will try to find out more about this company.