GRIFFIN MOUNTAIN - Gloranthan Classics Volume II

Welcome to Griffin Mountain!

Gamers have enjoyed playing in Glorantha for a long time now, over 25 years. The time is right to relaunch a major campaign source that went out of print over 20 years ago. This second edition reprint contains all of the original supplement, several articles printed in magazines, over 35 new pieces of additional art, designer's notes, and a never before published treatise on Running a Gloranthan Campaign by Greg Stafford. It also includes a separate 12 page set of player handouts.

Griffin Mountain was the largest game adventure ever published when it was first printed and it established a new state-of-the-art in roleplaying. It is a complete depiction of Balazar, a section of Glorantha just north of Dragon Pass and north-west of Prax. Unlike many source-books which offer worlds, Griffin Mountain goes into detail about the inhabitants (not just how many people live in what village), giving in depth views of their leaders, their lives, and their land. This is not a dungeon adventure. The book is aimed at an holistic, above-ground campaign. Almost all of the material can be adapted to a GM's own campaign, including weather charts, personalized encounters, found encounters, a merchant caravan, barbaric citadels, and two new cults, Foundchild and Cacodemon.

Griffin Mountain details an area 800 kilometers wide. The Elder Wilds is where non-humans live and high adventure thrives. Balazar is a sparsely populated hunting ground for approximately 12,000 human barbarians, a wild frontier where anything can happen. This book contains extensive notes on the area's geography, history, and inhabitants.

Meet King Yalaring Monsterslayer who became king of the citadel of Trilus by right of conquest. Visit picturesque Elkoi, built by giants. Trade with Joh Mith, a fat, jovial caravan master with high bargaining skills. Gamble with Hen Cik, one of the caretakers of a legendary castle in Giant Land. Cross the dangerous River of the Damned (full river crossing rules inside). Quest for the powerful windberries, rumored to be found on Griffin Mountain itself. Beware of the ever-present baboons, bears, dragonewts, dwarves, elves, dinosaurs, wild hawks, trolls . . .

Get your adventurers ready for a glorious time in Griffin Mountain!

By Paul Jaquays, Rudy Kraft and Greg Stafford. 256 Pages. Published by Moon Design.

Anyone who knows when volume 3 of the gloranthan classics was published?

Anyone who knows when volume 3 of the gloranthan classics was published?

Volume 3 is Cult Compendium, right? 2002 I think, but Rick Meints would be the authority on that.

Sorry, Volume 2 is it I mean. The Cult Compendium was published in 2002 as you says.

Griffin Mountain is an excellent setting for RuneQuest, it is small enough to be quite sandboxy. You don't really have to know too much about the coming & goings of the rest of the world, just that there are the Heortlings to the south (Celtic/Gaul types) and the expansive Lunar Empire to the north (Roman/Phoenician types). That's about it really, the lands of Balazar & The Elder Wilds are detailed enough to encompass alot of adventuring, yet the setting can be quite localised as the main urban centres are three independent ramshackle citadels on the edge of a large wilderness region. This setting is brimming with possibilities for good old fashioned fantasy game play, regardless of whether you have an edition of RQ or you own the BRP BGB. Highly recommended!

Griffin Mountain is an excellent setting for RuneQuest, it is small enough to be quite sandboxy.

I think this is why it translated to Griffin Island so well in RQ3. It always was quite self-contained. What I really liked about it was the atmosphere, the ancient fortresses inhabited by the much-reduced descendants of a lost civilisation.

Volume 3 is Cult Compendium, right? 2002 I think, but Rick Meints would be the authority on that.

Sorry, Volume 2 is it I mean. The Cult Compendium was published in 2002 as you says.

You pressed 'Edit' instead of 'Quote' there, didn't you?

For Griffin Mountain I revise my estimate to 2001.

I think this is why it translated to Griffin Island so well in RQ3. It always was quite self-contained...

IIRC it originally started out as generic / non-Gloranthan. Greg Stafford liked it so much he co-opted it for Glorantha...

Nick

You pressed 'Edit' instead of 'Quote' there, didn't you?

For Griffin Mountain I revise my estimate to 2001.

Agh! That pesky edit button!

IIRC it originally started out as generic / non-Gloranthan. Greg Stafford liked it so much he co-opted it for Glorantha...

Correct.

I still sell this book. Just email me directly. Also, the PDF is for sale on drivethrurpg.

I'm getting ready to run this for my RQ group and I had a couple of issues with the Griffin Mountain scenario. I'll try to outline my worries here and see if anyone has any suggestions or actual experience with the scenario.

Torath manover (an Orlanthi Rune Lord) is looking for the windsword and knows it is in Griffin mtn. He is willing to pay the Griffins to look for it, and or reason with them. However, the Griffins will not allow anyone to enter their caves, meaning that the Griffins have to be killed for the party to search the caves.

Also, Torath is willing to let the Griffins look for the windsword as an alternative to his party entering their cave, however, the windsword is in a place the Griffins cannot physically get to, meaning that the griffins have to be killed again if the party are to get the sword.

My problem here is that griffins are intelligent and not chaotic or evil in anyway. This is their home and they have their young in the caves.

Personally I don't like the idea of a group of supposedly good guys offering a fake alternative to killing the Griffins in the knowledge that their isn't actually an alternative to killing them. It seems odd to me to put Griffins here when it may have been more reasonable to make this Walktapus mountain (or something). Why populate the caves with an intelligent, talking critter (and its family) if it is just cannon fodder.

Am I being unreasonable? I am trying hard in my campaign to differentiate between good and evil motivation and this scenario (as it stands) doesn't have any more reason than a dungeon bash. As a setting there is a lot of ulterior motivation going on in Balazar what with the Lunars trying to influence the region, its interesting and tricky and I like it. It just seems a shame that the scenario of the title has decided to forget all of that.

Has anyone actually played this or run this scenario and still have a clear memory of what happened? I'd really appreciate some insight.

Part of the dilemma of Griffin Mountain is that the Griffins are a noble and intelligent species and it might be necessary to kill them to get the Windsword.

Torath Manover is searching for the Windsword, but in our campaign the PCs found it and kept it for themselves.

One way would be to sneak up the mountain without alerting the Griffins, although this is difficult.

Another way would be to do the Griffins a great favour that allows you to climb the mountain, but that would have to be a great big favour.

Another way would be to distract the Griffins and get them to fly away, perhaps they are fighting off an attacking dragon and chase it off, allowing the PCs to climb the mountain.

Don't forget that Griffin Mountain is sacred to the Griffins and contains a tomb at the peak. This means that the PCs are not only profaners but also grave robbers. But, getting the Windsword is very important as it is an Orlanth artefact.

I think the key to not going completely schizoid in Glorantha is to remember that every culture is good and righteous in its own eyes. Raid your neighbours' cattle and you're showing your prowess - if they do it, they're dirty, underhanded cow thieves. Especially where cult imperatives are concerned, morals are all in the eye of the beholder.

This means that the PCs are not only profaners but also grave robbers.

If you've got a bunch of players fresh from D&D, they'll have no problem.

Part of the dilemma of Griffin Mountain is that the Griffins are a noble and intelligent species and it might be necessary to kill them to get the Windsword.

and that is exactly what I want to avoid.

... in our campaign the PCs found it and kept it for themselves.

I want the players to get their hands on the windsword as well... and the rest of the loot too, if possible. Moon on a stick? We'll see...

Another way would be to do the Griffins a great favour that allows you to climb the mountain, but that would have to be a great big favour.

I quite like this idea... deserves more thought.

Another way would be to distract the Griffins and get them to fly away, perhaps they are fighting off an attacking dragon and chase it off, allowing the PCs to climb the mountain.

But you're still going to be left with the baby griffins and a mother one at least. That would just make it even more horrible. "Right, now the dangerous Griffins have left the nest, lets quickly scale the mountain and slaughter the mother protecting her young..." That's almost exactly what I want to avoid too...

... contains a tomb at the peak. This means that the PCs are not only profaners but also grave robbers. But, getting the Windsword is very important as it is an Orlanth artefact.

Yes, tough choices. I'm considering having a gang of ogres with some pet krajalki do the dirty work, then get the players to clear the ogres out...

I think the key to not going completely schizoid in Glorantha is to remember that every culture is good and righteous in its own eyes... Especially where cult imperatives are concerned, morals are all in the eye of the beholder.

I agree with the sentiment, and have even used it with some tribal friction in an earlier session. But my problem is that the Griffins are neutral and could be allies, my players are really going to need some friends not another enemy hunting them.

If you've got a bunch of players fresh from D&D, they'll have no problem.

You know, that would make it sooo much easier. If only I could roll back time 25/30 years and run this scenario, there wouldn't be any issue at all!

Cheers guys. Substantial food for thought there...

Resurrecting this thread to point anyone that's interested in the direction of the Classic RuneQuest downloads page for my 'Return to Griffin Mountain' write up.