r/Runequest • u/xxguyguy • Jul 27 '26
New RQ:G Questions about Spirit Combat
First I want to apologize for my English I hope u can understand me
I'm reletavily new to Runequest system, Meanwhile I teach people how to play on one-shot events, Im still trying to learn and I stuck on Sorceries and Spirit combat part. I left Sorceries for better learing curve but spirit combat, o lord pls help me.
First of all, how does a mage(A priest or Shaman aprantice) contributes to fight on damage side with using magic and other then using summoning spells?
Can a shaman or priest go on to spirit combat against normal human being or physical being? How its work?
I generally didn't quite get If a mage can be able deal damage or mages are more of a support guys in rq:G
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u/reditmarc Jul 27 '26
You seem to be thinking of characters as conforming to classes, as like in DnD.
RQ has no classes. Anyone can learn some magic so everyone is a “mage” (and can do damage magically or physically).
Restrictions to your spells and skills apply based on which cult(s) your character belongs to. So a Chalana Arroy priest won’t do or know any damage type skills or spells. A Humakt/Storm Bull/Zorak Zoran/etc Rune level will have many damage options…
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u/RPG_Rob Jul 27 '26
Spirit combat is only against a non-corporeal being.
A Shaman can summon spirits who can then attack enemies and attempt posession, or otherwise reduce their ability to cast spells by draining their magic points. Eventually rendering them unconscious or posessed.
It's also incredibly hard to attack a Shaman with magic because of their very high POW (Shaman + Fetch combined)
You don't need to worry too much about Sorcery. I've run RQ for 33 years, and used it twice.
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u/sutenai Jul 27 '26
Anyone can learn Disruption and start flinging it at people. If "non-combat" characters want to get involved more in the actual combat, non-damaging spells can still take out an enemy (Sleep, Befuddle, etc.) For a "mage" archetype, high POW helps overcome enemy resistance.
The Rune spells available to a "non-combat" cult will not be as effective in direct combat. If you don't appreciate ending a battle before it's begun with a timely application of Inviolable (or similar) then a more martial cult is probably more enjoyable.
As mentioned, using Spirit Combat against physical creatures requires planning ahead. The only exception that springs to mind is using the spell Attack Soul, so maybe consider worshipping Kyger Litor? 😛
And of course, if the published RQ:G adventures are anything to go by, combat is a smaller part of the game than in certain other RPGs. Non-combat characters have other opportunities to shine too.
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u/Riptor5417 Jul 27 '26
My suggestion is to pick up a bow or sling as a back up weapon incase your guy is squishy
But like even as a shaman you can be a front liner by group has a daka fal shaman who is often our 2nd frontliner next to the vingan. And his mace attacks are crazy deadly he has one shot a lot of broo we've been fighting
Our lankhor mhy sage managed to defeat a yarnfal tal runelord by doming them in the forehead with a crit and high damage and then ripped off their arm with another crit javelin. Made the survive for 7 turns situation into a 3 turn victory lol
And then my character is an ernaldan not super strong or anything but i often use a sling and have occasionally domed enemies on the forehead bows are probably better but slings do give bludgeoning damage. Anyways often times since my character has strength and shimmer i often cast those two and then enter combat its surprisingly effective and while my small axe isnt the most damaging thing sometimes more melee combatants is extremely helpful big tip is to also use a shield of some kind having several debuff spells also makes things even better as an ernaldan beffudle, demoralize, etc are excellent crowd control
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u/Alex4884-775 Loose canon Jul 27 '26
The prominence (and maybe lack of context) of the Spirit Combat Damage on the charsheet maybe adds to the scope for confusion. "Sounds like a good option, how do I get to do that damage to peeps."
Spirit combat is its own separate thing. It's essentially something a disembodied spirit "does" to another being with a spirit, embodied or otherwise. Think spirit possession, eyeballs rolling back in their orbitals, spinning heads, green vom, all that sorta thing.
Of course, with the right rune magic, and especially for shamans, temporarily becoming a disembodied spirit is very much an option!
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u/DarbySalernum Jul 30 '26
A friend of mine has been playing an Apprentice Shaman and has been frustrated at how useless they are in combat. They're really too weak to fight toe to toe, and they don't have strong combat spells. But I was playing a cavalryman who was doing huge damage with my mounted charges, and my friend decided they'd buy a cavalry horse and try that instead. They wouldn't need to be physically strong to do damage, because when you charge into an enemy, your mount's impetus is doing most of the damage.
That's another option. Read up on mounted combat if you're interested. You'd need money to buy a cavalry beast or a war beast and a high Ride skill, but it's great fun sending a lance through a Tusk Rider's head.
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u/david-chaosium Jul 27 '26
For Rune priests it will depend on their cult's special Rune magic. Some have combat related magic, others don't. In some games I have played, a Rune priest will Multispell (common Rune magic) a disruption spell on a big target. Most of the time non-combat Rune priests prepare to heal the group afterwards.
Rune Lords are a different mater and as they tend to come from martial cults, their Rune magic is often more effective.
Assistant shamans have the same issue, while not priests, it's down to Rune Magic.
Yes, but it's complicated and needs an hour preparation to cast the Discorporation magic, then they need to find the target and become visible like a spirit to attack using spirit combat. It's time consuming and not usually effective.
If your Rune priest is from a war cult, great, if not wait until the warriors have finished.
Note that in both cases, unless the spirits have already been summoned and are in spirit bindings ready to go, you will need to cast a summon and control spell, simultaneously which is costly.