Magic, Myth, and Might in a Box!
The RuneQuest Starter Set contains everything you need to play the world’s best roleplaying game of gods, cults, magic, family, and fantasy!
Chaosium Unveiled: Inside The RQ Starter Set
Watch the unveiling video to see the book for yourself. Remember that you get the PDF when getting the physical copy.
In RuneQuest, everyone uses spells and anyone can be a warrior. The gods provide powers to their mortal worshipers, and can intercede on their behalf. Each RuneQuest adventurer is unique, defined by their Runes, culture, and cult—all chosen by the player.
What's Inside
The RuneQuest Starter Set contains books, dice, maps, and enough content to keep a group engaged and entertained for several roleplaying sessions. The box also includes 12 pregenerated character folios, giving each player a wide range of playstyles and backgrounds to choose from.
Rules & Dice
The RuneQuest Starter Set has four softcover manuals broken into rules, setting, and scenarios. The box includes all the dice you need to play the game, a set of premade character folios, maps of Jonstown and the surrounding areas, and a Strike Rank Tracker for epic and dangerous RuneQuest combat.
SoloQuest
Learn to play in the best way possible—by playing! “The Battle of Dangerford” is a single-player scenario designed to teach you the rules of the game as you play. Take on the role of Vasana as she joins her Sartarite brothers and sisters in an epic clash against the invading Lunar Empire.
Scenarios
Three scenarios designed for up to 5 players.
In A Rough Landing, fresh from the Battle of Dangerford, the adventurers run afoul of aggressive dark trolls, and must resolve a problem in a nearby farming community.
A Fire in the Darkness sees the adventurers asked to investigate a string of fires in Jonstown. Clues lead them to the under-city tunnels in search of the source of the blaze— is it possible that the prime suspects are not what they seem?
In The Rainbow Mounds the adventurers arrive at the mysterious cave complex to confront a group of Trolls menacing the nearby village. In the labyrinthine tunnels of The Rainbow Mounds, the adventurers discover an unimaginable new foe.
Maps & Handouts
Each scenario has its own collection of maps and notes, each presented in full colour. These play aids enhance the RuneQuest experience, and help you immerse yourself in the mythic world of Glorantha.
What's Next?
Once you’ve devoured everything the RuneQuest Starter Set has to offer, you’ll want to expand the world of Glorantha at your tabletop! .
RuneQuest: Adventures in Glorantha: Everything you need to play RuneQuest, including rules for character creation, cults, magic, sorcery, managing your household, and growing your RuneQuest family.
RuneQuest: Glorantha Bestiary: Over 180 monsters, beasts, and adverarys for your RuneQuest games, including new playable races, such as Ducks and Trolls!
RuneQuest: Gamemaster Screen Pack: The Gamemaster Screen Pack enhances your games of RuneQuest with scenarios, setting information, reference tables, and maps that increase the flow of play!
The Pegasus Plateau & Other Stories: Set in the mythic fantasy world of Glorantha, this features seven complete ready-to-play adventures, taking you from ghoul-haunted catacombs, into mystic ruins, across Prax, and up the Pegasus Plateau!
Downloads for this Product
Watch Live Play: RuneQuest Starter Set
Curious about the scenarios? Watch the Live Play on the Stream of Chaos
What The Critics Say
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"This is truly an amazing product. On so many levels. I think, most importantly, it showcases Chaosium's approach to their business and consumers. Game companies aren't forced to do Starter Sets like this. And they usually don't. Chaosium makes products for fans."
— RPG Imaginings, RQ Starter Set Review - Twitter.
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"If you've wanted to try out RuneQuest, this is the product for you. If you're a GM wanting to get into something more about a deep, profound spiritual world than killing monsters and taking their stuff, buy it."
— Edward Jones, OzRPGDice, RQ Starter Set Review - Facebook.
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"If only there were a single, streamlined product we could point new players to, a concise entry point that explained the rules, introduced the setting, and made it all effortless to learn and play. Something that showcased what makes this fantasy RPG unique.
Oh wait, now there is...
If you have ever been even mildly curious about Glorantha or Runequest, here is your chance to explore. You will know exactly after exploring the Starter Set if this is the game for you."— Andrew Logan Montgomery, The RuneQuest Starter Set Review.
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"The absolute perfect starter set that comes in a box... there are several wonderful starter sets out there but this is going to set a new high as to what it provides."
— OrcusDorkus, YouTube Review.
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"Everything to lull you into being a hardcore Glorantha dweller. Did Chaosium outdo themselves here? I’d say yes."
— EuroCultAV, EuroCultAV Holiday Gift Guide Part II – Books and Board Games.
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"What if D&D took its cues from mythologies rather than pulp fantasy?" asks Dicebreaker. "That’s the question at the heart of RuneQuest, the critically-acclaimed RPG from game design legend Greg Stafford. RuneQuest offers a chance to play mythic heroes seeking adventure in a deep setting like few other RPGs."
— Dicebreaker, 10 best tabletop RPG boxed sets for new players.
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"The RuneQuest Starter Set is a fantastic product... One of Chaosium’s goals was to make this product useful even for veterans of RuneQuest and Glorantha, and I think they have greatly succeeded here.
— Godlearners, Review: RuneQuest Starter Set.
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"Oozes class, quality and care throughout... I wish this had been around when I started playing RuneQuest over 35 years ago!"
— Bud's RPG Review, RuneQuest Starter Set for RuneQuest Glorantha by Chaosium.
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"The perfect introduction to RuneQuest... it really does set a standard by which other starter sets are going to be measured. Chaosium did that already with the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set, now it has done it again with the RuneQuest Starter Set."
— Reviews from R'lyeh, A RuneQuest Starter.
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"A gentle learning curve for Glorantha... I have no idea what more Chaosium could do to make the game easier to get into short of sending out RuneQuest referees to go door-to-door offering introductory sessions."
— Refereeing & Reflection, A Gentle Learning Curve For Glorantha.
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"Chaosium’s RuneQuest team has nailed it! Raising the bar to new heights, they have put together a Starter Set that other companies can only dream of emulating. One with concisely written and focused rules, in easy to understand language supported by copious examples and just the right amount of lore to whet your appetite, yet enough to give you a firm sense of the world in which you are about to embark. It’s further bolstered by a SoloQuest explicitly designed to teach new players the rules along with three adventures intended to gradually build a player’s knowledge through experiential learning. And we cannot forget all the other goodies you get in the box as well. All of this at an affordable price!"
— Rolling Boxcars, Perfection in A Box – A Review of the RuneQuest Starter Set.
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"The purpose of starter sets is to introduce new players to a game system, so that not only do they understand the rules and the setting with ease, but they also have the tools to make a starting game quickly. The RuneQuest Starter Set exceeded that and more."
— Really Dicey, RuneQuest Starter Set - Rules Overview & Product Review.
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"It is the best RPG boxed set I've seen, and certainly the best value. Honestly, if you are into RPGs at all, you need to pick this up. You will regret it if you don't."
— M.T. Black, best-selling RPG author (Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus), DM's Guild, Twitter Review.
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"This starter set is outstanding... I recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys fantasy RPGs and wants to try a long-lived unique setting and well tested rules."
— Charles Dunwoody 'Played It' Review, EN World, RuneQuest Starter Set: Played It Review of a Mythic World of Magic and Conflict.
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"An excellent introduction to the game... There is enough material in the box to actually play RuneQuest with one of the fourteen pre-generated characters. The Soloquest enables the buyer to sample the rules without needing a gamemaster. In fact, I came away from the starter box with more confidence in my grasp of the game than I felt after reading the main rule book."
— James Nicholl Reviews, Just Lots of Little Frames.
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"It's got a dash of Conan The Barbarian, a little bit of Greek mythology, and it has a really fun rules system that's actually been used in a tonne of different games."
— The Character Sheet on ComicBook.com, RuneQuest For D&D Refugees! A Guide To Starting RuneQuest In 2023! (YourTube).
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"Near perfection from Chaosium... pretty much a flawless example in how to introduce new and past players into a game’s world"
— 5D Podcast, RuneQuest Starter Set – Near perfection from Chaosium.
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“This box set is fantastic and if you want to try some Bronze Age, ultra-high Fantasy, with some brutal combat, dense but malleable lore, and more than half a century of history. For its price, it’s a phenomenal deal. You could play for weeks, if not months with just what’s in this box, and what’s in this box will continue to be useful if you push further in and buy the full game.”
— Matthew J Constantine, Tabletop RPG Review: RuneQuest Starter Set.
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"Maximal Bronze Age Fantasy – RuneQuest has stood the test of time… because it offers something different than standard medieval fantasy fare."
— Dave Thaumavore, Let’s explain how Runequest works through its latest Starter Box | RPG Review.
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United Kingdom: [Y]
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Australia: [Y]
Canada: [N]
Has Lulu: [N]
Lulu Product Name: [ - POD]
Lulu Product Link: [/nameless-horrors-pod/]
Is PDF Available: [Y]
PDF Product Name: [RuneQuest Starter Set - PDF]
PDF Product Link: [/runequest-starter-set-pdf/]
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Product Footer
Footer Name:
- Publisher:
- Chaosium
- Year Released:
- 2021
- Format:
- Full Color Boxed Set
- ISBN:
- 978-1-56882-524-3
- Page Count:
- 180 pages across four books and handouts)
- Authors:
- Greg Stafford, Jeff Richard, Jason Durall
- Cover Artist:
- Ossi Hiekkala
- Artists:
- Andrey Fetisov, Jon Hodgson, Kalin Kadiev, Roman Kisyov, Michelle Lockamy, Jan Pospisil, Scott Purdy, Naomi Robinson, Simon Roy, Chris Waller
- Adventurer Artists:
- Jon Hodgson, Scott Purdy, Roman Kisyov, Dimitrina Angelska
- Cartography:
- Matt Ryan, Olivier Sanfilippo, Tobias Tranell
- Layout:
- Simeon Cogswell
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Top Rating !
Nice ! Great ! Top to start ! top for core rule owners also ! This an to-have RPG supplement. Nice drawings, nice stuff, a very cool soloquest and 14 high qual pregen sheets. Special dedicace to the jonstown's NPC description. It's Huge ! it's nice ! It should be yours !
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Sets that standard for starter sets.
Having had the Runequest starter set for about a week now, and having had time to dig through everything contained, it has to be said that the quality and content of this set are not going to be matched anytime soon. It has everything you'd expect - starter adventures, pregenerated characters, maps, a very detailed overview of the core rules, and as a bonus, a solo adventure. Glorious artwork, an immensely deep world setting and a price point that absolutely does not reflect how much there is inside this box. A 5* must-have for fans of fantasy roleplaying.
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Awesome both in form and content !
I was a long wait for this product but it was very much worth it. As a long-time fan, I must say I was more interested in the new material on Jonstown. But in the end, every component of the pack proved valuable and interesting. The Solo adventure reads almost like a novel and gives a very good idea on the feel of Runequest. The scenarios are enjoyable. The Jonstown guides is really really good. It excels in that it gives a good view on important NPCs but you also get practical information on price of food, lodging, healing as well as NPC stats for "common" citizens. Overall the art is really good and the layout superb. The level of quality of the maps is just mind-blowing. It does not get better than this, you should biy this!
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High Quality Set
This starter set was a great value - and a great introduction to get new players interested and playing quickly. In my opinion, the maps were gorgeous as well as the art throughout the book - honestly the quality level and detail of the work in all the Runequest products set a high bar and this one is on par. I specifically like the handouts for the pregens and we spent a fair amount of time reading those, and the soloquest was an interesting and informatory addition. All that said, this starter set was pleasantly more than I expected. This has something for new players and groups that have been playing for a long time. There is just so much information packed in here it can be utilized regardless if your playing Runequest for the first time or if you have been playing a long campaign - it's totally adaptable and the "adventures/scenarios" I enjoyed very much and can't wait to incorporate them.
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Runequest Starter Set
As I mentioned in mu review of The CoC starter set, I love starter sets. I buy nearly everyone I see...it would be everyone I see but the My Little Pony RPG simply does not appeal to me so I won't be purchasing it...but I digress. Full disclosure here...I actually bought the PDF from Chaosium and a physical copy from my local brick and mortar store. Ironically, this was only a little more expensive than buying both from Chaosium and I supported both...but I digress again. OK...where do I start...well...this set was one of my most anticipated RPG products since the CoC starter set and it did not disapoint. I have been a fan of RQ since the 1980s and have had a few versions over the years. My first version was the Avalon Hill version and it was a benchmark for other games at the time to follow...at least in presentation. This starter set easily surpasses the expectations set but that version. The game looks stunning and is such an easy read. The solo adventure is exciting and does a great job introducing the rules. The Glorantha book has a surprising amount of stuff crammed in between the covers. The adventures look like they would be a lot of fun to play. The maps are beautiful and the Strike Rank Tracker is printed on cardstock. One of the most surprising additions is the sheer number of pregenerated characters...there are 14 in here. I love that they included this many. One of the tips I give new GMs is to keep a copy handy of as many pregenerated characters as possible to use as either NPCs or to hand to a new player. Honestly, for the price, you can't beat this box. Even if you never venture away from its content, (which would be a mistake as Runequest is the best fantasy RPG on the market...yes...better than that one...by a mile), you would still get plenty of play time out of the box. I simply cannot recommend this high enough!
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Runequest Starter Set
Gorgeous! A perfect intro into RQ gaming and the world of Glorantha. My favorite setting finally has a product that will help me immerse new players into the world, AND gives old-timers like myself plenty of material to use. I couldn't be happier with it. Well done!
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RuneQuest Starter Set
Wow! Simply from the pictorial presentation, this is a very impressive box of treasures. This presents the richness of Glorantha in a way that hasn’t really been equalled before, in terms of Starter rules, background, characters, and, again, the art and maps. There’s everything here to start play using the pre-generated characters. To fully create new PCs, then the main rulebook would be necessary, but there is enough here to let anyone dip a toe in the water, and experience Glorantha, either via the solo scenario or in the full scenarios. Even the scenario which revisits a location featured in the ancient sets of rules is presented with new inhabitants, new threats and foes, and exceptional maps in full colour. I should note that I have a credit for proofreading and map checking.
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Absolutely Awesome!
The title says it all. Best starter set I have ever bought. A lot of my friends are about to discover the my love for Runequest.
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RuneQuest Starter Set
I got my Starter Set a few days ago, along with the stunningly beautiful 40th CoC book, and I have to give praise to Chaosium's amazing warehouse team. My order came double boxed with heavy duty shipping tape and lots of packing paper. As someone who is brand new to Glorantha (I've been gaming since 1984 and only got into Glorantha in 2018 with the RQ:G book), I love it. I love the sturdy box. I love all the maps and the magnificent artwork and the PC portfolios. I especially love Book 2: Glorantha. Even though I have the Sourcebook and the two-volume Guide, it all still feels overwhelming sometimes. There's just so much depth to the setting. Which I love, of course. But this Starter Set booklet really gives me a good overview of the world without inundating me in detail. If I could make one request for us poor newbs though, give us a pronunciation guide!
