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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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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Runequest Starter Set
A box set may be nostalgic to older TTRPG gamers but this set is produced with the highest quality. The print quality, materials chosen, and layout are each top notch. That doesn’t even begin to touch on the content. The set contains 14 new playable PCs, 4 books (more on that in a min), an awesome map of the Dragon Pass region, dice, and player handouts. The books are organized and well written. With a book for the game rules, a book for the setting of Glorantha, a book of written adventures, and my favorite is the Solo quest. The solo quest is a great way for new players to experience the wonder of Glorantha and learn the mechanics of the game as they play out an important part of the Glorantha Lore/History. As a final note, the price point is amazingly low for the amount of content within the box set. I recommend this set for any curious new comers to Runequest and a solid purchase for old timers as well.
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The best place for a player to start
For a player new to Glorantha this is where you need to start. Everything is streamlined and ready to go. You can explore the world and various character archetypes (over a dozen). It is colorful and vivid with a well laid out package and an initial solo adventure set to get you all in. There is a lot in this box that will keep you going for a fair amount of time. Warning though: Soon you'll be so excited by this whole world you'll have a whole bookshelf of Gloranthan books and materials from Chaosium and fan written materials at the Jonstown Compendium as well as writing yourself.
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Let the Party Begin!
Adventuring in Glorantha can be daunting (as in, on Earth, playing Runequest) as there is likely no richer, more fantastical world that gamers can immerse themselves in. It's a lot to take in - and coupled with Runequest's oft copied game system that is is famed for its gritty realism - starting off in Runequest Glorantha can be vertigo inducing. But the Runequest Starter Set puts your players on solid ground with a selection of richly rendered pre-gen characters thrown into an epic age of action called 'The Hero Wars'. You really do get to walk a mile in someone else's shoes - or rather, SANDALS, as Bronze Age Gloranthophiles will pedantically remind you! The 'grounding' of adventurers, their background and motivations, is the real sparkling innovation of Runequest Glorantha (it's possibly 7th version since 1978), as instead of dry and abstract alignments, adventurers have history! And in the Runequest Starter Set, players will get a front row seat in The Solo Quest, playing Vasana, a warrior riding headlong into battle. I can't stress how immersive and ingenious this is (just like the background generating system in the main rule book): players learn so much about the world and their place in it. For me, the Solo Quest is a stand out part of the Starter Set, as it's so richly described and wonderfully illustrated. The other booklets and maps are of course great - but I must confess - I haven't read the Adventures supplement, as I WANT TO PLAY THEM! (I'm going to twist somebody else's arm to GM!). The slightest gripe is actually also the Starter Set's main selling point, or raison d'etre; it's that players don't get to roll up their own adventurers, but instead are given pre-generated characters... But, you know. The pre-gens themselves are also so richly rendered, that if you buy this Starter Set and don't want to buy the rest of Runequest Glorantha and roll up your own adventurer with their own backstory, life history and motivations....then........WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!? Welcome to Glorantha. You'll never leave.
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RQ for a New Generation
RPGs have become so crunchy. The rules need to cover pretty much every circumstance you can think of, BEFORE you open the books. More and more, a quickstart or beginner's rules set is necessary. The RuneQuest Starter Set fulfills this need nicely. First: I know at least one person who was put off by the fact that this box does NOT contain character creation rules, but instead has 14 pre-generated characters. They forget that the point of a Starter Set is to START PLAYING, not get bogged down in character creation. The wide variety of pregens is, I think, an excellent compromise that will get people actually playing hours earlier than they would if they had to learn all about character creation. Second, after 40+ years, the RQ mechanics are still rock-solid, and still easy to explain to anyone in moments. Technically, there are a bunch of charts, but it all still comes down to: you have a percentage in each skill; roll equal to or less than that percentage, and you Do The Thing. While the extra rules are not as comprehensive as the RQG rulebook, they cover most of the things beginning players are likely to have to handle. The Glorantha book is a thing of beauty. The maps are glorious. The solo adventure is fun. The GM adventures, especially the reboot of the Rainbow Mounds, are exactly the sort to show off how Glorantha works. RQ has never been strictly dungeon-bashing and murder hobos. Now, with this Starter Set, people can get a genuine taste of how different, exciting, and fulfilling a role-playing game can be.
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Master piece
The best starter set I have seen. Basic and ideal for new players and really interesting to more advance GMs, stunning art, lot of content, thrill adventures, dices.... and cheap... you can't ask for more.
