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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“A wonderful release. As well as actually giving you all you need to play and run RuneQuest, you’ll find much much more a with taster of everything that makes RuneQuest and Glorantha the singular entities that they are.”
— Chaosiana, RUNEQUEST STARTER SET Review.
Product Configuration
Physical Product Settings
Is Physical Product: [Y]
Has Inventory: [Y]
United States: [Y]
United Kingdom: [Y]
Europe: [Y]
Australia: [Y]
Canada: [Y]
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/]
PDF Settings
Has Physical Product: [Y]
Is Physical Available: [N]
Physical Product Name: [Y]
Physical Product Link: [Y]
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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This Book Is A Best Buy!
The RuneQuest Glorantha Starter Set is the Gold Standard for rpg starter sets. It's beginner friendly but also an attractive buy for longtime RuneQuest fans.
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Runequest Starter Set
Perfect. If you are like me, and have loved Glorantha for years, but wondered how you could get new folks into both the RQ game and the setting, here is your answer. Packed with product, full of imagery to catch interest, and not too overwhelming. I can't say enough good things. I wish this was around in 1985 when I was starting my exploration of Glorantha. Get this set!
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Fails where it matters
This is gorgeus and could easily have been one of the best starter sets ever. Sadly, it just doesn't hold up when it comes to the truly important parts. Of the adventures, I've only ran A Rough Landing, but since that is recommended as the first one (after the SoloQuest) these criticisms should be seen as pretty severe. To begin with, the adventure text itself is just a pain to work with. It's very hard to run without rewriting the entire text in your own notes. A starter set should ideally require the GM to just take a few notes and have it's adventure text condensed and easy to reference. Then we have the problems that become paintfully clear when you start playing, at least if everyone is new to the game. The pregen sheets are very pretty, but that's it. Here comes just a few problems we had with them: - Why isn't there a line to write your current HP for the different body parts? - Why doesn't Mago have the stat block for the Air elemental he can summon? - Why isn't Fist, Kick and Grapple on the character sheets? The first scene in the first adventure makes it highly likely that the characters will get into a brawl. But the relevant skills aren't printed and the adventure gives no guidance on how to run a brawl where the weapons don't come out. (It in fact just says "If an adventurer attacks with Fist or Grapple") Some of this may be seen as minor points, but combine frustrations with the sheet itself, omitting needed skills and a highly anti-playable adventure text - what you get is NOT a great set up for players enjoying their first time in RuneQuest Glorantha. I've seen so many glowing reviews of this, which is why I felt that I needed to write mine. Be warned, that for us, as a group new to RQG, the starter set looked great but failed us when it came to what really mattered - the play itself.
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The RQ starter set
Where do i start? There is literally a lot to unpack. Stunning maps. Loadsa choice from an abundance of prerolled PC's. Over 250 pages of rules, background, adventures. Most games would call that a core rule book. Everything you will need to start a campaign in Glorantha. Truly epic stuff and amazing value for money. In fact if bools 1&2 where available as a players pack or kit, my players would love it. Great stuff, keep it up.
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Everything amazing, except adventures
Great simplified rules, great intro to Glorantha, great solo gamebook, great adventures, great maps, great pregens... ...poor to average adventures. The actual content of the adventures is average to good – but the form! Oh the form! The adventures are monstrously overwritten! The text bloat is immense – you'd have to write your own notes and run this from memory, it's almost impossible to use the text as a reference at the gaming table. I'm afraid the authors have no idea how to actually _write_ an adventure, have never seen a well-written one and are just winging it. It's basically short stories. This fills me with dread as to how further RQ adventures will look like (I've bought them all, haven't read them yet). If someone from Chaosium happens to read this... please take a look at the OSR scene and learn how to write an adventure. You have great ideas, terrible execution.
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RuneQuest Starter Set
This is an amazingly good deal, the box is jam packed with rules, a wordbook, a solo quest, adventures, characters, character sheets, 3 nice big maps, handouts and even dice. My favorite bit is the soloquest, TBH, since you can play solo (obviously) and because it walks you through gameplay and even a big battle (the battle of dangerford)!
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Great box set
The Runequest Starter Set is a joy to own and I can't wait to introduce new people to Glorantha using it. It is packed full of beautiful materials and references, including some truly impressive cartography. One of the best starter products I have ever purchased.
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Great Place to start
Sometimes it is hard to determine if a rule system is for you and/or your gaming group. Starter sets really help alleviate that, even if some of the rules are streamlined for the starter. This starter set does just that. I have been reading the set and I am about to do the SoloQuest that is included. That is another bonus of this set, the SoloQuest looks like it will be a terrific way to make the rules stick. Worth the purchase! Plus, you get the PDFs included in the price.
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So, you haven't bought it yet ?
This box is all you need to start playing Runequest and to introduce the incredibly rich setting to new players. I wish to stress the amazing quality of this product. The box is made to last and the wonderful artwork emphasizes the unique flavour of Gloranthan adventures.
