Steve Perrin's Quest Rules
Encyclopedia
Steve Perrin's Quest Rules, or SPQR for short, is a role-playing game system
created and sold by Steve Perrin
.
, first published in 1978 by Chaosium
and set in Greg Stafford
's fantasy world, Glorantha
. Stafford and Lynn Willis
(one of his Chaosium employees) simplified the rules (eliminating such things as Strike Ranks and Hit Locations) in order to publish a generic role-playing game system
called Basic Role-Playing
(BRP). First released in 1980, BRP was independent from all the successive RuneQuest editions (even if its rules booklet was first only included in other games' boxes such as RuneQuests) and served as a basic system of rules for almost all incoming role-playing games edited by Chaosium, like Call of Cthulhu
(1981), Stormbringer
(1981) or Pendragon
(1985). One of those games, Superworld
(1983), represented a commercial failure and resulted in the departure of Perrin from Chaosium. He began then to work as a game designer for companies like Interplay Productions
, Maxis
or Spectrum Holobyte
. He has also worked freelance for many of the major players in the games industry including TSR, Inc.
, FASA Corporation, Hero Games
, West End Games
, and Iron Crown Enterprises
. Only years later, in 2002, he decided to pick up again in business with his former game system, which he calls now Steve Perrin's Quest Rules (SPQR).
Role-playing game system
A role-playing game system is a set of game mechanics used in a role-playing game to determine the outcome of a character's in-game actions...
created and sold by Steve Perrin
Steve Perrin
Stephen Herbert Perrin, born January 22 1946 and simply known as Steve Perrin, is a game designer and technical writer/editor.Perrin is probably best known for creating the role-playing game RuneQuest for Chaosium...
.
History
SPQR rules are based on those Perrin created for the role-playing game called RuneQuestRuneQuest
RuneQuest is a fantasy role-playing game first published in 1978 by Chaosium, created by Steve Perrin and set in Greg Stafford's mythical world of Glorantha. RuneQuest was notable for its original gaming system and for its verisimilitude in adhering to an original fantasy world...
, first published in 1978 by Chaosium
Chaosium
Chaosium is one of the longer lived publishers of role-playing games still in existence. Founded by Greg Stafford, its first game was actually a wargame, White Bear and Red Moon, which later mutated into Dragon Pass and its sequel, Nomad Gods...
and set in Greg Stafford
Greg Stafford
Francis Gregory Stafford , usually known as Greg Stafford, is an American game designer, publisher and shaman.-Glorantha and gaming:...
's fantasy world, Glorantha
Glorantha
Glorantha is the Fantasy world created by Greg Stafford and since used as the background for several role-playing games, including RuneQuest , Hero Wars and HeroQuest , as well as several works of fiction and the computer strategy game King of Dragon Pass...
. Stafford and Lynn Willis
Lynn Willis
Lynn Willis is a wargame and role-playing game designer who has done work for Metagaming Concepts, Game Designers' Workshop, and Chaosium.Willis began by designing science fiction wargames for Metagaming, starting with the Godsfire in 1976. He also designed the microgames Olympica and Holy War...
(one of his Chaosium employees) simplified the rules (eliminating such things as Strike Ranks and Hit Locations) in order to publish a generic role-playing game system
Generic role-playing game system
A generic role-playing game system or universal role-playing game system is a role-playing game system designed to be independent of setting and genre...
called Basic Role-Playing
Basic Role-Playing
Basic Role-Playing is a role-playing game system which originated in the fantasy-oriented RuneQuest role-playing game rules...
(BRP). First released in 1980, BRP was independent from all the successive RuneQuest editions (even if its rules booklet was first only included in other games' boxes such as RuneQuests) and served as a basic system of rules for almost all incoming role-playing games edited by Chaosium, like Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos.The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium.-Setting:...
(1981), Stormbringer
Stormbringer (role-playing game)
The Stormbringer fantasy role-playing game published by Chaosium puts the players in the world of the Young Kingdoms, based on the Elric of Melniboné books by Michael Moorcock. The game takes its name from Elric’s sword, Stormbringer...
(1981) or Pendragon
Pendragon (role-playing game)
Pendragon, or King Arthur Pendragon, is a role-playing game in which players take the role of knights performing chivalric deeds in the tradition of Arthurian legend. It was originally written by Greg Stafford and published by Chaosium, then was acquired by Green Knight Publishing, who in turn...
(1985). One of those games, Superworld
Superworld
Superworld is a superhero-themed role-playing game published by Chaosium in 1983. Written by Basic Role-Playing and RuneQuest author Steve Perrin, Superworld began as one third of the Worlds of Wonder product, which also included a generic fantasy setting, "Magic World", and a generic science...
(1983), represented a commercial failure and resulted in the departure of Perrin from Chaosium. He began then to work as a game designer for companies like Interplay Productions
Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment Corporation is an American video game developer and publisher, founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by Brian Fargo. The company had been a quality developer until they started publishing their own games in 1988, like Neuromancer and Battle Chess. The company was renamed...
, Maxis
Maxis
Maxis is an American company founded as an independent video game developer in 1987. It is currently a subsidiary of Electronic Arts . Maxis is the creator of one of the best-selling computer games of all time, The Sims and its first sequel, The Sims 2...
or Spectrum Holobyte
Spectrum HoloByte
Spectrum HoloByte, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher originally based in Alameda, California.The company was founded in 1983 and was most famous for its simulation games, notably the Falcon series of flight simulators and Vette!, a driving simulator from 1989...
. He has also worked freelance for many of the major players in the games industry including TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
, FASA Corporation, Hero Games
Hero Games
Hero Games is the publisher of the Hero System, a generic roleplaying rules set that can be used to simulate many different genres, and was the co-developer of the Fuzion system.-History:...
, West End Games
West End Games
West End Games was a company that made board, role-playing, and war games. It was founded by Daniel Scott Palter in 1974 in New York, but later moved to Honesdale, Pennsylvania...
, and Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises
Iron Crown Enterprises was a publisher of role playing, board, miniature battle, and collectible card games.ICE was incorporated in 1980 shortly after the principal founders graduated from the University of Virginia...
. Only years later, in 2002, he decided to pick up again in business with his former game system, which he calls now Steve Perrin's Quest Rules (SPQR).