by Areinu
With everything from RB being out of print, sold out, and forgotten by FFG everyone is expecting 3rd edition sooner or later. Obviously they can just ditch Runebound forever, but with that many expansions made I doubt the game didn't meet with success. So the 3rd edition might actually come!
This brings us to question - what would we like to see in 3rd edition? What's on your wishlist, what you would like improved, added, changed, kept the same?
Here's some of my ideas:
1) Let's steal ideas from LCGs
Big problem with 2nd edition was you couldn't use additional challenges from small expansions in big expansions, and you couldn't integrate almost anything from big expansions into main game. Even though a lot of stuff could work, while being thematic. Also in 2nd edition small box challenges only "kind of" worked with small box adventure variants. You're working your way against giant invasion, and everywhere you meet challenges mentioning of Vorakesh.
LCGs, like
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game have icons that represent type of challenges on the cards, not just the expansions. This way they can re-use the same trolls, goblins, orcs in multiple adventures without making thematic mess. Runebound could do that to - cards mentioning Vorakesh could have vorakesh icon, and would be easily removed from all non-vorakesh related adventures. The ferroxes would have another icon, and if FFG decided ferroxes can appear in Zanaga you could just put all your Ferroxes cards into Zanaga expansion. It wouldn't matter if the cards are from the small expansions, big expansions or base game.
We wouldn't need different backs for different adventure variants, nor would we need to put new cards next to others and discard all non-related events. Small box adventure variants could use some of the generic events, that don't mention any danger in particular.
Sure, that would require a bit of challenge deck building based on adventure you chose, and would increase already big set up time - but only when you would change the adventure.
2) Different card packs
With introduction of 1) we wouldn't need separate challenge and adventure small box expansions - those would automatically merge, because we would be able to easily separate generic challenges from story related ones. With this why not just add some of market items to the mix and present small box expansions that have 60(or more?) cards, consisting of items and challenges.
Runebound lives and dies with it's cards. 3rd edition could adapt LCG model for expansions, making 3rd edition live "eternally".
3) More involving adventures
Runebound could certainly use multi-step adventures. Lord of the Rings LCG usually has 3 cards per adventure, that are put aside. Once you complete the goal on 1st card you advance to second. Completing goals in LotR is stupid and boring, but it could be fun in Runebound.
Imagine something like this. First card tells us of evil Lord living in the mountains south of Tamalir, who tries to gather his army to conquer Terrinoth. Heroes have to stop him. The card would instruct us to put that Lord's card on undefeated track, and a marker on some spot. That lord could be boss with some sort of Yellowish/Blueish strength, and there might be some sort of doom track which you would have to race to fight him.
Once heroes defeat the boss the first card gets discarded and 2nd says that the Lord was only the pawn in the hands of necromancer that pretended to work for him. Lord's blood was a catalyst to start the ritual that will bring back the darkness. There are now 4 places where evil runes glow, summoning some evil. Now in phase 2 heroes have to destroy evil runes all over the map within time limit.
Depending on what heroes do one of 3rd act cards comes into play - If they manage to do it the final boss is the necromancer, that wants to take the revenge on the heroes. If they don't destroy all runes then the ancient evil boss appears and they have a bit of time to defeat him or he will destroy whole Terrinoth.
Mole involving goal, players have to do something all the time, instead grinding for power for hours before finally fighting 3 random cards. And FFG could make much better stories than I improvised within this post.
4) More involving quests
I don't want quest to be "You found X. Throw dice and add some arbitrary number. If you pass Y, if you fail Z". Almost all quests in runebound are like this. Give us choices, something interesting to do. Talisman can do this, why not Runebound?
5) Abilities that matter
Right now abilities do nothing. Yeah, yeah, they provide boost to one of skill tests you might or might not make during the game. You barely even remember you have those. I want to use my abilities in some meaningful way. I want the game to be different when I have someone who can climb than when I have someone who can jump or has lore knowledge.
It doesn't have to be much. Say, I have climbing. Let me pass some test to use one die with plains to climb hills. And another test to use hills to climb mountains. That would make huge difference in mobility, making this character real climber. Swimmer could, say, pass a test to use water die to move 2 spaces of river instead of one. Jumping could let you jump over a river if you pass a test. Endurance could let you use all your fatigue(only if you have full) to survive blow that would otherwise kill you, if you pass a test. Lore could let you find places of power and make recovering fatigue for you and your allies easier. Resist could let you sometimes not lose fatigue to effects that normally use it. Spot might let you choose rest dice after rolling instead of before(I know that's already a rule in Zanaga).
I don't know if those ideas are balanced, I'm only spouting ideas. Point is - FFG can make much better use of abilities.
6) Bigger character cards, smaller equipment cards.
Runebound 2nd edition is game of deceit. They give you deceptively small card of hero, where all data is condensed as much as possible. Then after an hour you don't have space on the table to put yet another equipment card next to you. I want big cards for characters, like Descent or DungeonQuest. Also things from market stack could just as well use american mini size.
I know some people might disagree on this, but overall we would save much space and it's easier to manage hundred of small cards than hundred of big ones. At least for me.
Also with bigger characters cards they can gain more skills. Maybe some super powerful once per game skills next to basic ones?
7) No more board overlays
When I buy big box expansion I don't want overlay for my board. Just give me new board. It can't be so expensive to print, and will make game less fiddly. Also you wouldn't be limited to always the same amount of towns, and you could have different town logos. Heck, you could go crazy and have different graphics for each board! Whoah.
8) Go back to cross-game heroes
I don't want to have the same minis in each game, as it was before. I just want cards for other games. I want new Runebound 3rd edition heroes to work in Descent. I want my Descent heroes to work in Runebound. Sure, that means everyone has to pay for 2-8 pieces of paper "they don't need", but it worked in DungenQuest. Because of DungeonQuest I became slave of Terrinoth, so this scheme works
9) Real spells
I want to cast spells when I'm magic user. Character decks tried to do this, but those just weren't integral part of the game. This time do it from the beginning, and do it right.
