Questworld (1982) is an odd Chaosium box set. When I think of RuneQuest, I think of the world of Glorantha, but Glorantha wasn’t always baked into the RPG. Chaosium published a number of books for non-Glorantha RuneQuest play, which they dubbed “Gateway” products. This was necessary as Glorantha was Greg Stafford’s world and everything published in that world needed Stafford’s approval, so Gateway was a way to publish more RQ material without that time-consuming hurdle. Most of Chaosium’s Gateway stuff was general supplements (monsters, treasures) but Questworld is dedicated to its own campaign world called, well…Questworld.  

It takes the form of a setting overview book and nine scenarios that flesh the world out through play. Oh, and it isn’t entirely separate from Glorantha – those gods are worshipped here too. Making matters slightly more confusing, on the Stafford Codex, Greg classifies QuestWorld as a supplement to the Worlds of Wonder box that facilitated cross-over play between all the Basic RPG games (Call of Cthulhu, Superworld, Stormbringer, etc). The box only details one continent, the intention being for third party designers to create and publish their own continents, though I am fairly certain no one did.

I have tried to read through Questworld on a number of occasions but it just doesn’t hold my interest. Its too…generic. Honestly, the thoroughly unexciting cover art really says it all.