 2nd edition |
 here was a lengthy debate on the old Jorune discussion group of the relative merits
of second and third editions. The biggest change was a switch from a percentile system (2nd edition) to a d20 system (3rd edition). The second biggest change was that the third edition had more. Characters in the third edition had more powerful stats, there were more races to choose from for player characters, and the setting included more, and more powerful Earth-Tec, including recos, the biological robots introduced in the Earth-Tec Jorune supplement to the second edition. |
 3rd edition |
Game system. Aside from the switch to a d20 system, the third edition's game system was essentially the same as the second edition. More of an ability meant higher skill ranks, and the player had to roll the skill rank or less. Using the second edition revised rules, percentile skill ranks were all listed on the character sheet, and players could circle their current rank. To convert a skill's named rank (familiar, experienced, etc.) to a rank number in the third edition still required players to look up conversion factors on a table, but the fact that there was a clear system behind it may have reduced confusion a bit. Skill advancement was slower and required more fiddly rules than the second edition.
Character generation. Third edition characters had somewhat higher characteristics, but if these scores were too high for a group's taste, the 4d6 take the best three system could always be replaced with the old 3d6 system. Third edition came closer to a character class system, because basic character skills were determined by their occupation, but with additional skill points, and advancement of individual skills, the game moved away from the initial character class type system. However, this helped speed up character creation by limiting the number of choices, and was a natural evolution from the revised second edition.
Combat. The systems were essentially the same, although third edition's separate penetration tables for the special combat maneuvers added a touch more complexity to an already overburdened system. Players still needed separate rolls for Advantage, to hit, armor penetration, and damage, with changes in dice and the need to roll high or low. We repeat here that the third edition was very badly edited, with key rules scattered throughout the book. Without a good grasp of the basic system, the third edition's combat system could be opaque to the reader and difficult to master.
Isho. Without out a doubt, the third edition added a great deal of extra complexity. Where the second edition's dyshas were single color affairs, the third edition's innovation that each dysha required elements of different colors to weave made the isho skills part of character generation extremely difficult, and made unweaving and interference a perilous guessing game. On the other hand, we felt this complexity gave dyshas a different feel from the second edition, as one could see more easily how a dysha was made of weaving together strands of isho, and the various weave tricks gave caji characters some opportunities to really roleplay, even during combat. We suspect that in play, the isho rules were mainly a horrible chore.
Other content. The third edition's inclusion of materials from the out of print supplements was a great boon, keeping most Jorune material in a single volume. On the other hand, the loss of the separate tauther guide booklet made it harder for players to easily get acquainted with the setting unless there were multiple copies of the rules floating around. As noted elsewhere, we are partial to boxed sets, but the third edition is quite an attractive book.
Note from the curator. I enjoy both editions as collector's items. Looking only at the rules, I found the second edition easier to understand after a careful reading than the third edition, and might never have understood the latter if I hadn't mastered the second edition first, even though I bought and read it second. As my first Jorune purchase, I prefer the third edition, but I hesitate to think of trying to actually play using the isho rules as written. I use my own Jorune Over the Edge adaptation, as I much prefer simple rules systems these days.
—RAD
June 26, 2007