In some off-line discussion with Steve W., I started describing some of my thoughts on rituals for the MoLaD game. Since I don't think I have ever posted this much info on the DPD, I thought I might as well clean it up and post it. Hmm, and quintuple it in size, too. :)
First, keep in mind that much of my design for MoLaD assumed/assumes certain new features not present in DP or NG, such as a distinct map of the Otherworld that is used in conjunction with the mundane map. Basically, some units are found only on the Otherworld; some are only on the Mundane World; some are found in the Otherworld but can be summoned to the Mundane World; and some units (such as shamans and magicians) either co-exist in both worlds, or can travel from one world to the other at will, or with a ritual. Plus, you need rune cards and rune dice, too. :)
For example, in the revised edition of Nomad Gods, the shaman is a shaman on one side and a fetch on the other. In MoLaD, units of this type WILL have two counters. One is always on the Mundane World, one is always in the Otherworld. When the Mundane unit is on the shaman side, the Otherworld unit is on the fetch side. When the shaman flips in the Mundane World, the fetch flips in the Otherworld, leaving the shaman in the Otherworld.
The Otherworld map would NOT be the Spirit World, Divine World, or Sorcery World. Essentially, it is a part of the Hero Planes that includes elements of all three. (The corresponding map for Prax, however, would likely be almost entirely spirit in nature; the DP Otherworld map would be primarily divine but with several strong spirit presences; etc.) Some locations in the Mundane World are mirrored in the Otherworld (though it might perhaps be more accurate to say that some places in the Otherworld are mirrored or are also present in the Mundane World). Thus, for example, in Dragon Pass there would be a distinct Otherworld site for Mount Kero Fin and Sky Fall; in the Holy Country, many locations would be shared. However, these locations might not have the exact same spatial relationships in the Otherworld as they do in the Mundane World. And, of course, the Otherworld map, especially in the Holy Country, would have many places on it that are NOT on the Mundane World. And, of course, certain entities can only be allied if you send an appropriate emissary to their home on the Otherworld. (This would be true in DP and NG as well. So, for example, to ally the Spirit of Movement you would have to go to the Traveling Stone, THEN enter the spirit's home on the Otherworld to try to get its aid. Or, just enter the Otherworld and perhaps get to the Otherworld home faster. But then, of course, you have to worry about Wandering Monsters/Spirits/Gods/Demons/etc....)
Only certain mundane units can enter the Otherworld, primarily consisting of heroes, superheroes, magicians, masters of magic, shamans, many magical creatures, and probably many treasures. Some units can travel in the Otherworld more or less at will, such as the shamans and masters of magic; some can travel there pretty easily, such as superheroes and most magical entities; and some can only get there using a ritual.
Once in the Otherworld, movement is changed, because the Otherworld involves a smaller map for the same area, approximately half size. Thus, even if the Otherworld remains hex-based (something I am not certain of), units that can travel there have only half as many hexes to travel, in general, to get to a correlating place (such as a temple). Thus, heroes and magicians who travel physically in the Otherworld can traverse much greater distances more quickly than they can in the Mundane World. It is difficult to take troops with you, however, though not impossible.
Also, magicians' spirits and physical agents would NOT have static holding boxes on the side of the game board as they do now. Instead, they would have specific homes in the Otherworld that they occupy. When a Lunar magician uses their spirit, they simply pull it out of its home in the Otherworld (almost always The Red Moon) and bring it to the Mundane World. When they are done with it, it returns instantly. The main effect of this is that magicians' spirits and agents CAN be attacked directly in the Otherworld, and the magician can also have them move about in the Otherworld. The latter is dangerous, however, both because the spirit by itself is not very powerful in the Otherworld, AND if it is not in its home the magician cannot summon it to the Spirit World at will -- it would take a ritual. Still, it becomes an option.
Now, instead of rolling dice to summon spirits and other entities, or to ally with magical entities such as the Traveling Stone, the player needs to conduct a ritual. The games would have many rituals -- summoning, magical attacks, allying magical entities, traveling to the Otherworld, defensive magic, etc. Each ritual would require three things. First, the player must have a single hero, superhero, shaman, master of magic, or magician (even a magician unit) be the conductor of the ritual. Second, either that unit must inherently know the ritual, or the player must possess the proper ritual card (see more below on cards). Third, the player must have amassed enough "rune points" to perform the ritual. (Any unit that can create a once-only effect, like the Crater Makers or the Earthshakers, would not be able to do it at will. Instead, they would conduct a ritual that is, for them, almost always successful because they don't need a huge number of runes to do it.)
"Rune points" are not gained per turn or the like, nor are they spent. They are not diplomacy points. Rather, various units and places inherently have/provide them. For example, Lunar magicians with the Moon Rune in either their MgF or their RF automatically gain 1 point of Moon for each such rune (or maybe 1 point for 1/2 Moon, 2 points for Moon); troll units with the Darkness rune in their MgF or RF gain 1 point of Darkness for each such rune; etc. And yes, I know -- many units would have to have additional runes added to the MgF or RF. In fact, it might ONLY be the RF that includes the runes. Note that runes in the MF would usually not count for this total, and I am unsure if units in the CF (such as the Moon rune in certain units' CFs) would apply as well. Basically, the counter design would have to be changed or at least thought about seriously. Hell, maybe a big rune in the background is most appropriate.
Anyway, in addition to counters changing, the map would also need to be changed. Many important places in the Mundane World would need a rune associated with them. Some very important places would get 2 runes. Thus, Axe Hall would have an Earth rune and a Death rune next to its name, and so it would always provide 1 point of Death and 1 point of Earth to rituals. (Note that some rituals require that you NOT have certain runes, such as any Life ritual requiring that the Death total of all participants and the location be 0.) Similarly, Old Wind Temple would probably have two Air runes; the SkyFall would have one Water rune; etc. Most holy places in the Shadows Dance map already have Darkness runes anyway (since that marks the places where one of the special units can travel to at will, Water Horse-like).
How this affects Prax, with its many Water Runes to mark oases and other important places that Water Horse can travel to, I don't know. Most might change to other runes (many of them to my rune), and the rules will simply allow Water Horse to travel to ANY rune-d place on the maps in use.
Now, this is all complicated, and it gets worse, but I think it is the best way to run MoLaD. Next, you need a deck of cards. These cards would include special individuals, magical beings, rituals, and events that are not part of the board or the unit battalia, but instead show up only as cards. Probably even some magical items. (I think the Random Events in DP or NG would probably disappear and be incorporated into a card deck instead.) Each card, for the most part, would again include a single rune. Even the ritual cards would of themselves provide a single rune.
If you have the appropriate ritual card, or one of your participating units inherently knows the ritual, or if it is one of the "free" rituals that everyone has access to (such as travel to the Otherworld), then you amass your participants, play the card during the Magic Phase, and then count up your runes. You get runes from participating units; from the place you are on the board; from the day of the week, the week of the season, and the season of the year; from any cards you "burn" during the ritual; and from a roll of the rune dice. Yes, my system needs rune dice too -- it is the only way to properly take into account magical luck, IMO. (You see why I have said in the past that the game would be impossible to do commercially. :) Whatever runes you roll are added to the ritual's totals. Note that it IS possible to get a prohibited rune during the dice roll; this causes the ritual to completely fail. It is also possible to attempt the ritual before you have all of the required runes -- if you want to get a more powerful Lunar ritual, you might have to try it on the Full Moon Day even though you are short one Life rune; you just hope that Life will show up on the dice (Life and Death are more common that most other runes on the dice, BTW). Otherwise, you might have to wait a full week (7 game turns) to try it again, and what's the chance you'll still be properly set up by then?
This system helps both explain why rituals are usualyl performed at specific holy places on certain days; and also help to enforce such practices in the game. If you do an Air ritual on Windsday, you might get as much as +4 Air to your total, which could make the Stormwalkers' storm that much more powerful.
Every ritual has runes that are required to enact it, but many rituals have a greater or lesser effect depending on how many of a certain Rune the player amasses. Lunar rituals require Moon rune points to be more powerful, Orlanth rituals require Air runes, etc. Even if you only have one Air rune the Stormwalkers' Storm ritual can work, but the effects on the game will be much less than they are currently in the DP game. However, if the ritual is performed by the Stormwalkers (1 Air rune, this is of course automatic) while stacked with the Wind Children (1 Air rune), augmented by 2 more Air magicians (+2 Air), at Old Wind (+2 Air), in Storm Season (+1 Air), on a Windsday (maybe +3 Air for this specific ritual) on Disorder Week (+1 Air, this type of addition is specific to this ritual, and would be listed on the ritual card), well, you can see that it would be much more powerful -- it might blanket not only all of DP, but all of the eastern Holy Country as well, and maybe make flying impossible for non-magical entities -- whatever.
Note that I do not think Heroquests per se would be a part of the game -- they are an additional level of reality removed from the Mundane World. Most of the rituals would be Heroquest-based anyway, whether or not the heroquest itself is named or even referenced.
Anyway, those are my mostly-off-the-top-of-my-head thoughts about rituals, cards, and dice in MoLaD. I am sure I have forgotten something. And, I would definitely like to publicly acknowledge both Chester Hendrix and Charles Morehouse, whose own creations in the 80s and 90s definitely helped to inspire my ideas for MoLaD. BTW, anyone know where Charles is these days?
Cheers,
Steve
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