Re: Hero Wars characters from TTrotsky_at_aol.com on 1998-09-26 (Glorantha Digest Vol 06)

From: TTrotsky_at_aol.com
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1998 05:22:19 EDT

David Dunham:

<< Trotsky had various Hero Wars questions. If the list doesn't mind a pseudorules discussion, I'll answer some:>>

And most of the answers cleared things up, if not always in a direction that made me entirely happy (but, hey, its a draft). I'll avoid replies concerning more specific rulesy questions and just address this one:

<<> 2) All the keywords here are equivalent to RQ 'rune levels'. Are there
> 'initiate' level ones (or whatever the new term is) or are they not needed
> because you can just take the rune level version and reduce the skill
levels
> from 8/12 to 10/10 or whatever?

One could have endless arguments about whether starting Hero Wars characters are the same as "rune levels" (they are in some ways and not others -- certainly they don't have 5 skills that succeed 90% of the time, but they do have a wide range of reusable divine magic), but those are all starting characters. The idea being a game called Hero Wars ought to let you run heroes, I suppose. You could very easily run a game at lower levels. >>

Yes, I understand all this, but it doesn't really answer my question. I'll try and clarify it. When I read a phrase like "Olaf is a /Storm Voice of Orlanth/" I tend to assume that Olaf is, in fact, a Storm Voice of Orlanth. Now, in Glorantha, AFAIK, a Storm Voice is a priest of OT, and together they make up a pretty small proportion of the total worshippers of that deity/aspect.

Whether or not, under the new rules, a Storm Voice requires broadly similar skills and/or power level as a RQ rune priest doesn't really bother me - - in fact, I'd expect some differences. My question refers to playing characters who are not yet Storm Voices, however that term may be defined by the new rules. Would you do this by, in order of decreasing satisfaction:

Using the keyword for "Orlanth Initiate" (or whatever the term may be).
Re-writing the Storm Voice keyword yourself by reducing skill levels from 8/12 to 10/10 or 12/8, and/or chucking some out.
The question is meaningless. Under the new rules, the word "Storm Voice" is a generic term for any worshipper of Orlanth Thunderous, regardless of their ability.

I won't comment on Brian Tickler's post, except to say that I agree with the sentiment, if not the specific example, which I assume was exaggerated for effect, and presumably wouldn't be allowed under the HW rules :-)

Forward the glorious Red Army!

Trotsky