From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RQ Digest Maintainer)
To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest)
Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RuneQuest Daily)
Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Wed, 17 Aug 1994, part 2
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From: tsl@cs.mu.OZ.AU (Tim Leask)
Subject: Re: Runespell renewal, Matrices, Communal runespells, loads of stuff
Message-ID: <9408160906.25030@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU>
Date: 17 Aug 94 05:06:03 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5721
> From: T.J.Minas@soton.ac.uk (T.J.Minas)
> Subject: Runespell renewal, Matrices, Communal runespells, loads of stuff
> Message-ID: <199408151335.OAA15163@mail.soton.ac.uk>
> Date: 15 Aug 94 13:35:27 GMT
> X-RQ-ID: 5702
>
> Hello all on the daily.
> Finally got round to subscribing to this after several years of meaning to!
> Have followed the debate for a couple of weeks now, so I will stick my oar in.
>
> Renewing Runespells
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Well, first up, I don't like the idea of "pools" the Rune Power system
> suggested by David Cheng. Smacks too much of a wish by gamers for more power
> for their characters. And I think it sucks as far as the Gods go, too. I mean,
> if you were Ernalda, I'm sure you would want people to be casting Bless Crops
> all the time, rather than have somebody go "Well, there is my 3 pts of Ernalda
> Magic I guess I need Great Parry again"
Don't knock it till you've tried it. I think the Henk Rune Power variant
deals with most of your complaints. The pool is the amount of divine
energy at your disposal.It is raw and unfocused. The means to manipulate
this energy is revealed by your deity directly (via meditation/ceremony)
or taught by his/her priests. Thus the knowledge of how to cast spells
is separate from the enery source (The Rune Power Pool).
> Incidentally, on a related point: Runespells in Truestone. Suppose this
> Yanafal Tarnils Sword finds a lump of Truestone (blank) lying around near the
> Block (He's a lucky bugger, isn't he?). Now, he blows all his and his Allied
> Spirit's Rune magic into it, including some Sanctify, Excommunication, Shield
> and Sever Spirit. Later on, he meets a Humakti Sword who challenges him to a
> Duel, and the Yanafal Tarnils guy loses ("He's Dead, Jim"). Mr Humakti picks
> up the Truestone.
> OK: What I want to know is: what happens when the Sanctify is cast? Is this
> going to Sanctify an area for Yanafal Tarnils worship only? And can the
> Hiumakti then fill up the Truestone with _his_ Sanctify spell? Ditto for
> Excommunication. Also for spells like Shield, Sever Spirit etc. Essentially,
> does the source of the Rune spell in Truestone make any difference to a) the
> casting; and b) the refilling of it?
This system readily suggests a solution to your dilemma of the
truestone in a much nicer way (IMHO) than the current system. Simply
make truestone contain only raw divine power i.e. Rune Power Points.
Indeed it should be the only vessel which can store such power.
Blank truestone will sop up as much divine energy as the holder(s) of
the truestone has unless they have the will power necssary to resist
the pull of the truestone. Once set in this way the true stone will act
as a battery for divine energy of capacity X, where X is the Rune Power
Pool of the setter(s) of the truestone.
Thus truestone acts as an adjunct to ones own personal pool of divine
power. The spells that can be powered with it are limited to those
known by the holder of the truestone. The obvious compliment to
truestone is the rune spell matrix, which I would alter to contain only
the knowledge of the spell, not the power as well. This brings it in
line with other matrix enchantments for sorcery and spirit magic.
To give an example, Moxie Thon the Humakti knows two divine spells,
True Sword and Detect Truth and has a RPP (Rune Power Pool) of 6
points. He finds a piece of blank truestone and unable to resists the
supernatural urge to fill the vessel unleashes Humakt's raw power - a
gray bolt of energy erupts from Moxie's sword into the Truestone in his
hand. The Truestone is now set with a maximum RPP of 6 and a current
RPP of 6 points.
Moxie returns to the nearest temple and donates the truestone to the
presiding Sword of Humakt. The Sword is suitably impressed and teaches
Moxie the spells of heal wound and dismiss magic and presents him with
an Iron Great Sword with a matrix for shield and turn undead enchanted
on the hilt. The Sword asks Moxie to carry an important message
through Troll country to a rebel band.
Moxie is given the truestone with instructions to turn it over to the
rebel leader. Whilst making camp Moxie's small band is attacked by
zombies. Moxie grabs his great sword and the form of a spell focuses in
his mind. "By Humakt, begone!" Moxie screams and lets the power of his
God flow threw him and channels it into the form in his minds eye.
A blue blast of energy flies from the pulsating iron sword and strikes
the great troll zombie. There is a clash of magics and then the troll
crashes to the ground. Moxie quickly dispatches two more zombies in
similar fashion and then battle is joined as a lead clad troll comes
screaming from the darkness in a beserk charge. (Moxie has cast three
turn undeads thanks to his Matrix and truestone).
A final prayer to Humakt that his sword strike true is all Moxie has
time for before a trollish maul comes crashing down upon him. Moxie's
Priest has taught him well though and most of the force of the blow is
deflected as Moxie parries,sidesteps and then pulls his sword across in
a wide arc catching the troll in the leg. Moxie once again feels the
power of his god arcing along his sword and the blade slides between
two pieces of armor and continues on through troll flesh and bone
severing the leg at the knee.
The troll topples sideways flaying madly,oblivious of his terrible
wound. Moxie choses his moment well and delivers the coup de grace.
(Moxie casts true sword using his own spell knowledge plus the power
from the truestone. Now he is down to 2 RPP in the truestone, but it
can be refilled to six points by someone later). Moxie can recover his
RPP points or not depending on whether you believe in reuseable rune
magic for initiates.
Hmm, that was longer than intended, but thanks for reading this far.
Cheers,
Tim
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From: david_baur@cl_63smtp_gw.chinalake.navy.mil (David Baur)
Subject: Mailings of the Mind
Message-ID: <199408162211.PAA07920@sunman.chinalake.navy.mil>
Date: 16 Aug 94 06:48:52 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5729
Mailings of the Mind 8/16/94 2:43
PM
Greetings from the Desert
Robert McArthur & Divine Magical Units
================================
Robert McArthur in X-RQ-ID: 5698 makes a good point about the
conservation of divine magic in a war:
> Since the turns in DP are 1 day long, how do the casters of these spells
> get them back to use the next day? and the next, and the next etc. It
> can't really be the troops who all get down and pray for it - imagine doing
> that every day after a battle for 8 hours! My guess is that the "holy war"
> nature of the fights, and the large numbers, excites the gods to lend more
of
> a helping hand, because after all, its likely the other b*&^*d will anyway!
This is yet another battle resource to manage, just like summoned
creatures. I would imagine that there are different types of units, such as
pure magic assault, pure magic defense, pure magic support, and magic casting
fighter units. The first three types would be working only on a magical
plane of fighting and would be stocked to the gills with magic (and MP
matrix, spell matrix, ...). Their job would be to strategically cast magic
as per the battle plans at times to create a tactical advantage for one (or
more) of their fighting units, much the same way archers are used (archers
also being a limited resource). The magic casting fighter units would be a
unit with complementary magic that can through their one or two big spells to
create their advantage, then follow it through.
> It wouldn't break time because the priest et al *have* actually sacrificed
> for the spell; they are just getting them back an hour at a time instead of
> a day... Now, a good question is why can't they be got back more often
even
> that that? Is there a physical (:-) barrier to more than one casting per
day?
First, there's the little minor detail called the Compromise limited the
Gods involvement, but exempting that for the moment, if all you had was an
elevated war of great magical forces battling across the land, both sides
regaining magic faster than before, you still have the same war, only faster
and messier for the land around (think of all the collateral damage we can
create just dumping masses of giant Sylphs or Gnomes across the countryside.
This sounds like another wasteland in forming.
Tim J. Minas (X-RQ-ID: 5702)
=======================
> Wolf totem: surely this would be Telmor, as written up in (I think) an
issue
> of Heroes that I have at home in the bottom of a box somewhere.
GoG. BTW the player is making the same assumption, but still is not
sure. I can't go further cause he might be watching };-o
Colin Watson & Communal Rune Magic (X-RQ-ID: 5703)
============================================
I like the idea of the "communal temple spirit" (A sort of brainless
temple allied spirit). It does seem to fit better into the flavor of RQ
then the generic power Vs. number of worshippers idea. The only difference
is that this will require a tad more thought for the individual gods in
campaigns.
An immediate question I have (others probably to follow in later
postings), would be, in how many worshippers does it take banding together
for the spirit to use it's spells? If it is a set number, then you will be
guaranteed a minimum number of worshippers, but if a split in thought occurs,
then you can have multiple groups doing (possibly) counterproductive things.
If it is a percentage (simple majority?), then the spirit will do as the
temple wishes, but may not have enough people to focus the spirit's
abilities. In the case that you have an old, dying church that lost most of
its worshippers, but used to have many worshippers and now a strong temple
spirit, but only a handful of priests, would that be enough to direct the
spirit?
I now you didn't want to go into the mechanics too much, but this seems
like a good idea that should be explored.
Peter Metcalfe & Power Spirits & Errata
===============================
Peter Metcalfe's posting (X-RQ-ID: 5674) states:
> David baur gives an eloquent refutation of Joerg's munchkinism. However in
> dismissing my limited solution, his argument does not conform with the
RQIII
> errata (*please note* I'm not dictating what rules he or anybody should use
in
> a campaign).
Please don't think me an ingrate, but what errata are you referring to?
I am only aware of the one posted on soda.berkley (RQ III errata)and I did
not find anything conflicting with what I said based on that as well. Would
you please send or direct me to any additional official errata? Thanks
David Dunham & Leaping to East Ralios
===============================
David -- In X-RQ-ID: 5686, you mentioned the following:
> Alynx Leap
> Jump up to Valorous in metres, up to half may be vertical. Geas: never
> refuse a challenge from a troll. ("Arkat . was preparing for the Thunder
> Mountain Jump" [JC.xvi])
> Battle Shout
> Intimidates opponents - all must make Valorous or be at -2 skill. Geas:
> never refuse a challenge in Damali lands.
Both use a term (Valorous) in a way I am not familiar with. Would you
please explain to me what this attribute sounding measurement is and how it
is determined? I seem to be missing a reference. Thanks.
BTW, in Cobra Strike, The Geas is never own a cloak longer than a year. Is
that bigger than a size XXXX? :)
Collision of Peters
===============
Peter Whitelaw writes (X-RQ-ID: 5693):
> Since Peter Metcalfe and I are, in fact, the same person, I obviously like
this
> idea.
Since it is obvious that the Peters are binding together (through no
fault of their own ;) ), I counter propose that the Dave/Davids do likewise.
(I would, wouldn't I?) <(:)
Until next time -- David Baur
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