Re: Initiates & Devotees

From: Neil Smith <neil_at_...>
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 14:21:02 +0000

David Dunham wrote:
> > I don't like the idea of players always rolling against an ability
> > with an automatic penalty.
>
> Me neither. If I'd written this, both initiates and devotees would
> roll for the listed feats at their target number. Only devotees would
> be able to improvise new feats.
>

You're not the first to have thought that: look at the last of my house rules at http://home.freeuk.net/roleplaying/hw-house-rules.html . I'd like to see this change make its way into HW2.

Initates get Feats, Devotees get Affinities

Heroes who are initiates can only use those feats they have learnt (learning a feat costs 1 HP). The ability rating for using a feat is the relevant affinity rating (which is improved as normal). Devotees gain the ability to improvise new feats within an affinity, subject to normal improvisation modifiers.

Rationale (Gloranthan reason): Initiates know how to walk in the path of their god, but they only know a few paths. Devotees, with their deeper understaning, are able to modify their god's magic to better suit the situation.

Rationale (the real reason): It's fairly easy to come up with a colourful and novel use of a 'Run Over Mud' feat. It's much more difficult to come up with a mythically-appropriate use of the 'Movement' affinity. This is especially true if, like my group, many of the players are not familiar with Glorantha. This rule gives support to the new players, while allowing them greater freedom when they have the experience to use it.

Neil.