>So, liturgists get total support from their congregation, but suffer
>the normal multiple target penalties.
>
>If you look at the tables, the multiple target penalties go up MUCH
>faster than do the support bonusses. For example, four people gives
>+2 -9 = -7 total. 500 people gives +20 -80 = -W3 total!
>
>This suggests that big cathedrals don't give useful blessings, oddly
>enough. More generally, you need a pretty good ability to give out
>much of a blessing even on a dozen people (say a few heroes and their
>followers....).
>
>Maybe this was intentional, but the way the book phrases it suggests
>that these should be kind of even. So I'd be inclined just to house
>rule it and say that there are no multiple target penalties, but
>maybe still allow community support, because big gatherings do seem
>like they should be more potent that small ones.
First, both large and small services should get "auspicious day" modifiers. Each also ought to get "auspicious place" bonuses, with the cathedral getting more. Still, this is only going to give the cathedral another +10 or so.
Second, at the cathedral there are more skilled helpers -- I imagine you have a chief liturgist (probably the bishop for important ceremonies), plus some number of assistants-- readers, alter boys, cup bearers, whatever the liturgy calls for. Each of those assistants ought to be able to augment directly with some ability. A half dozen with average skills in the 10W range will give about another +18. Ritual implements -- reliquaries, blessed utensils, especially sacred texts might give a fairly hefty bonus, etc. The small country church is unlikely to have many if any of these bonuses.
Third, one assumes the bishop, having been able to dedicate his life to being a full-time churchman, has higher scores in the necessary skills. If the bishop is not a liturgist, then his chief liturgist would lead the ceremony and the same argument applies. The poor country priest leads the ceremonies on the holy days, but in between he probably gardens, mends baskets, and spends his hero points on things like Endure Hunger and Placate Lord.
I suppose its possible that some or all churches are build by sacred brotherhoods of masons (I sense a plot coming on), whose understandings on magical geometries are such that people within the church building (or a specially designed square outside) count as fewer people for multiple target modifiers. Obviously, the great buildings are built by great masons and have better "ratios" than poor country churches.
Anyway, I think, in general, big rich churches should give better blessings, that's how they stay big and rich. The trick is how to apply the rules to get there. Of course, the country priest with Use Abiding Book 10W4 challenging the corruption in the church, might be a special case....
Peter Larsen
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