> Page 120 says:
> "An initiate or devotee of the same religion can
> learn the subcult's or hero cult's magic without
> actually joining, as long as he is eligible to
> join. He spend the hero points to learn the
> affinity (as a normal affinity) or feat (as a
> stand-alone magical ability). Even a devotee of
> the deity cannot use the feats within the
> affinity without switching his devotion to
> the subcult, although a narrator might allow
> an initiate or devotee to learn a single feat
> from an affinity, rather than spending hero
> points to learn the affinity itself."
>
> Question 1. Does the second sentence above
> mean that an initiate of a deity can learn
> and use a feat of a subcult "as a stand-alone
> magical ability" without first learning the
> affinity of the subcult?
Graham's answer:
> Given that some sub-cults provide only one feat,
> not an affinity at all, the answer must be "yes".
Alex's answer:
> I suspect the intent here is, you learn the
> affinity if it's an affinity that's offered,
> and the feat if a feat is offered.
So, would you both say that it is not the character's option to take a feat where affinities exist?
> Question 2. If the answer to Question 1 is no,
> does the third sentence intend to give narrators
> discretion to allow it anyway?
Alex's answer:
> Yes. (That is, to 'cherry-pick' a feat in
> those cases where an affinity exists.)
This seems to support the idea that a character cannot take a feat where an affinity exists, unless the narrator agrees.
> Page 120 also says:
> "Subservient cults (subcults) worship petty
> deities or heroes and provide one affinity or
> feat."
>
> Question 3. Within the context of the Heortling
> religion, is Destor (for example) a subcult of
> Orlanth within the meaning of page 120, such
> that a Desemborth initiate coud learn Destor's
> Wind affinity or Call Clouds feat?
Alex's answer:
> Yes. . . .
>
> An interesting question arises of course, if
> you can learn one feat instead of an affinity
> for a different subcult, ought you to be allowed
> that option for your own? Can of worms warning...
I think the way to make it all work together is that you have to take the affinity if there is one, unless the narrator agrees, which will usually require a good Gloranthan explanation, like how the place where the character great up is where Desemborth stole Destor's clouds.
> A literalistic reading of these rules seems
> to imply you can learn as much magic as you
> like with no time (etc) requirements, but I'm
> a bit leery on that. But that's not exactly
> a huge worry, as diffuse magic tends to be its
> own reward (i.e., low ratings).
Within reason, you can say that it is one of the benefits of spending 30% or whatever on your deity. Beyond reason, you need a good story.
By the way, the reason I was asking was a character conception -- he started life as a Varanorlanth initiate, but picked up the Hurl Thunder Stone feat of Hedkoranth and the Throw Lightning Javelin feat of Yavor and became the leader of a skirmishing guerilla group. I found another way to address it, but remained curious if it would work.
Powered by hypermail