> > So, in conclusion,
> > It's the Personal relationship that the user has
> > with the spirit (or the
> > Majestic/Great spirit 'above' it) that is at the
> > root of Animist magic.
> > Without some sort of relationship, the spirit
> > won't/can't respond.
>
> OK. So at best, they could possess a charm, and get
> the standard automatic augment off that? Or not even
> that much?
They could possess a Common Magic Charm (assuming they aren't concentrated), but to have a Practice/Tradition charm requires a Relationship to a Great/Majestic Spirit.
Note: There might be a G/M spirit in the religion, such as Kolat in the Storm pantheon, where communal worship of the pantheon *includes* that particular spirit, so Kolat charms *can* be used by your normal Heortling (as long as he's not concentrated in Theism).
> > *Normal* animists won't have suitable/working
> > relationships with spirits
> > outside their tradition/practice; normal
> **animists**
> > and sorcerous types won't
> > have relationships with spirits *at all*.
>
> You meant "theists", I take it?
Read I mean, not what I type ;-). Yep, theists.
> > Heroes are wierdoes, and can break rules.
>
> Not if the rules is part of How Glorantha Works, they
> can't - not in my Glorantha, anyway. No more than I
> can simply ignore gravity.
Being a Gloranthan hero *means* being able to break the rules. Not all of them (and not very well at first), but that's what the Hero Wars are about - transcending normal mortal limitations. The rules are breaking all over the world, how you put the pieces back together is the essence of HQ.
I can develop heroic level
> Jump skills, I can build a spacecraft, but I can't
> just ignore it.
Become a mystic and refute it :-).
> Do I take it, then, that the reference David Dunham
> gave to "most Gloranthans using mixed magic" refers to
> common magic only?
Most Gloranthan religions have a mixture of Sorcerous, Theistic and Animistic elements (usually *heavily* weghted towards one system, and the others may be feared, seen askance, outlawed, or whatever). *Most* people don't concentrate their worship - certainly not to the percentage that you'll see among Player Heroes - so they can use charms (or even fetishes), affinities and/or spells at the unconcentrated rate without problems. (The Lunars are the best at this, but that will be covered in the upcoming ILH2 - don't worry about it for now)
The Heortlings have a heavy concentration of theistic elements, with only Kolat and Sedredosa as non-theistic elements of the pantheon, and no true Sorcery (the Torvald the Alchemist subcult of Lhankor Mhy is the closest they come). They are abherrent in that a majority of Heortlings go to the 30% (or 60%) level in their worship, and that so many concentrate their magic.
While "Orlanthi All" heortlings initiate to a god, "Orlanthi All" of most other religions don't go that far, remaining Communal members only. Probably 85% of the Lunar Empire doesn't initiate to a god/ become a practitioner/become an orderly (of course, the 15% that *do* are the ones the Players encounter...)
> So what I probably need is some Common Magic charm
> that'll do what I want at a suitable power level (and
> anything that high-powered probably *will* require a
> shaman to make it...)
No, not really. Common Magic isn't "made" by any magico-religious figure, it is personal to the hero.
> hmm, that still doesn't give the effect I want of
> having this ability at a low level most of the time,
> but having it really high as a once off... will keep
> thinking!
Ah, this is for your Vengeance Vingan?
Common magic probably *isn't* the way to go, since it (normally) only provides an Augment, not a Fetish-like burst of power.
We covered the "Lots of related abilities" angle, didn't we? "Hate men, Hate rapists, Hate Wife-beaters, Hate child molesters, etc. etc" all giving +2 or +3 can add up to a hefty bonus.
If you don't mind bending the rules slightly, you can say that the ability *uses* the rules for a fetish, but isn't really an animist thing (and then give the "keys" to the ability to the narrator; so only the narrator can give you the okay to "Release your anger"). Would that work?
If this ability were gained as a result of a heroquest, then all bets are off as to what rules you can use for it.
RR
C'est par mon ordre et pour le bien de l'Etat que le porteur du pr�sent a
fait ce qu'il a fait.
- Richelieu
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