Re: Question on a feat Deathsong Berserk

From: Rob <robert_m_davis_at_...>
Date: Mon, 04 Apr 2005 21:53:13 -0000

• In HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com, "lboard2000" <larry.boardman_at_b...> wrote:
  > We had a question come up about a feat in play this weekend. A
  humakti
  > wanted to use the feat Deathsong Berserk out of his Death
  affinity,
  > and the GM ruled that if he did this, the player would be bead at
  the
  > end of the fight.
  

Roderick wrote it and has given his (the authors) view, but here is my 2 pence worth....

IMG 'Death Song Beserk' is the Humakti beserker magic. Now, IMG Humakt is not the God of Beserkers. When a Humakti goes beserk, gaining a quater of the rating as a bonus, then we know its because things look bleak. Worse than bleak really. Not for routine combat use, from a purely role playing point of view.

I refer you to,

http://www.glorantha.com/hw/P03Keywords1.html

There is a section on Berserk magic, which I use in my games. I am not sure whether this has made it into the HQ rules book, I can't find it.

Just make the edge a bonus (basically add 1/4 of the affinity or feat rating to the weapon skill, and minimum bid half your remaining AP's for the rest of the melee. There is other stuff, check the link.

But Humakti are not beserkers. They are cold, calculated - or so the cliche goes. I suspect the Narrator thought that the player wanted to use the Berserk magic inapropriately, hence the seemingly harsh ruling.

I was under the impression that Deathsong Berserk
> put you in a berserker rage, but not that you were dead at the end
of
> the fight regardless of what happened.

Correct, but the player has a responsibility to use such magic judiciously. This is part of the 'social contract' that exists between Narrator and the players.

Regards
Rob