> > But then I started wondering how/if you'd get that
> > effect without knowing the Secret. Well, you improvise
> > a "kill with a glance" feat off that Death affinity
> > you've got a double mastery in, don't you?
>
> I can see where you are coming from but for anything other than a
> secret this is clearly pompous magic. So on a complete victory you
> would kill someone but for normal levels of victory in a contest you
> would not.
Oh yes, very true. But when the affinity is at double masteries, and the
Secret is at 13, there isn't a huge amount of difference.
Of course, as others have said, there are also secrets that you can't just
improvise off an affinity. They do seem to vary enormously in effectiveness
(and colour), but not in the requirements to get them. Odd...