> |Here's something I _don't_ see happening in Glorantha:
> |
> |Hrolf Swordthane was a famous fighting hero in his time, and I've
> |learned his "Leaping Sword" feat from one of his followers. Hrolf was
> |famous for throwing his sword at deadly accurasy, a last ditch
> |move, but
> |one that saved his or a friends lives on occasion. But lately I've
> |started wondering... "Since the feat is called "Leaping Sword",
> |shouldn't I be able to make the enemies swords leap right out of their
> |hands!"
>
> Was that part of Hrolf's legend? If it wasn't (and, since you were the one
> who made up the feat, I assume you would know), then don't let it. Or give
> it a big penalty of some kind. It's only a problem if you handle it
> inconsistently in your own group, or play with a Narrator who doesn't agree
> with you.
The problem is that a Gloranthan practising the "Leaping Sword" feat
would have to know what he is practising. Othervice how the heck does he
practise it?? He can't be practising "leaping sword" without knowing
what it means, and rather specifically too, presumably with somebody
instructing him.
So a Gloranthan would know what "Leaping Sword" refers to, but if we
only have those two words in a HW supplement, then we wont have a clue.
> |Now I hope even the slowest of you will see where the problem lies. The
> |feats are named after something. They refer to feats done by a god or a
> |hero. People who learn this feat have to know what they are learning,
> |and they are not trivial things, not something you can just decide to
> |interpret totally different.
>
> One thing I find very interesting in mythology is that legends and stories
> change over time and distance. For example, in one version of the death of
> Baldur, mistletoe is a plant; in another, it's a sword (IIRC). Why should a
> myth on Glorantha be consistent from one place to another?
Because they are learning actual magics. They can't just be taught two words, can they? They must know what they are learning.
I admit Orlanth's magic varies from region to region, but this is not the way to do it. Tell us what the _example_ feat's are supposed to do, and tell us also that different areas have different feats, but in the same _affinity_.
Now there's something to encourage creativity. The gamers would have examples of the things they are creating, but would have rather free hand at creating things like my above Leaping Sword.
> This is one aspect of HW that I like very much; I don't see it as a drawback
> at all. Slow? Maybe I am.
>
> Guy
One last try above, after this I give up. Parhaps you just don't feel any need for coherense and consistensy in our Gloranthas.
-Adept
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