May I intervene a little bit?
>Peter Metcalfe wrote:
>
>> >So, how IS one god MECHANICALLY more powerful
>than another in HQ? Seems to me
>> >the answer is "because the Narrator knows who's
>tougher." Anyone got a better
>> >answer?
>>
>> Maximum intensity of effects? Small Gods 1W3,
>Big Gods 1W6 and Great Gods 1W9?
That is how I suggest dong it. But remember that:
Small Gods 1W3-1w5
Big Gods 1W6-1w8
Great Gods 1W9-1w12
These actually offer quite a range among the higher gods
>James Frusetta replies:
>Yes, though for some of us it's not always clear
>what category a god/spirit/deity falls
>into. Okay, Orlanth, great god, check, no question.
>Ernalda, yup.
Agreed. You can tell that they are Great because they have aspects that are distinguishable enough to cause some aspecs to be considered other separate "gods."
>Okay, Humakt, big or
>great?
He is Big. He has subcults, but no aspects.
>If he's Great, is Zorak Zorak?
ZZ is big.
>Kyger Litor's
>a Great Spirit; does this mean her
>"aspects" in the form of her children are Big or
>Great Spirits?
Big.
>*I'd* say Great, Great and Big, but I'm not sure
>all narrators would see it the same way.
I will search for some of my notes on this and put it on the Glorantha site.
>I suspect there'd be a certain process of Deity
>Inflation ("Well, Zorak Zoran is Great, so
>I want Karrg to be Great, since in my game they're
>kinda equal.
Both are Big.
>So that means Vaneekara
>should be Great, because she's roughly equal to
>Karrg. But that means Vinga...").
Vinga is Big.
But here is the real catch #1:
These numbers are more like the "maximum" you'd meet them at int he Hero Plane.
They can and often do appear weaker. Why? Oh, the vaguaries of the story, stuff that just happened but we haven't read about in our version of the story (What that big spear through my god's head!?) Less overtly, most people will not know which aspect of Humakt they meet, just that this place in the story they know they will meet Humakt.
Sometimes they do know what aspect or hero they will meet. Thus they know it's not going to be Humakt himself, but someone weaker.
Real Catch #2:
Their ultimate strength depends on worship.
Some beings who had once been humans have progressed to be Big, and according to some practices, the Lunar Goddess was one such who has become a Great goddess (others say Sedenya existed first).
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