>I have a new player in 2nd age Pavis who wants to be a Zistorite. I am
>tempted to have the cult of Zistor as, in game terms, the Veneration of St.
>Zistor, a low order.
AFAIK Zistorism is an atheistic philosophy created by the sorcerers of God Forgot. Therefore Veneration is inappropriate. Since it is a sorcerous approach to a sorcerous entity, misapplied worship mechanics should not rear their ugly head.
It depends on what your hero is: is he a layman or a sorceror in the Zistorite movement?
LAITY: Normally have no spells. Instead of Piety (HW:RiG p197), they would have Cosmic Mechanics, a similar ability reflecting their comprehension of the God-Machine.
Rather than appeal to the Invisible God for help, Cosmic Mechanics helps the Zistori to understand the purpose of the Machines that they operate.
Once a Zistori's Cosmic Mechanics score reaches 20, they can devote themselves to study of the God-machine (similar to the naturally pious). They find the presence of nonmechanically aware people extremely irritating and often become recluses surrounded by their machines (which they are constantly tinkering with). They can treat their body as a Machine and use their Cosmic Mechanics ability to enhance any personal skill.
If sufficiently adept (W2) with three appropriate skills, Zistori are eligible to learn the Machine secret (the parallel is the Black Horse "Command Steed" secret p96 and p99). My thinking is that they can control machines (ranging from simple levers to a Zistori Tripod) by mere thought. If a machine receives conflicting instructions (i.e. a Zistori compels a drawbridge to go down while someone at the controls is trying raise the drawbridge), then play the strength of the secret in an extended contest.
SORCERERS: Work with Machines rather than spells. They actually create machines for other Zistori to use whether they be Gatling Crossbows, Self-propelled Ploughs, Automatic Abacuses, Lightning Collectors, Iron Lungs etc. Although their machines in theory can be used by anyone, they are in practice only usable by those with Cosmic Mechanics (the RW equivalent is the ability to programming your VCR).
I'll refrain from listing the spells found in their grimoires because I believe Zistori Sorcerers are quite helpless outside the Machine City. When confronting the Machine People, most heroes will face soldiers armed with exotic weapons and devices (Cannon of Thunderbolts, Chain Swords, Iron Taluses, Floating Sentry etc).
IMO a Zistorite beyond the borders of the Machine City will have several machines (that are really cemented benefits - HW:RiG p34). Examples of such machines could be an automatic translator (why learn funny languages when a machine can translate it for you [probably with the efficiency of a Microsoft spellchecker]), artificial butler, self-propelled wagon (with pedal power backup), Etheric Messenger (capable of sending and receiving - atmospheric conditions notwithstanding), Treasure Detector (three types: metals, crystals, or magic) etc.
Think of what his purpose beyond the city is (trade, diplomacy, tourism, crime) and tailor his machines to that end.
--Peter Metcalfe
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