Standing Fast amongst other things

From: Peter Metcalfe <P.Metcalfe_at_student.canterbury.ac.nz>
Date: Thu, 04 Apr 1996 00:40:03 +1200


David Cake:
        

>If my Storm Bull is wildly incapacitated, and sees his chaos fighting
>companion (with no Storm Bull connection) about to be overwhelmed and
>demoralised, he just might cast it [Beserk] on them. Its a divine
>miracle, after all, not merely a result of special Storm Bull training.

The Storm Bull would be more likely to cast 'Face Chaos' which exists for this circumstance ("Stand and Fight, Cur! Die with some backbone, why don't you?"). Interestingly enough, this spell is generally cast on outsiders and not Storm Bull beserkers, a similar restriction to that which David decries for Standfast.

[Glorantha Psychology:]

> Do I have to spell out ever little point? I think Gloranthans
>realise that some strong emotional states can be the result of magic. I
>think they realise some are not. Strong emotional states are something
>that magic can do to you. Disruption can cripple your leg. This does not
>mean Gloranthans make no distinction between magic and having a crippled
>leg.

But the converse also applies: Strong emotional states can be a cause of magic. To take disruption, frex: This is to my mind the magical equivalent of cursing someone "I'd wish you would DIE!". It is magically potent because the curser is invoking the OtherWorld in his curse and using his anger to fuel his magic. One could say "I'd wish you would die" and not cast the spell but one would still be as angry as one who does cast the spell. Sometimes the invoking of the OtherWorld requires a concious effort, at other times it can be completely instinctive.

>Berserk causes you to become crazed with rage (among other things), this
>does not mean that being crazed with rage is always magical.

No but one becomes crazed with rage *first*. An Uroxi does not stand unemotional before the fury hits "hmm, sixty broos...drat...Urox? Could I have a Beserk spell please? ARRRAHHHHH!!! DIE HORRIBLY!!!". The beserker *becomes* angry so that he can reach Urox to receive the Divine Fury. He cannot reach Urox if he is calm.

>On the contrary, I think there is a big difference between being Berserk
>and being crazed with rage. Rather than crassly point out that one gives
>you Countermagic 2, I will say only that one is a divine rage that enables
>things a mortal rage cannot.

They differ only in degree rather than kind. I do not doubt there is a pure pyschological state of anger, one partly infused with magical energies (fanaticism) and one infused with Divine energies (Beserk) in Gloranthan. I believe that the *Gloranthans* do not draw a distinction between the purely mundane emotional states and the OtherWorldly Emotional States. They see a person who becomes angry normally (from our pyschological PoV) as having been possessed by a rage spirit, demon or whatever "He banged his head on an unseen branch, and Eurmal the Trickster leapt into him and caused him to say several very bad words..."

[Psychology of Standfast Spell]

Me>> [...] the Standfast spell represents the hoplite being imbued by the
>> Spirit of the *Phalanx* rather than the hoplite enhancing his combat
>> capabilities. Since one cannot form a phalanx by himself, it follows
>> that the hoplite cannot call upon the Granite Phalanx spirit for the
>> blessing if he is *not* in formation.

> If you assume your first sentence, then your second does indeed
>follow. I see no reason to assume the first sentence.

Well the restriction on casting the Standfast spell does imply this so what more do you want?

> (the term Spirit of the Phalanx, emphasised as you have, to me
>implies that you think of Standfast as something other that a spirit
>magic spells cast by an individual hoplite on another, but rather
>something that is done by some sort of communal spirit)

The caster is preparing the hoplite in front of him for infusion by the Spirit of the Phalanx. The hoplite cannot infuse himself for it is a group magic.

>Furthermore, you have still not addressed the point - being hard to
>knockback is a physical change rather than a mental. Being harder
>to damage (for which you have a better case on the spirit of the
>phalanx bit) is definately a physical effect not a mental.

[Sigh] The spell causes a psychological state in the hoplite which causes a magical effect. The caster touches the hoplite in front of him (hand clasps shoulder firmly) and says to him something like 'Stand fast brother, I am behind you'. The effect of this is to let the hoplite know he is a One with the Phalanx. The effect of this psychological state (chest puffs up, tears well in his eyes) *causes* the hoplite to magically Standfast. This is no different from the Beserker roaring his head to become fanatical.

>But I do not think spells are the most appropriate way to do this, and I
>find it more fun if the way magic works is not custom designed for military
>effectiveness [...] Its more fun if the players are encouraged to think
>about the options, and even more fun if they surprise you and think of
>options you hadn't thought of.

But Spirit Magic is _limited_. Only Sorcery is capable of this type of flexibility (unless you're an illuminated loonie). One can't cast a Bladesharp on a mace or Bludgeon on an arrow but one can cast Boost Damage on just about _anything_. And what is to prevent the Lunar College of Magic from crafting spells that are custom _designed_ for military effectiveness? Spirit spells (as in the spirit magic kept in memory as per da rulez) are ritualized gestures to cause a _specific_ effect rather than multipurpose swiss army knives. To make a spirit magic spell do something other than its primary purpose (like make a Fireblade appear on a Yelmalion's Weapon with the intent of causing him to drop it), I would reserve for capabilities of the Shaman or an Illuminated Lunar rather than any ordinary adventurer IMO.

Joerg Baumgartner:


Me>>Given the newts' tendency towards body modification (cutting a
>>tongue in half, removing the rightside of the brain, the multilation
>>of the heifer in Elder Secrets)...

>So that's where the Remakers learned their trade?

YES! I hadn't thought of it before but it's an extreme example of what I was striving for.

>Go check the Ralian trolls' piercings and Vesmonstran vs. East Wild Orlanthi
>tattoos on Castle Stahleck, 24th to 27th May '96...

Oh, it's in MAY. Silly me.

Powered by hypermail