Runepowers vs. Heropowers and Sorcerous smiths.

From: Paul Pofandt <ppofandt_at_ozemail.com.au>
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 1996 15:51:15 +1000 (EST)

From: michael.raaterova.7033_at_student.uu.se (Michael Raaterova)

• Runepowers vs. Heropowers ***
  >>I still believe that rune-spells are
  >>an inate part of yourself, once sacrificed for...
  >Well, basically, i don't run rune-spells as innate powers. You don't carry
  >your rune-spells within you - you ask for them in a specific situation, and
  >they are granted in that instant and then are gone.
  

I assume that that means you grant your players whatever runespell they want AT THE TIME THEY WANT IT (in a limited way), as opposed to pre-sacrificing for a given runespell specifically. Thats certainly one way to run it. One I've used myself for that matter.

>In the case of quested-for powers, you are your own god. The spell becomes
>an ability.

Everyone does things differently of course. For myself though, I run the aquisition of runespells as a mini heroquest in their own right. In the act of behaving like your god, you gain the ability to use some fraction of his powers as if they were your own.

This is a case though, I believe, of different people doing things in different ways.

• Sorcerous Smiths ***
  >I like the form/set ideas, but would reserve them for master smiths. Lodril
  >doesn't provide protection from flames as a spell, but there is a lodrilli
  >hero-path for smiths to gain control over flames.
  

A master smith ( or Western knight or Wizard) would probably be required simply in order to cast the Form/set spell with sufficient intensity to cover the amount of metal required for, say, a breastplate. I would also suspect that someone attempting to form an item from metal using spells ,with insufficient knowledge of metal working, runs the risk of forming the metal into shapes contrary to it's internal metalic structure (to use a real-world analogy). This could result in brittle or fragile forms/shapes unless the craftsman REALY knew what he was doing.

WRT Lodrilli protection from heat, I understand that there is no RECOGNISED spells/powers to protect them from heat. I just think that there should be. I have noticed that while all element related cults have some way to produce the related element, few offer ways to co-exist with the element. eg. a river cult may produce water (pure water that is) and CAN co-exist with water (breath air\water). Air cults can produce winds and exist in the upper air (fly). OTOH Darkness cults may be able to produce total darkness (shades?) but cannot co-habit them (no way of seeing in the dark). And fire cults can usually produce fire/heat and can control it but seldom can endure it. (I've left earth out since it doesn't fit the pattern I was building here). This may all be as it should be, but I just felt that something was missing.

Catch Ya.

        Paul.

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"Say it with flowers...
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