Peter does tend to not think from the point of view of play sometimes - I agree that I really can't see any way to easily roleplay what he describes that would also be any fun. I think most people on the heroplane can (to some extent at least) choose to follow their instincts or not, just as in the real world. But if they don't follow their instincts, they had better be very sure of what they are doing. Interesting choices are the very essence of roleplaying, and of heroquesting. In fact, of course you can choose not to follow your instincts - very often that is exactly what heroquests are about, overcoming your quite sensible desires (overcoming your desire to run like hell in the face of hideous monsters, for example).
And Illumination is a bit more than being able to be calculating - its being able to simultaneously be calculating and not be, and other impossible things. So an Illuminate can follow his instincts AND choose at the same time - nifty, hey!
More on Runepower
>I agree. Runepower is nice with good roleplayers, but you need
>artificial restrictions to keep powergamers under control.
This roleplaying vs powergamer thing is a gross oversimplification, as I was trying to point out. For a start, its a four-fold path, as us RPG old timers know (from a famous White Dwarf article, discussed here before - the four paths are powergamer, wargamer, roleplayer, and storyteller).
If you are a tough guy, and whatever it is that you care for really needs your help, or your worst enemy is getting away, or whatever, then hitting them with whatever you have got is GOOD roleplaying. It may mess up game balance and ruin the GMs storyline, but that doesn't mean that you as a player are doing the wrong thing. It needs restrictions to keep good roleplayers who understand the rules under control as much as powergamers.
>Detached spirits are
>different -- just as offensive to the Lord of Death, mind, but he uses
>the separate Free Ghost spell on them.
Nah, ghosts are not 'undead' to Humakti. They are simply dead people that haven't gone to the afterlife. But as they are not in any way alive or still linked to their body, thats not Humakts problem. No Humakti may be made into undead - but Humakti may be made into ghosts, even by other Humakti. Huamkti ghosts I imagine are generally the result of Humakti with unfilled obligations choosing to continue their service.
And as for the difference between wraiths and ghosts - I think the difference is that for the ghost, the afterlife is postponed, but for the wraith, all hope of a normal afterlife is gone. So ghosts are more about obligation or being trapped in a situation, while wraiths are much more severely messed up.
Cheers
David
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