Once again I find myself thinking about RQ (we really *need* the RQ-Rules Digest!). Since my character is getting ready to do some enchanting, that's my topic for today.
Enchantments on a living being are made through tattoos and/or ritual scarification. Okay, fine. Question: how small are the tattoos? I assume that they are too small to strike at in combat. Otherwise an enemy might aim at the enchantment-mark of their opponent during combat, hoping to wipe out the results of Strengthening or Armoring Enchantments.
In my own case, my character has an awakened alynx who is going to receive a number of Strengthening Enchantments. Presumably some shaving will be first be necessary. But how much control does the caster have over where the matrix goes, and how big it is? If you enchant yourself, can the tattoo be on the small of your back? I realize that someone else would have to place it there, but could you cast the spell?
Another disturbing point about enchantments: comparing the Strengthening and Armoring enchantments, it's hard to understand why anyone would use the latter except in the rarest circumstances (or for roleplaying reasons, of course). One point spent on a Strengthening enchantment on a living being yields an average of 3.5 additional total hit points -- enough to add at least one and possibly two hit points to each hit location.
A point of POW spent in an Armoring enchantment, on the other hand, gives an average of +2 armor on a specific hit location. This is nowhere near as cost-effective, and can still be bypassed by a critical hit (which is not the case with additional HPs).
In the case at hand, it would be sheer madness to use the Armoring enchantment on a SIZ 2 alynx. The cost of giving it +2 armor over its entire body would instead give it an additional 22.5 hit points -- adding 5 HP to its limbs, 7 to its head, and 9 to its body locations!
Obviously the Armoring enchantment is needed for non-living objects, but I can't believe that it's often considered for living things - -- except possibly by foolish cowards, whose fear of pain blinds them to reality. Of course, it's possible that Gloranthans may not be aware of the proportions involved.
On a somewhat different subject, the use of Conditions in enchantments seems to imply that matrices can be created that cast their own spells, without intervention by any living or spirit entity. I refer to the Attack Conditions:
"An attack condition added to a spell causes it to be cast when a target defined by additional target conditions violates the space or touches the item." (RQIII Deluxe Edition, page 140)
However, no casting percentage is listed.
I envision swords that cast Bladesharp on themselves every time they're unsheathed, belts that cast Strength on the wearer when they enter combat...even hauberks that cast Light when a stranger sneaks up behind the wearer. These may be borderline rule interpretations, but an object with a bound magic spirit of the appropriate type could accomplish the same thing. Combinations of magic spirits, spell matrices, POW spirits, MP matrices, and complex conditions could result in quite mystifying and astonishing objects beyond almost anything yet described in Gloranthan lore.
It seems as if the intention was to allow PCs to create complex and interesting magic items, but the section is far too brief and vague for clear interpretation. Just another thing that will need to be expanded in the new RQ and/or Gloranthan RPG.
Soon, I hope...
-->Pete
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------Editor, Interregnum RPG/Science Fiction APA/magazine -- email for info. Interregnum WWW home page: http://www.tiac.net/users/maranci/index.html FRP adventures, art and more: http://www.tiac.net/users/maranci/rq.htm
Powered by hypermail