Sorcery Question answered

From: Martin Crim <MCrim_at_erols.com>
Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 21:10:58 -0500

In V4, #310, John R. Snead writes:
>In Sandy Peterson's Sorcery system and several other Sorcery revisions
>I've seen many improvements were made, but in all cases the Form/Set
>(substance) spell has been eliminated.
>
>Is there any particular reason that this spell has been eliminated in so
>many Sorcery revisions? It's always seemed like a useful, but not
>terribly overpowered spell to me, have I missed some massive
>abuse-potential which renders it suspect?

Yes. It is two-fold: combat and mass-production. In combat, a one-point Form/Set Bronze can mold an enemy's helm into an unremovable sphere-with-a-hole-for-the-neck which blocks the enemy's sight completely. Way too nasty for one point and no resistance. Worse, however, is that you can use it to mass-produce metal implements, thus achieving 20th century production methods in a nominally ancient-tech world.

Before Greg revealed that the rules provide no predictive value whatsoever about Glorantha, this spell made us think there were some very strange SF-ish things there.

• --Martin Crim

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