One-Use Rune Magic

From: Nick Brooke <Nick_Brooke_at_compuserve.com>
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 05:56:40 -0400



Thomas dissents politely:

> I've read Nick's article in TOTRM#12 about rune magic again...
> At one point I disagree: Why should the High Holy Day be the day
> when magic is renewed. I would propose to take Sacred Time since
> it is a time when the world is renewed. High Holy Days are not
> appropriate I think because they mark only a remarkable deed of
> the god or some important event. It is not so much about renewal.

While it's no skin off my nose what you get up to IYG, I'd merely point out the scenario-writing and role-playing advantages to be gained by making *everyone's* High Holy Day more important and unmissable. Think about it:

Trolls become Really Dangerous in Dark Season as they're pumped up with recently-renewed or about-to-be-renewed darkness magics and other Rune spells. ZZ berserks will be firing off Rune magics aplenty both before and after ZZ's HHD -- like anyone in Glorantha would expect them to.

PCs will become *desperate* to attend their own worship services: not "just" the end-of-year, out-of-game-time Sacred Time ("when everyone gets their Rune spells back" -- just like the Pendragon Winter Phase), but the HHD for *each* of the cults they derive Rune Magic from. Just like you'd expect a Gloranthan character to.

Doing this means that the magic rules will *reinforce* things we know about Glorantha. Sure, it means the GM needs a calendar to hand, while players need to remember the most important dates in their ritual year -- but they ought to be doing that anyway, right? Giving a *serious* rules penalty to characters who miss their HHD (not just a missed POW gain chance but a kick in the teeth which will inconvenience them for the next *year*) seems only appropriate.

I think going for a "generic" magic-renewal date isn't necessary, and misses an opportunity for role-playing and world-building. Note that some important cults will have Sacred Time renewal in any case -- but why should all the cults which don't be tied to that time of year?

YGMV; mine won't.



Nick

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