Well, I said I'd post it, so here it is. I just wish I still had it on disk, so I didn't have to type it all in. Note that this was written by Greg in the fall of 1993, to be used in the Prospectus of Heroes of the King. As such, it is not exactly official, but represents his feelings about this at the time. I believe his main concern was to prevent the stories submitted from being too much like RuneQuest adventures. Also note that I am only including the two sections which dealt with magic and DI.
HOW MUCH MAGIC?
Fictional protagonists may not be normal, everyday people. Nonetheless,
most folks are this mundane, and their composite average provides the
standard by which the unusual (your characters) are judged. So I give
some averages here.
The average Sartarite clansman or woman has three or four Enhancement spells which are used probably every day. These are things for starting fires, hammering, or whatever reperitive work is likely to be usefully enhanced. Alternately, something which is usually chancey but likely to happen only occasionally or quickly (shooting at a deer you've been stalking) might have these normal Enhancements to them. Using these everyday magics is almost always successful.
Most people have a secondary set of spells, too, which they are likely to need but not every day. These are less likely to be successfully applied (along with the work being done). (I.e., a First Aid spell applied while binding a wound.)
These are pretty much personal things, done for oneself and one's family and friends. They are learned upon initiation, and among the Orlanthi clan community most useful spells are known by a few of the people.
Using any of those magics causes people to tire.
Miraculous spells are known by holy folk. Almost anyone who fits within the community has something divine which touches them. Most people use it only at the appropriate holy days, of course, to link up with their deity and empower it with their personal attention.
People with particularly strong links to specific deities (godi, or priests if full time) are capable of manifesting that deity in this world. The precise form of the manifestation varies within certain parameters for each deity. Thus, the Thunder God, the most widespread and popular deity of the people, has a large number of potential manifestations which range from a great wind which can pick things up and move them, destroying lightning blasts, blessing gentle rains, and so on.
Holy people are judged by the magnitude and consistency of their divine powers. Mere office holders are rare among the Sartarites.
DIFFERENCES FROM RUNEQUEST
Battle Magic: These spells are not always successful, nor simply based on
some statistic. They work more quickly and efficiently when they are used
often (thus, a Humakti's Bladesharp is probably more likely to work than
an Orlanthi's). They require some time to cast. They have visual effects
to people who can see the magical energies of the world.
Rune Spells: These all require some standard environmental settings to work. Sunspear cannot work when the sun is down. Thunderbolt (blasting down from the clouds) cannot work without dense clouds in the sky. Also, ALL Rune Magic requires that the individual conform to cult ideals for the spells to work. A gentle, non-lethal Humakti would lose access to his divine magic.
Divine Intervention is far less accessible than in the RuneQuest game, and cannot be used as a generalized "wish" spell. The gods can only do what they do. Transporting folks from a disaster is not what most of them can do.
It is not necessary to have specific spells, as in RuneQuest. In general, priests ae dedicated to a single deity, whose supernatural feats can be reproduced on a minor level by invoking their internal power. Orlanthi can then use any of the listed Orlanthi "spells." The relative success depends solely upon the dedication of the individual to the deity. Someone who has spent years living an exemplary life will access more powerful effects than a newcomer who is half-hearted. For instance, an old faithful Orlanthi priest can summon up a huge wind, while a part-time acolyte can get only a breeze.
Death is more common than in RuneQuest. Resurrection of individuals is very difficult. Coming back from the dead is a big deal. Most folks do not do it. The relative availability in RuneQuest is a game convention contrary to my Gloranthan vision. In fact, many people who do come back at all have the "Dead Sickness," which means they are listless and lost in life, some part of them (perhaps) remaining dead after all. Others join HUmakt afterwards, even if they had no inclination beforehand.
Finally, combat is as it happens on earth, not as in RuneQuest. Pain and shock are real, and they will cause individuals to fall unconscious long before their entire life force (Hit Points) are extinguished. Pain interferes with successful combat and magic use.
Finally, magic requires more time than is apparent from the RuneQuest game. Most personal magic casting requires a focus, spoken words, and gestures. Even divine magic takes some time to prepare and cast. Magic can not be cast in secret.
Well that's it -- I hope it fires the fuels of debate for some time to come. And I'm sorry I didn't post it a long time ago, when it became apparent to me that Heroes of the King was on hold, since it was originally intended that this material would be incorporated into the Introduction or some other part of that book.
Stephen Martin
ilium_at_juno.com
- -----------------------------------------------The Book of Drastic Resolutions
End of Glorantha Digest V4 #382
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