Trait away

From: Jose Ramos <Jose.Ramos_at_Univ-Angers.fr>
Date: Thu, 3 Jul 1997 11:37:54 +0200 (METDST)

        Alex agrees with me (always pleasant) and proposes a way to mix roleplaying and rollplaying in the Test of Holiness. I will go a bit further, and say that politics will play a lot.

        If you are the High Priest nephew (and he feels like doing a bit of nepotism), and the only real Orlanthi virtue you have is Generous (but your Lustful and Indulgent are known across the land) your test of Holyness could be "Orlanth and Uleria go on a Picnic" :-).

        If your uncle is tired of the embarrasment you are for him, the test could be something like: "Orlanth defeats the Five unkillable Beasts". And the coaching would be a bit incomplete: "Oh, I forgot to tell him that the third can be beaten only by singing lullabies. Well, we'll see how he manages (evil chuckle)".

        And I agree with Jeff Richards. No amount of Game Mechanics will compense for a weak myth or a well supplied imagination. And a good myth will take you anywhere.

        Mike finds trouble with permanent changes without maintenance. It is easy, at least in the case of the Trollkin Curse. It is the thousands of trolls heroquesting to change it AND FAILING who keep the curse going strong. And anyway very deep heroquests take very long to disappear: just think in the Sindic's Ban (and nobody maintained it, and indeed many people quested to break it). However I agree that all this effects will eventually fade (magical entropy, anyone) if not maintained somehow.

        I have been thinking that support will work only on bits the supporters themselves know. So it helps in reenactment quests (wich they know) and in some fregments of experimental quests, but certainly not all. And when you reach deep cult secrets, support will be lost (the lightbringers alone in hell).

        Although almost all my examples are from an orlanthi PoV, it is just because they are the most familiar to all of us. It is easy to extend to other cultures. Some groups (Arkati, Lunar T and J) have it easier in getting support, as you have a dedicated core willing to believe "anything" to support your quest, so you can whip out an experimental HQ with support quickly.

        How much that resembles Specialized God Learner Outer Plane Manipulators:

        "I've spent twenty years becoming exactly like the Mask of Orlanth in "Orlanth woos Ernalda" and you tell me know you will replace her with Babeester Gor? And who is going to believe it? Project Orlanth the Castrati Opera Singer? What is the rector up to?"

Jose

P.S. Brian can you read this? I need your character's Godsday asap.


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