various

From: David Weihe <weihe_at_danet.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 97 20:31:54 EDT

> From: Thomas Gottschall <Bloodtooth_at_gmx.net>
> Subject: What I dislike about magic
> It seems to me that spirit magic is not Gloranthan enough and easy to
> abuse. I don't like the mechanic how spirit magic is tought (defeating a
> spirit).

Clearly this is a game mechanic, not necessarily what the characters see. It does work for Spirit Magic from a shaman (I am assuming that they are similar to an American Indian getting magic via a Vision quest, here), but is almost certainly different for cult magics. The point is that learning the magic requires interaction with the spirits, and a magical wimp has lots more trouble learning than someone who is so powerful that he/she/it glows in the dark.

> Perhaps this is not a problem of RQ itself but I would like a
> restriction to what power level someone can get a spell (I don't like
> every Orlanthi running around with Bladesharp 5 and Heal 6).
Then install one, yourself. I would never expect spells that high except for Humakti (and YT, and Humath) or CA, respectively, without the PCs having made a Six Stones or equivalent Heroquest. There is the clear evidence of this in Alebard's little excursion with members of the Temple of the Wooden Sword, back in the Wyrm's Footnotes days, to try to gain Healing magic.

> I would
> like an official pricelists for magical items (MP storage and spell
> matrices).

Fine. You can't buy them. You make them yourself, steal them, plunder them, or are given them, but there is no "market price".

Anyway, the price on those will vary all over the place, depending on who is at war, and what stage those wars are at. In addition, all "shopping" is done at the equivalent of an oriental bazzaar, not the local Sears Roebuck. Stable price lists are an artifact of very modern civilization, not appropriate for a Bronze Age, Medieval, or even 18th century society.

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