I basically work off the premise that there's no mechanical difference between low-level sorcery (the spells in the West that are taught to Dromars/Peasants and Holars/Knights) and what cult initiates in Central Genertela use, while in the actual game setting the spells have wildly differing sources and appearances while accomplishing the same function. Thus, a weapons-blessing spell used by a Rokari knight may be the logical equation for lawful warfare as taught by Hrestol, while a faithful Yelmaion may recite the Guided Spear prayer to the Star Captains, but both are Bladesharp (or an equivalent effect.) The same goes for personal magic learned from Shamanic cultures as well... IMO, Gloranthan Magic is really broken down into two types, for game purposes - Personal Magic, which comes from the soul and knowledge of the caster (in RQ3 terms, this is both Spirit Magic and Sorcery) and God Magic, which is granted to or taken by the user via God Cults or HeroQuest from godly entities or spirits (this is RQ3 Divine Magic.) Here I make a difference between personal/low magic which is taught by cults (such as what would be cult spirit magic in standard RQ3) and actual God Power which is granted in the form of RQ3 cult Rune Magic (which seems to be an actual portion of the deity's power granted to a mortal worhsipper, as opposed to knowledge granted to a worshipper and powered by the worshipper's own soul force.) It seems to me that aside from cult rituals and doctrine, no special knowledge is needed to use God Power in Glorantha. This accounts for the ease and proliferation of Divine Cults in Glorantha, as it's most likely far easier to train a Priest than a Sorcerer or a Shaman, and the majority of a Priestly training is concerned with getting the Rune Magic/God Power and emulating the skills and behavior of the god in question, as opposed to learning how the power actually works. "How does it work? It's the power of Lodril, you fool! Don't question it, like some soulless God Learner!"
Shamanism in Glorantha often combines the two above types of magic, as Gloranthan Shamans use both personal magic (spells powered by themselves), and God Power (Magic directly given to the Shaman in the same manner as other god worshippers.) Most Gloranthan shamans are also members of Shaman cults, and those who aren't usually join small Spirit Cults for short lengths of time, in order to get specialty magic from local spirits.
Thus, I use Sandy's concept of Presence, where most adult members of Gloranthan society take the equivalent of the High Vow (represented by cult initiation rites, adulthood rites in tribal cultures, and coming of age ceremonies for the appropriate caste in Malkioni cultures.) These characters get an amount of Presence equal to (INT+POW) - 20. This usually results in average members of society having a Presence of 2 to 4, assuming average INT and POW of 11 to 12. This means that spells won't be too large (Intensity 4 at most) and can handle the typical farmers needs. I'm more strict on spell manipulation for non-professional magicians, usually only allowing skill/20 manipulation for cult spells (That means if you want that Bladesharp to be at 4 points, you better be an expert) and non-cult spells at Skill/25. Certain spells may be allowed to be cast at skill/15, for cult speciality spells (Heal for Chalana Arroy, for example.) For my rules, I translated all non-variable Spirit Magic spells to variable versions. In my rules, all Apprentice Sorcerers, Assistant Shamans and Cult Initiates are considered to have taken their culture's adulthood rites, which grant the (INT+POW)-20 PRE. I consider PRE to be a person's connection to the Otherworld, while POW is their strength in actually manipulating the Otherworld's energy's. The only Personal Magic "Art" available is Intensity, which is gained by invoking your culture's Art Patron and sacrificing 1 POW, similar to how Patron Saints are invoked in Sandy's Sorcery rules. For Malkioni, it would indeed be Malkion. For Shamanic Cultures, it would be Horned Man (who could conceivably visit new adults, showing them the basic secrets of Magic), or one of the various tribal deities, while the God in Question shows the secrets of how to manipulate the cult's magic in a divine cult (in my rules, this is the role that the Red Goddess takes in lunar cults, teaching those who follow the Lunar Way the first secrets of magic, while specific powers are granted by other Lunar deities.)
Magic "professionals", such as cult Acolytes and Priests, full Shamans and Journeyman Sorcerers get to take the Vessel vow, which grants additional Presence equlal to free INT, as detailed in Sandy's rules. Apprentice Sorcerers and Assiatant Shamans would be able to gain additional personal low magic "Arts", invoking the appropriate arts patron for their cult/culture. Shamans are only able to get Range, Ease, Speed in addition to Intensity (from a rules POV, I do this because Shamans don't have the benefit of as powerful Rune Magic as Priests do, although their personal magic shouldn't be as powerful as Sorcerers'.) Acolytes and Priests get no arts, but benefit from the better spell manipulation and increased presence as Shamans and Sorcerers do. Sorcerers of course get access to all the Arts, either by study or Invocation, and the best spell manipulation possible, as per Sandy's rules. Priests get skill/10 for cult magic and skill/20 for non-cult magic, as Shaman's get the same for their cult magic (if the have any), or skill/10 for spells that specifically deal with spirits, skill/15 for other spells. Sorcerers get skill/10 for all spells, unless they're specialists, as according to Sandy's rules (magic IS what Sorcerers do best.)
I'll be done editing them and typing them up in about a week. Anyone who wants a copy, please e-mail me and I'll be more than happy to oblige. They haven't been playtested as of yet, so anyone who wants to take a stab at it, just ask. And, as always, the majority of credit goes to Snady Petersen, since these are merely a variant of his Sorcery rules.
Comments?
Chris Bell
remster_at_interport.net
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