Divine magic is closer to an innate ability given by the cult, I agree, but Spirit magic is different. It seems to require some aptitude, and it does require physical aid (foci) to use it. IMG spirit magic is taught by cults (as a means of income), by guilds (which have somewhat similar structures to a worldly cult without the benefits of a deity or the requirement to bind one's soul to them), and <gasp> by independent magicians.
I treat the (IMO badly described) procedure of beating a spirit to rob its special power as only one of several approaches to spirit magic.
Shamanic cultures like the Telmori probably treat their prey magic (spirit spells outside of the range granted via divine guidance, aka cult spirit magic - even Telmor has preferred spells) this way, the personal experience of the person learning the spell should be something similar to a wolf finishing off a cornered, but still dangerous beast of prey, and then to devour the hunter's portion of it. Spells from Telmor's servants don't require that the spirit be fought to death - I'd rather use the method presented in Vikings, a "spirit communication" (using the same cranky and boring spirit combat rules) which is more in the character of one wolf challenging another for position within the pack, rather a cub training this with an elder. This method gives respect to the teacher, after all a favoured pack member of Telmor (and likely possessing an impressive power).
An Orlanthi hearth may have something like a tomte or landvaettir (from RQ-Vikings) which the wise woman (or elder) may summon. I don't like the rampant POW expenditure without non-combatitive means of regaining the POW RQ rules seem to propose, so I don't require a permanent POW sack of the hearth members to this spirit (while I do demand regular MP sacrifices). Such a hearth spirit might be able to grant one spirit spell to those who pass its tests (one for each point of the spell), like riddle contests or the shell game - possibly abstracted by POW vs. POW rolls. The clan wyter* may have a number of clan speciality spells which the godi might be able to teach through his Orlanth spell teaching ritual (or the gyda through Ernalda). To obtain such spells, the recipient could relive a version of "Orlanth overcomes his brothers", one test POW vs. POW per point of spell if the referee doesn't like to roleplay such things, although no spirit combat to the death (of player and referee through boredom).
I rule that the more localized (and available to the locals) a spell teacher is, the less optimized he is. A temple spell teacher might have 1D3 POW per point of spell, as the rules suggest. The hearth spirit might have 2D6 POW per point, and the clan spell teacher the (standard shamanic) 1D6, or 1D4 for large clans.
The test of worthiness procedure (still some sort of spirit combat) of rural temples (like the tribal major temple available during tribal moots) might be replaced by a more RQ2-like teaching style in urban (or more civilized, i.e. less close to nature and the spirit world) places. I am not sure about the smaller Sartarite cities, though I think that the larger cities would rather teach than test. (All for a fee, of course.)
As for casting the spells, just pointing with an engraved rod (bone, whatever you use for a focus) and mumbling some formula while you spend some MPs shouldn't be the end of it. I like the "spirit helper" approach for spirit magic (instead of activating the spell yourself, you bribe the spirit helper who accompanies you to do the magic; it will demand a suitable gift of MP plus anything else it deems appropriate), which I would propose for "primitive" cultures - Votanki, Damali hsunchen, etc. (Telmori might well use the devouring method - they are feared for a reason. Damali are hunters, but have no carnivorous totem; Votanki are dog people, with dogs having taken humans as helpers, so why not spirits as well?)
In the Kethaelan, Manirian or Ralian cities where henotheist Malkioni and traditional divine worshippers coexist, I don't see great differences in the spirit magic or low wizardry people employ. There should be a gradual change. (Ruleswise, I allow the less orthodox Malkioni peasants to learn several points of a sorcery spell, rather than learn Intensity for it. Casting chance still is a percentile skill, although the starting point will be a bit more reasonable (around 25% for occupational spells, like for occupational weapons). If these peasants get a useful score in (classical RQ3) intensity (or the presence equivalent in Sandy's rules), he may manipulate the spell with the wizardous method, otherwise his multi-point spell behaves like a variable spirit spell.)
This way I sneak around the hairy question whether the henotheists use spirit magic or low wizardry as their personal magic...
>It feels so wrong (at least to me) when someone who has cast his
Bladesharp
>and failed goes for it in the next round again.
Tell him that his focus won't work right now, and have him use another focus. He doesn't have another ready? In that case, he should spend some minutes in ceremony to realign himself with the focus. Oh, he is in a fight? Too bad...
Joerg Baumgartner (via Hotmail)
mailto:joe_at_toppoint.de
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