A +1 Sword in Glorantha

From: richard <richard.develyn_at_nwpeople.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 10:28:54 +0000


Sorry about the provocative subject line - doubtlessly you all see the AD&D +1 Sword mechanism as a horrible game construct.

Nevertheless it puzzles me that you find very little evidence that such an item could exit in Glorantha. Looking at this issue from a Gloranthan
(rather than Runequest) point of view:

  1. First of all, why not have a non-magical +5 (RQ terms) sword, maybe also doing an extra point of damage. These bonuses could just be due to fine workmanship.
  2. Swords with a Bladesharp 1 matrix are common (relatively speaking). What about something with a permanent BladeSharp 1 on it. Can Spirit Magic ever be permanent, or do you have to bind a spirit into your sword and get it to constantly cast Bladesharps for you?
  3. Armouring enchantments are fine (so you can have a +1 shield). Couldn't toughened weapons do more damage as well. And why not have enchantments to lighten weapons but keep them just as tough - that ought to be worth a bonus on the skill to use the thing.
  4. What about "holy" weapons of one sort or another - something with a permanent godly blessing which is extra effective against some adversary.
  5. Finally, what could Sorcery do by way of item creation (beyond enchantment)?

This isn't limitted to swords, indeed weapons, at all. Why not have cloaks to aid hiding, boots to aid stealth, even mundane things like combs which magically remove tangles.

Fine workmanship ought to allow some bonus. Enchantments which make a permanent physical change in an object also, I think, could be enhanced beyond the documented ones (e.g. lightness, sharpness, slipperiness, chameleon-ness, ...).

After that the ultimate question is whether magical items and creatures in Glorantha have to follow prescribed rules. The main one that I'm sort of guessing at is that magic comes out of life - only living things
(including spirits) can do magic. Is that true, and are there others?

Or can any strange enchanted magical artifact exist quite legitimately in Glorantha.

Richard

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