Re: The Glorantha Digest V7 #245

From: Joerg Baumgartner <joe_at_toppoint.de>
Date: Sat, 25 Dec 1999 21:05:16 +0000


Simon Hibbs:
> I do not mean initiates learning some spirit magic, what I'm
> talking about is full blown priests, with reusable divine
> magic (if you're using RQ), also becoming a full blown
> Magus with all the sorcery skills, or shamans also
> gaining full blown theistic powers such as full access
> to re-usable common divine magic, divine intervention, etc.

IMO this happens only through means of heroic conquest of abilities. What does happen is that certain cultures have hybridized these versions and have functionaries which are some of either way, without having either way fully.

> These lines aren't as clearly drawn in RQ as I believe they
> are in Glorantha.

And vice versa - some of the lines clearly drawn in RQ are non-existant in Glorantha.

> I think Gloranthans in the know can quite
> clearly see a fundamental difference when an umath shaman
> invokes a magical power and when an Orlanth priest invokes
> a magical power, even when in RQ terms they are using the
> same rune spell.

Depends on who is invoked by the Umath shaman. IMO the invocation of a power of Orlanth by a Kolating shaman, a Praxian worshipper of Little Brother or a genuine Sartarite Heortling will amount to exactly the same thing, even though the method may be different.

> I think the rituals they use to obtain that
> magic are probably very different in character.

No doubt about that.

> The clearest case of RQ muddying the waters is in the rules
> for hsunchen. In RQ the transformation spells are rune
> spells. I think that's a good choice in terms of game
> mechanics, but I don't think that this means their
> shape shifting magic is in any way theistic.

And vice versa for spirit magic for divine cults...


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