RQ 2 where they were described as controlling the infinity rune and therefore the power flow around them.
>To get that, I would assume that you learn a lot by visiting gods and
heroquesting.
The "flux" concept doesn't fit into the HW rules and is outdated. The HW system overcomes the scalability problem of RQ so the concerns over the Infinity rune are gone. However, I agree that any "superhero" would have done massive amounts of HQing and have huge skills, in the four mastery range. Equal to a herocult deity.
>All the heroquesting I've heard of, excluding the initiatory ones and
IFWW, would be >pretty fatal had someone tried to undertake it alone.
This depends on the deity. Humakt has a lot of solo quests IMO, given the very mythic nature of the deity.
>Thus Harreck and Jareel, to get where they do, need to have massive
support
>to do the quests that get them to their power, get them to be superheros.
Not always. Harrek defeated the Polar bear due to insider knowledge and killed the other participants. Again, I think it depends on the deity.
>Now I realise that these heroes go through quite a number of direct
>supporters who accompany them - just look at the lists in KoS for
>Argrath.
This is well simulated in HW.
>However, I can't imagine anyone from another cult joining Onslaught! OK,
so if X in, >say Orlanth, wants to become a hero then they need to do
something mythically with >a Humakti hero to re-enact a particular myth.
If I were X then I would choose another >Humakti! IMG not all are like
Onslaught :-)
This depends. Onslaught would be a high level choice because he incarnates death so well. If you don't like him personally, thats not to great a concern. Most HQers want the best of the best to accompany them. Failure is a great motivator in HQs, you can't just pop home if things are going badly. In addition, most of the HQ Onslaught would go on would be Humakti quests and there would always be a place for an extra Sword on a quest.
>Of course, this only IMHO answers why Onslaught isn't upto superhero
>status.
I think the "Superhero" status is defunct now, the HW rules have shifted the way we look at heroes and gods.
>He could never standup to Jareel or Harreck even in single combat (IMHO,
>IMG). He has only a superficial knowledge and ability with the flux around
>him.
This doesn't apply in HW, as I said, it would be a direct contest of mastery skills vs mastery skills. The winner being the one with the higher level of mastery on most occasions, though not always.
>Any magic he had would be inoperable around the superheros (should they
>want that - and, perhaps, even if they didn't :-).
These would mean that Harrek would have to _dismiss_ his opponents magic in a direct contest _against_ his foes magical affinity.
> Any spirits wouldn't show their face.
Why not? A spirit would also match its affinity vs affinity.
>It would be left to a skill % vs skill % with, for god's sake, bite or
>something.
It would be Ability vs Ability, modified by edges, handicaps and augmentations.
> Now, should Harreck fail to hit first (possible if Onslaught knew an
antidote method >for stopping Harreck's power gained from heroquesting to
do this), and fail to parry >(does he ever? pah, probably not - he's got
the best armour he needs in the form of a >god!), and should his armour
(god) fail him, and he gets 'killed'.
Harreks cloak would have an armour rating which would subtract from the attackers ability to hit.
>Oh dear. Poor Onslaught. Harreck either comes back fully healed during his
walk >through hell or from his home on his own planet, or he never
actually dies (old DP) >since Onslaught didn't, and couldn't, cut him into
the final number of grisly portions.
He would use his ability to "Leap back to life from Death" which is a secret that most who become heroes practice as they have to achieve a godquest. Here I think Harrek has an edge over the likes of Onslaught or lesser heroes, because he has achieved a Godquest and is thus part of the mythic world, permanently.
>Now, against heroes - that's more of an interesting matter. I (IMG, IMHO)
>can see a lot in what Martin's saying re: Argrath and his abilities.
>Some heroes (eg. Beat Pot, Gunda) are going to have hero-level combat,
>but others are going to heroes in other ways (Argrath, Cragspider).
Yes exactly. Heroes are specialists usually, they have to be. Its too hard to be otherwise. BTW, Cragspider is not a hero, but is a demigod, rather like the Red Emperor.
>I can imagine that Onslaught is being portrayed as being hero level at
>combat. I don't mind the comparison with being able to beat Argrath if
>it came to one-on-one combat with noone else interfering because that's
>like saying "well, I coulda killed him if someone had tied his hands,
>and his feet, and blindfolded him, and hung him upside down for a week
>without water. Easy. No worries. I'm just as good - nah, better -
>than he is." Argrath isn't alone.
EXACTLY!!! Well said. This is precisely the point. The Argrath player in my Gwandor campaign spends his hero points on followers and leadership skills. Onslaught spends all his on getting better at killing. Argrath commands armies, Onslaught is a loner. Deadly but singular. Quantity has a quality all of its own.
>So, onwards Onslaught. I wish you well (away from me). I think you're
>on the wrong path to Humakti herodom. I don't think Makla Mann would
>approve particularly, or any other Humakti hero.
Yes, but you haven't said WHY they wouldn't approve or why you think they didn't follow this route themselves, particularly given the Mystical slant that Humakt has, his gifts and geas system is a form of austerity while his secret is mystical and his journey was illuminated.
> I think O's forging his own herodom within the way of Humakt, unlike any
before.
I disagree. All of the work on Humakt I've seen shows completely the opposite. I think that the vast majority of Humakti, 99% never rise beyond a certain level, but the heroes sever all kin ties and become Humakt, singular and deadly. These are the heroes of Humakt and truly Know their god.
Martin Laurie
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