Simple?!? The sorcerer relies on his own authority, and strenth of will to force the natural forces and principles to bow to his will. The sorcerer must know exactly what he is doing, and is confidence in himself must be absolute.
This sounds easy to you? Relying on your own knowledge and power is easy, compaired to channeling a ready spell from a node? It sure doesn't to me
> > > [Sorcerers] still [rely on their own Will to shape the universe
> > > with no help from spirits or channelled energy from the gods]
> > > according to the Glorantha Intro.
>
> >Their gods are called saints, or ancient sorcerers.
>
> Saints are a wizard thing whereas the ancient sorcerers are
> teachers rather than worshipped entities.
I refer to the entities who begat the nodes, and whose spells even the _sorcerer_ utilizes.
> Secondly there are two methods of learning spells described
> in the rules. The first simply has the sorcerer creating
> the portal of power and extending his will into the node and
> learning the spell. It then says "Sorcerers may also
> learn spells directly from their founder or saint through
> the ritual of the Pattern of Power. The founder can teach
> any spell in the order's grimoires". Although one can
> deplore the lack of description of the circumstances in which
> one might simply log into the node or contact the founder
> instead.
>
> So one can learn a spell without going to a founder. One
> can even do so if you had an incompatible ideology than
> the founder, which makes the founder rather unlike a God.
This helps a bit, but is seriously vague. I also think the sorcerous orders and wizardly monasteries create and research new spells, and aren't just limited to the magic of their founder or a saint. The founders principles and theories do shape the approach and emphasises of his/her deciples and followers, but surely they carry on his/her work.
> >The Hero Wars sorcerer does not use his own skill, but channels
> >a ready spell through his talisman.
>
> Skill is a RQ3 rules artifact and you won't find any mention
> of it in the sorcerer-eye's view of his magic. The act of
> learning and casting spells is still an act of will and stated
> so in the HW rules.
But the feel and spirit of the sorcerers and wizards shifts conciderably, and not for the better or more interesting IMO.
> >they are reduced to having "sorcery matrixes"... take
> >away the sorcerers toys and he can't pull of a single spell
> >anymore. Not a problem?!?
>
> You don't remember the numerous matrices required to store
> power and spells before a sorcerer could cast a half-decent
> spell?
Not something I used much. The free INT system was the real flaw in RQ mechanics, and resulted in the need for matrixes. The ability to create matixes and artefacts is still quite different than being utterly dependant on such.
> > > I don't see the problem. All that energy [from the
> > > sorcery plane] is _there_, replenishable, and can be
> > > used. So why not use it?
>
> >The sorcerers used to be capable, independent and individualistic
>
> I really like to see a gloranthan source describing them as
> individualistic and it is difficult to conceive of a RQ3
> sorcerer as being capable and independent.
I never had trouble with such. He didn't need help from gods or spirits. And the religion of the Wizard was a logical and rational. The wizard's power was not dependant on his god.
> >without any need for otherworld powersources,
>
> What then were magic points?
A measure of mental and magical fatigue. Something that rouse from the strength of your own mind and soul.
> >Sorcery was (and is) supposed to be about natural laws and the
> >physical world.
>
> It still is. But the otherworld _is_ where the natural laws
> that give rise to the cosmos are more prominent. It makes
> sense from the sorcerers PoV to learn spells from there
> just it makes sense from modern scientists to learn secrets
> from a telescope or a particle accelerator.
>
> - --Peter Metcalfe
I understand the new paradigm. I'm just not happy with it. (my apologies for this critique on your work)
-Adept
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