Re:Glorantha for kids

From: Andrew Larsen <aelarsen_at_facstaff.wisc.edu>
Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2000 23:55:02 -0600


> From: Joerg Baumgartner <joe_at_toppoint.de>
> Subject: Introducing Glorantha to kids
>
> Hi, all,
>
> after some hiatus due to other things going on with my life, I'm back
> for a while.
>
> I'm faced with a new problem: over the holidays I'm supposed to
> introduce not only my girl-friend but also her kids (12 and 10) into
> roleplaying, and, by preference, to HW/Glorantha. I thought it might be
> best to have the kids play not yet initiated but extraordinary Heortling
> clan members. But:
>
> do kids have any magic prior to formal initiation?

    I can only comment on the RQ system, not HW, but I think the answer is unlikely. At best, it would only be a point or two.  

> Is initiation a single event, or does it come in a couple of related,
> subsequent ceremonies along with age changes?

    I ran a campaign where the players grew from teens to adulthood. I started the campaign with a session in which the PCs all came of age in the same year. On 'Initiation Day', all the children to be initiated had a footrace to run with various challenges added to it. There were various events spaced out during the day, like a ceremonial meal and so on, and when night came, the children were led to the Orlanth stones on the hill and the Lightbringers Quest was re-enacted for them. The players had already chosen cults, so during the re-enactment, each one received a sign of favor from one of the gods, marking them out a special to that god. This ceremony was the initiation into adulthood, making them full members of the tribe and what-not. Doing this for everyone together helped provide a sense of cohesion and group identity.

    In later sessions, the characters made individual initiations into separate cults as they qualified for them. I tried to make each initiation something which was fun to watch, and I've subsequently worked at providing NPC for the players to run when one character was off on a quest or something.

    Hope this helps.

Andrew E. Larsen


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