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Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Sat, 13 Aug 1994, part 3
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From: david_baur@cl_63smtp_gw.chinalake.navy.mil (David Baur)
Subject: Same Song, Second Verse
Message-ID: <9408122039.AA03485@Sun.COM>
Date: 12 Aug 94 05:36:23 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5667
Same Song, Second Verse 8/12/94 11:42
AM
Howdy again from Dave Baur,
Still At It, Discussing Impobable Uses For Power Spirits
===========================================
Joerg Baumgartner writes in X-RQ-ID: 5535:
> The munchkin deep inside of me squirms... There _is_ a RQ3 way to use
> someone else's POW, but it is for divine magic users only. It requires
> a casting of Mindlink to the provider of the POW and sufficient Extension
> to last this Mindlink through the ritual. Each participant can use the
> magical knowledge of the other participants, so a POW spirit could use
> the Enchantment skills of a mindlinked enchanter, and, if Commanded or
> Controlled, could produce a magic item.
Though we tend to agree that it is "God Learnerish, mightily frowned
upon by a cult", I disagree that it can be done at all, reguardless of
Sandy's restriction that an unwilling creature can not be forced to use it's
POW like this.
First, a Mindlink has to be cast on a willing target. If you say a
Commanded/Controlled/Dominated creature has no will of their own under the
influence, then this might work, but the creature should at least get a roll,
much like a spirit thinking it can break out of a weakened fetch. The spirit
is free to leave the link anytime it wants.
Second, how would this amorphous blob of power without any INT (at least
a Bison has a 4 INT) cast the spell when it probably doesn't have an
Enchanting Ritual Skill. If this is a knowledge, then it can be shared, but
I tend to think of this as a skill of preformance. Just because I can climb
a wall doesn't mean my Mindlinked Bison can nor does it mean that because my
Allied Spirit in a hawk can fly that I can either. (The creatures and
Characters used for this example are fictional. Any resemblance to any Game
Characters either alive or with their God(dess) is purely coincidental.)
As to the Blue Wizard in X-RQ-ID: 5566:, I apply the same arguement,
unless the Familiar is finished being made complete (too expensive for any
character I would care to play), then taught the spell. You'd be better off
conning your Allied Spirit to do the work.
QUICKSTRIKE (The Skill)
===================
Devin started this in X-RQ-ID: 5557 followed by Bryan Maloney in
X-RQ-ID: 5580 (et. al.). I actually see it as being able to be done both
ways. One for those superbly trained and the others wanting to do it fast
without the training (Magic can always duplicate a good skill). I see
Quickstrike as also being broken down into a slight, conceal, attack,
conceal, slight series of rolls being put into two seperate rolls
(quickstrike and attack). I also agree that it has to be a small weapon that
can't "glitter or reflect light" too much. This would limit
non-magical/non-chemical damage that has to first pierce the armor.
In a crowd, this is useful, but in a retinue, people are usually known
and limited as to who it could have been. I can see the skill (I'm not going
to question or discuss the magic version) as usefull and practical as well as
specialized and hard to learn (even worse than martial arts). Unsuspecting
is a given and the offsetting bonus should be absorbed so that it is just a
penalty.
I agree with Bryan that it would appear like magic, but I would presume
that the sheath or other weapon holder is concealled and that the weapon
would not necessarily be returned to it all in the same strike rank or even
necessarily the same round. A fumbled quickstrike might be dropping the
weapon on the ground (how embarasing). A missed attack, but made quickstrike
might mean that a breeze was blowing . ;) But, a missed armor penetration
(too small of a weapon) would not necessarily go unnoticed and a successful
Sense Assassin or Detect Enemy spell would alert the target making a
quickstrike impossible.
Since this is a skill, I would imagine that an assassin would want to
train up to 70% before trying this for real on someone who mattered as this
is a gutsie (sic) manuver to try in the presence of others watching. If I
had an assassin, I would rather a crossbow with a quarl massively damage
boosted on a called shot to an underarmored vital area, thus giving me time
to run (bow and arrow would also work). Poison would be my second choice.
---------------------
From: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake)
Subject: Desert Trackers
Message-ID: <199408130121.JAA01126@cs.uwa.oz.au>
Date: 13 Aug 94 17:32:55 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5669
I want to know more about the quest of the Desert trackers. It is
partly spurred because I have an Issaries PC, and sending her and a few
companions of into the trackless wastes would pass a few sessions in fine
style, but also just out of curiosity. Why is it such a hard quest?
As I see it the major obstacles are:
1) hostile nomads - a bad problem, but not an insurmountable one.
2) general survival in the wastes - easy for nomads, but not so easy for
unfit Garzeen merchants.
3) the Copper Sands - an extreme case of problem 2.
4) the swamps - full of chaos beasties presumably
and then
5) whatever happens at the end when you get to Generts body.
All in all, it doesn't sound too bad. So what I want to know is
1) why is it supposed to be so dangerous? Is there anything I have missed?
and 2) what happens at the end of the quest? Is there some sort of
HeroQuest, or do you just dump your lump of Genert in with the rest and
turn around (maybe the worlds hardest jigsaw puzzle?)?
Cheers
Dave Cake
---------------------
From: davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au (David Cake)
Subject: Jumping
Message-ID: <199408130121.JAA01130@cs.uwa.oz.au>
Date: 13 Aug 94 17:33:04 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5670
Bearing in mind that the Sartarites are often compared to the
Celts, and that Jumping is a favoured skill of the Orlanthi, I think it
would be quite likely that one heroic feat used by the wilder Orlanthi
warriors would be a mighty leap, like the Red Branch Warriors feat of the
Salmon Leap, from Irish legend.
Anyone like the idea of Orlanthi being fond of heroic leaping?
One simple way that such a heroic leap could work (and keeping with
the idea of a heroic feat of skill, rather than a simple magic like the KL
Jumping spell) would be to use the Jumping Ki skill from Land of Ninja.
Many Orlanthi have Jump at 100% anyway (it is a cult skill) so quite a few
of them would be able to acquire this skill.
Any suggestions as to how they would acquire such an ability? Would
they just need to find a heroic Wind Lord to teach them (perhaps a sub-cult
that teaches the mighty leap?) or is there some sor of minor heroquest?
If taught, how widely available are the teachers? Were are they to
be found? Is there a cult hero of Leaping?
If a heroquest, what form might it take? Would it be an Orlanthi
heroquest, or a Mastakos one? (Mastakos being the centre of the only
Orlanthi leaping myths I know of)
Suggestions and comments requested!
Cheers
Dave
---------------------
From: david_baur@cl_63smtp_gw.chinalake.navy.mil (David Baur)
Subject: One Last Time
Message-ID: <9408122146.AB18248@Sun.COM>
Date: 12 Aug 94 06:45:42 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5668
One Last Time 8/12/94 2:44
PM
Greetings again (David Baur) -- I hate being gone during a good discussion
session.
Klaus and Coaching (X-RQ-ID: 5592)
============================
We have done this and I can only tell how we've done it. First, this
presumes that the Coach's skill exceeds the Coachee's skill. For direct
coaching (robe sleeve's rolled up, watching over the shoulder, ready to bail
the poor student's tail out of a sling's help), we treat it as a ceremony
with the coach's skill as duration (a coach with a skill of 50% would add
8d6% of skill). For just observing and watching a group, adding pointers to
an individual (normal class lab environment) it would be adding the
"1d(Coach's skill/5) %". This last is usually done rarely, but can be done
for someone trying to do it solo only getting pointers.
Spirit Bindings
============
Ian Gorlick (I assume not Alison) mentioned his approach to spirit
bindings in (X-RQ-ID: 5595). This method sounds like a low grade fetch to
me. My Shaman is happy with his bindings the way they are, though I
understand your approach for the generic spirit. I guess Black Feather (My
Shaman) could like your basic binding (you mean I can stick ANY spirit in
this?!? Oh, I would constantly have to beat this spirit down more and more
or else use it know for good). Sorry, but I think only someone who
constantly summons and traps spirits for short use and work would really
enjoy this. My Storm Kahn would hate it as he has limited control spells and
occationally gets friends to fill up his bindings (Pardon me Ryan, could you
spare a small Gnome for this binding I found?).
Baroshi and Amber
================
Devin replies to Nils in X-RQ-ID: 5618:
N> "Why Enchant Amber? The spell is OK,
N> but is amber that strongly associated to earth?"
D> Baroshi, in SPH, has a piece of crackling, glowing amber that HE uses as a
D> weapon, and it drains Con and Strength...so this item is really
D> official/Greg.
Why would fosilized tree sap be more Earth God related? I would think
that one of the tree loving gods would rather use this. Even though Baroshi
uses something doesn't mean it's directly in the realm of his powers. Maybe
it's an associated cults toy or spell? Having been through the module, my
Storm Kahn kind of misses the old "barly head" and never saw the amber in
use. Speak of which, maybe he can be a god of brewing. It was a good write
up and the spell is good to, I just ponder whether it should really be his or
if it isn't maybe his representation of an associated cult's spell.
Divine Magic Pool
==============
I agree with Jon Green (X-RQ-ID: 5620) about this views against this
type of magic pool. I also view divine magic as a "holy" covenant between
the god and the caster. Okay, we can talk about Runepaths and such, but this
is still a specific aspect of the god that the worshiper earned. The pool
concept does seem to belittle the divine magic concept. I also like the
thought of making this pooling ability the subject of a "pretty high-level,
high-risk HeroQuest" (or at least a portion of the pool related to the
mastery of a specific rune).
Disease Spirits
===========
Alison Place (not Ian Gorlick) asked in (X-RQ-ID: 5595) the following:
> This may be one of those topics that was done to death years ago, and if
so,
> could someone please forward the essence of the discussion. I have
wondered > for years about the genesis and spread of diseases. Is Mallia the
source for
> all diseases? Are all diseases caused by spirits? Is there any way to
create
> either a spirit of disease or of healing? I know the RQ3 rules for the
things,
> and as a biologist always found them dissatisfying, since contagion is
allowed,
> but not explained. Has anyone come up with anything?
I haven't wondered for years (actually hardly thought about it much just
assuming that all diseases were fragments of disease spirits all over the
place too small to even be seen with a 1 POW), but they are good questions.
If and when someone responds, could you please include me in on the mailings?
Thanks!
Prax Like Wyoming, Wastes like the Great Basin
=====================================
Sandy replies to Dave Cordes:
>>Exactly which US Prairies are you finding this 2-3m grass?
> In MOB's defense, I have seen plots of "native prairie" in
>the midwest which I was told during the height of summer and fall had
>grass well over six-feet tall. (I was there in the spring, and it
>wasn't nearly so high.) I've spent some time around South Dakota and
>Wyoming myself, and you're right about the grass there not being
>superhigh. I envision Prax as looking much like Wyoming, with the
>Wastes looking a lot like the Great Basin.
Having lived in Wyoming as well, I find it interesting that my first
Runequest character (Gilly the Taller) was a Stormbull initiate of the Bison
clan (and PROUD of it!). I started playing Runequest in California having
escaped Wyoming only to just find a parallelism. There's got to be a meaning
in this somewhere!
Actually, thinking about the Prax/Wyoming-Wastes/Great Basin duality, I
guess I agree. It does make sense. Just don't give Gilly any ideas of
selling the Praxian equivalent of Rocky Mountain Oysters.
Renewable Divine Magic
===================
In case others haven't yet made the connection, Elias, David Cordes, and
myself are in the same group. We were discussing the question of gaining
back Divine Magic and I was going to post the results of our discussions.
Since their views spilled forth on to the Dailies, I'll just wait, letting
them post their refined views.
---------------------
From: strauss@hopper.itc.virginia.edu (John Strauss)
Subject: Chalanna Arroy stuff
Message-ID: <199408130342.XAA53326@Hopper.itc.Virginia.EDU>
Date: 12 Aug 94 19:42:24 GMT
X-RQ-ID: 5671
Bob Luckin sez:
>On a related topic : does the Wild Healer of the Rockwoods go
>round impregnating things ? Presumably being a CA it would want
>to avoid causing distress to living creatures in this way, but it
>could still mate with inanimate objects; it is still a child of
>Thed, after all.
I, too, would be interested to hear what people have done with the
Wild Healer. The CA cult is remarkable in so many ways, not the
least of which are its unusual entrance requirements. This is a
lightbringer cult that will accept chaos beings as members! There
are no skill requirements, just sincerity and acceptance of the
cult strictures, which are quite extreme for a world as violent as
Glorantha. (There is a *good* reason why Storm Bulls tend to
respect CAs for their extreme bravery.)
Phil did a lot with the Wild Healer while I played Bargahz. It was
startling how much an ex-Thed and an ex-Storm Bull, each turned CA,
had in common. I won't say they were *friends*; but they had a lot
to teach each other.
*******************************************************************
**WEAK STOMACH ALERT. SKIP IF YOU HAVE TOO VIVID AN IMAGINATION. **
*******************************************************************
Broo biology has been pretty nasty in the campaigns I have been in.
Broos reproduce via rape, with any living creature, and the union
is ALWAYS fertile. The infant claws its way out the abdomen,
killing the mother, who is the child's first meal. Pregnant females
are the considered the very best host mothers, as the broo fetus
emerges doubly strong from having killed and eaten the natural
offspring in vitro. Further, broos go completely mad with lust if
they do not have sex once per season and will die within a week of
the madness, from hemmoraging of the penis.
*******************************************************************
** SECURE FROM WEAK STOMACH ALERT **
*******************************************************************
Obviously, those are serious problems if you want to be a Chalanna
Arroy. I would argue that it would be physically impossible for a
broo to keep cult vows without some sort of special help. Other
interpretations of what it means, physically, to be a broo might
make things simpler. I never learned what Phil had worked out for
the Wild Healer regarding his Thed background. He may have done
something with Zola Fel re chaos taint. Bargahz no longer had his
SB chaos sense, as One Ear ripped it out of him, so I don't know if
Phil's Wild Healer was chaotic. I know that he and a Hornsgate CA
priestess were unconsummated lovers and planned a horrifically
dangerous heroquest together to resolve some very nasty obstacles
in their way. Phil and I never got the chance to explore that, tho.
Alison sez:
>I have noticed this dearth of women in gaming for years, but then,
>who hasn't? Now that I'm married to a GM, I am also noticing the
>distinct category of GM's wife, as in, "She just plays because the
>GM's her husband. You know, not a real gamer." Out of mild
>curiosity, is there any idea how many women do subscribe or write
>to the daily? I've seen Michelle Ringo, and Janet Anderson, and
>I think that that's all. Are females really so tremendously
>scarce as that in Runequest?
On the whole, I have found female gamers to be rare in number but
of the highest caliber. They tend to emphasize role-playing over
combat, which is my preferred style. All things appearing equal, I
would accept a new unknown female into a game over a new unknown
male, simply based on my positive experiences with female gamers.
That being said, there really does seem to be a special category of
gamer called "the GM's Girl". I played in a game, for 2 years, in
which the group leader was played by the GM's wife. She (the
player, not the character) was a for reals and for trues bimbo, the
kind they make up blonde jokes about, and was also rather petty.
She remained the group leader, in spite of incredible reasons why
not, only because she was the GM's wife. If she had not been happy
with the game, the GM could not have run it for us. So, we coped.
I have heard other people relate horror stories of this negative
stereotype, as well. I have also been in games where this did not
happen.
I doubt that the category is gender-specific; but I have never had
the opportunity to play with a female GM. Having seen some kick-ass
female gamers, I would relish such an opportunity. If I ever get
that lucky, I will let you know if she plays favorites on her
husband/boy friend.
As to the idea that you are not a "real gamer": I think you should
make a point of eating quiche each game and just ignore them. And
don't let them pin that "GM's Girl" label on you, either. The
simple fact is, no matter how fair your spouse tries to be, your
greater access to him during non-game hours will enable you to
react advantageously to things that happen during the game. It
can't be helped. The same thing would happen in a case of "GM's
Roommate" but no one says anything about it in that instance.
Alison sez:
>Disease spirits
>I have wondered for years about the genesis and spread of
>diseases. Is Mallia the source for all diseases? Are all
>diseases caused by spirits? Is there any way to create either a
>spirit of disease or of healing? I know the RQ3 rules for the
>things, and as a biologist always found them dissatisfying, since
>contagion is allowed, but not explained. Has anyone come up with
>anything?
Well, I agree with you. The RQ3 writeup is ambiguous and I don't
care for it. I have decided that ALL disease is based on spirit
possession. No germs in my Glorantha.
Disease is essentially a spiritual "protection racket". The victim
sacrifices a point of POW to Mallia, becoming an initiate, via the
possessing spirit in exchange for having their life spared. From
that point, they are cooerced by the possessing spirit into doing
more and more to help the spread of disease. Disease spirits all
have the spell of Summon Disease Spirit, which they can cast
periodically. I use that instead of germ contagion for a disease
vector. You can't get a disease without being possessed and every
actively diseased person has a disease spirit in them.
PCs tend not to give in to that kind of coercion; but it is
important that they experience that spirit yammering at them and
forcing them to join or die. Helps them understand it when they see
it in others who HAVE made the agreement to save their own skins.
My Gloranthans all present Mallia as chaos, pure and simple. But I
personally think of her as Chalanna Arroy's evil twin, a CA that
went bad. I like the double aspects of the twin sisters of Healing
and Disease, which I stole from a Zelazny novel. I give both cults
access to healing spirits and the CA spirit of reprisal is a very
tough disease spirit, which I think gives the goddess a sharp edge
outside the scope of what you hear from her priesthood. You can
extrapolate my Deezola cultists from that.
John Strauss
strauss@hopper.itc.virginia.edu
---------------------