Game mechanically, what use is a wyter? I don't want a game word description; its clear what a wyter means in the game world. What I mean is, when would you every use a wyters abilities in a contest?
On the surface, the question has obvious answers, but further thought
suggests otherwise. There are three problems:
1) wyters have high ability ratings;
2) wyters do things 'for free': their activities are in addition to
any other actions done by the characters;
3) wyters are not player characters.
Problem 1: if a wyter has a W2 ability to detect foes, it is almost impossible for foes to sneak up on a group that has a wyter, because few foes will have a W2 sneaking ability. With such high power magic radar, how do Heortlings raid each others tulas for cattle? The wyter's ability is likely to be high enough to deserve an automatic success: no contest.
Problem 2: a wyter can augment the whole group, and as it does so without consuming an action of a player character, such an augmentation is (practically) always available (except for the very first round of an extended contest). As the augmentation is uniform, if might as well be ignored (in the same way that armour and weapon ranks are usually ignored): no effect on any contest.
Problem 3: description of the wyter's activities takes the action away from the player characters, and so is undramatic.
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