Re: Initiates & Devotees

From: David Dunham <david_at_...>
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 13:01:34 -0800


Simon

> The way I'm doing it in my game is to let Initiates only use
> listed feats at their full Affinity rating. Their limited
> understanding of the cult mysteries means they can only call
> on the best-known myths and magic. Devotees can improvise other
> feats (including augments) at -5. This means that initiates can
> only use obviously augmenting feats to get augments, they can't
> make up (improvise?) augments on an ad-hoc basis.

Sounds good to me!

> For me, this solves several problems :
>
> 1. Most of the time people will be rolling against their
> full Affinity rating.
>
> 2. Obviously augmenting feats aren't a useless embarrasment.
>
> 3. Devotees get more flexible use of their magic than initiates,
> who can only use rote feats. This seems more sensible than letting
> initiates be flexible and only giving devotees the rote abilities.

And also

4. People can play initiates and still have fun -- they get to use colorful feats, not bland affinities.

Ian objects:

> Every Orlanthi adult with a Wind affinity can change the weather.

They already could, in theory, by just calling on Orlanth. In practice, changing the weather is a huge area effect and thus has a big opposition.

> Every Orlanthi adult with a Movement affinity can run up cliffs or
> do a sunset leap.

Only if it's a small cliff with a resistance they can overcome.

Simon again:

> For a start I doubt every Gloranthan has their magical
> affinities as their best abilities, so we won't be seeing every
> other Sartarite leaping into the sunset any time soon in my game.

People tend to start them high, but then they don't advance quickly, because raising affinities is so expensive.

-- 

David Dunham   <mailto:dunham_at_...>
Glorantha/HW/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html>
Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein

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