Re: Sense Runic Power

From: charlescorrigan <charles_at_...>
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 10:38:14 -0000

> Well, rolling a 1 certainly got round any of
> those kinds of difficulties but once again
> I'm a bit dismayed by the lack of clear
> information in the published material.
> Either the GM has to do a lot of thinking on
> his feet, and somehow stay consistent whilst
> covering all his/her bases or things tend to
> get a bit messy.

My take on this is that the Hero Wars rules set allows us to resolve (but not accurately simulate) complicated stuff that could only be fudged outside of the rules in other systems. To manage this complicated stuff requires either a large book per topic with detailed and complex definitions or a shared trust and enjoyment of the story between the narrator and players.

In our game, we don't get overly hung up on consistency, either with the published world or even with our own "history". As we learn more about Glorantha, either in game or from published sources or from the lists, we change the way we interact with the world. We want to have fun, not run a simulation.

> Still, on the basis that an illusion is a
> temporary piece of reality, what does that
> mean for the cows fertilised by the
> illusiory bull? Do they have phantom
> pregnancies? Or if there's enough duration
> on the illusion do you get calves, half of
> which disappear when the spell duration
> ends? And in this case, which half?

IMO, once the cow is fertilised, that's it. Otherwise, if you are injured by the temporary sword, when its duration ends, do your wounds disapear?

> Can a trickster forgo the nicities of
> getting a bull to do the business and
> just use illusion to impregnate a cow?

Yes, if he has stolen fertility magic rather than cow magic.

> Or is fertilisation in Glorantha less to do
> with biology and more to do with the power
> of Ernalda?

What is biology in Glorantha? A Heortling cow is the power of Uralda. A Kralorelan bull is the power of something else. And some Gloranthans would consider the calf of a Uraldan cow and Kralorelan bull to be an abomination. Other more philosophical Gloranthans might wonder how it is that there could be a calf from a Uraldan cow and Kralorelan bull. Others would just be grateful for the increase in wealth due such a magical calf!

And the trickster has stolen the magic. Hence my earlier post about the danger to Heortling society of a trickster that could create cows, however temporarily.

> I guess the answer is, take the best shot in your game, but don't
> expect the same answer from every GM.

Absolutely! And enjoy your differences.

regards,
Charles

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