Secrets, mainly Maran's.

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_...>
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 21:05:25 +0100 (BST)

Jeff:
> The secret can be raised without trouble (1HP gives a +1 till you get
> to the 'cap' of 1/2 your lowest rating (5w) But yes, after that it
> does get expensive.

I'm not getting what you're saying here (and/or I'm forgetting the rules, which I don't have to hand). If you're eligible to get the secret, then you can raise it "cheaply" to the W2 level -- thereafter it resumes being _most_ expensive. I was a little surprised to find out that our Yinkini was _already_ at this point... Puts the magical abilities of most of the OiD big-wigs to shame <g>

> On the other hand, my view is that our Vingan with her 2w4 Ranged
> Combat is Highly Magical. When she dies, folks will worship HER and
> get her 'Thornspear Throw' feat... =) I'd best get around to killing
> her.

This is more along the lines of what I'd have expected my players to do; instead they have (IIRC) _no_ abilities at "even" (!) the W3 level, but as I said, numerous affinities at > W2. Ah, wouldn't narrating be so much simpler without having players to worry about. ;-)

I certainly think that any ability rated in the W3s or so is certainly demonstrably and noticably magical. In (simulationist?) cosmological terms, that's the "size" of the first o/s barrier, after all, if one wants to look at it like that. Contra Ian (yeah, let's bitch about him while he's gone!), I don't think it's possible to crisply distinguish the magical from the non-magical, for pretty much _any_ "sufficiently advanced" ability. Talents being a case in point. (I'm not sure how say the Heortlings account for such things, though; do they explain all such as having a precedent in (theistic) myth? Or do they think that things can "become magical", from first principles?)

But to return to the original point... Yes, secrets are somewhat difficult to get, but there seems little comparison between most of them, and the Maran ones, which latter are definitely running into the "exponential effect" phenomenon. (Having pocket-battleship like characters who are on paper in the W3 range, but are in practice literally godlike in their effective abilities.)

Cheers,
Alex.

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