Re: Re: Hsunchen & Puma People

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_...>
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 01:58:45 +0100


Roderick and Ellen Robertson wrote:
> The issue is the Concentration of Magic rules and page 104 "Innate Magic". I
> personally feel that "Talents" should not be a part of Common Magic at all,
> and not be subject to the Concentration of Magic rules.

You don't need to tell me that's the issue, I still bear the scars. :-/ (I'm suggesting the cleanest and most-like-my-Glorantha fix, as I can currently discern it, is to bundle the two together, and exempt them *both* from this, to recap.)  

> > Well, I think agreement on the latter part of that at least is pretty
> > universal, happily... We're just quibbling about the game-mechanical
> > rationale, in effect.
>
> No, we're quibbling on terms. "Innate Magical Ability" and "Talent" were
> used interchangeably through all of the text, and the Common Magic rules
> should *not* apply for the Puma ability.

Well, only the concentration rule seems problematic, rather than the designation of Common Magic (though that may be unhelpful anyway).

> So "Innate Magical Talent" should
> not have been used to describe the Puma Shapechange (or should not have been
> tied to Talents and thus Common Magic).

Well, those I'd call game mechanics, as I especially would the third option:  

> If I were given leave to change the rules, I'd remove "Talents" from Common
> Magic and from the Concentration of Magic Rules. "Talents" would work like
> normal abilities, not augment-only as Unconcentrated Common Magic does. They
> would be raisable at 1HP/+1, not 2HP like Common Magic. [...]

> That's what I would do if I ran the Zoo!

Well, I run the zoo at this end, and that's pretty much how I'm planning on handling it. (Well, I say run, but every game I've ever run has had a Yinkini in it, and you know the proverbial nature of herding cats...) Unless some better way suddenly clicks into mental focus, this is the option that's making most sense to me (and you and Nick give me some heart to think I'm not going completely mad for thinking so).

> Then I would forbid
> a player from gaining a talent after Character Generation is over (without a
> good excuse, at least). No learning that you can naturally Breathe Fire or
> Fly two years into the game (unless you're playing kids and the hero hits
> puberty...).

I can think of assorted other rationales that'd make sense for gaining new Talents, but I agree with the gist; you can't just "learn" 'em. They need to be inherited/awakened/HQ'd for/*nt*gr*t*d/whatever.

Cheers,
Alex.

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