OK - armed with a copy of Heroquest (HQ:RiG) and the Imperial Lunar Handbook Vol 1 (ILH), I'm going to try and work through an Animist character to see how the rules work. If anyone spots any mistakes or misinterpretations please shout up. Other comments and questions also welcome
The character I have in mind is a Darjinni merchant LosisiLan, A travelling salesman and lover, always on the lookout for a new partner, or failing that, a business opportunity!
So (regardless of whether I am using a 100 word description or a list) my occupation keyword will be "Merchant" and my Homeland Keyword will be "Darjin" (ILH )pp32-33.
HQ:RiG p18 says that you get the "Religion" keyword of your homeland automatically unless you choose not to - In this case SurEnslib Tradition. This starts at a rating of 17. You also get to choose either Common magic or a specialised magic keyword. The Narrator may allow both, and if only one is chosen you may concentrate at no extra cost. I'll take both.
ILH p32 says the Darjinni Common magic (Frog, Fish & Ferret Fellowships) treat all common magic as Charms. I Automatically get 5 at character creation at the Common Magic keyword rating of 17. From ILH p 32 I'll take "Make Love Again" and "Sing Sweetly", while from HQ:RiG p 29 I'll take "Project Voice", "Witty Repartee" and "Transfix with Conversation" I can only use these charms to augment other abilities, not as active abilities themselves (as an aside, what ability would I augment with "Repel Insect"?)
As a Darjinni Merchant I follow the Savaskuan Practice (ILH p33). HQ:RiG
p18 says I start out as a practitioner and get "One each of the Practice
Spirits listed in the keyword, with ratings determined by the Narrator".
It doesn't mention Tradition Spirits at all in the Character Creation
rules (or if it does, I missed it) but I assume the rules for joining a
tradition apply and I get 5 tradition charms (HQ:RiG p134. ILH p33)- for
simplicity I get them at the midpoint of the levels given.
Fertility Spirits:- Fertile Beds 15, Mating Dancer 15, Unleash Passion
18.
Great Bog Spirits:- Soft Whispering Waters 15, Gripping Reeds 15.
These Charms are also only usable as augments.
My Practise Spirits are bound into Fetishes, and can use their abilities as active abilities (HQ:RiG P137). I gt "Good Deal" (a Barter Spirit) and "Safe Berth", (a lake/river spirit from the harbours of Massos). Their initial scores are up to the Narrator - ILH doesn't give sample powers for them, we'll default to 17.
I can't have a Spirit Ally, because I haven't concentrated my magic. I could release my Tradition spirits and attempt to befriend them to turn them into fetishes. (see below)
Currently my Magic/Religion Keywords and abilities are
Common Magic 17
SurEnslib Tradition 17
(SurEnslib Tradition Knowledge
Worship SurEnslib
Relationship to <intercessor>)
Savaskuan Practice 17
( Savaskuan Knowledge
Follower of Savaskuan
Friendship with "Good Deal"
Friendship with "Safe Berth"
)
Common Magic Charms 17
Make Love Again
Sing Sweetly
Project Voice
Witty Repartee
Transfix with Conversation
Tradition & Practice Charms
Fertility Spirits:-
Fertile Beds 15
Mating Dancer 15
Unleash Passion 18
Great Bog Spirits:-
Soft Whispering Waters 15
Gripping Reeds 15
Tradition & Practice Fetishes
Barter Spirits:-
Good Deal 17 (Good as New, Know Your Needs)
Safe Berth 17 (Walk on Mud, Float, Don't Rock the Boat)
I need to devote 10% of my time to the Tradition, 10% to the Practice and 10% to the Spirit Friendships.
If I want to gain a new charm it will cost 2HP, and a new Fetish 6Hp - More if their abilities are > 20 - I can't improve the ones I currently have.
If I want to learn the Spirit Face ability, it will cost 2HP and start at a score of 13. - Likewise "Open Spirit World". (The smart move might be to work them into my character description, then I get them at 17 as part of the Keyword).
In order to release the spirits from the fetishes I need to beat a resistance of 14 with the appropriate Friendship score (17) (49% chance)
In order to befriend the Tradition spirits in my charms to make them into fetishes, I need to beat a resistance of 14 with Follower of Savaskuan (17) augmented by Savaskuan Knowledge (+2) (51.25% chance)
To create new charms in play, (assuming I have the appropriate objects
to bind the spirit into, and access to friendly Tradition/Practice
spirits) I need to beat a resistance of 14 with Follower of Savaskuan
(17) augmented by Savaskuan Knowledge (+2) (51.25% chance) (for Practice
Spirits or Worship SurEnslib (17) augmented by SurEnslib tradition (+2)
(51.25% chance). Of course if I have to cross over to get the spirits
I'll need to beat 10w3 with my "Open Spirit World" (better hope I've
pumped lots of HO into it or I get plenty of augments for Ritual &/or
support. You need 2W to have any chance of success...
If I concentrate my Magic use (1HP) then I halve the costs of improving all my magical abilities, and buying new Charms and fetishes (or I can buy more powerful ones for the same price). I can also now use my Common Magic as active abilities, I can also turn one of my Fetishes into a Spirit ally - beat 14 augmented by the spirits best ability(+2) with my "Friendship with that spirit (47.75%) I can only have 1 spirit Ally at a time (HQ:RiG p137) (although Jakaleel witches can apparently have one for each Moon spirit. (p142)) - It will cost me another 10% time to have a spirit ally.
I can join other practices within the SurEnslib tradition - Say life becomes more dangerous and I want more offensive spirits, so join the warrior practice of Kotori the Black Death Snake. It will cost me 1 HP and 10% of my time to get "Follower of Kotori" , "Kotori Practice Knowledge" "Relationship to <intercessor>" and a Kotori Charm all at 13, or 3HP and 10% of my time to become a practitioner and get "Follower of Kotori" , "Kotori Practice Knowledge" "Relationship to <intercessor>" and a Kotori Fetish (along with the appropriate Friendship) all at 13.
If I want to leave the Tradition, I can (Probably) do so on friendly terms, though I (should) lose my charms, and my fetishes will stop working once I release the spirits.
I don't think I can be a member of two traditions at the same time (? - So if I decide to become a Lunar and worship the Moon Spirits I'd have to give up my traditional Darjinni spirits).
I've not considered becoming a shaman here.
-- +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Tim Ellis EMail tim_at_... | | What is the use of a book without pictures or conversations? | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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