> Innate magic is described as coming from literally within
individuals as well as from the generalized magical life force of
the "mixed" world. I would locate the distinction between natural
talents and common-magic talents in that dual origin.<
On those lines...
When converting HW characters to HQ during playtesting one of our players did raise the question "I am devotee. What happens to my natural magical abilities, because they are now defined as talents, which I must have given up". The ability in question was 'sweet voice' which the player felt was magical in origin. After some discussion over whether the player wanted to take them as feats instead, IIRC we opted for something along the lines of: you only lose abilities from other magic keywords when you concentrate i.e. if you got from your narrative or list and it was not from a common magic keyword you get to keep it.
Bear in mind it was a conversion fudge, though.
The situation has yet to come up with new characters, because most folks seem to either concentrate in character generation or do not intend to. We have not had anyone choose to concentrate in play. Yet. I guess the above philosophy of only giving up the common magic keyword, not any spontaneously occuring talents would work. I guess you might extend that to all magic, not just talents, gained outside religious practice. Do you have to give up that charm someone gave you in an episode, just because you are a devotee? Your rationale is easily that it is the other belief systems you are surrendering not magic. It also means that the whole is puma person shapechanging a talent or a natural ability problem goes away, because it stops mattering which way you treat it.
I suspect that this is the problem for most people: losing abilities that a are part of a character that are not drawn from a religious commitment.
However, there is a part of me though that likes the idea of saying 'No, this is a commitment. You have to stop working with these other forms of magic. If you don't your new magic won't work for you. That includes things you may have been able to do from childhood. You can't give up just some of your talents. This is an all or nothing decision'. And then forcing folks to tow the letter of the law. No magic from another system (and if a devotee etc. no magic from another god). It works for me because it does make concentration a +/- choice not just a + choice.
But I would need to get the folks playing to buy into that way of doing it.
In fact there is even a dark part of me that would say 'No Mr.Puma if you want to devote to Orlanth you will have to give up your shapechanging. It is innate magic. It is a talent. If you devote to Orlanth, you are trying to be like him, not like a Puma Person. In fact in some ways you will not really be a Puma person any more if you make this choice. You will be giving up your puma self.' It appeals to my sense of Glorantha, but YGWV. After all Mr Puma can always concentrate his talents.
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