But it is also an investment, don't forget about that. Maybe a better way to look at it is a lifestyle--but with certain lifestyles only an option with the right magic.
> And in our own world, we see what happens to societies with inferior
> technology. They eventually get wiped out almost completely if the
> technology gap with their neighbors is large (e.g. native societies
in
> the continental U.S.), or conquered if the gap is smaller (pick any
of
> the subject peoples of the so-called "gunpowder empires")
But there are exceptions too. The romans never really controlled
parts of the pyrennes or brittany, despite better technology and
organization. The british retreated from Afganistan despite
substantial technical edge. For that matter, the US retreated from
Vietnam despite an incredible technological edge..
>
> And yet, the HeroQuest rules plus the Gloranthan homeland
descriptions
> imply there are societies with manifestly inferior magic living
> happily next door to superior neighbors.
I would disagree :)
>So somehow the Aeolings, for
> example, are never bothered that their 50-year-old orderlies of St.
> Worlath get stomped by 30-year-old Heortling devotees of Orlanth,
> which is quite likely if you carry the rules on misapplied worship
to
> their logical conclusion.
Because at the same time, their highly trained and well equipped troops are mopping up the Heortling fyrd.
See, very many Aeolings are communal worshippers--but are getting the benefits of blessings regularly. So they get at least the +2 to +3 that most Heortlings get from their magic, but they are only putting 10% of their time and resources into it, instead of 30%. Now maybe some of the rest of it goes into debauchery, but odds are good that a little more is left to by that bronze helmet, and there is more time available for drilling with the militia.
Even when it comes to the heroes, the Aeolings are generally more focussed. A devotee raising all three affinities and his piety spends 10HP per +1, for which an orderly of St. Elim (or whatever the Elmal analogue is called) could raise 4 spells and his piety by +1. He won't be as flexible as the devotee, but he'll be fairly potent all the same--and he'll still have blessing bonusses giving him an edge in resisting the pagan devotee.
All considered, I expect that that Aeoling are slowly converting Heortlings becuase of their more effecient magic
>
> Similarly, societies that have to give up all of their homegrown
> common magic to concentrate (such as the Heortlings) somehow are
able
> to hold their own against neighboring peoples such as Teshnos and
the
> Lunar Empire that not only have a more advanced material culture,
but
> retain a much wider range of magic while getting all the benefits of
> concentration.
Well, as for material culture--look above. Note that Sartar is TOUGH ground, and the Sartarites on the whole are fanatical. Despite which they've been conquered by every northern empire that got its act together, Nysalor's bright empire, the EWF, and now the lunars. The effect of numbers mostly I think.
As for the magic, there are a tremendous number of variables here. Is getting +2 from a variety of common magic abilities more useful than having a fighting chance of improvising feats? How relevant to their daily tasks is the magic that their gods give them? Is your magic nearly useless part of each week, and does that matter to you? And on the list goes.
I don't think there is a clear cut way to rate one system as better than another in this regard.
-Bryan
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