> > [SARAH:] So, the Thunderer Feat doesn't cover defense against the Lunar Moon Madness power, rules the GM. I'm curious as to why, and what else it might not cover defense against. By the Feat description, it uses crashing great sounds, gales, fiery winds, etc, striking armies senseless and making lesser beings flee. So presumably if your opponent fights back with physical weapons, particularly bows, etc, you're fine. But what about magic?
>
> [JEFF:] Depends on the magic - Glorantha does not make quite the distinction between magic/not-magic that many fantasy settings do. So an army that attacks with angry killing spirits, a foe that called upon spirits (lesser beings to Orlanth) to attack the devotee, or an enemy heroforming some other god could well be fair game for the Thunderer Feat. But Moon Madness is something entirely different - it exposes the Thunderer to the Red Moon's paradoxical powers and drives him nuts. That is outside of the feat's description. Similarly, if the foe sent a beautiful seductress to make him forget the battle he could not use the feat to overcome her beauty.
>
> > [SARAH:] As this applies to the logic of all Feat use, I'd like to understand it. What do you think is behind the GM's decision?
>
> [JEFF:] Look at each feat as a mini-story. Things within the scope of that story are within the scope of that feat. So with the Thunderer feat, hostile foes who confront the Thunderer are going to get smashed, but a beautiful seductress is likely outside the scope of the story. Or a Lunar philosopher whose insight is madness.
>
> Does that help at all?
>
> Jeff
Hi Jeff,
That's excellent - that makes lots of sense and helps hugely, particularly the example of the beautiful seductress - that crystallises the issue perfectly.
I really do like what you've done with the Gloranthan theist / divine magic in HQ2 - it's very flavoursome and also very easy to grasp from an "Old RuneQuest" perspective - the distinction between lay members, initiates, and devotees using runes is very nice, and the keywords + breakout abilities is elegant and powerful. I've been converting some of our HQ1 Dragon Pass campaign PCs over to HQ2 this weekend, and have actually found I have ability points *left over*, while still being able to represent all the abilities the characters had in HQ1. Very nice and uncluttered!
I'm looking forwards to playing, hopefully before Christmas, and in particular playing with resistances, pass / fail, and opponent abilities and seeing how it all gels together. I'm also thinking of surreptitiously introducing some of the Colymar Campaign and Companion scenarios into my campaign - the party are currently holed up in Greydog Village, having come out battered and bruised (and in one case disease-ridden) from the ruins of "Olor Durulzi" (a HQ1 conversion of Legendary Duck Tower!) in the Upland Marsh, clutching the scabbard of the Wooden Sword and a host of vague and worrying prophecies. Now if I can just tie it all together.... ;-)
Thanks again for the advice and answers,
Cheers!
Sarah
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