Olli Kantola wrote:
> > Well, if you're using improvisation modifiers, why tie it to
> > a feat? Why not simply use the Wind Affinity?
> Because the feats are like precedents. It's simple to improvise Stop
> Berserk Rage from Calm Fear. I think that a minimal penalty should do
> there. Now lets go further. Fear often stems from hate. I'd give a very
> hefty penalty to Befriend Strangers, but Cure Catonia would not be as far
> fetched.
Well, I'd actually say getting the effect of "Cure catatonia" with the affinity "Calm Fear" should be easier than "Stop Berserk Rage", unless of course you've specifically familiarised yourself with the feat SBR. After all, strangers don't want to befriend you because the don't know you, and everybody fears the unknown. Going berserk may well have fear effectign the berserker, but not necessarily - and the raging lunatic has probably hid the fear very deep beneath his/her anger.
I see feats like this: It's like saying that Chalana-who-calms knows how to calm fear (affiinity), but especially memorable is that time when she calmed Storm Bull's rage and prevented him, at least for a short while, from killing his brother (feat). Unless you know a feat, i.e. a known great deed done by your god, you'll just have to build upon the "calm fear"-connection of Chalana.
Actually, I must admit that I didn't exactly understand what you were saying there, in connection with the "problem", so all that might be moot.
> Feats are IMO like guidelines for using those open ended Affinities.
Well, certainly. They represent well-known deeds of gods, connected to a certain aspect of their being. They flesh out the nature of the affinity, but still, they're just specialised feats, and shouldn't replace the affinity. Not knowing the Burst Of Speed feat shouldn't effect your ability to improvise a magically enhanced dodge, should it? Example:
Devotee, movement affinity 5W (Burst of speed, Lift object with wind) Initiate, movement affinity 18
Both want to dodge an incoming ballista missile. I personally don't think BoS works here - you need good reflexes here, not speed. Both can improvise an enhanced dodge from their movement affinity, but both also get improvisational modifiers. The devotee will still be better, due to his higher affinity rating. If the devotee were to learn a myth in which Orlanth dodged a surprising blow with divine movement abilities, thus gaining the feat Dodge Surprising Blow, he'd be able to use his affinity rating without modifiers.
-B
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