> There is a RW story of a Buddhist teacher who had a
student come
> to him and say "Master, Master, come see the fruits of your
teaching." The
> master followed his student down to the river, where the student
said "I
> have trained for 20 years, and I have learned to do this." And he
walked
> out on the river which was as solid as the ground to him. The
master burst
> into tears; when the student asked him why, he said "20 years to
learn
> that? Wu's ferry is only a half mile away, and the fare is just a
penny!"
> "Powers" gained from mystic study are pretty much like
that, in my
> opinion. (which, if true, makes mystics more or less unplayable in
ordinary
> games.)
>
Yes, one of the challenges I have been mulling over is just that - the pursuit of powers is at odds with what I would want any real mysticism to be yet if they are entirely powerless they are barely playable as PCs.
My current plan to square this circle is inspired by the strong emphasis on the Sangha in Buddhism. In Glorantha communities have real (magical) power which would aid their members. My intention is to have guardian entities for schools/monastaries/ashrams through which ordinary followers of the mystic path have access to at least some powers suitable for aiding them on the path. As the communities may be both large and steeped in history some of these guardian entities could be pretty potent. At a higher level of progress members would be able to establish a relationship with higher guardians of entire philosophies rather than just individual schools.
On the whole the powers deriving from advances in enlightenment itself would not necessarily be that useful - for most mystics they would act more as confirmation that the practitioner is on the right track that as kewl powerz. The ultimate aim is of course a Great Secret that retires the character from play.
This would not have to give an equivalent level of power to playermystics as to theists/animists/monotheists - just enough to make them playable and interesting.
Also direct mysticism without schools/gurus/whatever should be possible but extremely difficult. I think a person following this path would be effectively on a prolonged heroquest where the heroquest challenge is against their own ignorance and preconceptions. Typically someone who succeeded in such a quest would found an entire mystic philosophy.
Perhaps we should move this to the rules list if anyone is interested in continuing the discussion?
-- Nic
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