- In HeroQuest-RPG_at_yahoogroups.com, "Oliver D. Bernuetz"
<bernuetz_at_m...> wrote:
> Bryan said:
>
> > Also, I think invocation of appropriate magic would be normal
> > practice in many situations, although of course people will keep
a
> > shart eye out for non-normal magic. That is to say, when you are
> > browsing the market and check out a booth, the merchant may not
> have
> > magic up. But when things begin to get serious he'll take the
time
> > to invoke Issairies, calling upon him very openly, and you would
> have
> > an opportunity to something similar.
>
> So I'm at the store and the merchant does his Convince Buyer feat
on
> me, say at 10W and all I've got to resist with is my puny default
14
> resistance? Once I've left that store I'm not going back there
> again.
>
> I can see augments as being par for the course but I still don't
> think using the full blown magical abilities would be looked on
that
> fondly. The difference is that you're being forced to do something
> rather than convinced to do it. If I'm outsmarted by a savvy
> salesman that's one thing, I'll be annoyed and mad but I won't be
> tempted to revenge. Now if I'm another merchant let the magic fly
by
> all means. Just don't pick on the marks too.
>
> Of course if this kind of magic is pretty undetectable then there's
> no reason why they couldn't do it. Other than say the fact that
> magical effects wear off. 10 minutes later I'm left wondering why I
> bought the damned thing and how do I get my money back. Not a
> problem with using augmented mundane abilities where I just curse
> myself for my stupidity.
>
> It'd be kind of sad if traders, etc. felt tempted to use their big
> guns every time they tried to sell something. There's probably
> plenty of "moral guidelines" as to when and where you use magic.
> Just because you have doesn't mean you have to use it all the time.
>
> Oliver
So, if you're clan leader invokes his magic before a big clan
meeting, then gives you an order, would you think, "I'm not going to
clan meetings anymore--that clan leader doesn't *really* have any
authority, he was just using magic." Or if you fight a disciple of
Yanafal Tarnils & she invokes her combat magic before the fight--
"Phwah! She cheated! She's not really all that good of a warrior, she
just uses magic to beat her opponents!"
I agree with Simon. It's the magic that is part of what makes a
merchant (or clan leader or warrior or entertainer) what he or she
is. A merchant isn't a scam artist because he uses magic, he's a
better merchant, because he's (in a theistic setting, for example) in
touch with the God of Trade. A Tribune who is a disciple of Yanafal
Tarnils is a better Tribune *because* of his magic, not despite it.
And I agree with Simon on another point: why play a merchant, if
everytime you use your merchant magic, your customers go, "Dude! You
just cheated me! Forget you!"