Re: Gloranthan Charlatans (was Re: Chaos Magic)

From: donald_at_...
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2006 21:35:24 GMT


In message <duuvho+hfp7_at_...> "parental_unit_2" writes:
>--- In HeroQuest-RPG_at_yahoogroups.com, "Roderick and Ellen Robertson"
><rjremr_at_...> wrote:
>
>> Err, charlatans *do* exist in Glorantha, with no need for
>> an Otherworld being (chaotic or otherwise) to feed energy to.
>
>Real magic is visible in Glorantha, so how can charlatans keep up
>appearances? This isn't like Earth, where placebo effects plus the
>brain's ingrown blind spot for statistics keeps all manner of quacks
>rolling indefinitely.

I'm sure placebo effects work in Glorantha and statistics are going to be unknown to all but a few scholars. In addition while people know their own magic pretty well they don't know or understand others magic much if at all. So while the charlatan is just using an unfamiliar common magic spell which looks impressive he claims it's a gift from the god of wealth and attracts money to you. He'll even teach you the spell if you tithe him from the results. But if you stop tithing it will fail and you'll lose everything you own.

>I think I am actually dealing with a charlatan in one game I'm in --
>I'd like to get an idea of some clues he might drop.

Same things as detect them in the real world - offers which are too good to be true, claimed results which aren't immediately apparent, explanations which change for no apparent reason.

-- 
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/

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