Re: Ho Much Rule fiddling Is Tolerable?

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_fq4Pka9QU1uzzERzt74-QDzTwvSNbMeXA-IA9gCSgquXzaDFtwDgFgCL8Z9dOFuhx_h>
Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2007 23:15:46 +1200


At 11:01 p.m. 18/07/2007, you wrote:

>Given that HeroQuest has a universal mechanic, the onus flows in the
>other direction. What effect do we seek by giving each magic system
>differing qualities.

By making them different from each other rather than say "it's colour" to people who ask what's the difference between Gods, Spirits and Saints? A charm or fetish looks and feels like how charms and fetishes should feel which would not be the case if they just acted like feats.

> > Given that the Three Worlds has been in print since Cults of Terror
>... I think it a retrograde step to deny distinctions in a rule
> > sense.
>Note that I am not. You still cannot concentrate and use magic from all
>three worlds.

You cannot concentrate in the three worlds. So what's the difference between them? That appealing to an arbitrary and god learned concept doesn't make much of a satisfying answer.

>For example is it important that most people cannot use magic directly
>or find it hard (i.e. unconcentrated). That is what the rules suggest,
>but IMO does not seem to fit with Greg's fiction.

I'm not sure what Greg's fiction has to do with this since tales like Mordren defends the camp has been about Heroes, not the little people.

>Just because systems like RQ differentiate magic types, does not mean
>HQ, whose goals are very different should.

But if *Glorantha* does differentiate magic types and has done so old sources such as Pavis, Wyrms Footprints and Cults of Terror, then HQ which seeks to model heroic glorantha should. You might have a stronger case if you were to argue that since it is about heroes, the limits of non-heroic magic should be dealt with summarily.

--Peter Metcalfe            

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