Initiate v. Practitioner

From: Chris Lemens <chrislemens_at_ushUctDqzGGtX3jAeGeHm4UzWYpU4q3F7LtjxD6Xym0rwDYEot4pcekxl6XnciJ2>
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:14:14 -0700 (PDT)

LC, responding to me:
> > I take your point that the second item could be compared to the
> > improvisation of a feat, but there is a big qualitative difference. The
> > abilities that spirits give tend to be described much more narrowly than
> > affinities. They are much more comparable to feats. (E.g., Find good
> > forage 14W is a nice ability for a spirit in a fetish; likewise, it makes a
> > good feat. But it's no affinity.) Conequently, a practitioner's magic
> > tends to be more narrow than the initiate's. The listings in the Heroquest
> > book (e.g., 145) are good examples: there are logical groupings of practice
> > spirits for Eiritha, but the "Bison Cow spirits" grouping is not the
> > equivalent of an affinity from which new active abilities can be
> > improvised.
>
> Except that the rules have Initiates improvising named feats, so it balances
> out. And if the idea is to imitate the deeds of the gods, you simply CAN'T
> allow initiates to improvise any feat they want. If you do, everyone with a
> Combat affinity is exactly the same. So I don't think they are more flexible.

I must not have been clear, because you have misunderstood me. The active magic of a practitioner's fetish spirit and the active magic of an initiate's improvised feat are roughly comparable, I agree. (I realize that's a gross generalization. Let's leave the nitpicks aside for the moment.) What is hugely different is in auto-augments. Suppose an initiate worships a combat god native to the god plane and a practitioner worships a combat great spirit native to the spirit plane. The initiate gets a combat affinity. The practitioner gets three combat fetishes. The initiate can use the affinity to augment any combat ability. The initiate can use the fetishes to augment the very specific ablities given by the fetishes, say "Flaming Arrow," "Impetuous Charge," and "Fight at Night." If he doesn;t have anything applicable to the fight in question, he's out of luck. You can see how the practitioner would be at a disadvantage in a daylight swordfight  (for example), because none of his fetish abilities seem directly appplicable, while the initiate's affinity is guaranteed to be applicable.

Now, that's not to say that this is bad. Just different. I think it is reasonably balanced because the practitioner should have popped a fetish at a more appropriate moment. And it is more interesting to have the difference because it leads to different playing styles. The pracititioner may go for the big blow-out, while the initiate tries to win over the long haul.

> It used to bother me that it was an Animist-only trick - only in that I always
> thought the augments were often too weak. i.e. - If I kick in my "love for
> Igraine" for the final chance to save her, it might be cool if it was worth
> more than a +5 even if 10W2. But it has occured to me since that what is
> called for there is switching the Love for Igraine into the main ability for
> the contest when appropriate, and not augmenting with it.

In an extended contest, you can get some of the same bang out of a big AP wager.

Best,
Chris