Re: Is Spell Trading the hallmark of a vampire squid? (was: Vampirism)

From: bernuetz <bernuetz_at_eCJCKBPPQrpstuc12caed1ErI6T-VlF1x_EZlS6Uo9NQ1DjWYnihHbzWEoHqgFYnZ6l>
Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:21:00 -0000

Richard said:
>  
> I don't know the HW mechanic, but in RQ the theist cannot reuse the divine power they have expended until they have spent quite a long time time in prayer, meditation and worship at a place sacred to their god.
>  
> How does a vampire or a Thanatari head or even a Bagogi regain the >stolen feats they have used? Here are four possibilities which came to >my mind. Am sure there are other, probably better, options out there.

I'd hate for Glorantha to lose the spell stealing aspect from the old days. It's part of the colour as far as I'm concerned.

In the MRQ rules I would let vampires steal POW and divine spells (since the two are associated so closely). (There could certainly be other types of vampires around though I probably wouldn't use much variation in a region. Even in the RW people tended to believe the same things about the monsters that supposedly lived among them that their neighbours did).

What I would do in MRQ for vampires is allow them to use the spell once (or however many instances of the spell they've stolen). Once the spell is gone they have to steal it again from someone else to use it again. I probably wouldn't let a vampire use a divine spell that really clashed with the whole undead thing. For example a spell that made them glow).

In the case of Thanatari or even shamans who've bound a ghost I would make the bound spirit/soul follow the usual rules for their religion. In the case of a divine initiate they could use the spell once but would then have to return to a shirne or temple to restore the spell. I suspect most religions would frown on headhunters or shamans coming to recharge their heads or fetishes.

In the case of higher level divine followers they would follow the usual rules about how soon they could try and restore the spell. (See page 117 of the RQ rules). But if they failed their roll in the case of acolytes or rune lords, or fumbled the roll in the case of priests, the spell would basically be lost to them since they're unlikely to be able to return to a shrine or temple.

I don't think Bagogi would ever be able to regain divine spells.

I don't the gods can tell if someone who isn't a true follower is using one of their spells whether traded or stolen but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't allow them to regain the spell.

In the case of an illuminate I'd allow them to fake devotion (for example a chaos tainted Uroxi) but they'd still have to have the proper levels of Pact and Lore to gain and cast a given spell.

Oliver