From: Mr Robert McArthur (mcarthur@fit.qut.edu.au)
Date: Thu 07 Oct 1993 - 16:26:46 EET
Colin Watson writes
...
> Whoah! Hang on, consider the following Rules:
> A/ You only get a POW check if you had less than 95% chance of success.
> If a spirit has 10 points less than you then you *don't* get a POW check.
> (IMHO it'd be better to say: must have less than *50%* rather than 95%,
> but them's the rules.)
> B/ Only one POW gain per week, maximum. Spirits *can't* build POW by the hour.
> C/ The maximum POW attainable via POW checks is equal to the species maximum.
>
> I think these Rules apply to non-corporeal spirits as much as they do to
> everyone else.
This species maximum idea is only applicable inside Time. Romp along to you fav diety/benevelent maxi-spirit and they can pop your max up, add some onto what you have, etc etc. Since Time dosen't throw you out when you return, it would seem that you "species" maximum has increased when this happens.
> I'd say that building POW above species max should only be possible via
> mystical means such as Worship from mundane creatures, or possibly powerful
> spells. Maintaining unusually high POW would require regular worship. If
> worship ceased then the spirit's POW would drop.
As a (gross) example, consider the Bat. It has a basic power, and then has some amount added depending on how many people worshipped it since the last full moon (or something like that...). I would argue that it exists on a number of planes - certainly MP and spirit at least since it can eat any spirit that comes near it - and thus can get power from worship. A 'normal' person cannot get power from worship unless they are not entirely in the MP. eg. a shaman, existing on the MP and SP could, a farmer couldn't even if she had 20,000 people devoted to her (she'd move onto the SP et al pretty quick then though).
So, I would argue that there are two (known) ways of getting higher power. Firstly from a deity/mucho spirit who knows how to 'bestow' the gift; secondly through people worshipping you while you are outside Time. When on a heroquest, it seems that having support from family/clan/etc can make a large difference ie. actually have an effect (see support of Orlanth on the Lightbringer Quest).
Robert
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