From: Graeme A Lindsell (gal502@cscgpo.anu.edu.au)
Date: Mon 11 Oct 1993 - 16:07:08 EET
DScott@snail.demon.co.uk (David Scott) writes:
>Speaking of Pendragon. I just got my copy of Pendragon 4 yesterday. The magic
>system is inspired, and can be adapted to Glorantha with a little work. Looks
>like I will be a Pendragon Pass player from now on. Any others inspired by this
>new work?
I found P4 in Sydney on Friday. The system is excellent IMHO: it evokes the kind of magician I like, the one who is powerful and subtle. I especially like the way that non-magicians have no resistance to magic, which I think is very in keeping with the genre. I also appreciate that they have actually used the game's skill system in magic. I think a similar system would be nice for RQ4 sorcery, with powerful but slow to cast spells.
However, my evil powergaming personality has already found things I could exploit. :-(
C442196@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu (Newton Hughes) writes:
>Thanks to everyone for informing me of the ToTRM updated Humakt write-
>up; however, it doesn't change my opinion that allowing the Berserk
>spell is an error (just because the RQ Gods wrote it, well, everything Greg
>says is wrong, right?) The moment when you expect to face your god up
>close is not the time to change the habits of a lifetime, namely, com-
>mitment to self-discipline, unemotionalness, and precision swordplay.
Which is presumably why they have to take great care in using it. I do find the idea of Beserk Humakti a bit strange, but I think that one of the spell's major advantages - the ability to ignore all wounds and fight till you lose all your general HP - is something that Humakt would have. How about this as a possible Humakti version of Beserk:
Battle Trance: 2 Points (Ranged, Temporal, Non-Stackable)
This spell removes all fear of Death and pain for the recipient, who must accept the spell willingly. When the spell is cast the recipient must declare some tactical aim, such as "Hold the Bridge" or "Take that Hill". While the spell is in effect the recipient will fanatically attempt to achieve the aim. This aim is often given by the recipient's commander.
The effect of the spell is similar to Beserk: the recipient can only be stopped by general HP loss and is immune to incapacitation, unconciousness and emotion and/or intellect affecting spells. Battle Trance differs in that the recipients Attack skills are not doubled, but he/she can choose to parry/dodge (but will only do so to achieve the aim of the Trance, not just to protect his/her life). A fighter in Battle Trance cannot speak or cast any spells (including Heal), however all Humakti in a unit who cast Battle Trance with the same declared aim are in Mindlink: they act in unison to achieve the aim.
Perhaps this should be a 3 point spell.
>To compensate for getting rid of Berserk I'd change Sever Spirit from its
>present form as a 1-shot, ranged Finger o' Death to a temporal weapon-en-
>hancing spell.
Yes, I agree: I don't like Sever Spirit as a Humakti Spell. Humakti shouldn't use spells to kill people, they should use spells to make their swords deadlier.
akuma@netcom.com (Steven E Barnes) writes:
>From: joe@sartar.toppoint.de (Joerg Baumgartner)
>>Just into the off: How likely are female sorcerers/wizards in Western
>>societies (Hrestoli, Rokari)? What would be their role?
>I was under the impression that the Western societies were
>paternalistic. As such, female sorcerors would be frowned upon.
>Perhaps female sorcerors become "Witches".
The Western Status of Women:
The write-up of the Brithini in the Genertela pack says that all women are meant to form a separate caste, but in practice are assigned to the other castes, manily the Farmers. Those that are allowed to join the other castes (ie there are some) suffer from prejudice and lack of preferment, though the Brithini deny this.
Given the way that Rokari culture is portrayed (ie all that was wrong about medieval Europe) then I would say women's status is poor there, possibly near to the Dara Happans. The "What My Father Told Me" for the Western Soldier is Rokari, and the general status of women in their culture is appropriately medieval.
We don't know much about the Hrestoli at all, though all references to powerful individuals in Loskalm are to men.
One interesting note about female sorcerers: Pendragon 4th edition says there are more female magicians than males, so (since Greg wrote both games) perhaps that's what we should have in the West.
Another point is that the Western religion should have nuns as well as priests if it is modelled after medieval christianity. I think this may only happen in Loskalm though, since the only female Saint is the mother of Hrestol (can't remember her name offhand).
>Sounds like somebody screwed up. Unless I'm mistaken, a Thanatari
>Head is a form of undead. At least in RQ2, a Humakt initiate cannot
>be turned into an undead. But this reminds me of the Thanatari Basalisk
Technically no, it isn't an undead. The RQ3 definition of undead is very narrow, it is a body kept alive after the soul has departed ie skeletons, zombies, vampires, ghouls. All creatures with no POW. Thanatari heads have suffered the Doom of Undying: they have not been allowed to die, and so the spirit (POW) in still in the head.
That said, I think that the Humakti definition of Undead is a too narrow: I would include things that should be dead but are kept alive by magic, like Thanatari Heads (and people who have been resurrected :-))
Graeme Lindsell a.k.a gal502@huxley.anu.edu.au From: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RQ Digest Maintainer) To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (Daily automated RQ-Digest) Subject: RuneQuest Daily, Tue, 12 Oct 1993, part 2 Reply-To: RuneQuest@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM (RuneQuest Daily) Sender: RuneQuest-Request@Glorantha.Holland.Sun.COM Precedence: junk
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