From: Sandy Petersen (sandyp@idcube.idsoftware.com)
Date: Mon 06 Dec 1993 - 08:06:17 EET
John Medway asks:
>DOOM! ?
My current computer project. I won't go into it except to say that it
has nothing at all to do with RuneQuest.
>Are you always sure from where a *successful* spell came?
I always play that spells have a sensory aspect to them when cast. Ranged spells are generally both audible and visible (disruption like a beam of light flashing to the target, and a "snapping" sound, frex). In this way, I don't have to worry about "invisible" spells being cast. "Private" spells, like casting healing on yourself, might be another matter, but I've always played that casting a Heal on oneself is one of the more secretive spells, but still obvious if someone is watching for it.
Certain spells specially intended to be invisible violate this general rule, but playing this way has two benefits. First, battles are more spectacular, with balls o' light and sparks everywhere. Second, it greatly simplifies GMing.
>Hmm, maybe this is connected with the Lunars ruining the fertility
>of the lands of Peloria. Maybe it's too much artificial fertilizer,
>and too many pesticides?
The Lunar destruction of the farm environment is weather-based.
Dave Dunham has a lengthy "What the Grazers' Know" section:
Looks good to me. I didn't note any reference to one of the major
Grazer activities in modern Sartar, which is guiding merchants going
I said:
>>The Closing generally only took effect if you went out of sight of
>>land.
Graeme Lindsell replies
> I'm suprised there wasn't more coastal trade along the coasts of
>Glorantha and Pameltela then. You can sail a long way without
>going out of site of land. Perhaps it was the fear of the sea which
>stopped them
There WAS coastal trade along said coasts. Unfortunately, when you're traveling along treacherous coasts, you generally need to stop at night, because you might get hung up. The big problem with lotsa coastal trade is that there existed treacherous waters between each big trading complex and the next one, so travel was slow, and there were no ports to stop at, and sometimes the Closing came close inland.
For example: Between Fethlon and Kralorela are raw jungle coasts and islands. Dangerous. Then, as you move further along the coast towards Maniria, you encounter the bug-infested swamps along the Chaos Wastes, in which no human dwells. These two obstacles basically prevented all contact between the East and everyone else.
Western Maniria is mostly uncivilized forest, but the real problem is the sunken land of Slontos, teaming with Second Age horrors. The rocky coast here, too, is inhabited by evil pig-people who see all sailors as harbingers of evil and kill them on sight (this is based on a memory of the destruction of Slontos).
Then, when we get to Tanisor, the shattered Seshnela peninsula is haunted by bad things that discourage travel. Such as the dread Luathelan pirate ship that arrived during the Closing. There's not many good ports in Arolanit, only grumpy Brithini who don't welcome outsiders.
In Pamaltela, coastal travel continued through most of the Closing -- the Maslo Sea wasn't affected, so Onlaks and Enkloso kept ships and were ready for the Opening in a big way. Fonrit also engaged in some trade with Vralos. But the jungles of Laskal and the deadly Kimos Peninsula kept east-west trade from prospering.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.7 : Fri 10 Oct 2003 - 01:32:35 EEST