From: Michael C. Morrison 8-543-4706 (mmorrison@VNET.IBM.COM)
Date: Wed 05 Oct 1994 - 03:45:35 EET
Simon Lipscomb gave what, for me, was an excellent description of how resurrexion should be played: Common for those societies that view death as a bad thing, rare for those that view death as a good thing.
I think Dave Cordes' ideas can be added to make sure that each GM plays resurrexion as common or as rare as s/he likes. If resurrexion is common for a certain group of people, then it's up to the GM to decide just how common.
And now we just need a rules mechanism ... I think Dave is spot on when he says it should be up to the GM. Let the rules say "This spell is to be modified in its availability by the GM based on whether s/he wants this spell to be common or rare" for some of the more powerful spells, like resurrexion. Most spells will be as common as they are now, based on the cult, but some could be -- should be -- modified by each GM.
I also want to add Nick Brooke's dictum that the GM never cheats. Let each GM decide how to run his/r game and all will be well with the world. Oh that it be so ...
Also Nick talks about geasa. I agree that any cult that has them ought to make sure *everyone* follows them, even if they don't have them. Otherwise, the geased-ones will be revered or scorned out of turn. In games I've played in, my Humakti and Yelmalions respected all geasa, because we could get them one day. That doesn't means forfeiting armour etc before we had to, or not talking ever ... it does mean that the Humakti don't lie (bad habit anyway), don't ambush, don't use poison, etc.
But geasa are different than the Judeo-Christian Ten Commandments. Those are the Law, no matter what -- geasa are only Law if you have them. I liken receipt of gifts/geasa as taking of orders in the Catholic or Anglican Church. You must have greater piety to receive them, but also take more responsibility. As you rise in the cult hierarchy, you must show yourself to be more pious -- more gifts/geasa.
Cults that don't have gifts/geasa will probably scoff at those that do. But their members must also show piety as they rise in the ranks -- but in other ways. That's probably why cults with gifts/geasa have less Rune/Divine Magic available (am I overstepping my bounds yet?).
Michael
Michael C. Morrison IMS Information Development Tieline 8-543-4706 Santa Teresa Lab, San Jose, California (SWS) Phone (408)463-4706 Bitnet ID: MCM at VNET Fax (408)463-4101 Internet ID: MMORRISON@VNET.IBM.COM or USIB47H4@IBMMAIL.COM IBM Mail Exchange ID: USIB47H4 at IBMMAIL or USIB4MCM at IBMMAIL X.400 Address: G=mcmgm; S=morrison; P=ibmmail; A=ibmx400; C=us ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------
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