From: CRIMMARTI@urvax.urich.edu
Date: Wed 03 Jul 1991 - 09:56:33 EEST
Comments on part two of your magic system: If your players
want a flash-bang sorcery system, give it to them. If that's not
what your players want, or if it detracts from some players'
enjoyment (i.e., those who aren't sorcerers), then you'll have to
rethink. There's nothing inherently wrong in a juiced-up sorcery
system. It doesn't violate GM integrity, the preservation of
which is the most important thing in an RPG. If it pleases your
players, then you've accomplished the second most important
thing. If it doesn't, you've made a bad investment. Every GM
does that. We can learn from our mistakes, and from others', or
we can choose not to.
I am impressed by the amount of work you have done. If you
have put as much energy and time and thought into your campaign
background, you must have a top-notch game. It does not seem to
me, however, that the Staffordian world-view, which I knock in
the last paragraph of this message, includes wizards creating
rings of fire, beasts out of thin air, etc., except at very high
levels of personal power. Orathorn. Arolanit Zzaburi. Mistress
Race Arkati. You know the type.
I agree with Andrew's comments about Illusion. I think the
other runes can achieve equally flashy and powerful effects
without creating things. For example: Disorder can confuse and
distract beings, weaken things, and destroy information. How
about a powerful Disorder spell at a cross-roads, making
travellers take the wrong way? As for summoning things quickly,
one can either summon and bind them, or craft some sort of
specialist who trades off flexibility for quick response.
Shamans can summon easily in an Axis Mundi, so it's not
ridiculous. What you need is a player with imagination and a
good working knowledge of the runes and their inner meanings.
Info on Ethilrist: the only info available, aside from the
minimum in Dragon Pass, is a five-page excerpt from "A History of
My Black Horse Troop" in the RQ Companion. He would appear to be
insanely powerful and pedantic. The intro to the "History" says
that he is a native of the West Jungle, but I know of no jungle
in the western part of Glorantha. The westernmost jungle is
Laskal, in Pamaltela, which would be a possible origin. However,
the intro to the "History" also says that the West Jungle is near
the Rockwood Mountains. Short answer: another Staffordian
inconsistency. Long answer: the High Pools and the West Jungle
are somewhere across the Rockwoods from the Arrolian Properties.
If Arolanit equals "the Arrolian Properties," then the High Pools
would be in Fronela. Then the West Jungle would seem to be
Erontree, a mixed green and brown elf forest. Oh, well. Poetic
license, anyone?
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