From: Mark C Wallace (mcwalla@algol.cs.umbc.edu)
Date: Wed 20 Nov 1991 - 09:56:33 EET
Some quick and disorganized thoughts on:
Subject: RQ Discussions 25
All opinions are my own, and are phrased somewhat tersely, since I
don't know when my family will find me doing this and demand that I do
something more important.
From abf@cs.ucc.ie Tue Nov 20 09:56:33 1991
From: Tim Leask <tsl@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU>
Subject: RQ Digest: Discussion about Shamans and things Spiritual
Hi Guys,
I just thought I'd try and stimulate some discussion on Shamans and spirits.
In my current campaign two PC's have just become Shamans and it's only nowt
I realise that not much useful info is given about the Spirit Plane, the
Spirit Plane/Mundane Plane interface, Shamans and their fetchs etc.
etc.
This is indubiably the understatement of the wane. I fear a well
played shaman almost as much as I fear a sorceroror. They are immune
to almost immune to magic, due to their fetch, can scout any terrain,
and are ungodly enchanters and summoners. This is only the beginning
of the problem. In my campaign currently, becoming a shaman means that
the character can no longer be played, and may never leave his tribe.
A far more reasonable solution would be to work out the metaphysics of
the spirit plane, as Mr. Leask suggests.
> I've introduced two new skills Spirit Sense and Spirit Movement.
Spirit sense is excellent. One of our problems with spirit combat is
that since spirit movement is POW m/round, and spirit senses extend to
POW m, there is no chance for surprise (detectability = POW as well,
from my reading of the rules). However, the rules do say that the
spirit plane is confusing to the uniniated. Spirit Sense would
simulate this, without stepping on the toes of the grand shamans.
Spirits would have spirit sense at 100% naturally. Shamans would now
have to worry about what was coming their way, spirit scouting would
be possible etc. I'm not sure whether success at this skill should
permit you to see the spirit, or to identify its type. Perhaps a
spirit lore skill??
A variation mundane sight should be introduced to solve the spirit
scout problem. We've always wondered how much of the mundane plane a
spirit can see. Can a shaman send a spirit scout forward to make a
map of the enemy castle/encampment/etc? What senses does a spirit
have? If sprits have a mundane sense skill, this limits their
abilities as scouts to locating large congregations of spirits (often
assoiciated with temples or magic sites) and determing if there is a
guard on the other side of this door.
Spirit Movement determines how well one moves when discorporate. The
better the skill the faster one is able to move and manoeuvre, but speed
is also a fuction of POW.
I don't see a pressing need to change the current rule that spirits
have a movement rate equal to their POW.
next problem I'm trying to deal with is Spirit Combat between disembodied
spirits. I've come up with the following rule.
Again, why is the current rule of a 10 point pow difference unsatisfactory?
A discorporate Shaman may not return to his body while engaged in spirit
combat.
Although I agree that the Shaman's ability to teleport out of combat
is pretty powerful, this ability seems so innate to shamanic power
that I would leave it. I would however implement the suggestion that
the return leaves a vapour trail. I think that that notion occurs in
shamanic literature (might be interesting to check with Greg on this).
If a shaman is reduced to 0 MP in spirit combat while discorporate then
he is captured by the attacking spirit (this is my interpretation)
You are correct. The body of the PC is sustained by the Fetch, but
the fetch is unable to reanimate the body. Essentially, unless a
rescue mission is mounted (can you see adventure hint? I thought you
could), the Shaman is doomed to starve to death. This is the result
of extreme ineptitude on the part of the Shaman, since he can return
home at any time his MP drop below 4. If this does occur, the
Shaman's friendly ancestors should inspire the tribe by dreams and
visions to rescue him.
The nature of the fetch isn't fully explained in RQ3 - is it a dis-embodied
spirit ?
The Fetch is a disembodied spirit, allied to /friendly with the
Shaman. In most cases in my world it is an archetypical totem
spirit associated with the tribe. Other friendly ancestral spirits
can use the Fetch as an anchor buoy to lock on to the shaman's
position and assist him.
Other Shamanic questions. Have you noticed the exponetial
increase in Shamanic POW once the fetch reaches a certain level??
Once Fetch pow is greater than 31 no mortal can affect the shaman with
a spell. The shaman is now free to keep his POW very low, say around
10, which ensures a very good POW gain check. Now the Fetch grows
enourmous, and the shaman begins enchanting items he or she doesn't
need, just to get rid of the POW. How do you all limit the POW of a
fetch?
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