From: Paul Reilly (paul@minerva.phyast.pitt.edu)
Date: Wed 20 Nov 1991 - 09:56:33 EET
1. Power Gain
In standard RQ, while various people start with varying POW, the crucial
"probability of POW gain" is the same for everyone.
No, the probability of a POW gain is actually greater for the
individual swith the lower POW. The function which determines the POW
gain is the same.
In most of the fantasy literature and also in the mythic sources (both Earth
and Glorantha) their is apparently quite a bit of variation in people's
magical ability, which stays with them all their lives. Thus the youngster
who shows great potential and eventually becomes a great mage/hero/etc.
I think this is represented by INT, not POW, but I see your point.
A rule change to reflect this: Change the Pow gain roll from
(Species Max - Current POW) * 5%
to
(Starting POW - Current POW + 10) * 5%
Which implies that a character with an 18 starting POW, has a POW gain
roll of 50%. FAR TOO HIGH. I could agree perhaps with (SPOW
-CPOW)*5%, which would implement the potential to which you refer
above, leaving ample room for characters to retrain/increase their
starting POW. This also ensures the specialization into Priest/Lord
tracks, and makes life somewhat easier for thieves, who are cursed
with a POW gain roll.
2. Magic Point rate recovery
This is something that I've thought about alot lately and come to no firm
conclusion. I am interested in a bunch of variants, but I'll just give one
now and get some comments on it, hopefully.
Your case is well argued, and one which I have often considered. I am
planning at some point in the future to run a campaign wherein the
dead place in Prax begins to expand, and MP recovery is not generally
possible in 90% of the earth. Temples would work powerful magics to
maintain the life of their sanctuaries. Shamans would resort to
borrowing magic from spirits, which would travel to the well of souls
to regenerate mp, and sorcerors could use a combination of the two. I
think it would retress the dilemma which you've pointed out. In the
campaign, this will be brought on by some cosmological connivings by
the gods/powers which have gone wrong, and one of the tasks of the
heroes will be to restore Ernalda/life to Glorantha. Let me kno if
anyone playtests this for me (SMILE)
--> Paul Reilly
Another idea that I had for variant RQ is loosely based on folklore and
"common sense". This is to have "spirit magic" learned as in RQ II with
most spells Unfocussed on Self and Focussed on Others, with Focussing as a
separate skill.
I like the notion of spells unfocussed on self, focussed on others,
but I dislike treating these as abilities; they should remain
spells/charms which are learned. How would the focussing skill be
used? Disruption and other offensive spirit magic spells would be
very difficult without signficant skil in the focus skill.
This system could fit in well with a personality system as
described above Thus a Brave individual could easily learn
Fanaticism (and eventually how
to affect others with it)...
I like the personality system in PENDRAGON, and want to add it to RQ.
I think that it would be interesting if your personality modified your
chance to learn or perform spells, but it seems a great deal of complexity.
Some more suggested rule or interpretation changes:
DOMINATION:
In RQ III this went away with the advent of the Control, Command, and
Dominate spells.
Spiritual entities are incomplete, and lack will, therefore can be
controlled. Your point is well taken however with regard to dominate.
In my world that spell (DOMINATE HUMAN) is part of the greater arcana,
which may never be taught to any but Magi, who usually must wrest
control of the spells from weaker Magi.
> sorcerors and priests summoned hapless POW and INT spirits and
Yep, this is a problem. Ergo, summon and control POW and INT spirits
are also part of the greater arcana.
After playing with both sets of rules, I am pretty much decided to go back
to the idea that one of the Laws of Glorantha is that one cannot command the
will of another. Without this rule I cannot see why Gods or great Sorcerors
like Zzabur need ever bargain with mortals; they could simply Command and be
obeyed.
The only explanation I can offer is that such control reduces the
victim to a zombie/golem like state which is easily spotted. You
can't command someone to "act natural" without a complete
understanding of what natural is. You can only impress gross commands.
For spirit-summoners, I would give them some kind of Confine
Spirit spell perhaps a Spirit Pain spell.
NEAT Idea. I'll create this and move it to lesser arcana. Confine
spirit is a ritual spell, and relies on spirit lore. Spirit Pain
needs some refinement. I think it should in some way rely on spirit
lore, or perhaps it is merely the threat of eternal confinement.
Perhaps the Laws of Glorantha(amended) permit that release from any
confinment binds the released to one task, which cannot abrogate free will.
COMBAT
Special Hits:
I kind of liked to old Slash and Crush rules, but they wound up making
Slashing weapons optimal. In RQ III, IMpaling is much better
than the special
knowckback of swords & maces except in certain special tactical
situations.
Not always. One of the tricks my players learned was that if you
struck first, and knocked your opponent back, he lost his hit for that
round (often).
ASIDE: WHile I'm on the topic, how long does it take to stand up?? If
knocked down, how many SR/Actions does it take to stand up again? A
minimum of 2 for the change in intent, plus probably 3 for surprise,
but that never seemed enough in play, compared to the difficulty
encountered by a floored character in heroic or real combat.
How about: <suggestions for specials deleted>
I suggest the following specials, if you need them
Impale: Double damage before penetration
Slash: Normal OR
lose 1 fatigue blood /MR
Crush: double damage for purposes of armour penetration (i.e.
DAM*2-ARMOUR/2)
Stolen from some game or another. Has the same effects as yours, but
is more systematic/logical (?)
Fatigue
Pretty tedious to keep track of currently. Also, while armor does have a
deleterious effect on some skills, I find that it is not really a
Fatigue Actually, it is fairly easy to keep track of fatigue if you
number strike ranks consequtively from 1 up. Just subtract 1/10th the
current strike rank from all combatants fatigue each round. Works out
well. My complaint with fatigue is that it is too gross. Five mintes
rest will suffice to recover the fatigue from a fulls days forced
march. Not the way that either the real world, or the movies work.
Instead I suggest three different fatigue stats. ENDURANCE: lost for
long term activities like forced march. Regenerates at 1 point/hour
of rest d4/hour sleep. FATIGUE: canot be higher than Endurance. Lost
for fighting and intense emotional effort. Recovered as per normal
now. STUN: Short term confusion/dizziness/disorintation, exhaustion.
Caused by 1) casting any spell (1mp in spell = 1stun point), 2)
damage, (1 point of damage=1stun point) Stun is calculated without any
reduction for armour, double limb limits, etc. magical protections
subtract. When Stun points are greater than FATIGUE, character is
reeling and unable to act. STUN is recovered at d4/sr. for 10SR.
This rule limits sorcerors and priests, and tank fighters. Besides it
just feels right; casting a 50sr spell should leave you in shock for a
round, and taking 100points of damage from a giants club should leave
your head ringing, no matter that you've parried well.
-----------------------
Mark C. Wallace
Noonaut
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