Some comments on the RQIV sorcery Rules

From: Graeme Lindsell (gal502@huxley.anu.edu.au)
Date: Wed 09 Jun 1993 - 04:42:33 EEST


 Having recently received the RQIV draft rules via a kind heart and
the magic of e-mail, I have a few comments:

 a) The skills as a manipulation limit instead of free int: obviously
the correct approach.

 b) I don't like the new duration/range rules: access to the better
tables only if you spend a point of POW or spend as long to cast a spell
as it lasts. I don't like the first as I have always seen POW creating
some permanent effect (One-Use Divine Magic an exception), and the
second seems pointless.

 c) Familiars are kept as a requirement for adepthood. I dislike the
concept and execution of the RQIII familiar rules intensely. The
reason for the first is Gloranthan: I can't see any of the Malkionists
accepting that one needs a bound animal/spirit to show yourself to
be a good priest. RQ already provides enough familiars with allied
spirits and shaman's fetches. I believe that a Malkionist would
prefer to rely on himself, his faith and his flock (see below) rather
than an animal or some pagan spirit bound into a ring.

As for the rules, I just don't like the way sorcerers have to give up
characteristics permanently to form a familiar. The new way of just using
POW to make the stats is better though.

 

 c) I still don't see any mechanisms to make good cultural play
equivalent to good game play (like Pendragon's Glory system). There
isn't any reason for a sorcerer to _want_ to be a pious priest.

 A suggestion to replace Create familiar and to help with priestly
game play: allow a priest to have access to some of the magic points
sacrificed to the Invisible God in the priest's church. This would
take the form of a spirit that occupies the church, with a "POW"
of (say) 1 per regular (weekly) worshipper. The sorcerer/wizard that
conducts regular ceremonies can use this POW to cast and maintain
spells. This would probably be the main exterior source of magic
points to a Rokari or Hrestoli wizard. The Brithini need to Tap:
independant sorcerers would use bound spirits or maybe familiars.

 How do you get to be the wizard of your local church, then?
Easy, wait till the old one dies/retires, the Lord selects you
as his replacement, and reconsecrate the church with "Make
Church of the Invisible God", a n enchantment requireing 2 POW.

 What's that? Old priest Wexen is so pious that he's over 150 and
still runs 5 leagues every morning before his "fire and brimstone"
sermon? Well, you had better go out and convert some heathen, and
create a new church of you own...

 I think this would get those PC wizards acting pious (and plotting to
get the new curateship that Lord Owen has promised to create) in a
jiffy!

 Opinions?

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Graeme Lindsell Email: gal502@huxley.anu.edu.au
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