[Rq-rules] Re: Forgotten Magics

[Simon Phipp]

Guy Hoyle:

  > It has often seemed to me that there are some missing types of spirit
> magic in RQ, in almost every edition. These are the types of spells that
> non-fighters use almost every day in their professions. True, many of
> the magics involved can be used in non-combat roles; Bladesharp can be
> used on plows, for example, while Disruption can be used to kill
> household pests. Spells such as Coordination and Haste can be used in a
> variety of professions. But where are the Craft-enhancing spells fopr
> smiths, potters, weavers, and carpenters? Where are the Lore-boosting
> spells employed by Lhankor Mhy lawspeakers? Surely Issaries teaches
> spells to increase the Barter and Fast Talk (and, dare I say it, Bribe)
> skills of its merchants and traders?
   
  Well, when I did some conversions of HW cults, I had to make up far too many skills/spells. Some of them can boost craft skills. The list is at http://www.soltakss.com/hwconv04.html

  The trouble with this idea is that unless you have a potter in your campaign, you wouldn't want to write up a potter cult. So, unless you've a lot of time on your hands, there isn't much point writing up speciality spells for all the different crafts.
  
Bjorn Stolen:
  > The norwegian RPG-community (on the forum I'm on) are currently allso beeing 
> frustrated over many RPG's overfocusation on Combat-related skills, spells 
> and rules; compared to domestic/social activities.

> I suggest you do somthing about it and create your own stuff!
   
  And post it somewhere so that other people can use it.
  
> Personally, I haven't placed too much focus on spells, but there are some 
> focus on crops in the "Sun County" book (harvest-stones for increasing the 
> field's fertility, etc.)

  Minor magic items are very useful for this sort of thing and there should be a lot more of them.
   
  > One area that I feal suffer greatly is botany. The "healer" proffession with 
> a high plant-lore; what do you use it for? So I and others have been making 
> a compendium for plants and their (special) abilities. This was inspired by 
> the fungi and other "plant"-stuff in one of the Uz-supplements + an article 
> I found in a "Tales of the reaching Moon"-magazine.
   
  In RQ2, Healers had Find Healing Plants, a skill that has been subsumed into Plant Lore. This allowed you to find healing plants (surprisingly enough) with bonuses depending in the season and locality. They also had Preserve Herbs and Refine Medicine, two spells useful to botanists.
   
  Have you finished the compendium? Is there an on-line version for us to use and be impressed by? 

Den, Tony T:

  > I concur. I have been trying to invest the concept of enchanting metal
> implements by singing etc while smithing (which could basically be like
> invoking spirits into the artefact) alla Michael Scott Rowan's books
> with my players but so far nowt has really come of it.

  Enchanting Spirits into items to give them special abilities is an interesting idea. Of course, you need special classes of spirits but that's always a good idea.
   
  From my spell list comes Imbue Sword With Magic. You could use it as a divine spell as written or change it to be a Spirit Magic spell or even a Shamanic Ability, whatever takes your fancy.
   
  Imbue Sword With Magic (1 point, non-stackable, one-use, permanent) 

This spell must be cast when a weapon is forged. If the smith succeeds in his Craft (Weaponmaking) then the smith can add one special power to the sword, a special success allows two extra powers, a critical three extra powers. A fumble or failure means the weapon has shattered. Each extra power may cost the smith POW or Divine Magic as appropriate. So, Halban the Smith casts Imbue Sword With Magic on a Bastard Sword and gets a critical roll, he knows he can put three powers into the sword, and decides on Sharpen Weapon, Strengthen Weapon and Swift Weapon, a power he has gained on a HeroQuest. He rolls his Craft (Swordmaking) three times and gets a normal, a critical and a special, so the sword does 1D10 + 2 damage, has an extra 3D3 HPs and attacks with -2 SR. It is a sword fit for a Hero and he takes it to the local Orlanth Temple as an offering. 
  
> Off the top of my head:
> -A mason would look for some sort of stone or holding spirit to ensure
> that blocks stay together, or cement binds better (H,,, old style cement
> was mostly limestone, which is to a large extent made up of bone/shell,
> so maybe the spirits of the long dead limestone donor).
   
  Well, we have Glue, Support and Mould Rock (From Flintnail). In the new Glorantha, Flintnail would have Sorcery spells (pah!) and other masons would have spirits or daimones. In RQ terms, they would have spirits to hold things together, to hold things up and so on. Even sacrificing someone nd burying them beneath the foundations would be a good idea.
  
> - A brewer would call on spirits to stop his ale spoiling, or maybe
> enhance its POT.
   
  Or to give it special abilities, making it a magical brew.
  
> Hmm, My brother recently played a primitive who ended up in a civilised
> army. He made a bit of a killing hand carving javelin shafts and
> flogging them off to the soldiers as magically enhanced to fly true etc.
   
  Until the priests come around and burn him for witchcraft or perverting the good people of the army with his mumbo-jumbo.

> Ah botany. Now there is something I agree is way overlooked. It can
> really spice (doh!) up your campaign, but the main caution is to be like
> an accountant - consistant. So if a herb is decided does X in the game
> and then someone finds out that it actually has a different effect (Y)
> - player terms, not game tesrm, remain consistent, keep its effects as X
> , don't change it or the players mty get confused etc. There are
> plenty normal earth herb/botany etc books and, depending onteh group,
> onc could vary from their mudane earth name, to their scientific latinm
> name to a new name made up for your reality.

  It depends how detailed you want to be. If you want to mimic real world botany, then you can either say "your character knows that so-and-so plant is good for such-and-such" or you could have a document with all the plants and what effects they have on various ailments. I would prefer the first as it is quicker and easier. I don't care that hemlock is good for heart ailments, I would only care that the healer knows a plant that is good for heart ailments.
   
  Of course, it could do X and Y, depending on whether it was boiled and drank or steeped in wine and used as an enema, or whatever.
   
  Of course, if someone else came up with such a document and made it available, I would probably use it. I just wouldn't attempt it myself.
   
  See Ya
  
Simon
   
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