[Rq-rules] Shaman rules [was MRQ "A Real Runequest Game"]

[Gary Sturgess]

Forgive a "cl00l355 n00b", but what exactly is the problem with the
RQ3 Shaman rules?

Is it that they are effectively immune to magic (thanks to massive
POW)? The power of the spirits that they can control? Discorporation?

Looked at purely in RQ3 core rules, it looks to me that Shamans
compare fairly unfavourably to sorcerers (who can Tap for effectively
the same magic immunity - once you're down to a 5% chance, it makes
little difference if I have 10 more or 100 more MP than you), even
leaving the Duration stuff out of the question - since Sorcerers that
are Adepts (the equivalent of Shamans) have less time requirements.
Even Sandy's rules for sorcerers (which are excellent) do not really
depower the sorcerer, but merely make them less fiddly to play.

Comparing them to priests is trickier. If you follow the rules for
regaining divine magic strictly then priests really have to ration
their magic unless they have easy access to a Great Temple. On the
other hand divine magic is typically a lot stronger than spirit magic
(compare Spirit Block to Spirit Screen, or Protection to Shield), but
I can certainly imagine shamans that have enough powerful spirit magic
available that this becomes a non-issue (and if nothing else they can
perhaps control spirits that know divine magic).

I'd say that in the core rules Priests < Shamans < Sorcerers. There
are numerous exceptions, of course, but I'm honestly curious as to
what the main objection to RQ3 shamans is (power? blandness?)

On 01/08/07, Brad Furst <esoteric2723 at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> I've run and played in multiple campaigns that prominently featured shamans
> of the RQ:AiG variety and of the Sandy Petersen shaman rules. We universally
> preferred Sandy's rules. I've found none that I like better.
>
>
>
> On Jul 31, 2007, at 8:20 PM, Steve Perrin wrote:
>
> One other difference between RQI and RQII was, in the words of Steve
> Henderson, "We exchanged one unplaytested set of Shaman rules for another
> set of unplaytested Shaman rules." :)
>
> Steve Perrin, who is still looking for some decent Shaman rules...
>
> Brad Furst
> There are three kinds of people in the world today:
> those who can count and those who can't.
>
>
>
>
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>


-- 
GAZZA