Jens

Which is later contradicted in that same document- Along with the switch to using CHA to determine how many spirit magic spells you can learn, there has been an overall shift to the description of how spirit magic works in RQ:G. It's not learning a formula, like you do with Sorcery; instead you attract a spirit helper that from then on causes the magical effect. To quote Jeff- To bring this back to the subject of rune levels teaching spirit magic spells, it would then seem that in RQ:G RAW, Rune Lords and Priests learn the secret of how to reproduce any spirit helpers they themselves have attracted, and attach them to a student. Whether this is part of their training, or a benefit of being blessed by their God, is unclear, as is whether anyone else (other than a shaman) can learn to do the same.

Clearly a key difference between recovering and publishing old drafts after the author has died, and actively collabourating with them on a project.

As long as the spirit’s POW is less than the Shaman’s Fetch’s POW (minus any already captured spirits), the spirit is automatically captured in the Fetch as soon as its MPs are reduced to zero. No spirit binding or control spell is required. While captured in the fetch, the spirits act as if they are bound (cast spells, provide MP, or release them to perform a single task unless you cast a control spell first).

If Allabeer is present for the encounter/when the loot is discovered, it’s him. If he’s not…

There are people still living that met the Seven Mothers when they were human; some even saw them ascend. YT fought Humakt to prove his godhood, and Humakt is uniquely Hostile to 7M and no other cult. While some of those shenanigans may have happened with the same being in God Time, the Great Compromise would have to be frayed indeed for them to happen as they did WITHIN time.

IMHO when you learn a new rune spell, you are actually engaging in a minor heroquest, guided by the local priest, that shows your god performing or embodying that new spell. This should handily satisfy all 3 of your requirements. Those are fundamentally different examples. Buserian and Lhankor Mhy are names/masks/manifestations of the same divine entity. The Seven Mothers may have worshipped those other gods initially, but they transcended (or transgressed) that origin and became new gods in their own right.

I thought of Glue first, but then the body falls apart every 2 minutes. Repair OTOH is permanent.

Clearly Repair would do the trick as long as all the pieces are present 😉

In the big table in the Cult Compendium LM is Neutral to AA while AA is Friendly to LM, so dual initiation shouldn't be a problem.

Raises the interesting question of whether spirits can participate in worship ceremonies, and in particular contribute MP.

Allocation your unconscious life- https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/allocating-your-unconscious-life-i/ , https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/allocating-your-unconscious-life-ii/ , https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/jar-eel-again/ .

True, but Blueface is also a centuries old heroquester from a previous edition, so RQ:G rules don’t apply for many reasons. For me it comes down to MGF- unless you commit to the seasonal model, or retire Rune level characters (including Shamans)/use some kind of character rotation/troupe play system, it’s just less fun if they’re occupied most of the time- especially if you also follow the RAW around one experience and POW check per season.

No worries- it’s a dense book! You can also learn a spell if you defeat a spirit in spirit combat, but generally only shamans use that route (normal people can’t initiate spirit combat, and wouldn’t know what spells a spirit might carry).

According to the core rules (page 253), it takes a week of instruction to learn a spirit magic spell, with the exception of certain cult spirit magic that may be learned during holy day ceremonies. No other training can occur during the week you learn a new spell.

Shamans are very much tied to physical locations in RQ:G, as well as to their tribes- they must lead weekly worship ceremonies at any spirit shrines they establish. In the RAW, they couldn't be on the road for more than a few days without their spirit cult dissolving, unless they can find someone else to lead those weekly worship ceremonies. This is not dissimilar from Priests now that more cults are getting weekly minor holy days- they'd need to spend a whole day leading those ceremonies every week. RQ:G tries to square this through the seasonal play model- if you're only spending a week "on-screen" in each season, you can easily fulfil your tribal/cult duties during the days you are "off screen". Of course, many of us do not follow the seasonal play model, so need either GM permission or house rules that vary that 90% commitment. Either that, or everyone's just a God Talker 😉

Kuschile is a cult secret, likely discovered on a heroquest by the Yelmalian hero Kuschile, which allows you to practice without a horse. It lets your normal infantryman become a mounted skirmisher if there's a horse available during a campaign- borrowed from allies, captured, etc. They ride badly so wouldn't engage the enemy with a charge, but can stay far away and shoot arrows at them, encouraging the enemy to bring the fight to your phalanx.

It’s not redundant, the 4 on Orlanth indicates that 4. Orlanth is the offspring of Umath and 4. Kero Fin (unlike 1. Kolat from 1. MoS or 2. Storm Bull from 2. Mikyh). Where it gets extra confusing is that 1 and 2 are then reused for Ernalda and Fralar/Himile- should likely be A/B or I/II for the additional instances. Might also be clearer if the parent number came after the name and the child number in front.

As MOB has pointed out, the beauty of Kuschile is you don’t need an animal to practice, but your skill works if you ever find yourself on one. It’s like how the Canadian army has almost no attack or transport helicopters, but trains our troops to use them in case we ever “borrow” some from the US.

I’ll now forever picture Argrath as Cleopatra in Asterix and Cleopatra…

You clearly put your gorillas on boats, not mounts- then you have a gorilla flotilla.

Who wouldn’t want a baboon dragoon?

One thing I'd lean into is his charisma- while I agree with the suggestions that he'd often be distracted and focusing on things outside of the players' ken, I'd imagine that when he pays attention to you it would be like staring at the sun. He clearly has a personal magnetism that he uses to convince otherwise fractious Praxians, Orlanthi, and others to come along on his mad adventures.

Probably makes sense to cap the bow skill at the LOWER of the firer and the rider's Ride skill- an inexperienced rider would make it extra bumpy, while an inexperienced passenger would just be bouncing around. Of course many Praxians or Pentans have ride skills as good if not better than their weapon skills, so not much of an issue for them, but would hamper others. That's why the preferred platform for missile (and magical) troops outside of people born on their mounts is the chariot. Much smoother ride.

I always thought appointing an Emperor was mostly to keep the Dara Happans in line- but perhaps it’s precisely that tie to Yelm that mucks everything up. Jar-Eel always struck me as almost more of an incarnation of the Red Goddess than an independent agent- born after generations of a careful breeding project, allows the Red Goddess to have more direct influence than other Gods usually do. But as @Nick Brooke points out, this does fail at a critical moment, although Jar-Eel has had decades of exemplary service before then.

Perhaps it’s because they’ve awoken their Hero Soul, perhaps it’s because they are worshipped, or maybe it’s just that most of them are Illuminated, but Heroes in Glorantha often seem to transcend- or even transgress against- their original Cult. Delecti, Ralzakark, Harrek, even Argrath, seem much more driven by their own designs than any God they used to follow.