whitelaughter

If a Hallucinatory boat can displace water, then the distinction of 'only affecting the caster' is functionally gone. A Hallucinatory bow can fire real arrows; a Hallucinatory warrior pick up a sword and stab someone. However, the raft isn't an issue. No, it can't displace the water. But the caster will perceive it as having done so, it will sink slightly, and caster can step on it as if it were a real raft.

Poverty though is almost impossible. 15L for poor, 60L for Free. The only professions with a base income below Free below that are: 20L Assistant Shaman, 30L Thief 40L tenant farmer, hunter Except for tenant farmer, these are going to be single individuals. A special success is enough to push tenant farmers and hunters up to Free. Typically though young tenant farmers will know that they can't afford to get married, so are spending 15L a year for a poor lifestyle, and saving 25L, so for each year they save, can afford 1 year at Free. Without magic, that means marrying at at 30, using up savings to have Free lifestyle to 45, then dropping back to Poor - with the savings going towards helping their children marry earlier. Magic though will be the norm: Bless Crops can almost ensure a special success. Something I looked into was whether the Orlanthi could take out the Crimson Empire by simply using Cloud Clear to create a permanent drought. It isn't enough; treating it as either famine or Cursed, you are only forcing the tenant farmers down to failed Farming rolls, so they can still get half their income, which is enough for Poor lifestyle and save a bit (probably loan to siblings with children,to ensure child survival). They need to fumble their risk being destitute - and even then, the fertility Rune can save many children.

Hallucinate copies other illusions, but only for the caster - so unless you can think of a way to teleport using an illusion, I don't see how this can make you teleport. Fun spell though. Pointless creating a boat, as the water ignore it, giving you a swamped boat. But a raft, or bridge, or horse, or hippogriff, no problems. Creating a light pointless, as it will only illuminate you: but because illusions are 'real' you can create a wall of light behind your foes, and they will be visible as shadows, since they are (from your perspective) blocking the light. Armor normally useless - but will protect you from fumbles (if normal armor will). Great for bandaging wounds, and thus creeping out opponents who just see you covered in gashes that aren't bleeding. Excellent for creating clothing - wander through the snow in a real loincloth, and Hallucinatory furs, and you appear immune to cold.

discussed here: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Half-trolls though I am sure I crossed them in the histories, will have to re read the books. [shame that!]

There already is: "if cast on something mobile (for example a ship's deck), the circle moves with it." A 1-metre circle could be cast on a large shield; 2-metre on a chariot, 3+ on a wagon or carpet.

Thanks for the response, but consider how low you need the options. Intensity of 1 lets you cover a unit of archers with Fanaticism and Speedart, 2 lets you add Strength or Coordination; even low levels of Heal, Mobility and Protection can be devastating. Intensity 2 also allows 1 point Rune spells - and Extension is a separate spell. Duration can be left at base if you are only using spirit magic, a single additional point allows you Rune spells, another if extended. The only time to go for a really high duration is if you muck around with Bless Champion, with day long spirit spells. (Since the 'POW' of any spell is based on the magic points added to the circle, Reflection can then be made near certain! ) Range is the biggie - with a geometrical increase in size, numbers benefiting climbs rapidly. Note that platforms can be raised to add extra archers, shafts sunk to cover healers etc. This can easily cover hundreds of archers. The 'default' sorcerer is going to be a Lhankor Mhy cultist, guaranteeing access to Rune magical and magical allies.

I am thinking particularly of the Child Survival roll (p426 base book). On 1-5%, the child dies; this can be modified by Lifestyle and the Fertility Rune. Now, an autofail of 96%+ would make odds of surviving worse as lifestyle improves, so feel safe in ignoring that. If though 1-5% is automatically a fail, then lifestyle is irrelevant, and Fertility Rune cannot help, only make things worse on a failed roll: so am I right in guessing that this is also not the case? Is there a generic rule here, that if low is bad, the autofail rule doesn't apply? Thanks.

Re read the Histories last month, and yes, there were references to half-trolls/half-orcs. On the problem of invincible elves, note that immortal characters cannot use longbows, as they deform you. A man can train with a longbow, and that's fine,because he'll die before the crippling effect of constant use kicks in - an elf cannot. https://kriii.com/english-bowmen/

Yeah, that makes the spell utterly broken; with no weakness to the spell, possession of it assures victory in every battle. The only way to block it is by using incompatible 'defensive' spells - take out the Shield spell that is over everyone by using a boosted Spirit Block to override it. And as you've pointed out, need to be in the circle to do that. And getting close when warrior in the circle is under powerful spells? Good luck with that.

When this edition was launched, Runequest was 40 years old. The window for rules modifications closed a generation ago. "It's not a bug, it's a feature" is the only way to go now.

If you cast fanaticism, everyone will be affected. So yes, very effective response to an enemy circle.

Protective Circle is self balancing because it can be used both to aid and hurt. Use it to aid your friends? Enemies can use it to hurt you. Use it to hurt your enemies? They can use it to boost themselves.

The name of the spell is just carry over from previous editions, when it could only hold one of three specifically named protective sorcery spells. It's like the northern most part of Scotland being called Sutherland (south land) - it's a historical curiosity. You're certainly quoting the text correctly, but how is an instant spell is meant to wait? Besides, anyone or anything is a valid target for Disruption. Resurrection is tied to the body. No body, no Resurrection. It's really just a beefed up Create Ghost spell, so there should be no problems. Don't see how it can override incompatibility. Cast an incompatible spell, it just bounces off everyone, as they are covered by the first spell.

They don't have to be, quite unlike Bless Champion.

Remember not to cast Disruption in your own Protective Circle. Having all of your own hit locations being valid targets for an attack spell may offend.... 😛