David Scott

It has to be in the context of the story. Firstly the players say they want to happen. The player in real life may be much better at expressing what they want to get out of the situation. I've played a lot of HeroQuest Glorantha, so even in RQG I get players to frame the contest and say what they want the outcome to be. However their adventurer might not be so good and has a low skill, so regardless of how much talking and roleplay they do, the adventurer roll is the final hurdle. This is also helpful with less talkative players with highly skilled adventurers. If they succeed, the player's rhetoric has laid out what they were doing. If they fail, the opponent is not convinced and their story path wins. If a draw, they talk themselves to a stand still. In the above example, the conversation went something like this: What do you want to get out of quizzing the Lunar priestess? I'd like to know if the garrison had families with them when they withdrew? We don't want to cause any suffering How are you going to do this? (conversation runs between them)... That sounds like a reasonable conversation, she rebuts you by saying that they'll all be killed anyway and that you should at least let her go so she can die with dignity with her people. Yanioth casts Charisma (as does the priestess) Opposed roll - it's a draw, neither makes any headway. There can't be a second roll as there is no change in circumstances. Yanioth inspires herself with the Earth (as does the priestess with the Moon rune), I ask what that does to change the situation, Yanioth's player says "I call on Ernalda to insure the safety of the families", the Lunar priestess says by the will of the goddess, you must do the right thing (this is an asymmetric exchange, Yanioth wants to know where the garrison is, the priestess want's to be let go, to return to her people) Second roll allowed - it's a draw. I'm forcing the other players to make passion roles as they are being affected by the magical fallout of the situation. Yanioth's player can't roll again, as she needs a change in circumstances. She casts Dismiss Magic 2, knocking down the Lunar priestess's Charisma. and says, you are my prisoner and depending on how you act now will affect what happens to those families. Ernalda is merciful, but Ernalda does what is needed for her own people. Third roll allowed - Charisma gone. Yanioth's success beats the Lunar priestess's failure. she reveals the details on the group. (this is a shortened version of events) So in the end with the opposing Charisma gone the opposed roll allowed Yanioth to succeed, the player didn't just say I ignore that. If everyone in the game understands that everyone uses all the advantages, then the players have to use other methods to their advantage. Using Dismiss Magic is a fair way to do it. They didn't use dispel magic as they didn't have it and it's takes time to cast in conversation.

or in different worlds 13 there was Erlin the Harper, Gateway but maybe useful.

cult companion - yelm - What he touched was a Rune, and it transformed into the Harp of Harmony at the sun god’s touch. He taught music to many of his sons and daughters, and appointed Hyraos Truetune special caretaker and god of Harping. Because of Yelm’s position as Emperor of the World, the harp became the instrument of nobility.

Thanks for the reminder:

The G+ group was migrated to Tapatalk, all the posts are still there, including this one, you can find mine and Jeff"s comments here: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/glorantha/for-you-praxians-out-there-here-s-a-view-of-sacred-t2466.html

I always connected it more to Yelm or better still Dayzatar, Hymn 48 in the Rig Veda, goes on about "we have attained the light" and "Make me shine bright like fire". I've always though the Mead of Suttungr from Skáldskaparmál was a better drink for Orlanthi ceremonies - Drink and fly off: The mead which forth From Surtr's sunk dales The Strong-through-spells Swift-flying bore. and then loads of epic poetry and boasting, clearly related to the blood beer of Babeester Gor.

I keep modifiers and skills separate precisely for this reason.

Interested in why you think that. I have the spirit world as as internal timeless region, much like the god worlds. Time is an external factor for discorporation, so the rules apply, but internally timeless. As Vasana says on page 367: The timeless for me means no improvements, except rare interaction with other spirits (for POW ticks). I can see an argument for cult skills like Lore (cult), but what would you have in mind for a sword? I also see allied spirits as parts of the god, or the recently dead (not in Humakt's case, as no one ever returns from Humakt's hall).

Depends on your groups. Fortunately mine all prefer investigation, politics, intrigue and social networking. Combat is rare and often avoided unless absolutely needed. Most people I play with had a monster whacking phase in their teens (myself included) and have moved on to other genres.

There's no binding mention in the Allying a Spirit section of binding, (my emphasis) : As usual you can do always do what you want with rules. IMO adding a whole binding ritual, that you would need to know, adds a layer of extra level of complexity. It would be simpler that the Allied Spirit can just leave when it wants as a spirit. Overall, I find it easier to ignore most of the earlier RQ editions and stick with the new.

I'd not allow occupational experience, they are a Divine creature, it's not an occupation. They are only inside their companion's head, what sort of passions would you suggest? IMO this is too much detail.

It's the the rules on page 277, Allying a Spirit: --- It's the the rules on page 277, Allying a Spirit: --- It's in the rules on page 277, Allying a Spirit: If they are an object then likely they have no senses other than their companion's. I say likely as I'd let jewelled eyes or a carved head work for a staff if appropriate. For a sword with eyes, I'd need convincing. An Issaries shop is likely to have an image of issaries, so I'd le that have senses. They are divine companions so use MGF, have fun. No, but if you want to complicate things, they could speak the cult tongue, so a sword a humakti sword would speak stormspeech inside the head of its companion. As above, but for MGF I'd allow it in dire emergencies. As above. If you ask under the Core rules, I will say just the same:-) Please read the Allying a Spirit section in the rules on 177.

He's also here: https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/greg-sez/the-kings-of-seshnela-part-one/

The 2015 set was part of the Guide Kickstarter for high level backers. 14 sets produced. There was a 2007 version too. 7 MOTHERS/LIGHTBRINGERS: MoLaD reward level, plus the ultimate 15 volume "Roots of Glorantha" series of unpublished Gloranthan monographs written by Greg Stafford. Each printed volume is approximate100 pages in length. You get to pick your favorite 7 Mother or Lightbringer for the cover Look at a 2007 cover here: https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/catalogue/publishers/moon-design/moon-design-kickstarters/guide-to-glorantha-kickstarter/roots-of-glorantha/roots-of-glorantha-vol-iii/ Some more details here: https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/catalogue/publishers/moon-design/moon-design-kickstarters/guide-to-glorantha-kickstarter/roots-of-glorantha/ An example of Volume one's contents is here: https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/greg-sez/the-kings-of-seshnela-part-one/ https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/greg-sez/the-kings-of-seshnela-part-two/ https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/gloranthan-documents/greg-sez/the-kings-of-seshnela-part-three/ Here's the preface to the 2007 Volume 1: The Roots of Glorantha Series This is Book One in the ROOTS OF GLORANTHA series. These are reproductions of my original writings, dating from 1966 to 1976, or so. They nearly all center upon the western land of Seshnela, or its associations. These have been assembled to satisfy the curiosity of my patrons and to create duplicate copies of these early works. Much of the information in this series is no longer correct in light of subsequent revelations, creations and contributions to the general lore of Glorantha. On the other hand, much of it IS still valid, and provides the deep skeletal origins of the world. These are organized according to the folders in which they have been preserved for the last thirty or more years. These were created in the era before computers and before photocopiers, hence there is duplication or near-duplication in many of the pages and files. Some of those files have been combined when their contents were too few pages to create a reasonable booklet. The entries in the Table of Contents are organized in the same order that they were found in their respective folders. The titles of those entries are the same as those on the pages themselves. In cases where no title was present, I have included a portion of the opening line in quotations as a pseudo title. Some entries are inconsistent in listing whether an item is hand written or not. I do not believe this detracts for the usefulness of the entry.

I've played in a lot of games run by @Jeff, I would say that they follow the general brush strokes of background and history, but for canonicity maybe 50%. Jeff does have the advantage of all publications through him since 2007, that means that he remembers a lot (hence 50%), but the rest he makes up or the game just varies. By comparison, I would consider Greg's games Glorantha games to be around 20% canon as he just made stuff up or the game just varied in many cases greatly. Historically @MOB's games were IMO lower in canonicity, maybe 20% too, MGF is / was a main factor. (not played in one of his games for 25 years).

Added already: https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/le-roi-de-sartar-1993/

This question often comes up with new players in demo games. Glamour & Charisma are the most common as Yanioth has Charisma, and Harmast & Vostor have Glamour. I say that ultimately, like dressing, presenting yourself in a particular way, etc, they only improve what's there already. They give bonuses to be added onto a skill. Be it magic, skill, passion or rune augment. along with straight augments. I just assume they add like normal effects mentioned above. Otherwise it's a game slower. Glamour gives just +10% while Yanioth gets +30% from Charisma: CHA12 = + 15% CHA13-14 = + 20% CHA15-16 = +25% CHA17-18 = +30% CHA19-20 = +35% CHA21 = + 40% I always get the players to have a conversation with the "target" and usually have an opposed roll. Depending on the situation it can be opposed with speak language, or even the same skill. The guidelines in the skills are good at explaining what to do. New players usually just get on with it and incorporate the magic in their normal role-play. In one game, Yanioth's player got very frustrated when quizzing a Lunar priestess they had captured. All of her rolls to get info out of her were failing, until she realised that the lunar priestess had also cast Charisma and was trying to get them to let her go. In my games Rune magic makes you more like your god, so in the above example, Yanioth starts to take on aspects of Ernalda, likewise with the Lunar Priestess. Others become drawn into the exchange in more mythic roles. Vostor had to resist casting Glamour on to the Lunar priestess to aid her, as did Harmast with Yanioth. Everyone is drawn in, not realising that is what is happening as it's an every day occurrence (for many). (It all ended with Yanioth casting dispel magic on the priestess.) The other magic you mentioned are more powerful as you get potentially bigger bonuses. However I see little if any use as they are cult specific. Arouse Passion adds to a Passion that you'd need to augment with, so max +50% (Ernalda) Clever Tongue, the best so far doubles Fast talk & Orate for Issaries and Lhankor Mhy initiates Detect Truth, handy against possible liars. But is Humakt only. Never lie to a Humakti on principle. @Nick Brooke's carpet adventure illustrates this all nicely, Nick knew what was going on, but let the seller carry on. Under MGF, I would allow the Ritual Preparation table to produce an augment to the sellers final Glamour spell bonus.

That gives you plenty of scope for addendum volumes.

Write it yourself and stick it in the JC. Doesn't have to be big, some publications are just a few pages.

As they can't normally disembody, the standard spirit rules can't apply. However they can learn rune magic so a Waha allied spirit could learn Discorporate. A better way of looking at Allied spirits is to call them Cult or Divine Companions. The spirit part (which is how they arrive) often confuses later on. Fill out the Allied Spirit section on the bottom of page 4 of your adventurer sheet, obviously objects and creatures will work differently. That should remind you to tick skills and POW for experience rolls and use magic, where appropriate. As an example, imagine Nathem's shadow cat, becomes his Allied spirit. Add INT & CHA, then change the POW to a new one, it's an initiate already as it's an allied spirit, so spend some POW on rune magic and make a pool. You could argue it already has 1 point and a spell as it's already an initiate. Look at cult spirit magic and add what you think appropriate. What do you think you should know about or be clearer? - For me it's pretty clear.

It depends on what the sources say. Which sources? If it's an Orlanthi Ring there are numerous options. For example in an orlanthi worship ceremony, the ancestors get attention as well as the gods. They could just appear in a sacred space. I wouldn't always assume there is a RQ rule to cover this. Other options could be summon cult spirit. Orlanthi shaman are uncommon, so IMO it's unlikely that's what they are doing.

@MOB tell us about what happened in the Zola Fel Valley after the Windstop, possibly foreshadowing the end of the Grantlands...

Was the first edition available in French? I can't find a reference.

Unless you take a taboo. I would likely have a shamanic ability that was limited to 4 levels of 1 AP/level that looks like ritual scarification. Or a heroQuest boon, just like the one in Rainbow mounds. I'd keep it simple and not very variable.

Rather than compare saga, mythology and the Guide, I would ask what was Argrath's purpose in tearing down the Moon. The Moon in the Middle Air is a mix of the physical world of Glorantha (from the Crater) and a synthesised goddess made up of previous parts. Tearing it down is a physical act, returning the moon physically to the surface, but that doesn't mean that the goddesses is dead or sundered into parts, just that her physicality in the sky is gone. She's still inside time. Admittedly she is the incarnation of the Devil returning, but once the devil has gone, aren't we just left with the Moon Goddess? Verithursa returns unsullied?