Darius West

The Aim:  Create the most game breaking RQ character possible.

The Rules:  Your character starts as an illuminate.  They can join any cult, provided they meet the requirements for initiation.  They have 15 in every stat, 3 RP, and can be of any RQG background.  The year is 1625 of the 3rd Age, so only cults from the 3rd Age apply.  They can learn 50% in any skill they can gain access to each year.  They gain 2 POW every year.  If they can gain access to powers that increase their power gain or their access to skills, then they may use them as well.

The Question:  What cults do you join in what order to make the most heinously OP character?  What Rune Spells, Sorcery or Shamanism do you exploit and how?

The Titles to be Awarded :  Biggest Meataxe (for the most egregious combat wombat build in the fewest steps).  Disruptor (for the most egregiously ridiculous reality breaking effect in the fewest steps).  City Killer (for the worst Area of Effect spell abuse).  God Learner (for the most brilliantly devious abuse of the rules as they stand).

The Purpose: Some people don't think Illumination is over powered.  Given that illumination lets you join any cult, and ignore every cult restriction (assuming you don't get caught doing so by pesky fellow cultists who out you as an illuminate), including spirits of retribution, let's see exactly how much damage we can do, and how quickly we can do it?                      

On 10/3/2023 at 7:34 PM, Martin Dick said:

The illuminant hasn't hijacked the cult magic,they just now share it and it doesn't make them a superhero (well except Arkat) or even a hero, so a party of equivalent levels is highly likely to be able to discipline one illuminant.

Consider if you will, the egregious munchkinery that you can achieve if you have access to the spell rosters of multiple deities.  At very least, imagine a Stormbull berserker with chaos features. This is what illumination allows.

On 10/3/2023 at 7:37 PM, mfbrandi said:

Cult strictures are not necessarily right — the spirit of retribution of a morally dubious cult might punish the righteous. It is not as if all the cults — even leaving out the Chaos cults — agree on what constitutes right action.

Right action is determined by the deity.  The worshipper is certainly well appraised about what is expected of them prior to initiation.  Spirits of Retribution are sent by the deity, not the mortal head of the cult.

On 10/3/2023 at 7:37 PM, mfbrandi said:

 The idea that every cult is both like a super-efficient police state and the upholder of a fine anarchist-egalitarian morality seems to stretch even my credulity … and I am a very gullible person.

Deities know what their worshippers are doing because that is what initiation is all about.  You get power, the deity gets to see what you are up to, and you become their agent within Time.  I can't see what is difficult about this?  Why do you think characters spent 1 POW to form a connection with their deity upon initiation?

On 10/3/2023 at 7:37 PM, mfbrandi said:

The persecutors of Socrates, is that who we want to be? I would rather corrupt the youth of Athens … which is tricky when one is in witness protection. Still, questions must be asked.

If Socrates is an initiate of Zeus, the most infamous sex criminal of Mount Olympus, then corrupting they youth of Athens is nothing Zeus will object to.  If Socrates is an initiate of the Judeo-Christian God, who mainly frowns on such things (unless God needs humans to populate a planet via incest), then Socrates has a problem.  Either way the god will know what the worshipper is up to, or else they couldn't answer Divination questions of a personal nature about the initiate, but we know they can.

30 minutes ago, Martin Dick said:

Well, there maybe no supernatural retribution, but there is plenty of Cube level retribution and suffering for initiates who break cult strictures

That assumes the illuminate is caught doing so.  And how do you propose to discipline someone who has just hijacked all your cult's magic?

On 10/1/2023 at 1:37 AM, Zac said:

Perhaps it is just me, but whenever I read anything about the God Learners I always think that Greg was using them as a metaphor for RPG power gamers. They learn the system and then start to take advantage of the rules to create monstrosities that are so bad that the rest of the party has to kill them so they can enjoy the game again. 

The RuneQuest Sight of the God Learners was access to the Sharp Abiding Book, otherwise known as the Core Rules and Rules Supplements of RQ.

On 9/28/2023 at 6:02 PM, mfbrandi said:

But doesn’t it apply to anyone joining — say — Yelmalio for access to Sunspear, not only chaotics or illuminates?

(The greed for power bit, that is, not necessarily hastening the end of the world — although Greta Thunberg may think that applies, too. Anti-magic eco-Arkati sound like fun, though, right?)

The point is, if you join a cult you are subject to the strictures of that cult.  If you break the strictures you face the spirit of retribution.  Illuminates don't face any spirit of retribution ever, and can break every cult stricture without suffering what they deserve.  THIS is what the Arkati object to.  Illuminates can infiltrate and abuse cults and hero quests with impunity, even chaos cults.

On 9/26/2023 at 6:25 PM, mfbrandi said:

Sure, but neither did I say that Arjuna thinks that.

I think we can agree that Arjuna is pretty downcast on that hillside, and is very receptive to Krishna's advice.

On 9/26/2023 at 6:43 PM, mfbrandi said:

Now, if someone turns to a god (just the one) because that god offers rune magic to smite their enemies or raise their comrades from the dead, then that person — goggle-eyed or not — is greedy for power, no?

And that is what the Arkati seek to stop.  Chaos is the death of the world, and the temptation to use it for personal benefit hastens that outcome.  That is part of the temptation of illumination.

On 9/27/2023 at 2:18 AM, g33k said:

Note that the "Primal Plasma" concept is not a uniquely-true "Cosmological Truth;" it is but one of several ideas.  As this is Glorantha, it's likely that all of them are, in their own ways, "equally" correct.

See:
https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/home/catalogue/publishers/chaosium/chaosium-runequest-12/cults-of-terror/cot-history/cot-cosmology/

 

The Unholy Trio specifically contaminated the well of the Primal Plasma turning it into the Chaosium.  That lore is set in stone afaiac.

7 hours ago, mfbrandi said:

I am not attached to the outcome
of securing your approval
of “playing” the law of karma
to secure my own freedom
— I do not grasp after it —
therefore I am already free.

If that were true and he were free and unattached, Arjuna would not be moping about on a hillside, conflicted about the coming war.  Nor would he be seeking advice from Krishna.

It must be said that Arjuna is no Hojo Tokimune.  When Tokimune was told that the Mongols were going to invade Japan he famously said "This is the moment I was born for."

11 hours ago, g33k said:

But in the final analysis, the "limitless potential" of Chaos must include (because limitless) "the potential to utterly destroy Glorantha." 

 The notion of Limitless Potential is something of a lie imo.  Consider that Chaos is the product of defiling the Primal Plasma.  Now, the Primal Plasma may have had infinite potential, but does it really have more potential now it has been poisoned and turned into a cosmic cancer producer? I don't see it.  All I hear when someone says "the infinite potential of chaos" is the goggle-eyed greed of a soul overcome by the promise of chaotic power and the temptations of illumination.

On 8/28/2023 at 4:21 AM, Zac said:

I am just trying to wrap my head around some descriptions of the Arkat Cult from the Cult Compendium.

An Arkat will never accept the use of chaotic magic. They never will deal fairly or honestly with any chaotic being or thing. Now that their Heroquesting abilities have been dispersed through all cults, they aim only to destroy chaos, and will not rest till they have done so.

And

The Arkat cult maintains a strict watch on itself and the rest of the world. As Illuminates, they can detect Illumination in others

If they are Illuminated they should have lost their fear of Chaos. So why are they trying to destroy Chaos? Is it some form of false Illumination?

In answer to your points...

Illumination represents a spiritual freedom that is very desirable in some ways, but also a dangerous temptation and a license to riot if a person has a corruptible temperament.  Illumination allows an individual to obtain a lot of power, because it stops the Gods from being able to send spirits of retribution to discipline an illuminate who breaks the rules.  Arkati know that liberty is not license, and just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you should.

Now as to chaotic beings, the Arkati, despite being illuminated, know that Chaos is a terrible thing that can destroy the world, much like fire will destroy a forest, because that is its nature. While Arkati know that individual chaotic creatures may potentially have it within them to become decent and honorable, realistically such an outcome is ridiculously unlikely, and nearly every chaotic creature is an atrocity prone monster.

As for not using Chaotic magic, there is the temptation.  Chaos is implicitly ruinous, i.e. to reference the above, just because you can burn down a forest, doesn't mean you should.  Just because you have the ability to break cult strictures, doesn't mean you should.  It isn't about fearing chaos, they understand chaos' nature and realistically understand that they don't much care for Chaos' destructiveness.  For example, try as one might, it is quite impossible to be a morally upright Thanatari. The golden rule (do as you would be done by), which is the fundamental point of morality is something Thanatari implicitly ignore, and this is a problem with chaos cults in general.

The advantage for Arkati is that they can unerringly detect illuminates, and if they are not Arkati, then they are a danger to the world as there is no restraint on the power and exploitation that can potentially engage in.  The Arkati are thus something of a police force controlling illuminated criminals.

On 9/23/2023 at 3:29 AM, glarkhag said:

Hi

I was looking at the Healing Trance Rune Spell and I can't really see where the benefit of this would be given the existence of the spirit magic spell of Heal. I think it's a cool spell and without Heal I can absolutely see how good it is. But, A healer with 10 MPs could heal 10 points per day and not be in a trance. that's 10 per location per week. Sure using up all your MPs leaves you vulnerable but so does being in a trance!  Have I missed something?

I also think this spell is a bit niche, but I would point out that it heals General HP afaik, and so applies for things like poison.

7 hours ago, metcalph said:

 Pamaltela is worshipped as an Ancestor by the Men-and-a-half of Prax but that doesn't make him small. 

I was thinking about that exact thing this morning.  There is a logical problem with this approach to worshipping Pamalt.  He isn't actually related to the Agimori if you read his lore, but rather adopted them.  Thus I would argue that the Praxian Agimori are not worshipping Pamalt directly, but contacting their powerful ancestors who worshipped Pamalt to act on their behalf and intercede between living Agimori and Pamalt. 

Of course this opens another interesting possibility... Feasibly such an ancestor could be embodied and act as a Priest of Pamalt who could initiate new members.  I can only suppose that this is impossible on the soil of dead Genert's land or it should have happened ?

2 hours ago, Joerg said:

I was surprised when I read the slightly rephrased description of the role of Daka Fal during the Greater Darkness. The changes aren't that big compared to the text in Cults of Prax, but my impression of Daka Fal being a fixture in the Court of the Dead already when Orlanth and his companions arrived down there in Hell was shaken by the revised text.

Don't get too bent out of shape by this Joerg.  Consider; Before Time the whole conception of location and movement is a lot less concrete and a lot more plastic and malleable.  The relations of the creatures of that world may have a conception of the 3 dimensions of space, but there is no 4th Time dimension yet, thus it was far easier to be in two places at once.  Much later in the Second Age, this  offended the God Learners, who set about constructing the Monomyth specifically to retro-engineer Time into their mathematical model so their minds could cope with all the temporal contradictions.  The monomyth is an artificial timeline superimposed onto static information.  If you move within the environment without Time, then things seem to move too.  Your internal movements count too, thus you cannot pause the God Time unless you can freeze your own organs and blood supply.  Some mystics can, no-doubt, achieve this.

Aldryami tend to follow human newcomers to their groves constantly reminding them where the latrines are located.  These latrines are quite separate to the Aldryami latrines.  The Aldryami always grin broadly at humans whenever they make their way to the latrines and make sure they have easy access to a variety of edible leaves to wipe their bottoms with, as well as a shovel.  It has been noted that these latrines are always scrupulously emptied before the next morning.  Hence the insult "Elf breath" and Elf Kisser" as in "Oh Elf breath Gilthoniel".

11 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Also regarding the Sword and Shield. Women, even horali wives, are not permitted entry. What if the daughter of a Caprati who was a commander of a heavy cavalry company of Aoelians from the Plateau came into Notchet. If she and her retinue walked in would the Sword and Shield owners not make exception? Seems strange to me that any establishment wouldn't allow a woman in or around in Nochet... if she were dressed in typical men's garb maybe they'd let her in?

Perhaps its a men's only establishment in a Matriarchy for a reason? Much like women have safe spaces in our cities?  A place where "Stepford husbands" can go and detox from the mind poisons their wives feed them to keep them docile, and fill up on beer instead?

Found it!  Page 98 of Drastic Prax.

To roll your birthday:

1d20= 1-4 Sea Season, 5-7 Fire Season, 8-12 Earth Season, 13-16  Storm Season, 17-19 Dark Season, 20 Sacred Time.

(Seasons results tweaked for fertility and length)

1d8 for week= 1 Disorder Week, 2 Harmony Week, 3 Death week, 4 Life Week, 5 Stasis Week, 6 Mobility Week, 7 Illusion Week, 8 Truth Week.

1d8 for day= 1 Freezeday, 2 Waterday, 3 Clayday, 4 Windsday, 5 Fireday, 6 Wildday, 7 Godsday, 8 Day associated with character's primary rune.

On 9/4/2023 at 5:26 PM, DucksMustDie said:

Storm Bulls are mindless brutes and barely human, right? How difficult it is for them to find wives? Who would take such a suicidal (and probably penniless) maniac as a husband? I was wondering if this could spawn an adventure, like finding wives for a whole camp of Storm Bulls 🙂 

Have you never heard of biker gang chicks?  Assuming you have, do you seriously think Prax doesn't have women of that inclination?  Of course they probably don't "pull trains" because they haven't been invented yet.

On 9/4/2023 at 6:44 PM, Ian Absentia said:

Not pertinent to Pavis, but I want to encourage GMs who set games in cities that do have sewers to employ pockets of noxious gases that more often than not kill intrepid adventurers outright.  Confined spaces should not be trifled with.  Don't forget to bring a canary, or an air elemental, or both!

!i!

Canaries are scarce in Prax, and a noisy way to detect gas pockets for a thief.  Small rodents are probably a better choice. 

Going underwater in a totally dark tunnel with no certainty there is a way forwards, and no easy way to get a sense of direction if you get turned about should be a SAN check imo.  Putrid water makes it that much worse.

Sometimes physical obstacles are worse than enemies.

17 hours ago, jajagappa said:

For me, yes; for others...???

Well it does pose some interesting questions.  Could Gonn Orta actually become a new Genert?  And what will that Cradle Baby turn into down the track?

I created Saint Narthex, the Defender of the Faith, a Rokari Saint/Ascended.  His monks go deeply cowled and masked, having sworn to be anonymous in their faith and to erase their identities in life as they are in death subsumed into Solace.  They are overtly highly charitable, providing food and medicine for the needy, but they are in fact religious assassins, and they teach the spell Increase/Decrease Poison.  They also have a Pass Unnoticed spell.

Okay, so New Pavis doesn't have a sewer system (it has drains), but it does have a lot of basements, and quite a few of them connect.  Of course using the tunnels is fraught, as you are moving thru someone's property. Allegedly some of these tunnels are magical in nature, perhaps the product of Lanbril Divine Intervention?

I trust the similarity of Gonn Orta's name with that of Genert is old news?