Yelm's Light

Hence every dungeon crawler should know to bring along his Repair spell or matrix. It's one of the first spells my melee-heavy toons look to acquire.

Name: Calmwort Incense Description: Dried, braided stems of calmwort, a flowering herb that grows along the banks of the River of Cradles. Cults: N/A. Knowledge: Known primarily to shamans of Prax. History: Once thought of only as an opportunistic weed, this flowering plant has been found to have curative properties by local shamans. Procedure: Separate the stems and flowers, setting the stems aside. Boil down the flowers until they form a syrup, let cool, then place the stems into the syrup to soak for several hours. Remove the stems, braid several together and let them dry in the sun for at least a day. When ready to use, burn them as you would any other incense. Powers: Breathing the smoke of calmwort incense works as a balm for nervous and heart conditions. Meditation and occasional breathing of the smoke also quadruples POW recovery, so that 1/4 of POW is regained every 90 minutes. One stick of incense is good for six hours of burning, or the equivalent of 100% POW recovery. Value: 25L per stick.

Thank you.

Yeah, I'm all about the hardback.

RQ2 again, p. 26: Medium Shield is listed at 10% and Large Shield at 20% in the "Special Basic Chances" section on p. 19 in RQ2. Small Shield isn't listed, so it defaults to 5%.

Name: Thunderstrike, the Storm Hammer Description: A heavy, iron, double-headed great hammer with Storm/Air runes incised on either side. Cults: Associated: Storm Bull. Friendly: Lightbringer, troll cults. Hostile: Chaos. Knowledge: Commonly known within the above-referenced cults and to historians of Knowledge cults such as Lankhor Mhy and Irrippi Ontor. Likely known by other historians. One of a Kind. History: This was the rune weapon of the hero, broo-harrier, and troll-friend Valatash Walker, the scourge of Stormwalk Mountain. He received it from the Storm Bull himself as a reward for heroquesting, with the admonition that he must use it to destroy chaos wherever he found it. Valatash Walker then took up residence in the Storm Hills/Troll Forest/Stormwalk Mountain area south of Dragon Pass and west of the Plains of Prax. There he was true to his word, impressing and befriending the local trolls with his singleminded pursuit of chaos and specifically brookind, who occupied the nearby Chaos Forest. Many were the days that rolling thunder pealed through the area as he hunted down his goat-headed quarry. After his death, the weapon was given into the hands of the Old Wind Temple for safekeeping. Many have come to claim it, but the Orlanthi at the Temple have found no one worthy to wield it so far. Procedure: Standard iron two-handed hammer, except that it is still 3 ENC and has double normal (30) HP. Powers: When it damages a creature of Chaos, a powerful thunderclap erupts from it. All except the wielder who are within 20 meters must check vs. CON x 3 or be stunned and unable to act for 1D3 melee rounds. This power will only work in the hands of a Rune Lord of Storm Bull. Value: Priceless. This is a Hero-level weapon.

You mean his Ultimate Answer birthday? In that case he's a youngster. Happy Birthday anyway, Dr. Mitch.

In mine you can block anything but crossbow bolts, including arrows. But, again, you can't block missile weapons with a shortsword or dagger. And it's not AP but HP, a subtle but important difference.

Do you have a link for that? All I'm finding is a dead link and a bunch of sites selling Tradetalk mags.

I had in mind a lodestone compass, but ran into a rather esoteric question: What does the magnetic field of Glorantha look like? Where, exactly, are the magnetic pole or poles? Magasta's Pool? Magnetic north and south? Four poles at the cardinal directions? Or are the fields in a state of flux where a compass would be useless?

From RQ2, p. 17: (Emphasis mine.) There are other places within the third and fourth chapters where it is intimated, but not this succinctly. As far as I know, there is no rule stating that you can't 'parry' a missile weapon with a shield. A large shield is certainly big enough to cover every hit location. And one other advantage of a shield that I was unclear on: it blocks but doesn't take damage. A weapon will take up to 4 points of damage per melee round. I play RQ2, btw.

You don't parry a missile with a shield; you duck behind it, covering your vital spots (which is boiled down to a parry roll). And your mace takes damage just the same as a shield does. Which would you rather be missing in melee: a shield or your weapon? You could fight with dual weapons, but then you'd suffer the disadvantage of being vulnerable to missile fire; also, there are limitations to the ability to dual wield.

First, as GM I'd rule that unless you're a Shao Lin Master you'd have no chance of parrying missile fire with a mace; it's just too slow to use accurately or effectively against a missile weapon. Also, you need to take into account that your skill with the shield will only improve if you pay (in money and time) to train it up or you actually use it in 'real' (i.e. dangerous) situations. In that character's case, I'd first pay for training the skill to a point where I had some reasonable chance of success, say 20% or 25%. Then I'd use it when melee comes along. Remember to use other tactics to maximize your chances of survival while your character is so vulnerable to quick and painful death. (Well, you're always vulnerable to that, but more so when starting out.) Battle/Spirit Magic is helpful in this regard, such as Protection, Shimmer, or Healing cast on yourself, or Dullblade cast on your opponent's weapon, assuming that it qualifies as a vulnerable weapon type. Eventually, you'll gain access to Rune/Divine Magic, but that's down the road. Nonstandard maneuvers and use of terrain can also aid in survival. If your opponent is using missiles, don't hang around in one place where he can draw a bead on you more easily, dodge, and look to close to melee range where you can put your pudknocker to effective use and, not so coincidentally, prevent your opponent from using missiles.

When RP'ing grosses 13 billion a year, maybe.

Name Glowpot Description A small (20 cm), covered stone pot, usually with handles for attachment of leather thongs to hang it from the saddle. Inside the pot are a number of nondescript stones. Cults Any of a number of Earth cults: Ernalda, Eiritha, Caladra and Aurelion, etc. Knowledge Common, especially among the tribes of Prax. History Originally a cult item of Caladra and Aurelion, the secret of its making was learned by the priests of many Earth cults, so that it is now commonly found among the nomadic hunters of Praxian tribes, bringing warmth and cheer with little risk of being seen on the Plains. Procedure Grasp the pot and sacrifice one temporary POW. Powers Uncovered, the stones inside glow softly and provide warmth equivalent to a small campfire for approximately 6 hours, until the pot is powered again. Value 100L.

Name Cartographer's Stylus Description A bone stylus whose head is a Truth rune, with a tip that is stained by ink from years of use. Cults Irrippi Ontor (Lankhor Mhy would also have great interest in this). Knowledge Unknown, One of a Kind. History Cyrus Aquillus was a renegade Illuminate and ex-priest of Irrippi Ontor who was fascinated with mapmaking to the exclusion of almost everything else, including cult observances. He created the stylus to aid him in his pursuit. Much too old to roam dangerous areas anymore, he eventually retired to a hermit's existence until he was killed by invading cave trolls that had no idea of the item's value. It may still be in his cave, lying among moldering maps... Procedure The stylus will work with any ink and paper. It is used as one would any of its more common brethren. Powers It registers faintly as magical. When used, it will draw all features or rooms within 50 meters, regardless of intervening terrain and walls. Value 1000L to a cult of knowledge or other interested party that is aware of its powers; otherwise a few Lunars.

In that case... Name Sun Medallion Description A golden medal in the form of a stylized sun several inches in diameter on a thick chain. On the back of the medallion are inscribed the Fire/Sky and Truth runes. Cults Yelmalio Knowledge Not commonly known except to upper echelons. One of a Kind. History This symbol of the Sun County Sun Dome Temple's sponsorship is occasionally used by important diplomatic missions; it would likely be carried only by the leader of the delegation for identification, and returned to the temple after the mission is completed. Owing to its obvious value, it's not ostentatiously displayed, usually worn under clothes until needed. The bearer would have to be a trusted figure within the cult in order to carry it, but then so would someone tasked with leading a delegation. Procedure The medal is a spell matrix in addition to its mundane use. Powers The matrix contains a single-use Sunbright spell, which can be recharged by a Light Priest, and also the reusable spells Detect Enemies, Detection Blank, and Glamour. Value 10,000L, if the bearer tried to sell it (an unlikely event).

I don't think that's what he meant. I was thinking of something similar, like a one-use item that can be recharged by a priest of the appropriate cult.

Name Heler Rod Description A thick, forked branch with a Heler rune inscribed at its junction, ranging in size from one foot to several feet in overall length. Cults Orlanth and associated Knowledge Open cult secret, though it could be gifted to non-cultists carrying out cult missions. History While they may be found in any region where Orlanth temples are known, Heler rods are primarily found in desert areas, and often in Prax. They can be manufactured by Wind Voices when necessary, and are relatively common items. Procedure Simply aim the single end of the rod at the ground while holding the forks in each hand, concentrate, and allow the rod to orient itself. Chanting an Orlanthi prayer might be appropriate, but is not necessary to its proper function. Powers The rod has two uses; first, direction and size of groundwater deposits can be detected within 100 m at no cost. Secondly, at a cost of 1 temporary POW, it can detect the direction and strength of an oncoming storm within 50 miles. The rod points in the proper direction, and the size of the water deposit or the storm's strength are indicated by the strength of its pull. (It is also rumored that a rod can be used in a storm-summoning ritual by powerful Wind Voices, but there is no known evidence that this is the case.) Value 100 to 250L, depending on size and quality.

I like the stylized horse...very Greek.

Then the question becomes, how is the Glowline extended, exactly? Does it require the cooperation of the Red Goddess/Seven Mothers, and if so, would they see the pros as outweighing the cons? Or would there be a response specifically targeting the Temple if such weren't the case? Also, if such had occurred, wouldn't there be some reference to the Glowline expanding?

It's possible, but it seems to me that those apostates would have a bullseye painted on them. I can also see a Lunar plot where practitioners (i.e. Illuminates) attempt to infiltrate rival cults...

Pure fantasy, and I don't mean RQ. So you're master with, say, a claymore (2-handed sword) and you're going to know how to beat someone in a dagger fight where the movements, spacing, and tactics are TOTALLY different? Not in my games. You wait until you've mastered a weapon, and your so-called 'melee skill' is as high as you can get it, then you change to a different weapon. Which, in effect, is a bonus for all of the fighting you've done since you started as a PC. There's no logic to it, and a lot of imbalance for a questionable rationale.

Basically, you're giving double experience for fighting in melee. (That's the imbalance part.) As for Musashi using an oar, I'll bet you he was pretty good with a staff long before that particular point. He was the greatest warrior of his time, bar none. Compare your average PC to Harrek or Jar-eel, and that's the extremity of the example you're using. But why stop there? Why not a general magic skill for having absorbed a bunch of magical axioms?

And that's all subsumed within the fact that a swordmaster has much better combat skills than a novice. You're using RP justification for a game mechanic. I know of no 'grizzled veteran' combat skill bonus, nor do I think there should be. A swordmaster should be better prepared for melee than a novice anyway; Dodge, armor, and magic. As for the farmer picking up a flail (and assuming that he had it for other non-combat uses such as threshing grains), while it's not the same as using it in combat, he'll have a lot better understanding of spacing for its use than the so-called 'swordmaster.' It's also unbalancing; you're effectively adding more to all weapon skills. I just think the whole thing is micromanaging where it doesn't need to be. Heh. I should've read further. It appears others made my points for me.