Hi everyone, I've just returned to Runequest (and role-playing) after a 25-year break (you know how it is, you walk out of the door, and quarter of a century goes by...); this summer I joined a role-playing group, and started rolling dice again and it was just like riding a bike. So when I became aware of RQG I bought it, then the Bestiary, Screen Pack and Glorantha Sourcebook. Planning to GM in 2019.
So, let me get to the point - one of the things that Runequest is sometimes criticised for is that magic can feel a tad mechanical, rather than magical. One of the reasons for this (I feel) is that the spell descriptions can be quite austere, particularly around what the spells look, sound or feel like. I started thinking about this, and wondered whether this is maybe because some magic, particularly Spirit Magic, is provided by such a wide range of cults (and therefore cult spirits), so it's difficult to ascribe a generic 'look' to spells that will fit with all cults that provide them. There's also the fact that some people may not want showy magic in their game. But in the spirit of YGMV, I started thinking about how spells might manifest depending upon who is casting them (or rather which cult's spirits are powering them).
For example, a Bladesharp spell cast by an Orlanthi might manifest as an intermittent crackle or spark about the blade which, when swung, makes a whistling wind sound through its arc, leaving an evanescent ribbon of cloud in the wake of the sword tip. A Humakti's Bladesharp might cause the sword to turn a deep orange, whilst an echoing hiss reverberates from it as it severs the enemy's limbs. Meanwhile, an initiate of Maran Gor or Babeester Gor casting the spell might wield an axe whose edge appears to shimmer with rare earth metals, as a sound like a distant quake thrums from the weapon when it crunches into a foe.
Obviously, not all spells are amenable to such pyrotechnics, but as a GM I thought it would be good fun to have some go-to ideas of how common Spirit or Rune magic might manifest from the hand/mouths of different cultists. The manifestation doesn't change the spell effects, just makes the spell feel more magical, iconic or epic. Sun-worshipper Speedart spells providing a sunbeam along which the arrow flies, Aldryami arrows sprouting thorns on impact when the Speedart enables a successful hit etc.
