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Ned

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Posts posted by Ned

  1. I can see why Umbroli need it, but is there any purpose to shades having STR? Being semi-material, can their STR be used to, for example, slow the passage of those passing through it, or to push a door shut?

  2. 20 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

    Yes, I know what the rules say. That's why I wrote, "Personally, I think that's a silly rule" - because it doesn't really make sense (to have separate times to learn "common" Rune Spells versus the special ones... and, let's face it, it's an arbitrary decision this list of 'common' spells.) Like I've asked for other things, is there a logical in-game world reason for this? Or, is it simply an "MGF" construct?

    I justify it as 'interventions within time that all gods can make', lesser (and less difficult) forms of divine intervention, help you can ask of any god. Also, I've introduced slight differences to the common rune spells for each PC's cult (Ernalda, Argan Argar, White Hart Spirit Tradition) for flavour - especially as I wanted to have Specials and Crits for Rune Magic, and those effects vary between cults. I wanted a crit to add something permanent to a character that brought them closer to resembling their god (plus they seemed rare enough occurences to allow a nice cheerful boost to the players!).

    I've given them cards to look through, as their ubiquity made them spring to mind less. Examples attached!

     

    AAWardingSmall.jpg

    AASoulSightSmall.jpg

    ErnSoulSightSmall.jpg

    ErnWardingSmall.jpg

    WHSoulSightSmall.jpg

    WHWardingSmall.jpg

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  3. 20 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

    Other than "Because the rules say so", can you give me an in-game reasonable theory as to why this would be so?

    I am almost certain that unexpected weaknesses in magical armours are  expressions of the Fate rune, a power always present but rarely glimpsed.

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  4. A small alteration I'm considering is to make RQG's Knockback (which is useful, I find) only available to Crushing weapons (including shields, kicks, etc, of course). It seems thematic and is is a small nerf for Impaling/Slashing weapons, so a relative boon for Crushing.

  5. This thread has been very helpful, as we've just had our Session 0 of Six Seasons in Sartar (and are all very excited about it) and the characters will face initiation next time. I wasn't quite able to rationalise The Sex Pit as a constructive obstacle, only as a mythic necessity. As I read it in SSiS, the poor boy appears to have suffered some nasty spiritual sex assault (presumably 'what reflects his innermost nature', if you accept that the initiates' confrontations are drawn to the individual, not prescribed by outsiders) and been broken by it.

    The idea that The Sex Pit is instead the initiate's lust rejected and a safe adult path is found my wooing, turning elsewhere, tempering lust (or even abstinence, I guess). Now the Pit isn't full of writhing sex holes, it's a pit about sex. This may, of course, be what Drew intended - I just needed to read this thread to sort it out in my head.

    It's not that a PC will undergo this, of course, but I want to make sure that there's a chance they can help somehow, or make sense of what they found there. I think our Darestan will be bloody-nosed, wild-eyed and happy. He thinks he succeeded. That is his madness, which will come to light, later.

     

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  6. 18 hours ago, scott-martin said:

    ... the primal original inhabitants of the range. Since some stories suggest that the Mislari were made to separate Maker from proto-elf and proto-dwarf nations from each other...

    Ooh, not seen this. Can you point me towards it, please?

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  7. 7 hours ago, Ali the Helering said:

    Dai-Ichi Life Insurance are the third largest such company in Japan, active in the USA from 1975.  Is it possible that their sales personnel were a persistent nuisance to Greg? 

    Then I'll stick with micro-Aldryami and ensure they're associated with species found in montane Japan. Without any reference to bonsai, of course...

  8. That is an odd name, then! Ethilrist would usually only think of himself as number one...

    The troop's horses were still white at that time, incidentally.

  9. Would anyone like to speculate or share lore about the 'dai-ichi' which appear only - as far as I can tell - in 'A History of My Black Horse Troop', encountered as the troop ascend into the Mislari Mountains:

    Quote

    Often the dai-iCHi ambushed us. Horses died, though men were only wounded by the irritating sprites.

    My current thinking, as I work up Mislari material, is to have them be micro-Aldryami from above the tree line - associated with krummholz or scattered patches of low-growing dwarf trees. Despite their small form they're very distinct from Pixies, as they're wingless, joyless and aggressive. Tiny, twisted elves scrambling over the rocks to repel those that would defile their solitude and disturb their tenuous hearing of Aldrya's Song. Life would be more bearable for the brown elf versions, as their short waking season would be pleasant, but the evergreens might be fiercely unhappy.

    Now, I like this, but am very open to better ideas, previous thoughts or nudges elsewhere.

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  10. 4 hours ago, PhilHibbs said:

    I'm assuming he meant :20-condition-luck: (Luck) which could be seen as the bottom half of :20-condition-fate: (Fate).

    Hadn't spotted that about Luck, but Jajagappa was correct.

    • Like 1
  11. Also, while I'm thinking about runes... Is there any other established use/meaning for the rune previously used for Godsday? The one that looks like half a Fate rune.

    Hmm... I note that in the Sourcebook p.135, the Fate rune = Wildday and Luck = Godsday in the, while the Guide p.112, uses Fate rune = Godsday and Luck = Wildday. I'm assuming the Sourcebook's in error.

  12. Thread necromancy due to me just noticing an uncommon rune in an official publication: Rausa/Dusk rune, p.122 of The Guide, in a depiction fo the Lightbringer's Quest.

  13. Yes, the cockerel does seem an excellent non-exotic choice for farmer types.

    In reference to my original Vangono three breaths query, while looking for something else in the Search Engine of Lhankor Mhy, I stumbled across this, from Greg:

    "One time the LB were all captured by Darkness forces and kept prisoner in Argan Argar's basement. Eurmal turned himself into a raven, hence a "darkness creature," and escaped. He hung around for a while with the other dark forces, drinking the intoxicating drink that Zorak Zoran's boys served, but got bored and so stole the bottle and flew away. The demons pursued, but Eurmal spat at them and drove them back. The first spit was a fire that made a fire for a human, the second for a god and the third for destruction. The demons stopped pursuing, and when they got back home they found that the other Lightbringers had escaped.

    The human who got the fire is, in various rites, Heort, Hantrafl or Stilfin (aka, Fire Maker).
    The god is often, in different rites, Orlanth who wakes up slowly and warms those nearby; Yinkin, who goes and thaws Orlanth; or Elmal, who wakes and sits up quickly.
    The destructive fire is usually identified with Oakfed. "

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  14. 17 hours ago, Eff said:

    Caladraland unfortunately doesn't have a whole lot of support. But, Veskarthan/Lodril, one of the most prominent gods there, has in the north of the continent a tradition of peasant revolutionaries in the "Brotherhood of the Invisible Spear", which to me sounds an awful lot like there's some 36th Chamber of Shaolin stuff going on. Caladralanders are, of course, stereotypically prone to being shirtless and (probably) oiled up in any case, sounds like a wuxia protagonist to me!

    Lodril is also God of Wrestling...

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  15. In other Heat-related thinking... can anyone suggest candidates for animals associated with or sacred to Lodril?

    I remember reading something about Lodril, Donkey and the Death Rune, but it seems a bit close to Issaries and his mules... and there's the fire wren hsunchen who have a fire association, but Lodril would've just given it to them.

    Perhaps an earthbound bird? I was thinking ground-shaking terrorbirds, that maybe incubate their eggs in volcanic ash.... but the dragonewts get demi-birds.  Moa had a long, mildy phallic neck...

    EDIT: I just realised that moa get a mention in Sandy's 'Pamalt's Problem' story - with Vangono adorned with Moa feathers. That's where that got seeded, then.

     

    • Like 1
  16. This has been very helpful, thanks all.

    I really like the conceptual neatness of the three types of flame being based on the lowfires, but I'm not sure it suits Vangono warriors' place in the culture - itching to get out of the humdrum and into battle, with everyone else having to deal with the consequences. Perhaps he does need to express fires not present in his Lowfire siblings. This is beautifully put, though...

    On 2/2/2021 at 12:55 AM, Ladygolem said:

    The hearth fire is the protective urge to defend one's home and family, with which a leader must motivate their soldiers. It is the Nourishing Fire. The forge fire is the transformation from farmer/herder to warrior, steeling their resolve and inspiring them so they are ready to fight. It is the Hardening Fire. The wildfire is the bloodlust that a leader whips up in their warriors as they charge into battle and fight fiercely. It is the Destroying Fire.

    ... and makes me think about myths about the taming of fire, and differentiating between the nourishing, useful or ritual fire... and Vangono's violence. Is his current restraint and containment just due to the strength of Pamalt's leadership (I love Sandy's story about Vangono and Sikkanos' failed coups in Mything Links), or was he mythically contained when the uses of fire were determined? Did he shame himself, or face sanction, and that's why he sucked his fire(s) inside himself, whereas the forge, campfire and wildfire can see the open sky or play across the settlement or land?

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  17. Does anyone know (or fancy speculating) what Pamaltelan war god Vangono's three types of flame breath might be?

    Given that the Vangono Recruitment Song in Arcane Lore mentions that "Now the time is come again, Father Vangono breathes across the plains", I guess one of the flames might be an inspirational (well, expirational) fire to rouse warriors. Perhaps another is like the Soulspear spell's translucent black flame which drains Magic Points. And the last might just be hot.

    I can't help but think it's been mentioned or played with somewhere.

    Any thoughts much appreciated.

    Neil

    • Like 2
  18. Their initiation into adulthood is a big deal - as well as a big feast and new status, I believe they'll get clan tattoos, the benefits of clan Rune magic, the clan wyter, and possible lay membership of another cult.

    If you want to give them a bit of loot, but in a culturally rooted way, then perhaps at the feast they're also gifted a weapon or piece of armour (or item suited to their parental occupation, with potential fun use in adventure) by their family or the clan chief. Or they get their heirloom (if you've not given it during charcter creation).

    Using their parental occupation income level to determine the quality of what they're given might sow useful envy or competition between characters - eg. it drives the poor farmer's daughter character to adventure, cos she wants an ornate dagger like the redsmith's son character. Or she decides to wait for an opportunity to take it..

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