Kloster

It's a way to give information when your player don't have the tactical savvy their characters have.

Conflagration spell damage is specifically described as 'per Melee Round', and not MoonFire damage. This is why I guessed that MoonFire is doing damage only once. This has the unfortunate effect of having somebody already affected that can stay, but avoid the 4D6/MR for 25 MR monster.

No, and I don't think you need to remain for 5 full minutes within radius to be affected. The way I read it, If you are in the radius, even for a moment, within that 5 minutes, you take the damage. I see it like falling damage (but location is random): automatic and taken once if you are concerned. Few characters (Player or not) have an armor that can protect enough to laugh vs 4D6, not speaking of 5D6, even if counting spells. Mine certainly does not: You need 14 Armor Points (or 17 for 5D6) to shrug off the attack. During a battle, less than 1% of the troops will have 17 AP.

Because you roll a D100 instead of a D20 and 100 is bigger than 20?😉

Done.

Nice way of reading it. I like it.

The way I understand it, if you cast a low strength, (let's say Enhance INT), then a higher strength one (same spell), the higher intensity takes precedence, but the spell don't add. When the high strength ends, if the lower strength is not finished (because of longer duration), the lower strength is again the one in effect. If you cast a high strength spell, then a lower strength of the same spell, when the high spell finishes, the lower strength will be the one in effect (with Enhance INT, this could be used to have a longer duration effect, but at a high MP cost).

Yes, and WITHOUT a POW vs. POW roll, as the damage is physical (like for Fireblade).

What I believe (or understand) is that there is only one sorcery, which is coming form the sorceror himself, and that most cults believe coming from the Invisible God. The restriction are as much social as religious (in addition of simply not known or forgotten spells and techniques).

Yes, RQIII had most cults requiring initiates to forget all the sorcery spells they knew (but I once had a player whose character previously wrote all his spells to spell matrixes and was thus compliant). This restriction does not exist anymore. I think the Orlanth (and other cults) reaction to sorcery is more a social one. Once you get the oath, of course, using sorcery is more serious and for me warrants a Spirit of Reprisal (TM).

The way I perceive it, Battle skill has several uses: Tactical or Strategic perception of a situation, or a building (How to defend or to attack this building?). What is the outcome of a non played fight? What is the quality of command of a commanding character? What are the extra results for a character that takes part to a big fight and only a small part is played.

As Orlanth and Lhankor Mhy are treating each other as an associated cult and Lhankor Mhy is using and teaching openly sorcery, I don't think Orlanth has a problem with sorcery, nor with sorcerors. He simply does not teach, nor use it.

Well seen. I was only guessing, but this is written in the rules. I addition, considering the RQIII Troll pack/Troll gods, we can assume that most, if not all troll gods are at least tolerant versus sorcery. Arkat was teaching sorcery and Kyger Litor, Argan Argar and Zorak Zoran were clearly accepting. Others are probably neutral. Let's see if this has changed when the cult book or the new trollpack are out.

Shame on me, I forgot Arkat in the obvious list. I think your guess list is a good one, and we have to add Mostal. In fact, in the rules themselves, none forbids. This is in this forum that I found Jeff's answers about cults and sorcery. He explicitly told that Orlanth does not allow. Too bad for me, I had created an orlanthi Aeolian philosopher that I had to redo to comply.

Jeff's current list is: "Chalana Arroy, Issaries, Lhankor Mhy, Eurmal and many others". We have to wait for the cult book to get the rest of the list, even if we know that Malkion (of course) and probably Seven Mothers (and other lunar cults) are in.

Yes, according to Jeff, Issaries initiates can be sorcerors. Good munchkin technique.

Yes, it is easy (RQG p 275): Cults have to be compatible (i.e. Friendly or Associated) and you have to comply to duties, tithing and restrictions to both cults. Rune points pools are separated.. It is not explained if a character can be initiated of 2 cults at creation time and what would be the rules.

Agreed here. I think the price for an unpowered dead crystal would be close to 30/40L per MP that can be stored within. It is coherent with the 200L/POW I guesstimate for matixes (200/5.5=36). Nobody spend any pow, but you have the spirit storing as a bonus.

Correct. I think not correct. I see the Sartarite military foot Units using shield wall (and thus needing all shields on the same arm and all weapons in the same hand). Cavalry unis, Heortlander, Oktorionis have probably other ways of fighting. The non military units are probably fighting with every elements doing what it wants. But my comments were based on the way the rules are written, not on how I perceive Orlanthis, nor how things are working in the real world.

According to Jeff, " The commoners and nobles have access to spirit magic and rune magic. The priests use sorcery exclusively ".

I would count all modifiers except the professional ones. But culture, cults and Manipulation category, yes. For me, the +10% for Sartar and the +10% for Orlanth Adventurous have to be added to both hands.

If I understand what you mean, if I have 5+10=15% left hand, but my right hand is 50%, I need a roll of 15 or less to get a tick, but a roll of 25 or less to succeed a roll with my left hand. Of course, the experience roll will also be based on the 15% value.

It depends on the game system you are using: I don't remember for RQ2, RQIII had bronze (or more properly bronze plated) shields and RQG is using hide, wooden and wicker shields. I don't know for Heroquest.

Why do you have to train from 15%? RQG p207 says you can use half your best skill in the category. I understand it you start at 25% (with the figures you gave).

Yes, of course. There is nothing in the rules that say the bonus is right hand only, and the +10% for Orlanth Adventurous apply. I completely agree here. Another down side is that the sword used for parry can't do anything on projectiles.