French Desperate WindChild

I have an issue with one of yout word so I will clarify it (but my english is poor, that's not you 😛 ) I would prefer the skill without category modifier : basic skill may be understood as the start (ex scan 25; even if at the end of the day the pc has scan 85) from an experience check perspective I consider easier to compare the roll with the skill without category modifier because you just compare the roll with the number you have. I mean it is easier to compare skill = 80 versus roll = 78 than skill = 90 versus 78 +10 (1 more operation). And when you know you are at the 100 limit, you don't have to compare with the skill just roll + modifier against 100 Another point would be to "save" the wear of the sheet when category modifier change. That's was really true when category modifier get +1 when a characterstic get +1 in previous edition (when POW changes every month, your paper is quickly a ruin ^^ ) But now, with the bonus by "range" of charactic that less true However the big "issue" of optimization is more during the play when you roll to determine the success of an action because here it is not only roll versus skill but versus 5%, 20% and 100%-(100%-skill)*5% (not sure the exact formula, just for the exemple). So during the play you optimize your brain time if you have directly the score including the category modifier. That's why, when I play with excel sheet, I have directy both values, without the category and with the category. So I think, I would answer your player,

p132 again (sorry second post) the typical black horse rider has speak black speach and r/w black speach. I m not sure it is an issue to fix, or something to explain but the black horse speak darktongue but no black speach. So is it normal that a mount can speak some language but not the language of its rider ? - it is a typo, both speak darktongue - it is a typo, both speak blackspeach. But what is blackspeach, is there any relation with purehose, darktongue, theyalan ? - it is not a typo. But what is blackspeach, is there any relation with purehose, darktongue, theyalan ?

p132 "Initiate of the Black Horse Cult" is repeated 2 times under typical black horse rider

As I see the rules there are for me two different situations: 1) summoning the fetch. The normal way (aka no accident) is the apprentice shaman knows the greater entity who will "guide" the new shaman (I m not talking of the horned man, I see him as a "pattern" = the first shaman of the greater entity, in the same way that I don't consider Daka Fal cult as a "true cult" but as a pattern fo any "ancestor cults") You (the apprentice shaman) embrace the way of life of this entity. you already have accepted it (candidate to become assistant of a shaman of this entity, then apprentice for a long time, so there is no surprise on what expects the greater entity = taboos) If you were not happy, you probaly leave the shaman before, or the shaman understand that you are not ready to become a shaman of this entity. 2) once shaman, obtaining new ability. there are here two points to keep in mind: a) I hope that you, now a shaman, have learnt a lot about the entity you want to visit. So you should not be surprised by what the entity may request (so GM should explain player what is this entity what are its values, way of life, desire, etc... that could be in rules books, or in GM's imagination/analysis, or both) b) So you decide to meet the entity. There is then a key word I did not see in your post, but a very very important keyword in my opinion : "bargain" So the GM-entity will request something, Player-shaman-you will then accept or propose something else. Of course you or the entity may decide to stop the bargain (I can't accept what you ask, entity / I m tired to discuss with a little shaman like you). But then depending on the entity (for sure Voria will not react like Wachaza) the entity may be very angry to have been disturbed for... nothing. And you may meet a fate you did not anticipate. Remember that we are discussing about greater entities... Greater than you shaman. So you are not a customer, the more you are is a resource for the entity (at least it is what the entity should think of you)

humm hmmm well... Poor friend we don't know how he will come back. arg ... humm .. He is probably welcomed in his god realm. humm ... rip my friend. no no that's not because I want to keep my damage bonus... no no no

Maybe something that could be fine is shaman : « there is someone there ! » orlanthi : « where ? I don’t see anyone « shaman: « few meters on your left, I see two people ? » Orlanthi : « I can’t see ? What are they doing ? » shaman : « I can’t say, they are approaching » troll with darksee : « they are preparing their bows… oups too late, bye bye shaman, see you in hell »

mmm if they are not known, they are not seen as hero. so you may find other reasons to expect a clan to save the pc. (Maybe, but, for me, that should be in the background proposed by the player) the pc is relative of some important people. In all cases, if you want a resurrection spell, youn need to determine time to obtain the caster. So it means one of your pc needs to go to the clan/directly to the healer to ask for help. It could be quick as there are road, horse, etc (of course some ride roll are needed, decision to have bad encountner or not, ...) or faster (ho I have teleportation guided directly to clearwine temple... then decision if there is a healer available (you don't have 100 healers able to cast it) then how much time to go bak to apple lane (if pc did not teleport the body). So you have a lot of option to make pc choice difficult or not: a) will you risk to lose another pc / rune point for teleportation. b) will you player accept to play a character losing 3 ? 6 ? 10 characteristic points (depending on the time required to obtain the spell cast) bow what could be the price ? a dangerous mission (maybe with the risk of more deaths), a lot of cows (for the milk, not for the meat roooo we are Chalana), some oaths (never kill a prisoner, etc..) for me if the pc is new, it is better to meet the death. But it depends on the player, so I will let him/her the choice between reroll another one or accept some pain (losing characteristic) with maybe, the opportunity to gain some benefit (they are heroes, not yet known, but heroes right ?) like some magical skill (+5 spirit travel or spirit danse for example because the pc escaped some danger during the otherworld travel) and a negative passion (fear some darkness entity 60%, and/or fear tusk riders 70%, maybe roll against powx5 for others to not gain fear tusk rider 60%. Trauma is for everyone, in particular if they meet death for the first time.)

I think you miss something or maybe I miss a point on your thought : creation step the background and my expectation during the campaign

but noone start as a shaman (in the standard process) for spirit lore there is it, i did not put it at the end because this shaman is less focusing on discovering a lot about sipirit world, but with the assistant occupation you get +20 so the character get 25. Not a lot fore sure so it will be a shaman (= with a fetch) just that is not a community shaman who will manage the spirit plan to protect the community, so facing a lot of different spirits and understand them to bargain with them = as you said spirit lore is very important. but a battle shaman: this spirit distrubs me ? fetch or spirit combat to destroy or enslave it as the first attitude, don't care to understand, if another come, another will be destroy. Same as a warrior with a broo, don't need to know what is its "beast ancestor", just need to kill it. Of course that is the extrem and sometimes even Harreck will "discuss".well maybe not Harreck as a warrior or a hunter you don't focus on all weapons (spear or bow ? sword or axe ?), combat style (distance or close combat), armor, tactics and what to do with prisoners etc.. You specialize yourself on what your nature, and/or your intelligence tells you. There is no reason that people with a fetch follow all the same priorities

why not ? some issues however, you must sell the weapon silver not just silver, because you can't be sure if there is smith able to use it.So you need a smith. As it is rare, you need mercenaries. As it is needed here, you need some agreement with local authority to sell it (and not be raided by those who need it, your 10 mercenaries will not resist against a full clan) The issue with basing your defense on distance is a) you need silver / iron arrows quarrels or magic to touch them (with a fair % to lose the material after each fire) b) that's fine with a dumb telmori / best, but if you face ambush or even just the charge, yes you will hit one or two telmori, but for the rest they will have time to run and reach you (and even the wounded, they are not killed automatically) depend on who. 😉 maybe something that we may have is a subforum dedicated to it; something I will not visit btw, but at least those who are happy with it will not disturb those who dislike it

for me the secret you know from IO is not the secret Buserian/LM teaches to his initiates: the secret seems to me to be "How IO can call Busieran to obtain the effect"; not "How Buserian obtains the secret" so let's say you are both IO and LM. If you want to use the gamedesigned same spell with your two runepools, then you have to sacrifice 1 POW for each of them I may be wrong in my interpretation of what means associated cult however. That's just how I understand the "secrets" and how I make a difference between subcult and associated cult use of spells

that's clear I agree. but as any sense (see, smell, hear) you can detect someone trying to hide (only if visible, with an odor, or making noise) that's the same with second sight. if the hidden one has pow you may detect it, depending on how the environment may mask it (to many spirits in a place could blind your second sight in the same way that too much light could blind your darksee or even your "light"see) too many distractions may distrub you, things may block your senses so do I !

haha yes 🙂 I "worked" a little bit on that Why playing a battle shaman : 1) GM agrees that our battle shaman is known as a shaman in her troup. War leaders pay her if she is good as shaman in a battle (aka “go where I tell you to go and do your job, shaman!”) (so not battle roll ) however it could be interesting to do some math to see if it is so important between “be good in a poor standard of living -shaman-” and “be bad/medium in a free standard of living -warrior-” 2) Roleplay. You (the pc) were a good shaman, serving, protecting, teaching, loving your community. But tuskriders came, destroyed everything and killed everyone. You’re the only survivor because you were in the wild, looking for some plants. You are not angry. No you are not angry at all. You are hateful. Against those who are your enemies and those who are designed by others as your enemies. No matter if you can pay nothing else than disgusting roots, no matter if you wear stinking and ripped clothes. No matter if the weather is cold you hate Valind and darkness gods. No matter if the weather is hot, you hate Yelm. No matter if the weather is rainy, you hate Orlanth. But, above all, you hate yourself, you hate your life. Ok, your start as "battle shaman" may be hard, but roleplay is not always successful rolls 3) Preparation. Let’s say I (me IRL) want to play a kind of battle shaman, and my GM told me, “remember, as my idol @davecake told me, if you play a battle shaman, you will roll your income with the battle skill.” “Ok ok -I answered-, Impossible is not French; let’s see what we can do, but let me build my background and pc please” a) I want to play a weird, dangerous and feared shaman. Something like Harrek (in attitude), but maybe a little bit more civilized (just a little bit more). She will be a woman, and will not be interested by ancestors at all but more by the wild, the beasts, the violent weather. As I don’t have any rule about Kolat, she will be initiate of Orlanth in his furious form. I would prefer for my character design to choose battle axe as her main weapon (more savage, and axe are more useful in the wild, cutting trees, cutting bones, …) but too many (15) % will be lost so if I want to optimize a little bit the character I have to choose broadsword here the creation phases detail, if people wish So in statistic we have The wild lady, apprentice shaman, initiate of Vinga : INT 17, POW 15, CHA14, DEX 14, CON 12, SIZ 10, STR 10. MP: 15; HP: 12; spirit damage 1D6+2 Runes 70, 70, 20, 75, 85, 60 Rune spells : lightning, flight and fearless. Spirit spells : protection 2, strength (2), bladesharp 3 Skills: Communication (+10%) Sing 70 = 10 + 10 +10 (step 1) + 10 (step 5) + 30 (step 6) Danse 40 = 10 +10 +10 (step 1) + 10 (step 5) Orate 60 = 10 + 10 + 30(step 6) + 10 (step 7) Intimidate 35 = 15 + 10 + 10 (step 7) Beast language 35 = 0 + 10 + 25 (step 7) Knowledge (+10%) Battle 55 = 10 + 10 + 10 (step 2) + 25 (step 7) Animal lore 40 = 5 + 10 + 15 (step 5) + 10 (step 7) Survival 35 = 15 + 10 + 10 (step 7) Magic (+5%) Spirit combat 95 = 20 + 5 + 15 (step1) + 30 (step 5) + 25 (step 7) Spirit danse 40 = 0 + 5 + 10 (step 5) + 25 (step 7) Spirit travel 35 = 10 + 5 + 20 (step 5) Meditate 30 = 0 + 5 + 20 (step 5) + 5 (step 6) Manipulation (+15%) Medium shield 45 = 15 + 15 +15 (step 1), Battle axe 45 = 10 + 15 +10 (step 1) + 10 (step 7) OR broadsword 60 = 10 + 15 +15 (step 1) + 10 (step 6) + 10 (step 7). That’s fine for a start. Of course not very powerful, but can manage spirits (95 in spirit combat) and is not too bad in fight (60 in broadsword, or if I fit the background 45 in battle axe) thanks to her boost of magic. Not so bad in battle, ok she is not a bright tactician but she knows where she must be. She can lead and convince people (sadly only with violent words so sometimes it doesn’t work) she is very good to sing in a tavern… filled of Zorak Zorani, Bab’s and Storm Bullers. The main issue I have, because it will be hard to raise is intimidate and Beast speech. I would like at least 50 for both. So, from a player and stats perspective I will favor the development of spirit dance before becoming a shaman (hoping a good fetch) and beast language (for the story I want to tale). Of course developing POW and maybe CON (because I suspect, if the GM follows my expectations that I will be hurt) CHA will raise by story and gear. The target then is to raise the magic bonus Now my background. Now, back to home (or anywhere the GM wants to start, thanks to the research) she will start a new quest. But what I expect then from a story perspective …

that's very true, for sure, but there is nothing in the rules saying you must be good in your occupation. If a shaman wants to start a military career, he can. After all, no soldiers were born with their weapons, well Athena excepted 🙂

mmm you take a risk to "irl-ize" the gloranthan air. Human needs air/orlanth to live, that's true and proven. Human needs blood to live, that's true and proven. However nothing says blood carries air, except irl influence Why not blood carries a life-giving component of "Water" or "Earth" or "Darkness" or fire ? After all, at the end of the day, blood is liquid, helps scaring, sometimes becomes very dark, and is hot when it leaves your body (no no, don't test it on your on body, please 😛 ) seems to me more cautious 🙂