claycle

In describing a certain sleeping stone goddess in a recent game, I alluded to the walls of Greenstone temple. Then I had one of my players ask, innocently, "Is it what we would call jade?" Frankly, I was stumped for a moment. I didn't think so. In my mind, I had always imagined "greenstone" as some kind of limestone-like rock with webs of green in it (perhaps oxidized copper). I, however, know diddly about rocks (or have forgotten pretty much everything I learned in college-level geology). Could someone please elucidate?

Let us suppose a player has Fear (Dragons) as a passion and the player is confronted by a dragon. The player wishes his character to attack the dragon. The Fear passion is relatively strong (75). Would you... 1. Ask the player to make a Fear (Dragons) test - and fail - to attack the dragon? 2. Would you have the player have an inner contest, pitting some Rune or Passion against his Fear (Dragons) passion to attack the dragon? 3. Would you have the player make a Fear (Dragons) test (and succeed) to inspire him to attack the dragon (inspiration bonus applied to some other skill)? 4. Other ideas for handling strong passions like Fear when facing the object of the fear? I don't have a good answer myself. I am looking for inspiration.

Although I know the rules straight-forwardly state something along the lines of "spend a week, learn a spirit magic spell" in RQG, an old player asked me "Do we still summon and wrestle spirit magic from spell spirits?" (even if this is purely for color) So do we? Or has the concept of prying magic away from spell spirits been completely discarded?

Today, though the players do not know it, we are going to experience the Battle of Dangerford. Part of my description I have written down mentions having to walk across the corpses of men and horses to ford across the Creek to Isle Dangerous. This morning, one of my player's sends me this out of the blue: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/03/slaughter-bridge-uncovering-colossal-bronze-age-battle Quite interesting, but now they are going to think I stole the whole story!

While boning up for today's game, I came across this interesting namedrop in the RQG Bestiary on Elves: Yelmalio and Flamal I knew, but Babeestor Gor? I missed this connection. Could someone explain and/or simply cite a few of sources I could follow up myself that explain the relationship? Thanks!

I think this must be where POW storing crystals and binding enchantments differ, because the POW storing rules (as written) does not explicitly state that the user can access the abilities or knowledge of the contained spirit. It explicitly states that the user may access the magic points and that the spirit, if released from the binding via the loss of control, cannot use it spells of abilities "itself" (a problematic word). I think it is implicit that the user may release (and Control) the spirit from the POW storing crystal, as per the rules for spirit binding (RQG p249). I am not so sure that the user may implicitly access the spirit spells and knowledge without first releasing it. Are we to assueme that the user may also access the spirit's spells (although this is not stated in the RAW for POW storage crystals, because in RAW only magic points may be accessed), since this is something that described as being possible with a "normal" binding enchantment?

I searched for and found another thread related to this topic, but it was almost a year old. I just want to clarify and make sure I understand the interactions between "regular" spirit binding (RQG p249) and POW storing crystals (GM Adventure Book p121). POW storing crystals may be used to either store magic points or store a spirit. The owner may select what the crystal is storing (magic or spirit) and change it. POW storing crystals are natural objects, not created via enchantments, but through mythic processes (dead gods). To store magic points, the user must only concentrate (like casting a spell) to inject the desired magic into the crystal. To store a spirit, the user must use either Spirit Binding or an appropriate Command [Spirit] spell to force the spirit into the crystal. Unlike normal binding enchantments (RQG p249) which may allow the user to use the spells and knowledge (but not magic points) of the bound spirit while it still remains within the binding enchantment [the rules fuzzy here], the spirit within a POW storage crystal can only provide magic points to the user, not cast spells or provide any useful intelligence (GMAB p122) while it remains within the crystal, although the user may release the spirit to perform one action (and depart) or use a Command spell to order it to perform several actions and return to the crystal (just like a normal binding enchantment). Spirits in normal binding enchantments and POW storage crystals count against the users CHA limits for bound entities and all such entities are released when the user dies.

In a lot of recent(?) artwork, I have noticed a preponderance of elaborate chin tattoos being represented, for example: and the images of Leika and the Chan sisters in the GM Adventure Book. What is the significance/purpose/reason for the elaborate chin tattoos? I am just curious.

Kallyr's failed Lightbringer Quest is during Sacred Time 1625, iircanon and IMG. If you are following the current publications (GM Adventures [late 1625]=> Smoking Ruin [early 1626]), your game will have skipped past her quest, but be ready for the Battle of the Queens (where Kallyr is doomed to die). I would hope that any forthcoming publications would extend this timeline rather than loop back upon itself and force us to somehow shoehorn a 1625 event into 1626 post-Smoking Ruin saga, or start a new saga.

What are common, cross-culturally understood symbols (like a white flag) that a person in Dragon Pass might display to an enemy (Sartarite, Lunar, Troll, etc...) to communicate peaceful intent and a desire to parley?

My current (RQG) campaign started off using the GM book material around Apple Lane to establish the characters. Half of the PCs are Orlmarth, children, brothers/sisters, or cousins of our HeroQuest Orlmarth (who are still alive and "important" NPCs now). These are my "old" players. We also have an Esrolian (Babeester Gor) and a Vaantar Sun Dome Templar (Yelmalio) - these are my "new" players. The PCs have established one of themselves as the Thane of Apple Lane and sworn loyalty to the Ballista Queen to rebuild and fortify the settlement. The new thane and the Yelmalion have moved into the thane's house (the Yelmalion has a very high Manage Household score and has decided to become the thane's loyal majordomo). The Arroyan was invited by Aileena to move into the Succor House at the Temple of Uleria, bolstering the temple's magic and providing the town with a powerful healer. The Destor and Babeestor Gor initiates decided to take-over the care of the Weaponmaster's Guildhall from Squinch. In the last session, the Arroyan saved the life of a wandering giant, who had eaten all of Rastolfstead's pigs, making the thane angry, and gotten a pig rib wedged in his teeth, making the giant unreasonable. The giant, after presenting the White Woman with a bouquet of apple trees (to the chagrin of production-yield-focused Yelmalion) has promised to search the world for a suitable present to bring back to her, and marry her in a year or so. She has earned the nickname "The Tiny Giant's Bride", even though it is unclear whether or not she intends to marry the giant if and when he returns. We are sitting right at Dark Season 1625, and I don't want to events of the world to rush them by entirely out of view. I had toyed with sending them to Dangerford to witness the battle, but they really have no connection to Kallyr apart from memories of her from the Heroquest campaign a few years ago, and canonically the Colymar don't participate. It feels a little forced and "too soon". However, they are building a good relationship with Queen Leika and I am thinking I would like them to be present at the Battle of the Queens in a few seasons. While reading about Dangerford in The Eleven Lights, I began to wish I had run The Eleven Lights campaign just to have done the Three New Stars Heroquest, which really stood out to me. However, of course, "that time has past, those deeds are done" canonically. The Eleven Lights are in the sky. I have even pointed up to them and made a big deal about them to the players. And...yet... I pondered this thought, in fact it kept me up last night. I have about a week before the next session. I would like to propose a solution... In Our Glorantha, at the Battle of Dangerford, the current and original (Cinsina) Eleven Lights will fail. Jagrekriand - foreshadowing the failure of Kallyr's upcoming Stationery Light Bringer's Quest (and perhaps giving her impetus to attempt it) and also conveniently being the Our Orlmarth's Ancient Enemy - will come lose in the sky and invade Orlanth's Ring at a critical moment during the battle. One by one, it will pass next to the Three New Stars, wounding them severely. Orlanth's Ring will teeter from the Pole Star. On the ground at Dangerford, a company of Alkoth Hell Men will swarm across the icy Creek, which is too cold for other men but doesn't harm the Hell Men (much), and flank and attack the Eleven Lights in the middle of their ceremony, disrupting the Starfire ritual that would rout the Lunar Army. The Hell Men will wound or kill the wyter of the Eleven Lights and probably kill the high priest. Bereft of the Eleven Lights, Kallyr is forced to beat back the Hell Men and rally the troops using her own powers and (formidable) charisma. She wins the day, though at great cost, eventually driving the Lunars from the field but losing half her army and the Eleven Lights to do so - a Pyrrhic Victory, indeed. Still, this all necessarily happens off-stage, but I am thinking that in late Dark Season, someone important arrives in Apple Lane driven by a divination or vision. The Thane and companions will have been dealing with Lunar stragglers fleeing across the countryside from Dangerford and Jonstown, including some that will have taken refuge at the Temple of Uleria and the Succor House. They will be alert to strangers arriving in Apple Lane's environs and will come across this person struggling in a snowstorm while on patrol. This person will be carrying a charred and scarred box and within the box are the still warm but no longer lit sacred coals that had been the Three New Stars. I am thinking this person will be Minaryth Blue, his clothes still charred and tattered from being near the Hell Men at Dangerford. Minaryth will have carried the bodies of the Three New Stars away from Dangerford to hide them from Jagrekriand (who he believes is hunting the stars) and he will be looking for "The Tiny Giant's Bride", who a divination has revealed to him as the person to pass the box of coals to for safe-keeping, hidden from the Alkothi, until the time is right. I plan to have Minaryth relate the story of the Battle of Dangerford, but leave out some important details (either deliberately or just because he doesn't know), but not really tell the players what's so important about the box of three warm coals (If they connect the dots, so be it). Minaryth will leave the box under their protection (perhaps they will hide it in the Storehouse) and they won't see him again until the Battle of the Queens. We will then get back on track with the Colymar and the Thane of Apple Lane, ignoring the Three Wounded Stars for the time being. We will deal with the dream dragon in Storm Season 1625. We will pass through Sacred Time and involve ourselves tangentially with Kallyr's failed heroquest, trying to support her and suffering some minor consequence of that. We will probably go to the Smoking Ruin and learn secrets there in early Sea Season 1626. Then, at the end of Sea Season (after our return from the Smoking Ruin, presumably with honors), I will set the players on a modified Three New Stars quest to restore the Three Wounded Stars with Queen Leika (and her retinue) replacing Kallyr (and her retinue) in the details. Assuming they return from the quest successfully with the Three Wounded Stars restored, at the beginning of Fire Season, they will meet Argrath, who is their kinsman (and one of the Orlmarth PCs also has the Sartar Rune), who will help them reform the magical union in time for the Battle of the Queens. The (new) Eleven Lights will then be swept into the current of events with Queen Leika. OK, I have spit-balled enough. I would really appreciate some feedback and other ideas. Does it sound reasonable? Does it sound fun? I feel like I have a decent outline, but I would love to hear ideas for more detail and detours, even red-herrings, to throw along the way. More spitballs! I have a week to prepare.

Just morbidly wondering: how many "greater than 1x but less than 3x in a single blow" blows would it take to irrevocably maim/sever a limb? All I can think of is an owl and a tootsie roll pop and come up with the answer "th-rrr-ree!"

I presume that Truesword (RQG p. 347) and Humakt's Blessed Weapon (Sword) Gift (p. 296) stack. I am assuming that successful strikes with Truesword active roll double damage (plus damage bonus), then any damage that gets past armor is doubled again. Correct?

A Question or Two Regarding Increasing Spell Chances Reference RQG p. 244 and RQG p. 387. On 244, it says that a player ("any magician") can increase their chance to cast a magical spell with Meditation or ritual practices, and/or using Sing, Dance, a magical language, or other appropriate skill to augment the casting chance. Despite these methods being sub-headed beneath Rune Points, it seems that the section on Increasing Chance of Success with Magic isn't intended as a subsection of Rune Points, but as a section at the same level as Rune Points and Resisting Spells, as the rules here refer to "any magician": Any magician can increase the chance of casting a non- ritual spell or using a Rune by using the Meditate skill successfully... #1: In RAW, therefore, is it intentional that any magician (spirit, rune, or sorcerer) can use Meditate/Ritual Practices and/or Skill Augmentation, or is the section intentionally under Rune Points and thus refers only to Rune magicians? On 387, it says that a player can increase their chance to cast a sorcery spell with Meditation or ritual practices, but seems to leave off at the augmentation part. #2: In RAW, related to above can a sorcerer use a Sing, Dance, or other appropriate skill to augment the casting chance (was this an unintentional omission), or is augmentation of this sort removed for sorcery explicitly (intentional omission)? EDIT: Had another one. #3: A sorcerer with a high Truth affinity (90%) tries to cast a spell that contains Truth (Geomancy). The sorcerer has mastered the Truth rune, but their skill with Geomancy is low. The sorcerer is attempting to reveal the truth about something. Could they use their high affinity with the Truth rune to augment their chance to cast Geomancy? EDIT: I think I found the answer for #3 on p387 under Determining Success: That percentage can be augmented by the Meditate skill or ritual practices, time, place, and item bonuses, and by a pertinent Rune affinity or Passion. TY.