Iron, elves and trolls

[Monty Lovering]

I know iron weapons are rare, but it strikes me as strange that in literally millennia no counter magic of either Rune or Spirit level has been created by uz or aldryami to give them immunity to iron, even on a temporary basis

Like:

Iron Immunity, 3 points, 80m range, 10MR duration, passive, focused on others, unfocused on self: This spell allows the target to temporarily be immune to the extra damage that iron weapons have on some species.

Or is this inserting balance where none is required?

[Sumath]

Game balance be damned, but if anything, I'd say troll vulnerability to iron is something that evens the game up.

Taking down a SIZ 25 Zorak Zorani is difficult enough as it is, without them being able to remove their Achilles' Heel as well.

As for elves... those tricky, ambushing buggers need taking down a notch anyway.

[soltakss]

The Only Old One granted a spell called Cure Iron Burn, which works like Cure Chaos Wound, so it provides all the MPs used to heal a wound caused by iron. It doesn;t stop the wound, but makes healing it easier, especially if used with Heal Wound.

14 minutes ago, Monty Lovering said:

Iron Immunity, 3 points, 80m range, 10MR duration, passive, focused on others, unfocused on self: This spell allows the target to temporarily be immune to the extra damage that iron weapons have on some species.

Seems like a reasonable spell. 

However, who would grant it? The Only Old One proved that he was both a Troll and Not a Troll, at various times, so perhaps he might grant it. As for the Aldryami, I am not sure where it would come from.

it would be a good reward on a HeroQuest, though.

16 minutes ago, Monty Lovering said:

Or is this inserting balance where none is required?

I think so, but it is a good spell.

[Monty Lovering]

Just now, Sumath said:

Game balance be damned, but if anything, I'd say troll vulnerability to iron is something that evens the game up.

Taking down a SIZ 25 Zorak Zorani is difficult enough as it is, without them being able to remove their Achilles' Heel as well.

As for elves... those tricky, ambushing buggers need taking down a notch anyway.

The fact they mostly have trollkin is the big equaliser for trolls. Kill a human, hah, they breed easy and true, Uz? Most are just uppity food.

Udderwize, bro, use and meese, hah! We'd be talkin' mockpork, living' in a pen sky clad an' waitin' 'til uz invite us to dinnah! We be sittin' there straching our arses when head gets kick inna pen from game o' Trollball the big bastids were playing, and we seh "Hey", we seh, "It's Harraeh, wondered where he get to, musta bin dessert last night" we seh.

😜 

 

[Monty Lovering]

3 minutes ago, soltakss said:

The Only Old One granted a spell called Cure Iron Burn, which works like Cure Chaos Wound, so it provides all the MPs used to heal a wound caused by iron. It doesn;t stop the wound, but makes healing it easier, especially if used with Heal Wound.

Seems like a reasonable spell. 

However, who would grant it? The Only Old One proved that he was both a Troll and Not a Troll, at various times, so perhaps he might grant it. As for the Aldryami, I am not sure where it would come from.

it would be a good reward on a HeroQuest, though.

I think so, but it is a good spell.

I didn't know the Only Old One spell. Interesting.

I have a non-standard idea re. Spirit Magic in that it is a weak folk magic form based on Runes based on primitive Runic manipulation, as opposed to Rune Magic which is magic granted for devotion by god who is powerful in a Rune, and Sorcery which is the strong an complex form of magic based on Runes cast with casters own knowledge and power. And my god's don't 'own' Runes, but are just powerful in their use as essentially they are apotheosised sorcerers of the greatest power with really good PR and a bottomless pit of sacrificed POW to draw on.

For more conventional Gloranthas the question of where the spell would come from is very good. IMG, less so.

Which makes me think; Dark Troll sorcerers travelling with a herd of trollkin they tap is a FUN idea...

 

[Qizilbashwoman]

4 hours ago, Monty Lovering said:

Or is this inserting balance where none is required?

Iron smashes magic, so it's a weird kind of spell to have. I like the "heal iron wounds" and that it is so limited and rare. Iron wounds should be grievous and terrible, because iron is.

[Atgxtg]

4 hours ago, Monty Lovering said:

I know iron weapons are rare, but it strikes me as strange that in literally millennia no counter magic of either Rune or Spirit level has been created by uz or aldryami to give them immunity to iron, even on a temporary basis

You might well ask why they haven't been able to get around the whole Trollkin thing. It is something that that might be desired, but that doesn't make it possible.

Plus I don't think the benefit would be worth the trouble. Most people who wield iron weapons are Rune Lords and thus pretty powerful warriors regardless of iron weapons or not. So I don't think the immunity would help the trolls or aldryami all that much, as a runelord with a Bronze weapon, and magic is still going to cut down troll and elf just as easily.

 

 

 

[SDLeary]

4 hours ago, soltakss said:

it would be a good reward on a HeroQuest, though.

 

Actually, Feats or Abilities like this does sound like a good reward for certain HQ. While Iron Immunity is a good one, I'm actually thinking about Celtic style type feats such as a Mighty Leap, or animal transformations without having to have a multitude of spells; specifically I'm thinking of the chase of Gwyon on Ceridwen.

SDLeary

[soltakss]

1 hour ago, SDLeary said:

While Iron Immunity is a good one, I'm actually thinking about Celtic style type feats such as a Mighty Leap, or animal transformations without having to have a multitude of spells; specifically I'm thinking of the chase of Gwyon on Ceridwen.

Yes, and I often use that kind of thing as HeroQuest rewards, either as a spell or Ability.

Generally, I see Skill Increase as being a minor reward, followed by Spirit Magic, Rune Magic and Abilities, with more specialised rewards after those.

[gochie]

Definitely sounds like a Heroquest ability.