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Why don’t Lunar Heroes Create a Glow Spot?


EricW

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Lunar heroes must to some extent be free from the phases of the moon.
 

They cant lose all their power during dark moon, otherwise defeating them would be too easy - trick them into venturing outside the glow line, then kick them when they are down.

Yet Lunar armies, even armies led by heroes, suffer magical disadvantages during dark moon phases.

Has anyone thought about how this could work? Do Lunars in the immediate vicinity of a hero sometimes discover they can cast magic at full strength?
 

Why haven’t Lunar heroes quested for the power to create their own glow spot? Or have they?

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There is one known unit producing a Glowspot, and that's the Crimson Bat. There is a cost for the Glowspot created by the Bat, and that is 1000 souls a week )or was it 2000 souls? One unit every black and dark moon day?).

A Lunar hero having her own Glowspot would have to be highly chaotic and monstrous.

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Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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The Crimson Bat produces a Glowspot, so would Yara Aranis.

Lunar Heroes are tied to the phases of the Red Moon in some fundamental ways. Even the Red Emperor is tied to the Phases of the Red Moon and he is possibly the most important Lunar Hero.

So, I think that being tied to the Phases of the Red Moon is far more important to a Lunar hero than having a Personal Glowspot. 

In nay case, they can always trade for the Glowspot spell and cast it, or gain some magic item that gives them a personal Glowspot or HeroQuest to Yara Aranis or the Crimson Bat to get one.

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Also, there is a big difference between having a Personal Glowspot and having a Glowspot as in the Dragon pass units.

A Personal Glowspot means that the Hero can cast Lunar magic as if always at the Full Moon.

a Glowspot that affects others is much more powerful. I would imagine that it would start off as POW in metres, so only affects Companions, but could be increased to affect more and more people as the Hero gets more powerful.

 

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4 hours ago, soltakss said:

The Crimson Bat produces a Glowspot, so would Yara Aranis.

I disagree. Yara Aranis does not produce a Glowspot - if she did, there wouldn't be the necessity of a chain of operable Temples of the Reaching Moon. Her trick is to extend the effect of the Silver Shadow beyond its "natural" reach. (Although that may have been suppressed during Sheng's occupation of Peloria, as her very first temple only covers area inside the Silver Shadow.)

 

 

4 hours ago, soltakss said:

Also, there is a big difference between having a Personal Glowspot and having a Glowspot as in the Dragon pass units.

A Personal Glowspot means that the Hero can cast Lunar magic as if always at the Full Moon.

WIth ranged spells, you would want your target to be affected by the Glowspot as well. The Dragon Pass map area affected by the Bat is one hex - that's 5 miles or 8 km, admittedly a bit more than the usual range of heroic interaction, but then again not that much more.

 

 

Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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The Dragon Pass boardgame doesn't help us there, as it lists her as a superhero with complete (infinite) command over all the magic around her. Whether that is due to having something as measly as a Glowspot I don't know, but with a direct tap into the Ultimate, who needs the Glowspot?

 

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Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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1 hour ago, Joerg said:

The Dragon Pass boardgame doesn't help us there, as it lists her as a superhero with complete (infinite) command over all the magic around her. Whether that is due to having something as measly as a Glowspot I don't know, but with a direct tap into the Ultimate, who needs the Glowspot?

As I understand it, the big advantage of a "Glowspot" is that nearby casters can benefit, too...

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18 hours ago, EricW said:

Why haven’t Lunar heroes quested for the power to create their own glow spot? Or have they?

Change the word glowspot to nimbus, and you can see Jar-eel has one:

1048075242_Screenshot2020-10-05at19_45_14.png.332be43bd7dadd06988b3532ff8959ec.png

look in the Glorantha sourcebook page 146 and you will see who does and who doesn't - note she who waits.

in other parts of the comic, it expands to be a full aureole:

1417978839311.jpg.cf3493b1002dff3e71f77d6a05944eba.jpg

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20 hours ago, EricW said:

Lunar heroes must to some extent be free from the phases of the moon.
 

They cant lose all their power during dark moon, otherwise defeating them would be too easy - trick them into venturing outside the glow line, then kick them when they are down.

Yet Lunar armies, even armies led by heroes, suffer magical disadvantages during dark moon phases.

Has anyone thought about how this could work? Do Lunars in the immediate vicinity of a hero sometimes discover they can cast magic at full strength?
 

Why haven’t Lunar heroes quested for the power to create their own glow spot? Or have they?

Weren't there some magic items that can do that? Maybe in the Plunder book?

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In Cults of Terror, the Crimson Bat cult had a Glow Spot Rune spell, with a radius of 20 metres. I think in RQG, the Red Goddess cult can cast a similar spell (all of its members are Illuminated Rune Masters of Lunar or related cults as a pre-requisite, and then must past further examinations). A few Lunar heroes are of such power that they can have this effect more or less continuously. Jar-Eel in particular I feel does, or at least can manifest such a Glow Spot almost at will. 

And I've run it as certain Lunar demons, for example, having similar magic. It seems plausible that certain magical items might as well. 

8 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Perhaps the Wand of the Seven Phases that Duke Raus has?  (Which would be in the Pavis book.)

 

In RQ2, that Wand of the Seven Phases was certainly a very powerful item, but it didn't quite do that - it worked that way only for the person who was attuned to it, not for anyone near them. 

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19 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Perhaps the Wand of the Seven Phases that Duke Raus has?  (Which would be in the Pavis book.)

 

10 hours ago, davecake said:

In Cults of Terror, the Crimson Bat cult had a Glow Spot Rune spell, with a radius of 20 metres. I think in RQG, the Red Goddess cult can cast a similar spell (all of its members are Illuminated Rune Masters of Lunar or related cults as a pre-requisite, and then must past further examinations). A few Lunar heroes are of such power that they can have this effect more or less continuously. Jar-Eel in particular I feel does, or at least can manifest such a Glow Spot almost at will. 

And I've run it as certain Lunar demons, for example, having similar magic. It seems plausible that certain magical items might as well. 

In RQ2, that Wand of the Seven Phases was certainly a very powerful item, but it didn't quite do that - it worked that way only for the person who was attuned to it, not for anyone near them. 

Ah, that was it.

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22 hours ago, Roko Joko said:

Magic along the lines of a 20m glow spot rune spell sounds perfect for Yara Aranis masters, bat cultists, and top-tier Lunar heroes.

What are the conditions for casting such a spell? Is it subject to cyclical magic, or would that be self-defeating? If it is not subject to the rules of cyclical magic, is it appropriate for embodiments of the Goddess?

It probably should require illumination or a chaos feature, in order to be able to reach toward the Ultimate. (Or both at once.)

Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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23 hours ago, Roko Joko said:

Magic along the lines of a 20m glow spot rune spell sounds perfect for Yara Aranis masters, bat cultists, and top-tier Lunar heroes.

I would suggest making it a HeroQuest power which I imagine are built like shamanic abilities:

Power of the Moon  / Nimbus of the Moon / Crown of the Goddess, etc

Acts as a spherical Glow spot with a radius of 1m centred on the adventurers head. The radius doubling after the first point (so, 1m, 2m, 4m, 8m, 16m, etc).

That would make Jar-eel's aureole about 2m radius. Or as a demi-god, you could just say she has it. You could, depending on the heroquest add in extra bits, like can contract it, turn it off, or even be a phase. I'd not add conditions to the ability (rank, illuminate, runes, etc) as that would be in the context of the quest,and just make it more complex. 

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On 10/5/2020 at 11:38 AM, EricW said:

Lunar heroes must to some extent be free from the phases of the moon.
 

They cant lose all their power during dark moon, otherwise defeating them would be too easy - trick them into venturing outside the glow line, then kick them when they are down.

Yet Lunar armies, even armies led by heroes, suffer magical disadvantages during dark moon phases.

Has anyone thought about how this could work? Do Lunars in the immediate vicinity of a hero sometimes discover they can cast magic at full strength?
 

Why haven’t Lunar heroes quested for the power to create their own glow spot? Or have they?

Given that Glowspot is a Crimson Bat Rune Spell, and given that Lunar heroes are illuminated, surely they can simply sacrifice for the spell?  I mean, sure, it makes immense sense to have a Lunar HQ that grants this as a power, but given that the Crimson Bat gives this away to associated cults in the pantheon, how necessary is it?

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1 hour ago, Darius West said:

Given that Glowspot is a Crimson Bat Rune Spell, and given that Lunar heroes are illuminated, surely they can simply sacrifice for the spell?

Illuminates are forbidden to join the cult, to prevent them from becoming Priests and gaining control of the Crimson Bat. Of course, they could trade for the spell, given a friendly Issaries Cultist.

Edited by soltakss

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

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4 hours ago, Darius West said:

Given that Glowspot is a Crimson Bat Rune Spell, and given that Lunar heroes are illuminated, surely they can simply sacrifice for the spell?

Only the Red goddess's cult receives it as an associated spell. So as long as they are Red Goddess initiates thats fine.

4 hours ago, Darius West said:

I mean, sure, it makes immense sense to have a Lunar HQ that grants this as a power, but given that the Crimson Bat gives this away to associated cults in the pantheon, how necessary is it?

What I was suggesting makes it open to all that want to make the effort to receive this power.

2 hours ago, soltakss said:

Illuminates are forbidden to join the cult,

That's not in the RQG write up (obviously you couldn't know that). The real restriction is that once become an initiate, you stay with the bat for 20 years. It must be your primary cult, if you join another cult you can't be a priest. They can join the red goddess's cult if illuminated, etc. There must also be an opening for a new initiate as membership is limited.

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5 hours ago, soltakss said:

Illuminates are forbidden to join the cult, to prevent them from becoming Priests and gaining control of the Crimson Bat. Of course, they could trade for the spell, given a friendly Issaries Cultist.

In that case glow spot + extension means no Lunar army should ever suffer a significant magical disadvantage in battle - unless soldiers with access to reusable glowspot spell are so rare it doesn’t make a substantial strategic impact.

Or maybe casting glow spot makes you such a target soldiers avoid doing it?

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11 hours ago, EricW said:

In that case glow spot + extension

Glow spot isn't stackable, so no extending it.

Much better to bring the bat to a battle - its glow spot is 20km

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5 hours ago, David Scott said:

Glow spot isn't stackable, so no extending it.

I thought that had been clarified, that the Extension is stackable but the other spell doesn't have to be.

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

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2 hours ago, soltakss said:

I thought that had been clarified, that the Extension is stackable but the other spell doesn't have to be.

You're correct, in my mind Temporal and Stackable mix...

Quote

This common Rune spell extends the duration of any temporal Rune spell that has a normal duration of 15 minutes.

apologies for any one confused.

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On 10/9/2020 at 2:13 AM, soltakss said:

Illuminates are forbidden to join the cult, to prevent them from becoming Priests and gaining control of the Crimson Bat. Of course, they could trade for the spell, given a friendly Issaries Cultist.

The restriction seems odd.  I mean, the Crimson Bat is the steed of the Red Goddess and she's illuminated...

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