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Sorcery spells and items.


Godlearner

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4 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

So, the problem wasn't the rules themselves, but in sticking merely with that list only... And given there are rules for creating new spells, I have to presume that was the intention.

Yep, it says right on p. 390:  "This section lists and describes a sample of spells that might be known by sorcerers in the Dragon Pass area."    If one of my players was keen on sorcery, that's what I would have to be doing right now . The sole sorcery users is the Lhankhor Mhy philosopher, and he treats them merely as adjunct abilities that he happens to know.  I believe all of his casts so far have been with minimum intensity, range, and duration, for example.  Also spirit magic keeps encroaching on this ability to do otherwise.  It has clearly won out in the struggle for free INT.

So luckily that's off my plate and I can wait for the "Glorantha vision of a sorcerer".  It might a lot of the Glorantha vision of a Dwarf in that it is very thematic, but not appealing to game by most.  But that's okay.   They shouldn't all be Gimli and Gandalf (or more likely from long time players of other fantasy games -- Tim).

 

 

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11 hours ago, Mameluco said:

Funny thing, the most I learn about western sorcery the most I think you'll basically end up playing Ars Magica: Glorantha. 😄 

I think it's kind of the point, especially since (IIRC) parts of Ars Magica were designed with influences from Glorantha and RuneQuest in the first place.

IMHO, playing actual full-time sorcerers (e.g. Zzaburi) would require large time jumps, or AM-type troupe play to be playable, since sorcerers spend days and weeks in preparation for any one big adventure or battle. So yes, I agree.

Another option is to treat the sorcerer as a shared patron PC/NPC between the players -- you play the hirelings and servitors and such, going on dangerous adventures all the time to find herbs and items and information, and potentially having a bit of sorcery, similar to philosophers. And then every now and then the group chooses to "take the wizard out of the tower", and it's like a Voltron thing where the players share control of the character while still playing their PC as they accompany him on something big. All the big spells the group has prepared over the past handful of adventures are ready to be used at that point.

 

8 hours ago, Dissolv said:

Yep, it says right on p. 390:  "This section lists and describes a sample of spells that might be known by sorcerers in the Dragon Pass area."

And more importantly, I think, it was meant as a sample of spells quite biased towards the only playable sorcerers: Lhankor Mhy sages. There are a few hints about other types of sorcerers (like the short descriptions of sorcery schools on p389), but LM is really the only reason Sorcery was in the rulebook.

 

8 hours ago, Dissolv said:

It might a lot of the Glorantha vision of a Dwarf in that it is very thematic, but not appealing to game by most.  But that's okay.

Some designers and authors have also mentioned in passing that they personally would find it more interesting to play in one of the other Western castes, if I remember correctly. Some are even more vocal about how playing as a Malkioni is a form of premise rejection of what the setting is about. After all, people who want to play wizards with free or malleable forms of magic have quite a few games and settings to pick from already, and don't need to spend decades in RQ being frustrated at the setting or the rules or both.

Ludovic aka Lordabdul -- read and listen to  The God Learners , the Gloranthan podcast, newsletter, & blog !

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13 hours ago, Dissolv said:

If one of my players was keen on sorcery, that's what I would have to be doing right now

Your players can't do that? 

13 hours ago, Dissolv said:

The sole sorcery users is the Lhankhor Mhy philosopher

I'm not sure how you meant that, but ... Philosopher is the occupation that gives sorcery, and LM is the only cult that clearly specifies it. 

(Do, you could mix and match with them and other occupations/cults). 

Also, the free allocation of skill points would also mean you wouldn't actually need either that occupation or cult!

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On 3/4/2021 at 1:32 AM, davecake said:

In a practical sense, yes, he is an old man by the time he is literate enough to compare to a Rune Priest (18 POW and 90% in their main Rune Affinity), and he has literally dedicated his life to those spells - any spells that other than the two or three learned during character creation are likely to be far far below his POW x5. So choose widely at character creation, you are probably stuck with them. 

But... It's mostly a moot point. Due to the duration possible, most sorcerers are going to use skill enhancing modifiers for most of their spells, making low casting skill irrelevant.

Sure, a war wizard is going to have it a bit tough..  but then, that's why they focus on improving those spells that desperately need to be cast right now (ie, less than a minute... Or even 30 seconds).

I'll presume that such dedicated sorcerers have other tricks up their sleeves as well, which may find their way into a future book on the west. (E.g., techniques. We already have variant techniques for Mostali)

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On 3/2/2021 at 9:54 AM, Godlearner said:

The rule book specifies that sorcery spells can be inscribed into an item, but these are only usable by the sorcerer who created them. Are there any other way to store a sorcery spell? Are there sorcery matrixes? Can a spirit have a knowledge of a spell for  a sorcerer to cast? Are there such things as precast one-use sorcery spells, like scroll or a potion? Are there actual Grimoires, or spell books? 

Just directly relating to this, don't forget POW Enhancing crystals for boosting Intensity.. I'm sure some GMs would try to nerf this by saying that wouldn't apply, but surely in Glorantha some of them would.

And never forget the super usefulness of bound spirits with useful spells.

And no spoilers, but one powerful sorcerous magical item has made it into an official publication.

Lastly, taking leaves out of prior editions, sorcerers could make MP storing items that replenish themselves.

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4 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

Sure, a war wizard is going to have it a bit tough..  but then, that's why they focus on improving those spells that desperately need to be cast right now (ie, less than a minute... Or even 30 seconds).

I think in practice, if you didn’t choose the spell at character creation, it is unlikely to ever get to a %age such that casting it in combat seems like a prudent use of your time. Either enhancement/utility spells get cast prior, or you cast it as an opening attack or similar when you are the first attackers and have time to prepare - eg if you are able to ambush an enemy, or have them bottled up in a confined space, then taking a few rounds to drop a Moonfire or Conflagration on their position appeals, but in the midst of melee combat taking a couple of rounds for something that is at best very unreliable sounds a very bad idea. 
 

 

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3 hours ago, davecake said:

I think in practice, if you didn’t choose the spell at character creation, it is unlikely to ever get to a %age such that casting it in combat seems like a prudent use of your time. Either enhancement/utility spells get cast prior, or you cast it as an opening attack or similar when you are the first attackers and have time to prepare - eg if you are able to ambush an enemy, or have them bottled up in a confined space, then taking a few rounds to drop a Moonfire or Conflagration on their position appeals, but in the midst of melee combat taking a couple of rounds for something that is at best very unreliable sounds a very bad idea. 
 

 

Agreed. But war wizards shouldn't be going toe to toe, unless they're fully buffed. I figure such sorcerers were the ones to stand at the back and rain down holy hellfire... or rocks... or lightning... Spells are ranged attacks!

They're not a Paladin...

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12 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

I'm not sure how you meant that, but ... Philosopher is the occupation that gives sorcery, and LM is the only cult that clearly specifies it. 

Just literally.  The player rolled up the occupation "Philosopher", and chose the cult of Lhankor Mhy. 

 

12 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

Your players can't do that? 

None of them even own the rule book! 

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On 3/6/2021 at 6:39 PM, Shiningbrow said:

Ummm... ok. But, RAW, any sorcerer could pick up that Rune anyway. Getting the relevant spells, however....

Sure.  But thebRokari all mastering the rune rather suggests they are going to have a lot of spells available, or they wouldn’t bother. 
of course, they could all just be learning defences against spirits - if this extremely smart group of people haven’t worked out how massively useful bound spirits are.

It’s also worth noting the Loskalmi know Spirit rune magic, too - it’s the main rune of the Furlandan school. Ok, so ostensibly so they can banish disease spirits and passion spirits and other wicked things but the thing about sorcery is once you have the knowledge there are a lot of ways to apply it.

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  • 1 year later...

You can twist it any way you want. You can fabricate what ever Gloronthianesq rational you can think of, the bottom line is RQG has commitied the ultimate sin and made sorcery unfun.

And fun is the whole point of this exercise.

There seems to have been an obsessive desire to make EVERY SINGLE aspect of sorcery infearior to...pretty much everything.

I am not sure why but well, there is is.

And unless the authors want RQG to go the way of RQ2, RQ3, RQM, etc etc they need to be focused on make the game as fun to as wide an audience as possible. Making Sorcery as lame as humanly possible ain't the way to do it.

I'm just saying.

 

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14 hours ago, Murf said:

You can twist it any way you want. You can fabricate what ever Gloronthianesq rational you can think of, the bottom line is RQG has commitied the ultimate sin and made sorcery unfun.

Sorcery was always unfun.

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

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

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14 hours ago, Richard S. said:

Inflammatory necropost that doesn't really add to or relate to the previous conversation? Just ignore it lads.

Doesn't mean it is not wrong. I have enjoyed Glorontha since the 70s. (yeah I ma that old)  Sorcury was one of th emost intresting think in RQ3. It was not well done and often over powered but intersting. I had hoped RQG would adress that but they went way over board. It's unplayable as writen so why even bother with it?

This is a place for voicing ideas right? Or am I in the wrong place?

 

  

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14 hours ago, Murf said:

It's unplayable as writen so why even bother with it?

I think you don't understand the meaning of the word "unplayable".

 

On 1/28/2023 at 8:50 AM, Murf said:

and made sorcery unfun.

 

I completely disagree!

Granted, I probably have a different definition for the word 'fun' than  you (and, let's face it, that's the central point that needs clarification to this 'argument').

I don't like D&D. And so having auto & instant spells for everyone, with no drawbacks or difficulties annoys me... and I'm writing this because I sense that many people prefer a D&D model for their magic.

RQG sorcery is realistic to me (in many ways), whilst retaining the fantasy element (of magic). I like the technical side of the RQG sorcery - including its limitations of Free INT - into a system that can be very powerful.

What I also like (and bold because it's a major part of my liking) is that I can have fun coming up with new spells, and the rules are provided to do that! While you can do that with both Spirit and Rune magic, sorcery is where it's at for achieving the impossible - quickly!

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I really like the Sorcery how is defined in Rqg but in my campaign i have houseruled the Sorcery . Basically with two simple tips:

1) no 1 round lost in the charge of the spell

2) the time lost charging the spell is 1mp/1sr not the standard 1/2

Also the spell on the RQG manual are few so i use some spell from the older edition and for the level of my campaign (hero level) there are also some special ritual and magic object for the wizard that Help to partecipate to the adventure. I understand that a lot prefere the slow casting and the Wizard that become mainly a student out of the adventure or a Buffer...i prefere my version, the "glass cannon"...My glorantha is different 🙂

 

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