God talker question

[Murf]

 Probable a silly question; several cults, like Humakt, do not have an entry for God Talkers. Does a cult write up have to specify they allow them?

[Bill the barbarian]

In one way that is my understanding, in another way, all these who speak for/with the gods are Godtalkers though this is usually only rune levels and possibly only my interpretation.

Edited July 30, 2021 by Bill the barbarian

[Akhôrahil]

55 minutes ago, Murf said:

 Does a cult write up have to specify they allow them?

Yes. Note that Humakt doesn’t have Priests either, and a God-Talker tends to function as a lesser priest.

[RandomNumber]

2 hours ago, Murf said:

 Probable a silly question; several cults, like Humakt, do not have an entry for God Talkers. Does a cult write up have to specify they allow them?

YGWV. If you want them, have them. Who can possibly say how the Humakt cult has evolved in different places and at different times.  You could have fun with Humakti from one area encountering a wandering Humakti God talker.  Each of them stridently convinced the other is doing it wrong.

[Murf]

In the regimented society of a Humakt temple/military unit, I see God Talkers as Lieutenants filling the rank structure between Sergeants (Initiates) and Captain Runelords. As an Ex military guy it makes perfect sense. They would mainly take care of anything the Captain doesn't want to deal with.  Captains are important men and cant be bothered with spending a week doing spell training for one warrior. Do you want the Captain of the Guard teaching First Aid to the new guys or guarding...who ever boss man is?  

 Well that is my take anyway.

  

[jajagappa]

4 hours ago, Murf said:

 Probable a silly question; several cults, like Humakt, do not have an entry for God Talkers. Does a cult write up have to specify they allow them?

Most cults will not have God-talkers.  Generally God-talkers function in more rural clans where there is a need for someone to talk on the role of priest on a part-time basis (i.e. they still have their other work to do).  They are typically part of the largest cults, i.e. Orlanth, Ernalda, perhaps the Grain Goddesses, who have a broad presence throughout the land.

With cults like Humakt, they generally have a temple in either: 1) a central urban location that can support a number of warriors devoted to fighting (and serve as hiring halls for those who need mercenaries); or 2) a large, mobile regiment dedicated to fighting.  Humakti priests are effectively Rune Lords - martial captains who organize the warriors both for fighting and for worship.  There's generally no need for God-talkers in such a cult.

However, you may find for a given cult, you want to have or introduce such a role, and can certainly do so. 

[Eff]

God-talkers are, in the RQG description of them, maintainers of shrines. So cults that have god-talkers are ones that are likely to have rural shrines rather than concentrated temples. Which to me suggests a fair number of spirit and hero cults rely on god-talkers.

[soltakss]

12 hours ago, Murf said:

Probable a silly question; several cults, like Humakt, do not have an entry for God Talkers. Does a cult write up have to specify they allow them?

If a cult does not specify God-Talkers and they fit in your game then I'd say just include them.

Humakt having Acolytes called daggers has been around for a long time, so why not include Daggers as God-Talkers?

To me, God-Talkers do a lot of the admin that priests could do, so apply quite well to Humakt.

[Joerg]

I feel that the God-Talker is not exactly a rules-detemined position, but very much a position in the character's actual community regardless of the character's actual achievement in terms of rising to rune level.

Even the rules say so:

Quote

God-talkers may be initiates of their cults, or may even be Rune Priests or Rune Lords of a closely associated god. God-talkers have some of the privileges and responsibilities of Rune Priests, but not all. Retired Rune Priests may be freed from many of their responsibilities by requesting demotion to God-talker status. God-talkers are often the only people to tend shrines.

Although then they go on talking about fulfilling priest requirements or getting a rune prest's benefits (use of rune points and POW) when calling upon divine intervention.

The benefit of the +20% on POW gain rolls probably would only apply if the god-talker actually fulfils the priestly requirement of 18 POW.

The old deal-breaker for RQ3, reusable rune magic, that separates a God-Talker from the common initiate, has gone away in RQG, which relieves a lot of the need for the official Acolyte position.

 

Rigidly clinging to broad rules statements will necessarily bring weird results. The Rune Masters providing one each of the rune levels mentioned in Cults of Prax is one example, the rigid absence of any such rune levels because RQ3 Gods of Glorantha provided a change in direction is another.

There is enough nostalgia for personal RQ2 experiences or for reading about rune priests of Humakt in the Temple of the Wooden Sword snippets we have that tossing all of those out with the bath-water seems a little extreme. YGWV, and if that Glorantha requires a different interpretation or application of the RQG rules, then YRQGWV accordingly.

[moonwolf8]

My view of the God-Talker is shaped from reading "The Magical Power of the Saints" by Ray T. Malbrough.  The God-Talker maintains a shrine where offerings are made to local heroes and lesser gods.   In a local steading or village where Humakt isn't important enough to have a shrine or temple of his own, but is necessary for seasonal or funerary rituals the God-Talker might represent Humakt with a flint dagger, a clump of raven feathers, or a wolf's skull.