Which is the worst cult...

[Lordabdul]

On 5/30/2022 at 9:18 AM, David Scott said:

It's a cut and paste from the main cult write up...

Could a correction go on the WoD Q&A errata, please? I'm pretty sure most people would get it wrong.

[davecake]

On 5/30/2022 at 2:02 AM, Akhôrahil said:

Yelmalio is pretty good when you discount the atrocious Rune Magic.

While Yelmalio also has pretty poor spirit magic (and of course is forbidden some), they make up for it significantly by being associated with Ernalda, whose spirit magic is great. Yelmalios Gifts are ok, but not quite the game changers that Humakts are. Yelmalio, as always, is pretty good if in a pike phalanx with the pointy end facing towards the enemy, and usually in a lot of trouble otherwise. But at least, they weren’t used to relying on specialist rune magic anyway. 

Humakts gifts are really great. Of course, most Humakti will have only one Gift, but a Sword of Humakt with several Gifts is pretty frightening even without Rune magic. Of course they always have plenty of Bladesharp. I think they are the winners in a no rune magic situation as far as combat cults go. 

If you have no rune magic, Waha is still pretty badly off - that restriction to Heal 1 is a bigger problem if you don’t have Heal Wound to fall back on. The restrictions on Eiritha are stronger (no weapon magic), but it probably bothers them less - they were mostly in a support role before, and still are. Both will be even more reliant on what was always their biggest asset - being on top of an animal, that is probably big and scary, or at least fast. 

Lanbril remains good at being Lanbril - being mostly skill based and having a few unique spells means they are still very effective. Some have cool gadgets too, even alchemical tricks. Their combat ability (whatever it was) is largely unchanged.

Chalana Arroy still has many good healing resources, like healing plants and alchemy, and their healing skills, plus Sleep is an even better trump card than it was if there is no Rune magic to compare it to. So they remain pretty good at doing what they do. 

This has been a fun mental exercise. Now, how can I use it in a scenario. Related to the Dead Place, for example? Or some sort of heroquest to a place beyond the reach of the gods, such as someth8ng created by God Learner sorcery, perhaps created as a hiding place from the vengeance of the gods? 

 

[soltakss]

On 5/30/2022 at 11:33 AM, Shiningbrow said:

On 5/30/2022 at 11:19 AM, metcalph said:

Etyries in Avalon Hill's Gods of Glorantha could trade Spirit Magic/.  

As a Rune spell - yes. Not as a skill or ability.

But, once you gain the Spirit Magic spell it is there for good, unless you trade it away.

So, Etyries cultists have access to more Spirit Magic than most people.

 

[Shiningbrow]

44 minutes ago, soltakss said:

But, once you gain the Spirit Magic spell it is there for good, unless you trade it away.

So, Etyries cultists have access to more Spirit Magic than most people.

 

Well, yeah, but the point of the thread** was about what cults are good without consideration of rune spells.

But, to respond directly to your Etyries - basically any spirit worshipping/shaman cult can do the same... (granted, since there's no limit to the point value of the traded spells, this is pretty powerful - if you can find someone willing to trade that X+8 spirit point variable spell away... I think the spirit cult wins out on that point.

 

(**That, and to sort of satirise the other similar threads that have been blocked already).

[Kloster]

2 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

Well, yeah, but the point of the thread** was about what cults are good without consideration of rune spells.

No, it was 'after you run out of RP'. If you traded spell before running out of RP, it does count.

[Akhôrahil]

1 hour ago, Kloster said:

No, it was 'after you run out of RP'. If you traded spell before running out of RP, it does count.

In this situation, the answer is obviously Issaries, because when you're out of Rune Points, you're still loaded to the gills with Spell Traded rune magic, likely dozens and dozens of points. 🙂

[Godlearner]

10 minutes ago, Akhôrahil said:

likely dozens and dozens of points. 🙂

Very, very unlikely. You are talking about a situation where an Issaries make the trade and does not use the spells and these are still considered as part of RP even if not Issaries' RP

[davecake]

On 6/2/2022 at 6:21 PM, Shiningbrow said:

But, to respond directly to your Etyries - basically any spirit worshipping/shaman cult can do the same...

I’ve always thought Etyries was a bit weak compared to Issaries, as trading spirit magic seems a lot less useful. But it’s occurred to me it’s a much more useful ability in an area where shamans are rare and a lot of cults have limited spirit magic. 

Of course trading genuinely hard to get, cult specific spirit magic is potentially very useful, but most of the really good stuff is against cult rules to trade - Lanbril spells, or Sleep. Though in high Lunar political circles, where Illumination is common, the stakes are high, and secrecy and deception are everywhere, I bet a few Dart Competitors somehow acquire knowledge of such magics. 

More mundane, but still rare, magic will be a bit of an Etyries stock in trade I guess - unusual Detect or Command spells, for example. 

[Scotty]

On 5/29/2022 at 7:33 PM, Eff said:

it has to be Seven Mothers because you actually get less Spirit Magic at creation than any other cult. You have 5 points of free spirit magic, and there are no spells with a 0.5-point cost, so you'll always have one left over. I don't think there's any clarification on whether you can save the free points to combine with purchasing spirit magic at character creation, but in any case, that's still an extra expenditure just to be able to use that 1 leftover point after you take Befuddle and Glamour and want to add a humble Heal 1 or Mobility.

Note that Seven Mothers initiates have access to all Spirit Magic (except cult specials) via Jakaleel the Witch's shamans. In character creation cost is not important, you still get 5 points.

Quote

Clarification:

Step 6, Cults, Seven Mothers, page 77

Cult Spirit Magic: Befuddle (2 pts.) and Glamour (2 pts.) plus any other 1 point spell.

Also in the Q&A here: https://basicroleplaying.org/topic/15243-runequest-qa/page/46/#comment-255415