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Holy Troll Nightmare!


Briquelet

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3 hours ago, d(sqrt(-1)) said:

 

Yes that's exactly what I would do too - let them do something to get it back.

That sounds fair enough to me, if it makes sense in context, although as GM the character would have to do something really provocative or careless to have an NPC just go after the sword like that.

Check out the Runequest Glorantha Wiki for RQ links and resources. Any updates or contributions welcome!

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25 minutes ago, simonh said:

...the character would have to do something really provocative or careless to have an NPC just go after the sword like that.

I agree, any adventurer's actions can have consequences, and if they do go around seeking out and killing lots of trolls, then consequences are entirely legitimate. Consequences for their whole clan, possibly, rather than just personally. But I wouldn't persecute the character just because they have a powerful thing. A powerful, blessed weapon like that could be the centre of a campaign, but I don't think it has to, any more than a Gift of Sense Assassin should bring down the wrath of all assassins. One character should not dominate the game unless that's what the gaming group wants.

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On 7/28/2018 at 5:08 AM, Briquelet said:

...

Bless specific weapon to do double damage (once armor is penetrated) against a given foe species.

1/ That's when the horror struck me. If this guy casts Truesword, he will roll 2D8+1D4+2 damage on a REGULAR hit. If he hits a troll, everything that goes through armor will be doubled. If his sword is iron, the damage would get doubled again! Something tells me that a guy like this would make a Zorak Zorani hit list in a hurry.

2/ Ok, so here is a question that occurred to me after I calmed down. If the blessed specific weapon in the example above is destroyed, what happens? Take on two more geases to bless a new weapon? Go through a period of atonement and/or testing before gaining the blessing on a new weapon? Other?

1/ FIRST, this is IMPOSSIBLE because of numerous reasons but mainly a sword in IRON is immunate to magic so any spells cast on a Iron weapon just vanish; SECONDLY, a sword of Iron is in death metal and casting true sword is basically giving a Rune of Death blessing to a sword... as ineffective as trying to sanctify the Holy Grail with holy water.

Generally speaking, you cannot have two spells with the same/a common effect active at the same time (as state in RQG Incompatible spells p387). When two spells are active a the same times, the stronger one stay active and if both are equivalent, the already in existing remains in effect.

You can only double damage at best, YGMV but the rules state this !

2/ Speaking about Gifts and geas, the rules states "you take a gift and get some geases" but in terms of history and myth, a geas is like a vow or a curse*. Most players will end with a list of gifts and a list of geas, unrelated to each others. I prefer the logic of the myth, you make a vow and create your Geas : you take one or more conditions (humakt's geas table) and you gain some powers (humakt's gifts).

Each "Geas" are independent and the Geas bring you the gift. So when you cannot lost the gift as long as the geas remain : If your blessed weapons is destroy, you could deal it two way :
-The geas is the core and you just have to choose a new weapons (grabbing a new sword and declaring to the gods : "This is my new Durandil, sword of Nijel the Destroyer"...
-The geas became invalid, like Thor losing is hammer... you must go through the whole process of vowing to get a new blessed weapon.

YGMV, up to you to decide

 

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geas

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I think, it is from RQ3 material, where it is put, that iron is immune to magic. I do remember reading that somewhere. For example, when equipped full body iron armor, it prevent all magic come through, beneficial and harmful. I think spirits and magical energy are not same. Spirits are entities, which are bound into object. But, it should not be possible to cast binding spell into iron, hilt or handle with different material, yes.

Edited by Jusmak
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23 minutes ago, MJ Sadique said:

1/ FIRST, this is IMPOSSIBLE because of numerous reasons but mainly a sword in IRON is immunate to magic so any spells cast on a Iron weapon just vanish;

That's unenchanted iron. Rune Lords use enchanted Iron, which doesn't have this effect.

There might be of course some fringe folk in Glorantha not using personal magic who would don a suit of unenchanted iron gear to become rather impervious to magic. That is, magic directly cast onto them. They would still be as susceptible to magic which just altered the world around them, e.g. an elemental opening the earth below them.

 

23 minutes ago, MJ Sadique said:

SECONDLY, a sword of Iron is in death metal and casting true sword is basically giving a Rune of Death blessing to a sword... as ineffective as trying to sanctify the Holy Grail with holy water.

Not so. A sword made of iron may be the death rune shaped token of death metal, but that doesn't mean that death rune magic cannot take it closer to the original tool of Death, in all likelihood without ever reaching that.

 

23 minutes ago, MJ Sadique said:

Generally speaking, you cannot have two spells with the same/a common effect active at the same time (as state in RQG Incompatible spells p387). When two spells are active a the same times, the stronger one stay active and if both are equivalent, the already in existing remains in effect.

The rules explicitely allow Bladesharp, True Sword, Boon of Kargan Tor  and Neutralize Armor on a single weapon, possibly of enchanted Iron, which may well be carrying multiple blessings of Humakt, and attack using Sword Trance. Only Fireblade doesn't work with this combo.

 

23 minutes ago, MJ Sadique said:

You can only double damage at best, YGMV but the rules state this !

The rules state that True Sword won't double anything but the damage of the weapon, not the damage bonus, and by extension none of the other spells I listed above. The effects still add up, and a single hit will send one of the limbs of Bigclub the Giant flying, or at least falling down separately.

 

On the topic of Humakti munchkinism, have you heard about Humakti Lottery Swords?

 

Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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3 hours ago, Joerg said:

The rules explicitely allow Bladesharp, True Sword, Boon of Kargan Tor  and Neutralize Armor on a single weapon, possibly of enchanted Iron, which may well be carrying multiple blessings of Humakt, and attack using Sword Trance. Only Fireblade doesn't work with this combo.

The rules state that True Sword won't double anything but the damage of the weapon, not the damage bonus, and by extension none of the other spells I listed above. The effects still add up, and a single hit will send one of the limbs of Bigclub the Giant flying, or at least falling down separately.

I don't see the problem with what I said ! ... but ... Let me clarify some details because I might had miss something :
-Glorantha Lores state that Iron dampens Magic but only RQ3 and Heroquest ( & HW) give a rules about it. In RQ3 a full chain mail give you a -100% modifier and Heroquest state "
Iron (whether refined or not) dampens magic. Anyone holding iron receives a penalty when they cast magic (or a bonus when they resist it) equal to the item’s total bonus."
-RQ Glorantha don't (yet) give any rules about how much UR-Metal (iron) dampens magic... until then, as YGMV It's up to the master to choose if a little-one-rune-point-spell magic can be cast on iron or not.
-GTG specify some peculiar trait about Iron enchanted sword : "
A few cults know how to enchant a piece of iron for use by a specific person, ameliorating its magic dampening side effect for that person alone." which mean you cannot steal an iron sword an benefit from its enchanted properties.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

About Geas and Gifts n' Briquelet question "If the blessed specific weapon in the example above is destroyed, what happens ?
-in my french version of Gods of Glorantha, the RQ3 rule state that you can transfer a blessing from a weapon to another one if you ask humakt with Divine Intervention. (maybe the good answer you were looking for)

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42 minutes ago, MJ Sadique said:

-RQ Glorantha don't (yet) give any rules about how much UR-Metal (iron) dampens magic...

There was a preview about the Blood of the Gods (magic crystals) and the Bones of the Gods (rune metals) which explicitely repeated that enchanted iron doesn't dampen magic that way. Available for download to all who subscribed to the newsletter about RQ releases. I would count this as being given official rules.

42 minutes ago, MJ Sadique said:

until then, as YGMV It's up to the master to choose if a little-one-rune-point-spell magic can be cast on iron or not.

You are entirely correct, YGMV (or YRQGMV) may make a rune-lord's iron weapon provided by the cult impossible to combine with his cult's magic.

 

The master is in charge of the rules interpretations for his games, and can alter them - preferably after consultation with his players, or at least notifying them of how he handles such things. During the session, this shouldn't cause a major rules debate, either.

After the session, the issue can be debated, and GM and players can work out whether and what effect such rulings have on their enjoyment.

Things get a little unpleasant when a GM confronts unfamiliar players who may have brought their own characters with house rules in the middle of a game.

Personally, I don't usually play characters from cults which have rune lords, so I don't expect my characters ever to wield an iron weapon. I would be seriously disturbed by that ruling anyway if it affected someone else's rune lord, and might vote with my feet.

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Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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8 hours ago, simonh said:

If your careless with the sword, or get into situations where it risks getting damaged or destroyed, that's not anyone taking it away.

Well I was talking about the GM taking it away, not an in-game reason/NPC etc. If someone has put points/effort into something then I'm going to make sure they can get it back or quest for a new one.

Edited by d(sqrt(-1))

Always start what you finish.

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Thank you for the awesome feedback!

As I have been reading everyone's responses, I was reminded of something---fun is the name of the game. A heroquest or an act of atonement could be very cool. I will try to tie everything into the story when possible, maintain player interest, and let them feel the sting a bit if the loss/destruction was due to their foolishness.

Ultimately, should the player lose his sword, I think getting it back will be heavily determined by his/her prior actions and what is best for the story and players` enjoyment. 

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On 7/30/2018 at 2:53 AM, Briquelet said:

Thank you for the awesome feedback!

This is the place to come for awesome feedback.

And endless discussion of minutiae ...

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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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