Shamans and Priests

[Kolati]

Hi. In RQ Roleplaying in Glorantha, shamans of certain cults (Daka Fal, Waha) acts as priests of the cult. Does it means they have the benefits and obligations of a priest, like easy chance to increase Pow, more oportunitties to increease it and to recover rune magic.? Or is it only a social role in the community? Since is easier to became a shaman than to became a priest I think the correct answer is the second but I want to ask another people. Thanks for your answers.

[Austin]

My gut reaction was "no, it's the social role," but as I think on it, I feel like I would probably play it as a "yes." Although perhaps someone who has just become a shaman is treated as an "assistant" still for a while, and only the shamans leading clan/tribal ceremonies get the Rune Priest benefits. Hrm.

I feel like getting the increased opportunity to recover Rune Magic would be included, but the +20% chance to increase POW would not (especially since Shamans can kind of do that anyway with Soul Expansion). I think everyone gets chances for POW Gain rolls at Worship--priest, shaman, initiate, etc.--but I might be mistaken.

A way you could do it is that the Shaman counts as "full priest" with benefits/obligations only if he's got POW above 18. So a shaman w/ a sizeable fetch might not be a full priest in that way, depending on his POW. And if he wanted to be serving as a priest, it would be more difficult for him to gain POW to add to his fetch.

Hrm. Maybe just social role is best overall. The above is basically thinking out-loud. Take it as you will.

[PhilHibbs]

1 hour ago, Kolati said:

Hi. In RQ Roleplaying in Glorantha, shamans of certain cults (Daka Fal, Waha) acts as priests of the cult. Does it means they have the benefits and obligations of a priest, like easy chance to increase Pow, more oportunitties to increease it and to recover rune magic.?

I don't think so. The benefits of being a shaman are well described and extensive, and "acts as" is a long way from "gains all the benefits of".

[Austin]

5 minutes ago, PhilHibbs said:

I don't think so. The benefits of being a shaman are well described and extensive, and "acts as" is a long way from "gains all the benefits of".

Oh, and another thing to tack onto these questions--are Shamans Rune Masters? I've been re-reading RQG now that I've got my hard copy, and it seems that RAW only Priests, Lords, and God-Talkers are Rune Masters (which is relevant for some spells and effects which do/don't effect them, like the Rune spell Peace).

[PhilHibbs]

29 minutes ago, Crel said:

Oh, and another thing to tack onto these questions--are Shamans Rune Masters?

I think so.

[David Scott]

4 hours ago, Kolati said:

Hi. In RQ Roleplaying in Glorantha, shamans of certain cults (Daka Fal, Waha) acts as priests of the cult.

Yes, they have rune magic as well as act as shaman.

Daka Fal page 291

Waha page 306

4 hours ago, Kolati said:

Does it means they have the benefits and obligations of a priest, like easy chance to increase Pow, more opportunities to increase it and to recover rune magic.?

Yes.

4 hours ago, Kolati said:

Or is it only a social role in the community?

Both

4 hours ago, Kolati said:

Since is easier to became a shaman than to became a priest

I'm not sure it is considering the POW you must use to gain fetch and the taboos you will likely take.

[David Scott]

3 hours ago, Crel said:

A way you could do it is that the Shaman counts as "full priest" with benefits/obligations only if he's got POW above 18. So a shaman w/ a sizeable fetch might not be a full priest in that way, depending on his POW. And if he wanted to be serving as a priest, it would be more difficult for him to gain POW to add to his fetch.

This is exactly the case you still need the requirements on page 276.

[David Scott]

3 hours ago, Crel said:

are Shamans Rune Masters

Technically yes, as are "Grand" sorcerers. The terminology will hopefully be more clearly defined future books. 

[PhilHibbs]

So if a shaman takes a couple of levels of Soul Expansion, and they have a POW of 18, they have a 45% chance of a POW gain? That's pretty good.

That really should be made clear in the rules, if they get that benefit. I'm sure a lot of people would assume, like me, that they didn't (as I said, "act as" is a long way from "get all the benefits of").

[David Scott]

1 hour ago, PhilHibbs said:

So if a shaman takes a couple of levels of Soul Expansion, and they have a POW of 18, they have a 45% chance of a POW gain? That's pretty good.

That really should be made clear in the rules, if they get that benefit. I'm sure a lot of people would assume, like me, that they didn't (as I said, "act as" is a long way from "get all the benefits of").

Yes, but they've got to get Soul Expansion. If they took that as their free ability great. But to get another level, they've got to contact a Greater Entity and sacrifice a characteristic point. At this point they are already powerful characters. I assume your calculation is

21+2 levels of SS =23, 23-18= 5 = 25%. They would likely be a Priest, so the roll is +20% so 45%. Don't forget that POW gain rolls are seasonal.

My point is that there are other cool shaman powers, not everyone will take Soul Expansion, based on my own experience, i'd be dumping POW into my Fetch and rune pool.

[davecake]

16 hours ago, David Scott said:

My point is that there are other cool shaman powers, not everyone will take Soul Expansion, based on my own experience, i'd be dumping POW into my Fetch and rune pool

Well sure, but if you are thinking long term, you'll be taking Soul Expansion so you have more POW to dump into your Fetch and Rune pool. There are probably equivalent ways for seriously long term ambitious sorcerers and priests to acquire similar boosts, we just don't know what they are yet. 

[Jeff]

On 10/4/2018 at 9:40 AM, davecake said:

Well sure, but if you are thinking long term, you'll be taking Soul Expansion so you have more POW to dump into your Fetch and Rune pool. There are probably equivalent ways for seriously long term ambitious sorcerers and priests to acquire similar boosts, we just don't know what they are yet. 

My experience with players playing long-term games is that they tend to minimax in ways utterly strange and unexpected. Self-resurrection is a popular one in my circles.