A few basic questions:

[gamester66]

1) In the basic book, a character with the Runecasting skill picks one of 4 or 5 runes and learns one spell.
a) This rune costs 1 perm POW I'm guessing, correct? So a Wizard who takes Runecasting 3 times for 3 Runes will also lose 3 POW up front?
b) The spell that is learned, is there a limit on the Magnitude? It just says one spell so can it be say, Protection 4 or Healing 6 (with the correct Rune)? Or does it have to be Magnitude 1?

2) In Cults of Glorantha, most of them give a specific list of which Divine Spells they have access to, and they also list a selection of cult spells.
a) The Divine Magic obviously uses Lore (specific theology) as the casting skill, but do a cult/religion's cult spells also use the Lore or do they acquire a Runcasting skill for their cult spell's rune?
b) Do they have to acquire the appropriate Rune before they can even learn the cult spell, or is it taught Rune-less since it is being inspired from the cult's deity?
c) I think that it also mentions that (Runepriests/Runelords? or maybe it said anyone) who learns Divine Magic can not know (and must forget) any Spirit Magic and Sorcery spells. Is Spirit Magic referring to shamanistic magics or does it mean Rune spells (and further imply that a cult member does NOT need a Rune to learn the cult spells)? (Which also means he can't Integrate any further Runes or could he have them for their powers, but just never learn any spells for them?)

3) In Arms & Equipment, I think you can buy steel equipment (x5 cost, 1/2 ENC).
a) Does this reduction also apply to the Skill Penalty for wearing the armor (say only -2 1/2% for a chainmail coif)?
b) If you make something made with one of the special materials (coral, steel, etc) and you also want it Exquisite quality (x5 cost), is that a total of x10 cost (x5 + x5) or x25 cost (x5 x5)?

Thank you for any insights!

 

[Halfbat]

1) In the basic book, a character with the Runecasting skill picks one of 4 or 5 runes and learns one spell.
a) This rune costs 1 perm POW I'm guessing, correct? So a Wizard who takes Runecasting 3 times for 3 Runes will also lose 3 POW up front?

In play he would, but it doesn't say to deduct it during character generation and no-one I have spoken to yet deducts the POW for Runes acquired during character generation.

b) The spell that is learned, is there a limit on the Magnitude? It just says one spell so can it be say, Protection 4 or Healing 6 (with the correct Rune)? Or does it have to be Magnitude 1?

It doesn't say. Initially I ran it as 1 pt / Rune, but it ends up penalising those players so we've settled on max 3 pts non-progressive, 2 pts for progressive (eg Healing 2, Protection 2, etc).

a) The Divine Magic obviously uses Lore (specific theology) as the casting skill, but do a cult/religion's cult spells also use the Lore or do they acquire a Runcasting skill for their cult spell's rune? [...and (b) do they need a Rune...]

Cult Rune Spells are really only those readily available or for which discount prices can be obtained: they still need an integrated Rune (see the core rules on cults) to be cast. That said, there are some threads on these boards where peeps have toyed with the idea of being able to cast these with Lore(Specific Theology).

c) I think that it also mentions that (Runepriests/Runelords? or maybe it said anyone) who learns Divine Magic can not know (and must forget) any Spirit Magic and Sorcery spells.

I cannot remember reading that rule anywhere. I certainly can't find it in the base rules nor in the companion SRD nor in CoG1 (all that's to hand). Can you point out where it says that, as it doesn't sound right...

Hope this helps!

 

[gamesmeister]

2) In Cults of Glorantha, most of them give a specific list of which Divine Spells they have access to, and they also list a selection of cult spells.
a) The Divine Magic obviously uses Lore (specific theology) as the casting skill, but do a cult/religion's cult spells also use the Lore or do they acquire a Runcasting skill for their cult spell's rune?
b) Do they have to acquire the appropriate Rune before they can even learn the cult spell, or is it taught Rune-less since it is being inspired from the cult's deity?
c) I think that it also mentions that (Runepriests/Runelords? or maybe it said anyone) who learns Divine Magic can not know (and must forget) any Spirit Magic and Sorcery spells. Is Spirit Magic referring to shamanistic magics or does it mean Rune spells (and further imply that a cult member does NOT need a Rune to learn the cult spells)? (Which also means he can't Integrate any further Runes or could he have them for their powers, but just never learn any spells for them?)

Taking the rules as written, the answers to your questions are:

a) Use runecasting to cast cult rune spells
b) They need to acquire the rune before they can cast the spell
c) I don't recall this rule, but rune magic is technically different to spirit magic, so they would not need to forget their known rune magic.

That's the RAW, however they clearly don't sit well with established Gloranthan lore. Therefore here's how I run it.

a) All cult spells (whether divine or rune magic) are cast using the Lore(Cult Theology) skill.
b) Runes are not required to cast cult rune magic...the power comes from the god, not a rune.
c) Characters in a cult also have access to the rune magic of associated cults in the same way. However, these are paid for at full price rather than the standard half price of cult spells.
d) Using spells of the associated cult require a Lore (Theology) of the associated cult. After all, you're asking that god for help, not your own god.

Finally, and there's nothing in the rules to say you can't do this, I allow use of the haste/difficulty modifiers when casting spells. So an initiate of Orlanth attempts to cast a Heal spell that he has learned from his associated cult of Chalana Arroy. He must use his Lore (Chalana Arroy Theology) skill to cast the spell, which for this example we'll put at 30%. He reaches out to Chalana Arroy, and very slowly and carefully recites the required chants/verses (taking twice as long as normal i.e. two combat actions). He therefore receives a 20% bonus to his chance of successfully casting the spell, giving him a 50% chance. If he wasn't in the middle of combat, he could take ten times as long and gain a 60% bonus.

 

[Dreamfall]

I have a few more questions about magic rules.

1) As in CoG2, Sorcery Schools also teach rune magic to their members, do these schools have similar Lore (Specific Theology) skill to cast spells, eg. Lore (Malkioni True Church Theology)?

2) In a standard cult, initiatives can learn cult rune spells up to 2 Magnitude, acolytes 4, Runepriests/Runelords any magnitude. Is there magnitude limit for spells that can be learned through integrated runes? Sacrificing 1 point of POW for integration of Fertility rune to gain Heal spell only up to 2 Magnitude sounds like a high cost for that spell. Compared to that you could learn that same spell through your own or associated cult.

3) If you spend 3 improvement rolls to increase POW, what is the actual chance to increase your POW, if you have eg. learned 4 points of divine magic (let's say POW is 14 (-4)? 50% or 70%? I mean, does Dedicated POW increase my chance to increase POW? If 50%, if I have gained through time +4 POW, and then if I dismiss all my learned divine spells, is my POW then restored to 22? If the Dedicated POW doesn't count, a priest therefore cannot have more than 20 points of divine magic (compared to old RQ where priests could have unlimited amount of spells and therefore become very powerful)?

Hopefully you understand, as english isn't my native language..

 

[Halfbat]

2) In a standard cult, initiatives can learn cult rune spells up to 2 Magnitude, acolytes 4, Runepriests/Runelords any magnitude. Is there magnitude limit for spells that can be learned through integrated runes? Sacrificing 1 point of POW for integration of Fertility rune to gain Heal spell only up to 2 Magnitude sounds like a high cost for that spell.

I'm confused at the last statement in this question which suggests there may be a misunderstanding, somewhere, here. Once a Rune is integrated, you gain the Runecasting skill and can learn _any_ spell associated with that Rune. To _any_ valid Magnitude, if it's progressive.
It's _finding_ a teacher that's the real problem.

When the rules grant (p80) "automatic access to tutors who can teach any spell listed..." it means that - it's a bonus. Finding a teacher in the middle of nowhere can be quite difficult, but if you're an initiate of a cult, your local temple should be able to provide one readily.

3) If you spend 3 improvement rolls to increase POW, what is the actual chance to increase your POW, if you have eg. learned 4 points of divine magic (let's say POW is 14 (-4)? 50% or 70%? I mean, does Dedicated POW increase my chance to increase POW?

No. The rules state Characteristic, nothing about Dedicated POW (and even Divine Magic rules just say "effectively" deducted, making the distinction. It's still "roll >70% for POW 14", even if you have some POW Dedicated to Divine Magic.

That said, it's an interesting point of argument to use on a GM... :twisted:

is my POW then restored to 22?

Human's POW cannot go above 21.

If the Dedicated POW doesn't count, a priest therefore cannot have more than 20 points of divine magic (compared to old RQ where priests could have unlimited amount of spells and therefore become very powerful)?

Correct. The rules for Divine Companions in CoG1 might be useful. There's been some discussion and various ideas about getting round this limit.

 

[weasel_fierce]

a) This rune costs 1 perm POW I'm guessing, correct? So a Wizard who takes Runecasting 3 times for 3 Runes will also lose 3 POW up front?

Correct

b) The spell that is learned, is there a limit on the Magnitude? It just says one spell so can it be say, Protection 4 or Healing 6 (with the correct Rune)? Or does it have to be Magnitude 1?

We play that its magnitude 1.

a) The Divine Magic obviously uses Lore (specific theology) as the casting skill, but do a cult/religion's cult spells also use the Lore or do they acquire a Runcasting skill for their cult spell's rune?

THe rune spells will use the normal rules for that

b) Do they have to acquire the appropriate Rune before they can even learn the cult spell, or is it taught Rune-less since it is being inspired from the cult's deity?

You still need the rune. A lot of people play it that you dont.

c) I think that it also mentions that (Runepriests/Runelords? or maybe it said anyone) who learns Divine Magic can not know (and must forget) any Spirit Magic and Sorcery spells. Is Spirit Magic referring to shamanistic magics or does it mean Rune spells (and further imply that a cult member does NOT need a Rune to learn the cult spells)? (Which also means he can't Integrate any further Runes or could he have them for their powers, but just never learn any spells for them?)

Its from Cults 2. Rune magic is the equivalent of old battle magic and Heroquest's Innate magic. It just is around.

a) Does this reduction also apply to the Skill Penalty for wearing the armor (say only -2 1/2% for a chainmail coif)?

Skill penalty is based on armour points, not ENC

b) If you make something made with one of the special materials (coral, steel, etc) and you also want it Exquisite quality (x5 cost), is that a total of x10 cost (x5 + x5) or x25 cost (x5 x5)?

I'd add the multipliers together, even though its mathematically wrong


Cheers!

Thank you for any insights![/quote]

 

[Sinisalo]

If you are Orlanthi you can also get charms (which act like integrated runes) from your ancestor worship, kolat and some others I forget. You don't need "real" runes then to cast rune spells.