Competition for Cult Members

[taxboy]

Reading the various Glorantha source material , it seems the cults don't really compete for members, location and race seem to be bigger drivers for membership.

Is this understanding accurate?

Also should I be penalising Pact for Priests who heal characters who are not members of their cult?

 

[Loz]

Culture is the most important factor in cult membership.

As for penalising non-cult members... no, I wouldn't penalise pact. But I would impose other cult sanctions - such as denial of the next attempt to regain a divine spell.

Much depends, though, on the nature of the non-cultist healed. If its a cult thats openly antagonistic, then yes, find some kind of sanction. If there's ambivalence, I don't think its necessary.

 

[Titus]

As a general rule, I think you are right though I would add profession to location and race. Within a pantheon, people tend worship the gods who represent the things they hold important in their lives. Farmers worship Barntar or Orlantha the Farmer, hunters Odayla, merchants Issaries, etc.

But general rules are made to be broken. In cultural border regions, there might be more competion. The EWF and God Learners intruding into lands with traditional Orlanthi for example. In 3rd age Glorantha, the Lunar cult of the Seven Mothers was presented as a missionary cult.

I wouldn't penalise priests for healing characters who are not members of their cult. But if you think it fits with your picture of the world, then you should do so. Maybe if they heal a member of a hostile or enemy cult, they have trouble getting the spell the next time they pray for it. Maybe it is a problem only for some cults. Chalana Arroy will likely be more generous than other gods.

 

[PhilHibbs]

should I be penalising Pact for Priests who heal characters who are not members of their cult?

Think "pantheon". The Orlanth pantheon has a few healer deities, it would be silly to penalise them for healing devotees of an Orlanth pantheon warrior god. Also there are plenty of stories of Chalana Arroy healing strangers and making new friends that way.

 

[EricJ]

Remember also that Waha in Chaosium's Cults of Prax prohibited worshippers from learning more than Heal 1. They're supposed to get their healing from Eirithia worshippers.

An Orlanthi steadholder might offer healing to an injured guest out of hospitality. Other societies might strike a harder bargain. Of course the "bunch of random guys who meet at an inn" is less common in RQ campaigns than in D&D campaigns.