Magic of Glorantha...Got Mine!!!

[Exubae]

I've done enough moaning about the core book so feel I aught to stick up for MoG.
In my humble opinion there is nothing amiss with MoG.

RQ2 and 3 had Heroquests, and there where numerous attempts to put together systems to allow characters to interact with the Myths- everything from Black Fang Meets Krasht to Supping Ale with Stormbull.
Interacting with and being part of the Myth was the charm of RQ.

Interacting on the God Plane doesn't mean going toe to toe with Zorak Zoran to steal his maul. Sandle of Darkness Quest has no combat, it involves wits rather than brawn to snatch Kyger Litors slippers and 'peg it'.

God learners and the Empire without Friends where renowned for their power and missuse of it. The book emulates the flavour hinted at in many of the writings on the two cultures.
Admitedly it is open to abuse by players but it is going to take a heck of a lot of Xp to become overly potent in either of the Empire structures (let alone recruiting 1000 odd followers and roleplaying requirements. etc)

The book covers both cultures well.

At the end of the day its what you do with the book and if it adds to your game, enriches the setting, adds fun...
If your going to use it as a way of making bigger badder heroes then it is going to pauperise the game if all you do is create monster/dungeon bashes.

MoG from my perspective adds to the game greatly, though I have to agree the Core rules book need a bloomin' good revision, its a bit of a shambles (but one with potential).

Perhaps MoG should have been released after cults 2 and the players guide, which might have given more context to the MoG with the magic system fully in place.

 

[Banned Beetle]

I Yes. I really dont mind flaming this system at all anymore. Its beyond gaming statistics, classes, powertrips of game-designers - its about selling stuff. Who cares what we ask for, or need. Lets sell neat God Stuff, instead of fleshing out the core rules...thank god you made this system an open license game. Perhaps others will create something more usefull than your latest book...up until then, I loved the game - even with its quirks - the books were nicely laid out, well thought through, but this Magic of LGorantha book should not habve been published at this time. Too many loose ends...or starts.

Q...

???

You liked the Main Rulebook, the Companion, Arms & Equipment and Legendary Heroes, but NOT Magic of Glorantha? I thought most of the generic books were crap (am I over the line again?), while I've liked all of the Glorantha line books except the editing. Magic of Glorantha is definitively a power-gaming book, but gives a lot of good background and will be good to have when the characters eventually get powerful enough.

More than anything from the open licence contributors, I'm hoping for a single complete rulebook, ála RQ2/3.

Trifle.

 

[Quintus]

Does no-one get the gist? What NPC's can do, players can do also - eventually. If its out there, they can learn it. Someone else did it. Thats the whole basis of these guys - somone did something that they thought was cool, and they emulated, researched, and stole the idea. The absolute one and only gripe I really have is that darn little blurp that sais - ohh, ALL spells have an equevalent sorcery spell - and that leaves them open to exploitation with the open spellcasting system sorcery has...change it however they want. Range, Magnitude, Duration, Targets...christ. Compare that to Priests, who sacrifice permanent power...and all I hear is cults, cults, cults, gods, heroplane...for no more magic points than it takes to light a candle - I give up.

 

[Banned Beetle]

Does no-one get the gist? What NPC's can do, players can do also - eventually.

With an emphasis on eventually. It's a goal they can work towards, if their character survives long enough (and if the GM allows the game to take that course)

If its out there, they can learn it. Someone else did it. Thats the whole basis of these guys - somone did something that they thought was cool, and they emulated, researched, and stole the idea. The absolute one and only gripe I really have is that darn little blurp that sais - ohh, ALL spells have an equevalent sorcery spell - and that leaves them open to exploitation with the open spellcasting system sorcery has...change it however they want. Range, Magnitude, Duration, Targets...christ.

Yes, that's silly. Just remove it.

Compare that to Priests, who sacrifice permanent power...and all I hear is cults, cults, cults, gods, heroplane...for no more magic points than it takes to light a candle - I give up.

What? :?:


Trifle.[/quote]

 

[Voriof]

What indeed...! Is there some sort of translation program on this board?

Any game where the NPCs can do things that players can never do is not one I am generally comfortable with. I could use perjoratives but I think I'll stick with DBC's comments instead. Me, I want my characters to, someday, run with the big dogs.

As to MoG, I think its going to be damned good to see that, after nearly thirty years of waiting, we can actually start do some HeroQuesting using the RuneQuest rules. Mind you, its going to be easier to do using, say, HeroQuest, but the feel is going to be much different in a two-fisted adventuring sort of way.

Grittier. Bloodier. Broken-tooth-of-my-foe-in-my-scalpier.

Jeff-ier - who wrote more than a few chunks of HeroQuest

 

[soltakss]

As to MoG, I think its going to be damned good to see that, after nearly thirty years of waiting, we can actually start do some HeroQuesting using the RuneQuest rules. Mind you, its going to be easier to do using, say, HeroQuest, but the feel is going to be much different in a two-fisted adventuring sort of way.

You always could. I've been running/playing HeroQuests in RQ for 20 years without much of a problem.

The new HeroQuesting rules are interesting but old RQ had enough rules to allow for good HeroQuesting experiences without mucking about with planes and nodes and gates and whatnot.

 

[Yoda300]

without mucking about with planes and nodes and gates and whatnot.

Simon, you're a man after my own heart.
I also support you when you say that Heroquest has gone crazy about cults and subcults for everything and more. Hope MRQ will not follow this trend.

 

[The King]

Bought mine today. I would have prefered 128 or 144 pages instead of the hardcover. it seems highly interesting though.

 

[richaje]

The new HeroQuesting rules are interesting but old RQ had enough rules to allow for good HeroQuesting experiences without mucking about with planes and nodes and gates and whatnot.

I hate to tell you guys but the God Plane/Sorcery Node/Spirit World differences have been around in Greg's writing for a long time. Perhaps the worst thing that happened to Heroquesting was when Greg and Sandy played around with Heroquests as "Super Runequest" back in the early 80s with drek like Alebard's Quest. The very best material on Gloranthan heroquests is contained in Greg's new "Harmastsaga" book - which is unfortunately currently available only to subscribers to Friends of Glorantha. However, the Unfinished Work "Arcane Lore" gives some pretty good background on heroquests.

Fwiw, I have long believed that heroquests are a not a "rules issue" - they are a plot and campaign issue. New rules are not necessary to run a heroquesting session - heroquests are a matter of imitating the actions of the gods in circumstances conducive for such imitation. In other words, the gamemaster and the players need to know the myth that the participants are trying to reenact and then try to reenact that myth in the Otherworld.

Just to show how a heroquest can look in a campaign, here is David Dunham's writeup of a heroquest performed in our Seattle Farmers house campaign. Although we used the HeroQuest rules, the same heroquest could have been run using MRQ (I think Aaron's heroquesting section is pretty darn good) or even PenDragon Pass.

"SEEKING HELP FROM ERNALDA

Kaylin [an Ernalda priestess], Jorator [an Issaries merchant], Herger [an Orlanth Adventurous warrior], and Nisk [an Orlanth Adventurous Rune Lord] set out through the mud and slush to the Ernalda Temple at Nidham, to seek help for the defeat of the dragon Aroka. They approached the halls of the goddesses and the chief priestess, under the great standing stone, through the Clearwine-sized village that had sprung up around the ancient holy site.

Coached by Jorator, Kaylin spoke to the priestesses, giving her a generous gift (from Korlmhy - an Orlanth Thunderous priest) and reminding her of the vision Ernalda sent of a great Chaos attack to come. Kera supported Kaylin, while the impressively-mustached Nisk and the sturdy Herger reminded the temple of the protection the two of them had given to the earlier ritual that the scorpion monster had attacked.

The priestesses nevertheless refused to help: They considered the idea the product of a reckless fool. "It has been generations since someone has successfully completed the Aroka quest on the Other Side. You have not prepared for this. We need you there to defend the village, not to follow some insane heropath."

Kaylin wasn't taking this lying down. "We have seen Chaos coming, we have stood against it, and our family is not afraid." In the end, they did give her some cult bread and temple beer, but not the blood beer or sacred bread.

In Nidham, Jorator sought "an axe named Babeester", but ended up getting a fairly ordinary one.

THE ARMING OF ORLANTH

Korlmhy sought prayers from his supporters that would follow us on Orlanth's path to Aroka. They roared their acclamation, drinking much ritual mead and sacred beer, chanting the many names of Orlanth and his companions, and pounding weapons on shields." Their enthusiasm was infectious: The village of Bullpen poured out into the snow, listened raptly to Korlmhy's stirring speech as it echoed through the village, and ended up howling their approval of his plan, banging drums, slaughtering their remaining animals, and swearing to follow him straight into Aroka's mouth.

Herger was pleased that Korlmhy had gained the necessary backing, while Jorator sighed to Dorasa, "There will be no living with him now." "Mmph?" she asked through a mouthful of freshly grilled chicken. Meanwhile, Kaylin took in the whole scene, wondering where all this would end. Brenna, for her part, grumbled a bit through the celebration and perhaps tried to let a little air out of Korlmhy's newly-discovered authority -- unsuccessfully.

We performed the Arming of Orlanth ceremony, despite the somewhat meager offerings of Ernalda. Korlmhy spoke to the assembly, asking them to call Orlanth to him when the time came to break Aroka. He called forward his four winds: The Swordthane (Herger), the Spearthane (Nisk), the Shieldthane (Leika), and the Backboy (Kaylin). Jorator, Dorasa, and their closest companions would join them, while Brenna remained behind to guard Bullpen.

The sacrifices began, spraying the heroes with blood before they ate of the sacred meat. From the drums and celebration we were carried on our sanctified breath to Orlanth's Hall in the Storm Age. In the unwalled pavilion, we sacrificed to Great Orlanth, spoke of our plan to slay Aroka who had devoured the rain, and sought his permission to leave his hall. Orlanth pointed us out of the Storm Village in the direction of Aroka.

IN THE WASTELAND

Beyond the familiar fields, we found ourselves in the trackless wastes of the Gods World. Suddenly, we heard a crash and were caught in billowing darkness. "Orlanth, show yourself! I, Krakos the Avenger will avenge the wrongs you have done my father." ("Hm, name not ringing a bell -- maybe his father was so easy to defeat, we couldn't remember him," someone whispered) The Avenger proved to be a three-eyed creature carrying a huge maul, backed by a howling army of lost souls from the underworld. As the howls of the dead began to keen in his ears, Orlanth took up his sword: Herger flanked by Nisk, Leika, and Korlmhy. They cut through the Avenger like lightning through a night sky (probably leaving some hapless Kitori village totally screwed in the process). Orlanth left the scene with the Dark Wind's muffled howls echoing in his bag.

We continued our march through the badlands to the desert of Daga, a bleak, inhospitable land. Thirst and suffocating heat weakened several members, although Korlmhy and Herger pushed us ahead by their example. Then the wind began to rise, stinging us with sand under a darkening sky. A wild twisting wind descended bearing the Wild Hunter, Gagarth. Korlmhy drew out his bag, hoping to collect the Wind From Above, aided by Kaylin's prayers against the stinging sands and Herger's herding Shield of Winds (and even a "store goods" song from Jorator). He swiftly bagged the wind from the dusty bandit.

Not long after, our path through the wastes was cut by a leaping, crawling, hopping army of demons, a misshapen host. It included a snake leaving acid trails, a scorpionman, a rabid dog, a lionshead demon with bird's feet, a bullman, and a fish monster -- surely an army of Wakboth. Our only hope was to cut our way through.

Herger swiftly hacked through the venomous snake, while Dorasa dodged and hid behind rocks, trying to confuse the rabid dog. Jorator confronted the scorpionman and swiftly crunched it, shaking off its venom, but then the fish-headed demon (wearing a suit of fish) charged in, slapping him silly. While Korlmhy and his winds quickly dispatched the lionshead demon after Korlmhy charred it with a lightning bolt. Nisk swiped at the bullman from the sky and left it yelping and running away.

In the end, Herger came to the aid of Dorasa and hacked the rabid dog to pieces (muttering "grey dog") before it even took its eyes off her, while Nisk neatly filleted the fish demon with a thrown sword.

INTO THE WOODS

At last, we left the desert and entered a dark wood. Soon we felt darkness crowding around us. We reached a clearing that we quickly recognized as a place where we could make an offering to the darkness. Jorator called out the greeting to the darkness, pouring on his shadowy charm, until a Shadow Lord introduced as Trollmouth emerged, darkness in the shape of a man. ("A Kitori," Chollanth whispered, "They can take the form of troll or man at need.") Dorasa was pleased that Trollmouth had chosen manly form, and invited him for a walk in the dark woods, even stumbling over a few Uz words whispered by Cholanth, and swinging seductively to the harp music of Leika.

She returned not bearing Crushing Noise, but with the darkness well-disposed to us, and with guidance to our path forward through the woods toward the lair of Aroka.

The path took us south, and the woods became even darker, gloomier, and more inhospitable. Soon we were threading through poison thorns, and both Dorasa and Jorator were stuck badly. Nisk, scouting above, saw that the woodfolk were blocking our path through the wood. Jorator considered trying to negotiate a path through, but in the end we asked, "What would Orlanth do?" The answer was simple: Korlmhy hurled the Lightning Spear to burn a path through the woods his storms blew the foliage off the elves and runners. We left a highway through the forest that might have made Sartar proud.

THE LAIR OF AROKA

We found the lair of Aroka, a dark hole that looked like it led straight down into hell. Korlmhy hurled down an ear-splitting howl of the storm, with the discordant tones of Leika's harp chasing on its heels.

Aroka roared up the throat of its lair and lurched skyward, immense with the weight of the waters of the whole earth. Its four eyes beamed down pure fear on us. We cowered in fear, but Orlanth's winds launched a storm of arrows and blinding magic into the eyes of the monster. The creature roared and drew back, and Korlmhy stood against its horrifying glare and encouraged us to another flight of missiles, leaving the creature with bloody sockets.

Out came the enormous tongue, which descended to choke the life out of Herger. But, Herger held off the horrible squeeze of the slimy tongue, and then set loose the dry winds of the wasteland while he and the rest of the group began to hack at the thing and pierce it with missles. Aroka shortly pulled back little more than a shredded stump.

Then down came the fatal breath of the dragon. Korlmhy was ready with his bag, and after a short struggle, he seized the breath. As the dragon came down to crush Korlmhy in his jaws, he leaped into its mouth, seized its jaws his two hands, and tore the dragon asunder with a shout of victory. A flood of blood, water, and mead burst over the land.

Korlmhy then took the sinews from the right side of the spine and the left side of the spine, the tooth and the jewels from its head. The Ingkarthings would use these things to call on Orlanth's mastery over the waters when the time was right."

------
Sorry this was a long post, but I think it is worth showing folk an example of a heroquest in game play. I'd model it slightly differently using the MRQ rules, but the basic story would still be the same. Hope this helps -

Jeff

 

[The King]

Sorry this was a long post, but I think it is worth showing folk an example of a heroquest in game play. I'd model it slightly differently using the MRQ rules, but the basic story would still be the same. Hope this helps -

Jeff

Don't be sorry; this is a great post.

 

[Quintus]

Ok. Let me get this straight. You come up with a story. You tell the players how and what the gods did. The players re-inact what they did.

Am I missing something?

Ok. Lets try it this way. GM buys module. GM makes copy of module. GM hands out module to players. Players read module. Players then run through module, but with some stuff changed, to reflect their level.

(So I can take the Wand of Orcus quest, and make all the deamons puny guys, and Orcus like the village tough guy, and run basic characters, hired by some wizard (who is kindly enough to open to gate) though the module? Neat...

Please all go back to the 80's. I lived in that time too...it was not that bad, for me at least.

Where is the fun in knowing what the story is, and re-playing a pre-scripted event? Just to see and prove you have all that it takes to be a god-like beeing? This is redicilous...

Q...

 

[weasel_fierce]

then dont use a god damn heroquest in your game. Christ on a flipping bike

 

[Voriof]

As to MoG, I think its going to be damned good to see that, after nearly thirty years of waiting, we can actually start do some HeroQuesting using the RuneQuest rules. Mind you, its going to be easier to do using, say, HeroQuest, but the feel is going to be much different in a two-fisted adventuring sort of way.

You always could. I've been running/playing HeroQuests in RQ for 20 years without much of a problem.

The new HeroQuesting rules are interesting but old RQ had enough rules to allow for good HeroQuesting experiences without mucking about with planes and nodes and gates and whatnot.

(deleted as the other Jeff said it better).

Just pretend I quoted Jeff's post for emphasis. I'm writing in Glorantha and Greg's pretty sure that that is how Glorantha works. Nuff said.

Jeff
:roll:

 

[Quire]

Am I missing something?

No, you're not missing something. You're missing everything.

You don't get it, fine! Please go away now and warm yourself by your pile of burning books.

- Q

 

[homerjsinnott]

I'm a little confused here, is this all a Heroquest is? it does seem to be a bit of a let down. It seems to be a simple guessing game, all you seem to need is a moderate knowledge of the god in question and you really can't lose and if not that, then without a detailed (fore)knowledge of the quest then you are almost certainly doomed. I'm not saying this isn't what Greg thinks ( I think the past comments are almost certainly right about this), but is a hero just a pale imitation of their god? How do you creat new myths (without the GL way)?

I agree that Heroquesting is not a system problem but a campaign one.
Most scenarios, no all scenarios are variations on the X No of core plots, but the devil is in the detail, heroquesting as it seems to be mooted here has no detail or detail to discover.

I'm not criticising anyone here, just trying to find what people think.

 

[richaje]

I'm a little confused here, is this all a Heroquest is? it does seem to be a bit of a let down. It seems to be a simple guessing game, all you seem to need is a moderate knowledge of the god in question and you really can't lose and if not that, then without a detailed (fore)knowledge of the quest then you are almost certainly doomed. I'm not saying this isn't what Greg thinks ( I think the past comments are almost certainly right about this), but is a hero just a pale imitation of their god? How do you creat new myths (without the GL way)?

I agree that Heroquesting is not a system problem but a campaign one.
Most scenarios, no all scenarios are variations on the X No of core plots, but the devil is in the detail, heroquesting as it seems to be mooted here has no detail or detail to discover.

I'm not criticising anyone here, just trying to find what people think.

Theist heroes are essentially an avatar or incarnation of their god who can wield the power of that god in the mundane world. Renvald Meldeksbane (Sorcerer-Killer) is an incarnation or avatar of Orlanth in the aspect that fought (and defeated) Zzabur. Alakoring Dragonbreaker - as a result of his heroquests - is an incarnation or avatar of Orlanth in both his Dragonkiller aspect and in his King aspect (Alakoring may well be the mightiest theist hero in this century).

Here's some notes from an old article I wrote with Greg about ten years ago:

"Most cultures of Glorantha strive to live in a sacred relationship with the world. In Glorantha, individuals interact with the world through rituals and ceremonies that sanctify both the world and the participants. By imitating the gods, man is sanctified and by the continuous repetition of divine gesture, the world is sanctified.

For example, the Heortlings use sacred rituals and ceremonies to organize the world according to the patterns in their myths. This is basis of Theyalan Heroquesting - by repeating the actions of the gods, the world conforms to that mythic result. The holy days of the gods and the Sacred Time ceremonies are periodic opportunities for the entire clan or tribe to sanctify themselves and the world by imitating the gods and reenacting their deeds. Without these rituals and ceremonies, the Heortlings believe the world would be destroyed by Chaos as it so nearly did in the Great Darkness.

Fixed and regular ceremonies are not the only means by which the Heortlings structure the world according to these mythic patterns. An intrepid individual or group who know the myths of Orlanth and the other Heortling gods can try to direct interact with the Otherworld as the gods themselves did. This is commonly called Heroquesting.

The complex myths of Orlanth and other gods provides the Heortlings with an array of rituals and ceremonies by which events can be made to conform to mythic patterns. The greatest of these is the Lightbringers Quest which makes a new Compromise between the gods, men and Glorantha.

A quick aside on running Heroquests in a campaign. Heroquesting is not a rules issue - it is a plot and campaign issue. New rules are not necessary to run a heroquesting session. Heroquests (at least the non-experimental variety) are a matter of imitating the actions of the gods on the Otherworld in circumstances conducive for such imitation. The gamemaster and the players need to know the myth that the players are trying to reenact and try to "force" that myth on a situation. Many heroquests (like the Hill of Gold or the Lightbringers Quest) are great magical ceremonies that cross several cultures' myths and will bring other participants into the ceremony - even without their knowledge!"

My little article went on to describe about ten "little" Heroquests - Propitiating the Dark Hag, Recognition by Kero Fin, Rescue of Ernalda, Wooing Ernalda, Recognition Rituals, Summons of Evil, the Crown Test, the Arming of Orlanth, Slaying the Evil Emperor, and Defeating Aroka. Fun stuff and my players loved it.

Jeff

 

[richaje]

BTW, there are non-theist heroquests as well. The God Learners, on the other hand, are known to invade the Otherworlds to explore and plunder. They go to mythic events and observe, steal, pillage and plunder. Non-God Learners (including many Malkioni) find these actions abhorrent, blasphemous, evil, and just plain horribly horribly wrong.

And then there is the Zistorite Project. Possibly the most brilliantly ambitious and truly insane idea the God Learners get.

Jeff

 

[kpmcdona]

Another way that playing heroquests is cool is that your quest is likely to deviate from the version(s) of the myth that you learned. Every heroquester knows that there is uncertainty in how a myth unfolds during a particular heroquest. Smart questers plan accordingly, learning as many versions of the myth as they can, as well as other related myths. Amping up your magical power as much as possible beforehand doesn't hurt either.

Add to this the possibility that an enemy can enter your quest (on purpose or inadvertently) and try to screw you. Heroquests are anything but safe and predictable. They are the dangerous endeavor of the desperate and the bold.

 

[homerjsinnott]

My little article went on to describe about ten "little" Heroquests - Propitiating the Dark Hag, Recognition by Kero Fin, Rescue of Ernalda, Wooing Ernalda, Recognition Rituals, Summons of Evil, the Crown Test, the Arming of Orlanth, Slaying the Evil Emperor, and Defeating Aroka. Fun stuff and my players loved it.

Jeff

Why?

For me Heroquesting seems like railroading to the Nth degree, did your players not feel like this?

I have experimented with HQing where I gave the players a set of characteristics/stats/personality traits and what have you, and then sent them on their merry way. But I found it too fragile and I had to try very hard not to tell them what the should be doing. How is a heroquest not doing this? (just leading the players by the hand).

What you seem to be saying is that a hero IS a pale imitation of their god.

What about Snodal, Ethilrist, Argrath, Errinoru and Arkat? to name but a few (I know Arkat is a big problem). They all did things their Gods didn't, unless you start to really, really generalise.


I love myth but what little I know about hero's in myth suggests they didn't become famous by copying their gods but by blazing their own path. They may have had a immortal patron, but usually this caused them more problems than it solved.

 

[richaje]

For me Heroquesting seems like railroading to the Nth degree, did your players not feel like this?

Nope. My players have never felt like they were being railroaded. They are trying to do an extremely difficult ritual which they have to act out - and which is opposed by things or events that they expect (from the myth) and things or events that they don't (surprises that weren't in the myth - and sometimes magical enemies who are trying to screw things up for the players!)

I have experimented with HQing where I gave the players a set of characteristics/stats/personality traits and what have you, and then sent them on their merry way. But I found it too fragile and I had to try very hard not to tell them what the should be doing. How is a heroquest not doing this? (just leading the players by the hand).

I give them a copy of the myth which tells them the sacred story (or they find a copy of the myth from King of Sartar or some other text). I then figure out the obstacles and challenges that they will actually have - and I always throw in a curveball that does not appear in the story I gave them. It is up to the players to figure out what the "sacred story" means and how to reenact it.

What you seem to be saying is that a hero IS a pale imitation of their god.

Not necessarily all that pale. In some cases, the hero is a manifestation of a Great God that is as powerful as a god in his own right. In many cases, the hero's exploits are the source of the sacred stories people know about the god in question. For the Ingkarthings (the folk mentioned in my game writeup), Korlmhy's Aroka Slaying Quest is the source of their version of the story Orlanth Slays Aroka (since it is much more detailed than the version they previously knew).

What about Snodal, Ethilrist, Argrath, Errinoru and Arkat? to name but a few (I know Arkat is a big problem). They all did things their Gods didn't, unless you start to really, really generalise.

I'm not going to go into Snodal or Ethilrist - Snodal's exploits date from the 70s, and I suspect Greg would wildly rewrite Prince Snodal's saga now. Ethilrist was a pillager - a Malkioni who plundered pagan myths. Which is very different from what I have been describing. This is exactly what Arkat and Argrath did (and Greg and I are going to be writing the Grand Argrath Campaign next year so don't tell me otherwise). Arkat just did it from a lot of different perspectives - he visited mythological events from several different perspectives and thus was able to make remarkable connections that no body ever knew before. And Errinoru was an elf. Which makes all the difference in the world.

I love myth but what little I know about hero's in myth suggests they didn't become famous by copying their gods but by blazing their own path. They may have had a immortal patron, but usually this caused them more problems than it solved.

Whose myths are you talking about? For example, Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu and is a manifestation of that greater power. Egil Skallagrimsson could easily be said to be an avatar of Odin - copying his deeds (even as he curses him). Perseus echoed the deeds of his father Zeus. Harmast is an avatar of Orlanth and is a manifestation of that great power. Arkat Humaktsson was an avatar of Humakt, while Arkat Kingtroll was an avatar of Zorak Zoran. And so on.

Now there is such a thing as experimental Heroquesting (which the God Learners did do on many occasion). It is extremely dangerous and is well described in The Middle Sea Empire Unfinished Work.

Jeff