RosenMcStern said:
1. To make runes 'die' with the person who integrated it, so it cannot be used by another.
This is only possible if runes are somehow "generated" by worshiping at the appropriate temple, otherwise the original amount of runes left over by the Gods war would have been exausted generations ago. But this is very Gloranthan, and a solution I like.
While coming up with this I used the Ideas in the Runic Powers PDF, specifically regarding that new runes may appear where a warrior has fallen, etc as a way of replenishing them. I know that it has been said they are optional rules, but I like them. Runic Powers also presents the blood of the gods as the theistic story of the origin of runes, and provides other views from other cultures - which all makes sense in a Gloranthan way. After all, rune magic is equally usable by all types of magic users, theistic, sorcererous, mystic, or shamanistic.
RosenMcStern said:
2. Make rune integration not tie a specific rune individually to a user.
Fine, too, except that it is not attuned with the spirit of having the Rune as a physical object, which is one of the big changes introduced by MRQ. In RQ3 we had focuses for battle magic, but few GMs enforced their use during play. Having runes as objects is a worthy addition to the game, my only [big] complaint is the "to the death" binding described in the core rules, that does not fit Glorantha very well, even in the Second Age.
Well you still need a physical rune, but you are not tied to a specific one. In some ways it makes more sense to me - if a rune is a physical representation of one of the metaphysical 'building blocks' of the world, why is one Man rune so different from another? If there are tens or hundreds of thousands of Man runes in the world are they all that different from each other? Perhaps some hybrid of my two suggestions is workable, so that initially you need the rune you integrated, but as your skill goes up you can use any rune, quick suggestion follows:
Runecasting 40% Gains Runic Power
Runecasting 60% Can use any rune, not just integrated one.
Runecasting 80% Physical Rune no longer needed at all
Runecasting 150% Every time character has a bowel movement there is a POW% chance of passing a newly created rune of that type (okay, maybe not).
RosenMcStern said:
If a person loses their integrated man rune (someone takes it and tosses it into the ocean) they cannot ever cast spells that require that rune again. You can't unintegrate it (at least easily) so you can't integrate a second one and can't cast without it.
IIRC there was a post months ago that clarified that you
can integrate a second rune of the same kind.
If you are referring to Bryan's post I think he pointed out that Runic Powers were optional, but I am not aware of any official rule on integrating more than one rule. The only things published on the matter by Mongoose I am aware of are Runic Powers and RQ Monsters, which states that you become a Vampire by integrating 9 Death Runes - which of course implies you can integrate more than one. However there is no rule I have found saying you CAN either, and nothing is written on the mechanics (Do you sacrifice additional POW, do you stack the Bonuses?).
RosenMcStern said:
Runecasting takes Improvement rolls. At a suggested 3 per adventure you can only ever get good at a few runes. You need to think about what spells you want to master and work towards those runes.
Rurik, remember that most "big" spells take two/three runes to cast, although the Runecasting skill is the same. A caster that specialized in three Runecasting skills may need as many as ten integrated runes to have a decent array of magic spells.
A few spells take two - I'm not aware of any that take three (befuddle takes Disorder and Man OR Beast). And well befuddle is a very potent spell, the requirement for more than one rune does not seem tied to power level - Hand of Death and Skybolt are both 1 rune spells.
RosenMcStern said:
3. If you have too many runes people will kill you just to take them. :twisted:
Ah, so you admit that there _is_ a problem
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It's a RPG - killing people and taking their stuff is not a problem - it is a way of life.
RosenMcStern said:
Rune Magic in Glorantha: I use the system as is but use Folk magic liberally. Everyone can use a folk magic bladesharp or heal or protection up to 2 points. All cults teach folk magic versions of their spells (up to 2 points). If you want a better version you need to integrate the rune. Magic is common, but there is still benefit to mastering a few runes.
Fine, and in line with what happens in HeroQuest. Folk Magic = Common Magic, and Cult Runes = Cult Affinities. I still want to see more spells tied to the basic runes of PC cults like Air or Earth. But then there should be a more widespread description of the most common folk magic spells, and which cults do teach them. Also note that folk magic, at least as described in the PG, is far less effective than Rune Magic. A combat spell, frex, only givest you +5% to hit, not +1 damage like Bladesharp. And healing is supposed to speed up natural healing a lot, not to close the wound at once.
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True, but the rules are loosely defined and presented as guidelines for folk magic, so I use it for things like cult spells and some other problem spots regarding cults and rune spells (peaceful cut for example).
