CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 10 Magic Q&A

Official Answers by Chaosium

This covers Chapter 1, pages 4-11:

Resisting Spells (page 244)

If a character is a target of a spell that requires a POW vs POW resistance roll, can the character use runic and/or passion augment to better resist the spell?

Yes, as it uses the resistance Table, see page 146. Augments to the Resistance Table.

When you are protected by a magic affecting spell (Shield, countermagic, …), does the effect of the spell count to blocking the spells you cast on yourself (heal is the one that comes to my mind, but in fact, any other spell)?

The easiest way to understand this is to think of the defensive spells as layers protecting you. So an incoming spell would for example have to penetrate countermagic, then shield before reaching you. If you cast heal on yourself, it doesn’t have to travel out and back in to reach you, it’s already inside the defensive layer.

if you cast a spell on someone, whether himself or his equipment, you have to do a POW vs POW roll. RQG p244: “A target always resists a spell unless that target voluntarily and knowingly accepts the spell.”. At least, we always played it that way, but perhaps we were wrong it was just a house rule. I always played in the same way, believing it is the rules. But now I have a doubt… Is it a house rule or an official one ?

This is the relevant section in the Magic chapter, it covers all magic: 

The first sentence tells us how adventurers resist magic. The second talks about targets in general.

• Offensive magic cannot specifically target hit locations. You cannot aim for an arm even if you wait until SR12.
  • example: casting Disruption at an adventurer.
• Magic can target specific items (swords, backpacks, spoons, potatoes).
  • example: casting Bladesharp, Dullblade, fireblade on a sword.
  • example: casting repair on a spoon.
• If the items has a spirit, it resists with their POW or magic points (if no POW).
  • example: an adventurer casts Dullblade on an enemy’s sword that has an Allied spirit in it.
• If the item has no spirit, it does not resist.
  • example: an adventurer casts Dullblade on an enemy’s sword .
• If the target of the spell is willing to have the spell cast on them, no POW roll is required:
  • example: Casting Healing on yourself, or a member of the adventurer’s party.
  • example: Casting repair on your sword containing your allied spirit.
• If the target of the spell is unwilling to have the spell cast on them, a POW roll is required:
  • example: a Chalana Arroy priestess casting Heal on conscious wounded tusk rider NPC
  • example: casting Disruption at an enemy.

There are clearly borderline cases, that the GM should decide on if needed:

• example: Can I cast Heal Body on my unconscious friend, without them resisting? 
  • The answer is clearly yes.
• example: An adventurer has a Sleeped person under their care, if a broo casts an offensive spell on that sleeping person them, do they resist.
  • The answer is clearly yes.

A Broo is in front of an adventurer

The Broo casts dullblade on the adventurer’s sword (no spirit, nothing else than a sword)

Is there a Broo POW versus adventurer’s POW roll?

Unless the adventurer has some form of magic up that the GM interprets as includes the sword (Shield for example) No.

This the whole point of Dullblade.

That is clear for weapons, but everything else, armor, clothes , backpack, etc…

Imagine a sorcerer casts a magic timeball (effect: anything/anyone in a sphere of 2m diameter, get 1 year older for each intensity point).

The target has a wooden sword, a loincloth, a metal gauntlet and a bag full of fresh food.

The target succeed the POW vs POW.  Let’s say the intensity is awesome.

What happens ?

• is the woodsword is affected, as you described?
• is the metal gauntlet affected ?  it is an armor, not a weapon but, after all, it is not the person?
• is the fresh food in the bag affected ?
• is the loincloth affected ? (aka cloth with no AP)?

The easiest way to approach this is to focus on what the target definition is. In your description it’s anything/anyone so the spell affects everything you list. For ease of play and game speed, most GMs would say that if the POW roll succeeds, that nothing is effected. However if it’s important to the plot or MGF that the food is spoiled, loincloth rots, etc, go with that.

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Rune Points (page 244)

Combining Rune points

Worship (page 244)

Is this correct?

yes. Depending on the cult, Sunset to sunrise or vice-versa.

Sanctify can be cast to allow the ceremony, but only on a holy day, not just any time?

Sanctify can be cast on any day. For worship, it should be cast on a holy day – yes.

It would need Extension 2 to last for a day, so 3 Rune points in total

Doesn’t need to be extended, except in size (if needed). Sanctify lasts until the next sunrise or sunset (or vice-versa)

All participants could ritually prepare for 30 minutes beforehand to get +30% to Worship skill (as per p245 and example on p246).

yes.

Ernalda (e.g) has minor holy days every Clayday (p293)

Yes.

So if the party is travelling with an Ernaldan priestess, they can all worship every week,

In an Ernaldan worship ceremony, Yes. On a minor holy day Ernaldan initiates receive:

Associate cults get no Rune points restored on Ernalda’s minor holy days:

Associate cults are:

with preparation, getting +10% (weekly holy day) +30% (ritual preparation) minimum and by so doing get back 1d6 RP, or 1d6+1 RP if higher than initiate.

If Ernaldans:

For a few extra MP over the required 2 they can boost their Worship to 100%. This will of course mean they have to stop somewhere for a day to do so which might not be expedient, and 1/6th of the time the Ernaldan won’t get all her 3 RP back.

If they are an Ernaldan priestess, they will stop anyway: 

Babester Gor followers should be on hand to guard the ceremony and take part (that’s their job) if in a dangerous place.

Are the RPs regained rolled once for everyone (of a particular initiation level?), or does each participant roll separately?

Separately.

Everyone who is not a Ernaldan initiate or associate cult member can take part as a lay member:

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Vasana’s Saga (page 245)

it says said that Harmast and Yanioth, not being initiated, are standing outside the circle during the ceremony, on the other side of the guards. After the Red Swordswoman has been defeated, it says here that Harmast shows Vasana the scars that the Red Swordswoman gave him. Now, unless these are pre-existing scars that he is now flashing at Vasana, how did Harmast get scarred during the ceremony, if he was all that way outside the circle of guards? Was this ceremonial battle a big free-for-all ?

Apparently Harmast and Yanioth respected the circle, while the Red Swordswoman did not. It’s the spirit of Jar-eel, who massacred pretty much everyone in a huge area when she showed up in the flesh.

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Spells (page 247)

Riding while Spellcasting

Is it possible to cast a spell while riding a mount? if it is how does that interact with movement?

Ultimately this is situational. The answer would be for the gamemaster to determine, based on:

The gamemaster could call for a Ride roll, a concentration check. If undistracted, I’d allow the mount’s regular movement.

Holding Spells

Is it possible to hold spells? instead of casting or aborting a given spell it it possible to instead wait to cast it at a later time?

It depends on the the situation.

Is the caster just holding off, or is this some sort of “overwatch” situation, holding a spell while hoping to get it in a split-second before another action?

The gamemaster should handle these on an ad hoc basis, with the relevant situation calling for a DEXx5 roll, an opposed DEX or INT roll, etc. depending on circumstances.

Boosting a Spell (page 248)

Is this an official ruling?

Yes, it is part of the Core Rules:

Do all spent MPs go into dismiss resistance (so that a Sword Trance that you pumped with a lot of MPs for a big bonus becomes hard to affect), or do you have to spend “dedicated” MPs to achieve the resistance (so that you could put, say, 5 MPs for effect and 3 MPs for dismissal resistance into a Sword Trance, making it size 5 (1×2 Rune Points, 3 MPs)?

If you are casting a spell that has its own magic points, the boost is separate from any points needed for effect. There is no “dismissal resistance” or “size” for spells.

Casting Sword Trance boosted with 5 magic points for +50%,  at the same time you could boost it with an extra 3 magic points.

Using Dismiss Magic as an example, each point of Dismiss Magic cancels 2 points of spirit magic Rune Magic or sorcery, or 1 point of Rune magic. so Dismiss Magic would need 3 rune points (2 points cancels the boost, 1 point cancels the rune spell 1 point, 2+1=3 Rune points.) Without the 3 point boost it would cost only 1 rune point to dismiss.

Be aware that in the text of Sword Trance, the term “boosted’ is used to refer to increasing the spell effect and that I am using the term “boost” to refer to the rule on page 278.

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Enchantment (page 249)

Armoring enchantments

In RQ3 there were armouring enchantments to increase armour, and strengthening enchantment to increase either location or general HP.

I can’t see these in RQG ? Have they gone for gone away ? Am I not looking properly ? Are they coming back in a different supplement ?

They’re discussed briefly on pages 249-250. They’ve been de-emphasized as they were historically woefully abused.

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Enchantments and Spell Matrixes

What is the difference between an ‘enchantment’ and ‘having a spell matrix’?

An enchantment makes a permanent change in the world, and involves a permanent loss that is usually POW. See Enchantment, page 249.

A spell matrix is an enchantment (either Spell Matrix Enchantment or Matrix Creation) permanently makes an accessible spell part of something, costing a permanent POW loss.

Is it the presence of a powering spirit for the matrices?

• With Spell Matrix Enchantment, Magic points are usually supplied by the user of the enchantment.
• With Matrix Creation, Rune points are supplied by the enchantment.

It is possible to supply magic points using Link Magic Point Conditions (page 250), but from magic point storage. There is currently no usual way to use a bound spirit, but someone likely knows this Enchanting Condition (my money is on the dwarfs).

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Binding Enchantment (page 249)

If a magician that made several binding enchantments in different items, and summoned and bound entities in those enchantments, and during the next years some of those objects had been lend, lost, sold or whatever. When the magician dies, all entities go back to the spirit world according with that rule.

Yes

If your adventurer finds/buy one of those magical objects. Technically, they can wake up one day to discover that the elemental they had in their magical item has disappeared.

Yes, but this is trumped by the rule below.

In a similar way, if you convince a shaman to summon and bind a new elemental into the item, the passing of the shaman will have the same result. Following that logic, most ancient magical items resting in ruins should have empty binding enchantments.

Yes, but this is trumped by the rule below.

Is all that intended?

Yes, but this is trumped by the rule below.

What if the adventurer use a dominate / control spell with the bound entity at least once, does it means that now the adventurer IS THE LAST BINDER of the entity and thus, it is with the adventurer’s death when entities get freed?

yes, if you think that’s a cool way of resolving this issue. There are dozens of other ways of this working as well.

The important rule is:

• Is it fun to have the adventurers cool bound spirit weirdly vanish  – No – use MGF.
• Is it fun to have all the ancient magic items missing a bound spirit – No – use MGF.
• Is it fun to get an adventurer to learn a dominate spell so they can keep their acquired bound spirits -Yes – MGF.
• Do you need to explain why the spirits haven’t disappeared – No – MGF.

Which of the following is true?

a) The enchant is non-specific to the characteristics. That is, I enchant a binding for 3 statistics and then it can be used for a ghost (INT, POW, CHA) or an elemental (STR, SIZ, POW)?

Yes.

b)If we defeat a Mallia shaman with a Binding Enchantment previously used for a Disease Spirit, can our High Healer use it to bind a Healing Spirit? We defeat a Seven Mothers priest with a Lune in a binding enchantment, can we bind an Umbroli in it or a Landscape Spirit?

Yes, unless unless it has specific user conditions attached to it (see page 251). I always add only friendly cults to it (my players usually do the same). Prevents magical proliferation in games. 

Also, I found another contradiction. From the quote above “as spirits always have CHA and POW”. Yet the Bestiary says that Disease Spirits and Healing Spirits only have POW, no CHA. So either they should also have CHA, or RQG RiG show modify Binding Enchantment to allow “a sacrifice of at least 1 point of POW” for Disease or Healing Spirit bindings.

No contradiction, Disease Spirits and Healing Spirits are atypical.

Can spirits bound to an item learn spells in RQG?

Not under the currently available rules. However MGF allows for it.

For suggestions using MGF see this post here: https://basicroleplaying.org/topic/12580-rqig-bound-spirit-question/?tab=comments#comment-195216

Is Spirit Binding possible to use against all spirits that are not allied spirits?

Yes.

In spirit combat and also against more “physical” elementals etc?

Yes.

Assuming no particular conditions and other things like that on the enchantment:

Is it correct that a bound spirit who knows spells like Heal, Vigor, Mobility, etc. can cast those on someone holding their enchanted item, with no releasing nor spirit control being required?

Yes, the person who bound the spirit can use the spirit’s magic points and spells:

and

If you have a binding enchantment with a spirit in it that you didn’t create:

Unless there are conditions that prevent this, casting a control spell on it will give you control over it.

For spells that require some sensory input (Bladesharp on a weapon, Befuddle on someone), they can get this from the person holding the item, so once again no releasing nor spirit control required?

Yes, see above.

When releasing the spirit is required, the rules say that “Control spells automatically work against creatures while they are bound in items”. Does this mean that the spell still needs to be cast, i.e. no roll is needed (automatic success) but its cost must be paid?

Yes,

So for example, every time you take out a bound elemental, you need to pay 2 Rune Points?

If it is a cult spirit, yes you would need to cast Command (cult spirit). If not you’d need an appropriate Command spell or the spirit magic, Control (entity).

So to be clear, if you have an item with a bound spirit that knows, say, Heal 6:

Yes. You ask the spirit to cast the spell.

If you got the item on loan from your temple or your tribal King for a dangerous mission, you first have to cast a control spell (Control (Entity) spirit spell, Command (entity) Rune spell, etc.), followed by the POWx5 ?

Yes. You need only cast a control spell once, then it’s yours. Note that some enchantments may also have a control spell included in the mix, and/or be one use.

For an example see the item on page 108 of GM Screen Pack, Adventure Book, Hide contents

But if you have an item with an Earth elemental and you want to release it from the item to make it attack an enemy, it doesn’t matter if you bound it yourself or not, you have to cast a control spell first?

Yes.

Just to have this perfectly clear, even beyond the duration of the Control spell?

Yes. Imagine it as an introduction.

Do you mean that it’s not “yours” just for the duration of the spell, but “forever”? (you effectively re-bind the spirit in place?)

Until you die or release the spirit.

So when you bring a loaned item back to your temple, the enchanter priest there has to re-cast a control spell to make it theirs again? If so, I had not grasped that either.

Yes.

Is this for transferring the “innate control” from one person to another, but whoever casts this control spell still has to fit the Conditions placed on the Enchantment?

Yes. A person effectively owns the spirit inside a binding item, that is until someone else casts a control spell on that spirit. This wrest control of it away from the owner. Always put conditions on your binding enchantments.

Is there a way to punch through the Conditions?

No.

and you have to Dispel/Dismiss/Neutralize the Binding Enchantment?

It’s permanent, POW was spent creating it.

The Q&A mentions that the “Control (Entity)” spirit magic spell can be used as an alternative to a Command Rune spell (such as Command Cult Spirit). But the “Control (Entity)” spell seems specific to the case of having just beaten a spirit in spirit combat and reduced its MP to zero. Does this spell also apply to controlling a bound entity, in which case should the spell description be corrected

After you have the spirit bound it’s much easier to control. Cast the spell and either allow automatic commanding or POW vs POW. With animal versions, it’s simpler too. 

Limit to Binding (page 250)

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Conditions on Enchantments (page 250)

Concerning the attack condition, why is it called an attack condition

An attack condition causes a spell to be cast when the item is violated or touched. It’s a reflex casting, the target is unlikely to be willing, hence attack. Even a heal spell would be an attack spell as it would need a POW vs POW to work.

Who is the target of the spell?

Who ever violates or touches the item, unless more broadly defined by extra target conditions eg. 6 linked spells, with the extra target conditions of upto 6 six targets including the toucher. Wouldn’t work with Heal (touch only) but would work with disruption.

What if there are several possible targets for the spell?

If the target conditions define extra targets, as above, then choose what works best for your group at the table based on circumstances in the game. It could be clear, or you may need to decide based on range or randomly.

Once the spell is triggered, how long does it take to be cast?

Depends on the circumstances, or based on the needs of the story. If out of combat / unengaged then, instant (rune magic always goes off on SR1 anyway). In the above example it’s unlikely that anyone would be prepared anyway against 5 disrupts going off on SR1.

What if the spell asks for a POW vs POW roll?

If not defined in the conditions, you could choose a value that gave the outcome you need for the story, or just use the spirit’s POW. Use whatever works at that time at your table. 

who is the caster of the spell?

If not defined in the enchantment, it’s likely the enchantment itself or in your example it could be the spirit. 

which spells can be put into a matrix and triggered by an attack condition?

Any that are appropriate for the purpose of the enchantment.

You could for example have a ruined shrine that when entered triggers a sanctify spell with ghostly initiates performing the ritual. Whatever fits your story.

From where is the spell cast?

Where ever is defined in the enchantment, or wherever appropriate for the situation you are using or writing.

How does the enchantment check if the target condition is met?

It’s magic.

Is there some planned supplement that will fix/delete/detail/expand these rules?

Maybe, the rules are a general guide. Any enchantments you make for your game should be described well enough that most of these questions won’t arise.

What if the spell asks for a POW vs POW roll?

I am sorry if I was not clear but my questions concern enchantments crafted by the players, not the GM. So consider the situation where the player puts a sever spirit on some item in order to protect it from thieves. It seems that a thief (which may be some other player or a NPC) should be granted a POW vs POW resistance roll upon grabbing the item. But against which POW? The POW of the player who has enchanted the item? The total POW sacrificed during the enchantment of the ritual? The number of magic points in some pool linked to the spell?

Let’s imagine that he puts Sever Spirit on his sword, needs to know Spell Matrix creation (1pt) (RQG page 334) and Sever spirit (3pts). That will cost 3 POW to make a Sever Spirit anyone can use at POWx5 and their POW to overcome POW (and a rune point for the enchantment ritual). For an extra 1 POW they can add an attack condition, and another defines the condition eg, anyone who isn’t a Humakti is attacked by the Sever spirit. The POW for the attack is the POW when the Matrix was made (not after they’ve spent the 5 POW to make this as that would be mean). Be aware that Enchanting Rune magic is only usually available to Rune Levels, so they would have to be a Humakti Rune Lord to obtain Matrix creation RQG page 297). This is an expensive enchantment, it will take some time to recover 5 POW with POW gain rolls. They could in theory build it up in two stage, the sever spirit. then the attack and conditions. Once the spell has been used the item needs to participate in a worship ceremony to regain its 3 rune points back (unless it lives in the temple). It would also be possible to add a second enchantment of Sever spirit so it could be used twice.

So the POW vs POW roll must be made against the enchanter’s POW value at the start of the enchantment ritual, before any POW sacrifice, if I understand well.

Yes

5 POW may seem to be a lot, but a party of 5 players could give each 1 point of POW to the Humakti enchanter as stated p259, so that with some chance, all points are recovered next holy season.

Personally I wouldn’t allow that in this situation. Sever spirit is the premier death magic in Glorantha and wouldn’t let anyone who isn’t a Humakti contribute to what is effectively a cult enchantment. I would allow it for other rune magics where the cultists were associates.

Shouldn’t the players be at least from an associated cult to give POW to the Humakti enchanter when the enchantment deals with Rune magic?

The problem with Humakt, is that he has no associated cults!

Perhaps even initiates from Humakt?

Yes, more so if they knew sever spirit. (Initiates who know sever spirit could contribute to the spell part, those that don’t could contribute to the trigger and condition.

Related Pages

• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 01 Introduction Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 02 Glorantha Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 03 Adventurers Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 03 Pregenerated Adventurers Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 04 Homelands Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 05 Game System Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 06 Skills Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 07 Combat Q&A pages 191-206
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 07 Combat Q&A pages 206-225
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 08 Runes Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 09 Passions & Reputation Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 11 Spirit Magic Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 11 Spirit Magic Spells Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 12 Rune Cults Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 12 Rune Cults The Cults Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 13 Rune Magic Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 13 Rune Magic Spells Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 14 Shamans Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 15 Spirits & the Spirit World Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 16 Sorcery Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 16 Sorcery Spells Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 17 Equipment & Wealth Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 18 Between Adventures Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 19 Adventurer Sheets Q&A
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 20 Conversion Guide
• CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Index Q&A

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Page Last updated: 2022-10-29 17:23:04