CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 16 Sorcery Spells Q&A

Official Answers from Chaosium

This covers the second part of Chapter 16, pages 390-401.

For the Sorcery rules section see : Sorcery Q&A

Contents

    See also

    Warning

    Sorcery Warning

    Please be aware that, Sorcery is presented to allow Lhankor Mhy adventurers to be created. Future supplements will detail sorcerers from other cultures and provide more details of the sorcery system. Some elements of the system will likely change to portray other cultures.

    Boon of Kargan Tor (page 392)

    Boon of Kargan Tor & Protective Circle

    Can Boon of Kargan Tor be cast on the Protective Circle?

    No.

    Quote:

    This spell must be cast on a weapon.

    Boon of Kargan Tor, page 392

    Castback (page 392)

    Change
    Correction

    If an offensive spell fails to overcome the POW of the target of the Castback spell and the strength of that offensive spell is equal or less than that of the Castback, the offensive spell is bounced back at the caster.

    Does a Castback spell take effect the next strike rank like Reflection?

    Yes

    Or does the original casting time effect it?

    No.

    And does a spell that’s neutralized before a POW vs POW roll takes place, by neutralize rune or whatever, get cast back?

    This depends on how the neutralising magic works and the casting situation. Some spells only protect if their duration is greater than the attacking spell. It’s also easier to imagine spell in shells around the caster. I would always place Castback outside Neutralize (rune), so you have only one roll to deal with – does it bounce or not? Then if it fails, Neutralize (rune) is the next layer of protection.

    Conflagration (page 392)

    Size of Fire

    What is the area/volume of fire produced?

    Quote:

    Strength Area Volume

    1–3 Candle – size of a candle flame

    4–7 Torch – size of a torch flame

    8 & above bucketsized – size of a small forge – enough to work metal. 

    If it is cast on the space containing a human, for instance, would that human take damage to only one hit location, or is enough to , say, catch both legs.

    Conflagration, Page 392

    The fire does not move, although it will spread if flammable material is nearby.

    Use this in conjunction with the fire rules on page 157. It’s a small fire.

    Bear in mind that a human hit with an Intensity 8 or above conflagration on anything but a limb is likely dead.

    Would a higher strength spell correspond to a bigger fire?

    No, a hotter flame.

    This where an adventurer with research could create a new spell based on Conflagration that increased area instead of intensity.

    Create Hallucination (page 392)

    POW vs POW

    Can a sorcerer cast Create Hallucination on themselves without needing to overcome their own POW with the spell’s Strength?

    If a character wants to allow a spell to be cast upon them, they don’t need to make a resistance roll. That’s already codified in the rules. Why would this situation, however improbable as it is, be any different? Has this circumstance actually come up in play, or is it likely to? 

    Dominate (discorporate spirit) (page 394)

    Change
    Correction

    Dominate (discorporate spirit)

    Dominate (Elemental) (page 395)

    Change
    Correction

    3 Points

    Finger of Fire (page 395)

    Strike Rank of Attack

    What is the SR for using the fire to attack? Just the sorcerer’s DEX SR?

    Depends on the extra magic point cost (1 melee round +2 SR per extra magic point), for example a sorcerer with a DEX SR of 3:

    Minimum cost: assuming  Intensity 1 Damage (1D6), range 1 (10m). Duration 1 (5 mins), three mastered runes = 3 magic points = 1 melee round then SR3, then 5 SR to move target. Using 3 Free INT

    A bit of oomf: assuming  Intensity 5 Damage (2D6) (+4mp), range 6 (130m) (+5mp). Duration 1 (5 mins), three mastered runes = 3 base +9 extra mp = 1 melee round + (9×2=) 18 SR +DEX SR 3= 2 melee rounds then SR9, then 5 SR to move target. Using 12 Free INT.

    Logical Clarity (page 396)

    Change
    Correction

    Change: If the subject is unwilling, the caster must overcome the subject’s POW with the spell’s strength level.

    Logical Clarity (page 396)

    Concentration

    Is it correct that this spell is Active and hence requires concentration to maintain,

    Yes

    given that its purpose is to be used with Knowledge skills which presumably require their own level of concentration on the subject?

    Assume that it’s the same concentration.

    Enhance INT is a Passive spell.

    Yes, you don’t need to concentrate on an INT increase, but accessing the Mind Palace of Truth needs more effort.

    Reveal Rune (page 398)

    Change
    Correction

    (within range bands of 20%, so an Air Rune of 75% would be identified as being between 60% and 80%).

    Is it an Instant Spell?

    Is it correct that this is Temporal and Active?

    Yes. Takes 5 mins to read the target.

    It reads more like an Instant spell to me, like Identify Spell.

    Identify spell is an external magical identification, revealing runes is a deeper process.

    If it is Temporal it can be used on multiple targets while the spell lasts?

    Add more time for multiple targets.

    Magic Point Enhancement (page 396)

    Change
    Correction

    Ritual (Enchantment), Passive

    Attunement

    Do Magic Point Enchantments need to be attuned in a similar fashion to crystals?

    No. The week long crystal investigation is to determining the nature of the crystal (powered or not). It either results in an attuning attempt or storing a magic point (See GM Screen Pack, Adventure book, Determining the Nature of a Crystal, page 121).

    Magic point Enchantments just need identifying before use (Analyze Magic, Knowledge, etc). There may also be User Conditions on use as part of the enchantment (RQG page 251)

    Mend Flesh (page 396)

    Change
    Correction

    Ranged, Passive, Instant

    Open Seas (page 397)

    Open Seas (9 mp)

    Note that there is a self contained version of Open seas.

    Per the Q&A 9.3 Spells with no Mastery: There are some spells, such as Open Seas (9 mps), that are self-sufficient, but they are not common. In this case, for non-sorcerers, the runes and techniques are baked in.

    Open Seas is one of the sorcery spells included in the rulebook, p. 397. It costs 2 pts. and requires the rune of Water and the Command technique. Do how is the nine magic point cost calculated?

    If you don’t know the runes or techniques then the costs are doubled and doubled again. That comes to 8 mp. Then an extra point for the missing runes and techniques. For sorcerer adventurers who know the rune and technique, the cost will be lower.

    That’s actually something I’d like officially clarified- from my reading of the rules you need to have either mastered the required runes and techniques, or you can use an associated rune or technique at twice the MP cost, but you cannot cast the spell if you have neither mastered nor have an appropriate associated rune or technique. That would then preclude anyone that has not mastered Water or its associated runes Fire or Air from casting Open Seas

    See above, Open Seas is a cult specific self-sufficient sorcery spell, that may be cast by non-sorcerers. It is a Dormal cult special and may be learned by Dormal initiates. It costs 9 magic points when cast by initiates or priests who lack any other sorcerous training.

    Protective Circle (page 398)

    Protective Circle & Spirit and Rune magic

    Can Spirit or Rune magic spells be cast on a Protective Circle, becoming part of it?

    Yes

    Can non-Sorcery spells be cast upon a Protective Circle?

    Yes.

    Is the Range, Duration, and Strength of the spell cast on the Circle effected by the Circle? 

    No. But remember to increase the Strength (intensity) of the Protective Circle as spell can’t have a higher strength than the Protective Circle

    Protective Circle & Ward Against Weapons

    Can you cast Ward Against Weapons on a Protective Circle? 

    Yes, but remember to increase the Strength (intensity) of the Protective Circle as the Ward Against Weapons spell can’t have a higher strength than the Protective Circle.

    Protective Circle & Boosting
    Quote

    If the circle is not boosted, the spell attacks as if it were cast by a person with 1 POW.

    How does this work with sorcery, as it typically uses the spell’s strength to overcome the target’s POW.

    Sorcery spells use the Protective Circle’s strength as usual (the take away from this is always boost your protective circle).

    Protective Circle & Temporal spells

    When a temporal spell is cast on the circle, is the duration measured from the casting, or the triggering?

    The triggering.

    Can a circle be set to Befuddle anyone who comes into it, or would that only last for two minutes from when the Befuddle is first cast onto the circle?

    A single Befuddle would attack a single target. Multiple Befuddles would be needed for multiple targets. Assuming the attack was successful, each would then last 2 minutes. Multispell is a good option here.

    Similarly, can Disruption (or any other Instant spell) be placed on the circle to attack anyone who enters it?

    See above, as Befuddle (excluding Multispell, as Disruption, has its own rules)

    Protective Circle & Dispelling

    What happens to all the spells laid over a Protective Circle when the Circle is Dispelled (etc)?

    They end as the framework they are cast on has gone. Always boost a Protective Circle.

    Solace Of The Logical Mind (page 398)

    Change
    Correction

    If the subject is unwilling, the caster must overcome the target’s POW with the spell’s levels of strength. While the spell is in effect, the target cannot invoke any Passion or augment any ability with that Passion.

    Steal Breath (page 400)

    Change
    Correction

    (i.e., they can be used to cast spells, boost spells to help overcome defensive magic, etc.)

    Steal Breath rate

    Is Steal Breath sorcery spell supposed to generate 1d6 magic points per combat round?

    From the first sentence of the spell: 

    This spell allows the caster to convert 3 cubic meters of air into 1D6 magic points per round. 

    Spell use
    Jeff Richard says:

    Using Tap [Steal Breath] against humans, is going to mark the caster as an outlaw by pretty much all other Malkioni. That means no allies, no cult support, nothing. If he is a Lhankor Mhy cultist, his temple is going to get plagued by angry wind spirits and maybe even get a visit from the local Orlanth Rex. The kin of his victims may complain – even if they are nonhumans like dark trolls, that is the sort of “evil magic” that might get you outlawed from your tribe or city.

    It is the sort of spell that identifies you to everyone as an Evil Sorcerer – the sort of bad guy that adventurers get hired to kill.

    Summon (Species) (page 400)

    Change
    Correction

    Summon (Species) to Summon (Otherworld creature)

    3+ Points

    If the caster does not know the true name of the entity summoned, the caster must overcome the POW of the entity with the total spell strength of the summons.

    Tap Body (page 400)

    Change
    Correction

    Touch, Instant

    (i.e., they can be used to cast spells, boost spells to help overcome defensive magic, etc.)

    If the sorcerer’s total magic points exceed their normal maximums, the extra points are only available for use until the spell’s duration expires.

    Change
    Clarification

    The PDF has been updated to reflect:

    The sorcerer must overcome the magic points of the victim,

    to

    The sorcerer must overcome the POW of the victim,

    Steal Breath & Tap Body

    These spells are written similarly. They are both active and temporal, every 2 points grants 1d6 magic points, and the magic points are usable in the same way. Other than target and range, the big difference is that Steal Breath specifically says it works every round. Tap Body does not state how long the tapping continues. But it is listed as temporal, not instant. Now, I recognize that the extra magic points beyond normal only last while the spell is active – in both cases.

    So, can my evil NPC sorcerer cast Tap Body 4 on a tied-up captive and

    a) keep draining 2 SIZ points every round on the same captive…until the captive is SIZ 1, concentration lapses, or 10 minutes has elapsed?

    b) Or is the Tap effect really instant (with only the retained MP over POW portion temporal) and the evil sorcerer has to recast it each time he converts SIZ points to MP?

    b) Instant, although for flourish you would see the victim shrink

    for more you need to increase the Strength (2 levels per SIZ point over the first).

    The big difference between Tap Body and Steal Breath is that SIZ is finite and air infinite (except then removing it from finite lungs).

    Could Tap Body be cast on a tree?

    Yes. It has SIZ.

    or does it have to be animate?

    No.

    In RQ3, Tap [stat] was considered evil by many cultures. Does that still apply to Tap Body?Does it apply to any Sorcery spell with the Tap technique (of which we currently know 2)?

    Maybe, sorcery has not been culturally expanded yet for RQG, but see below.

    Malkioni & Tap

    Why would Malkioni look down on tapping?

    Jeff Richard says:

    Nearly all Malkioni accept the Law of Malkion as the keystone to the faith. Sadly, the ease with which this law can be misinterpreted has led to many different sects of Malkionism. The law is summarized below:

    1.      The Invisible God is the God beyond the gods.

    2.      Follow the righteous path of your caste. (This is usually defined as imposing different rules for each caste.)

    3.      Love that which the Invisible God has created.

    4.      Do not ruin that which you love. (This is usually defined as including a proscription against use of the Tap Technique.)

    Aeolians & Tap

    What’s the Aeolian view of using Steal Breath?

    Very very bad.

    For the Sorcery rules section see : Sorcery Q&A

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