Battle/Spirit/Common -Magic

[skoll]

I haven’t read the whole Guide yet, so I apologize, if this is answered somewhere later, but… GtG page 9 has a box describing the Four Paths to Magic. I was a bit surprised not to see any mention of Battle Magic of RQ2/Spirit Magic of RQ3/Common Magic of MRQ. So does it exist in Glorantha or is it a RQ-only thing?

[Carl Pates]

I would play RQ6 Folk magic as analogous to HeroQuest’s Common Magic as described in S:KoH. It tends to be a combination of minor magics derived from your runes, charms, spells and talents, so it’s not a separate Path as such, but rather it’s a lesser form of magic derived from one of the main ones. For example I’d have no problem with a character having a Coordination charm, and another having a Coordination spell – both would use the Folk Magic mechanics to cast along with the same effects.

[Christoph Kohring]

What the … ???

GtG p. 9:

Four Paths to Magic

Gloranthan scholars generally recognize four distinct ways to conceive of magic: spirit, divine, wizardry, and mysticism. In the Third Age, Lunar Magic is claimed by its practitioners to constitute a fifth path, although that claim is not widely recognized by others. Other minor paths may also exist.

Spirit Magic: Also called animism or naturalism, this method of conceiving magic involves integration with the spirits who embody the animals, plants, places, and objects they dwell within. Each culture has its own traditions of spirit magic, which includes spirit societies, animist cults with special relationships to powerful spirits, and individual shamans who explore this world.

What could be clearer?

[Roko Joko]

You won’t and can’t get a clean answer to this. Every rule set says somewhat different things about magic, especially low-power magic. Even RQ6 folk magic is quite different from 2/3 battle/spirit magic, although there are house rules that make it stronger.

They all say that low-power folk type magic exists. They say different things about what it is and how it works.

[skoll]

I’m not really asking from the rules point of view. (We are using Folk magic in our RQ6 campaign, and I have got no problem with that.) Instead I’m wondering what “real” Glorantha is like – if there is such a thing. Does this low-powered (utility) magic exist? Do people use it on daily basis? Do mothers mend dishes broken by reckless children with magic? Do guards use magic to cool themselves a nice mug of ale after a hot day at the walls? Do Orlanthi Carls use magic to sharpen their swords before a battle?

[Peter Metcalfe]

I was a bit surprised not to see any mention of Battle Magic of RQ2/Spirit Magic of RQ3/Common Magic of MRQ. So does it exist in Glorantha or is it a RQ-only thing?

According to HQ2 (and the text is repeated in some form in the draft of HQ:Glorantha), there is Common Magic p110 (use your rune affinity as an augment only unless a break-out ability is made). To wit, Common Magic helps but does not normally create a direct effect.

[Scott Martin]

Instead I’m wondering what “real” Glorantha is like – if there is such a thing. Does this low-powered (utility) magic exist? Do people use it on daily basis? Do mothers mend dishes broken by reckless children with magic? Do guards use magic to cool themselves a nice mug of ale after a hot day at the walls? Do Orlanthi Carls use magic to sharpen their swords before a battle?

I tend to invert these questions a little when getting at the everyday magic that gets common people through their lives:

Is it “magic” when mothers mend dishes broken by reckless children? Whistle up a silent prayer to Glue Gorilla or Gorilla Glue and yes, almost good as new!

Is it “magic” when the mug of ale refreshes? Praise the barley-headed dead boy, I could go another patrol!

Is it “magic” when our swords are sharper than the other side’s — or just sharp enough? Pass granddad’s holy whetstone, I need this to be so!

So in “real Glorantha,” yes, people are probably always blending what we might call instrumental procedures with superstition and wishful thinking. Whatever works tends to get ritualized. Whatever fails gets abandoned in pursuit of something better, or else the people who cling to it don’t manage to pass it on as well.

This practical ecology hasn’t always been the focus of the game materials, which obviously need to highlight the extraordinary and epic textures of the world. But as long as there are libations and blade prayers and humble kitchen magic, we can see the traces.

In particular the mending spell opens a window toward what we often call earth magic because historically it’s been mother who had to do it. What else is there? A good project to add to the pile!

[Pentallion]

Think of those football commercials where it’s not stupid if it works. Only in Glorantha, it actually DOES work!

[Roko Joko]

This is my favorite description:

Most people are extremely practical and perform whatever makes their survival easier, so they go to their regular services, make offerings and sing songs to Mr. Berry Bush and Old Man Acorn Grove, sacrifice when needed to Sister Water, The Guy in the Pool, wave their spell sticks over the butter pot to make that special cheese, pay the gal with the Healing Charms to get rid of the flux, eat the “color shrooms” when they need to find their cattle, go without food and water for three days when they want to find the pigs lost in the woods, chant over the birds found dead in the woods, bake special bread and leave it out for the things that used to come out of the woods, lay aside a portion of the ale for the ghosts of those who died near their creek, toss salt over their shoulder for good luck, cross their fingers and knock on wood, offer their own blood when the baby is sick, and so on and on and on, and never eve care a whit about Otherworlds, types of beings, type of worship or the types of magic.

http://glorantha.temppeli.org/digest/heroquest-rules/2005.02/20736.html

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