[Glorantha] Re: Power Levels

[Donald R. Oddy]

In message <20061121231256.43684.qmail at web27207.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Jane Williams writes:

>Personally while I'm happy to make up stats for things
>whose levels I already know, I like to have an idea of
>relative values for those I don't, where it's likely
>to affect world balance if I get it wrong.
>
>I'm not yet ready to have the Bat around as an actual
>foe, but Lunar Field Colleges, maybe, if I use my
>trick of having two powerful and well-balanced NPCs
>contesting, with the PCs providing the augments that
>tip the balance.
>
>So, we know that Kallyr and Broyan are pretty powerful
>as Orlanthi go. How does a senior magician in a Lunar
>Field College compare, to the nearest mastery? The
>same? One higher? One lower?

Well Broyan's best skill is "Inspire Orlanthi" at 4W3 and
according to the sample resistances in HQ best magical
abilities range up to 10W3 for humans. Of course the
senior magican's best skill might be "University Politics"
but even so she'll have something like "Co-ordinate Ritual"
or a specific Grimoire in the nW3 range.

>I simply don't know about a Lunar Field College. I
>can't guess that comparison. And it's a lot faster and
>less words to say 10W3 than it is to describe
>comparisons with a list of known standards.

This is where I have a bit of a problem with the augmenting
mechanics. If we treat the College as a community augment
we get total support of 280 people giving +16. That makes 
no distinction between guards, apprentices and magicans. 
However if we allow the seven magicians to use their abilities 
in the way the followers of Broyan can there should be several 
+4 augments as well. All told I'd say the college would have 
an effective magical ability in the 10W4 region.

So if we set up a conflict between Broyan and a CoM it
becomes a matter of how the conflict is staged. If the
CoM attacks Broyan's tribe with "Crush Hope" he can
counter with "Inspire Orlanthi" and his community bonus
should make it a pretty even fight. If they attack with
"Heat Rock" he's struggling to find a defence. Conversely
if he attacks the CoM by getting the tribal warband to
charge them the CoM will have to rely on the guard
commander's best skill which is probably in the 10W2 region.

However the interesting thing about this conflict is how
the PCs respond to the possibility. If they propose taking
the College on in a straight magical fight I'd expect Broyan
to get beaten. If they come up with a decent plan to attack
when the College is at a disadvantage then Broyan should win.

A CoM is a devastating weapon used correctly but very fragile.
A modern equivilent would be a helicopter gunship - devastating
firepower but can be shot down by a hand held rocket launcher.

Which is why I don't see a CoM wandering about on its own,
there'll be a couple of regiments in attendance.

-- 
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/