[UA] Re: New artefact and ritual

[Robin Pfeifer]

Cassady Toles wrote: "How would the followers know it was a .29 caliber or
whatever?"

As someone else already mentioned, I consider this part an urban legend.
Word of mouth works well, you just can't write it down. The caliber could be
known from the bullets or cases which are found; the rest is hearsay (and
might be very inaccurate).

"they wouldn't usually have the opportunity to find an expert to make new
ammo"

That's correct, they shouldn't. When the gun is found by (not given to)
someone it is always freshly loaded. Otherwise you don't get new ammunition.
You have seven shots, and that's it.

"I don't see a feasable way that the gun could be well known."

It shouldn't be well known, only a few people (who mostly don't know of each
other) know about it.

"The other issue with the ritual is how could a person perform that ritual
on
themselves?  The story seems to imply that happened, but really, A) cover
yourself in clay and B) break yourself out with a bronze hammer."

I did write that in case you cast it on yourself you need a helper. The
helper doesn't need to know the ritual though and what you're doing.

Nick Wedig wrote:
"So, what you're saying is that you've doomed us all by sending us this
email?"

Yep, I thought so. Funny, didn't work. Hmmmm... and I thought RPGs were
teaching you real magic.

"Considering that ancient bards could memorize the whole of the Iliad and
the Oddysey..."

I did some research for a university paper some time ago (yes, I have a life
apart from RPGs) and read about oral tradition in modern Serbia. Apparently
a bard there could repeat a ballad of about 1000 lines or so after hearing
it once, but his version was three times as long. This obviously isn't
verbatim, but there are certain conventions of telling or singing a ballad
and embellishing and adorning it. He did not add any story elements but made
it more elaborate. This bard was also illiterate. So I think the art of
writing might mess with your memory. But with the speed times change memory
is an asset of decreasing value anyway. Flexibility of mind is the future.
The revival of oral storytelling in RPGs is a sign of the times, really.
This form of literature is not to be written down and not to be repeated.

"Anyway, I'd suggest thrwoing in, as a downside, that people who are aware
the object of the spell remember it with supernatural, perhaps obsessive
ccuracy and strength."

That might be interesting. However my PCs are FBI agents who will definitely
be obsessive about this gun without myself doing anything for it...

Robin







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