[RMS]

Originally Posted by Tywyll

MP vs MP works if you accept a world in which POW storage crystals/spirits/etc or outside sources of mana are fairly common (at least as magic items go). If you don't want such items to be common, then the idea becomes wonky I'd think.

Depending on what you want, it actually works fine without the items. It just lowers the level of magic of the game, which can also be very fun and interesting. The thing is that small storage devices become huge in those circumstances and can be fun. We've played in several worlds where getting a small storage device or two (2-3 points each) was common for magic using characters, but the items are temporary and require other magic skills to create, such as ceremony. That means that the magic specialists have such devices, while nobody else has the skills to create them. It's something worth thinking about in any event, and is already built into the rules.

Personally, I'd rather see mechanics that allow the caster to increase their personal MP's beyond POW (if you need to Cap Pow, otherwise just let it increase) so that a powerful mage is powerful even when his toys are removed.

The shaman mechanics from RQ2 or RQ3 could easily be adapted to this concept. Allow such a character to put POW increases into a MP pool that doesn't count for MP vs. MP, but acts as a pool for casting more spells. You might want to require a ceremony roll (or similar) for this, so that only magic specialists can do it.

Then, I've usually run campaigns in worlds were magic items were fairly rare and significant, rather than one with the core RQ and D&D assumptions I think. Just a taste thing, but I'd like to see the mechanics allow for that stylistic choice.

The default RQ world is very magic item low compared to D&D from my experience, and most of them are cult, cultural, or created by the characters so have a completely different feel. In RQ/Glorantha, you destroy an enemy's magic treasures after defeating them far more often than taking them for your self, and most magic items are earned as gifts for deeds done by the cult or clan, or as a divine bonus. Plus, magic items don't define characters to nearly the level of D&D. Not that it matters here, but I just don't see equating those two at all. (This is all for Glorantha. Fantasy earth had very little in the way of magic items, but then magic was much rarer in general.)