Thread: Increasing POW - How?

Can someone help me with this Newbie-type question, please: Is the only (normal) way to increase POW by the spending of Improvement Points, like any other characteristic? (That is, if your POW is 10, spend 10 to go up to 11)
Or have I just not yet found the traditional RQ 'Increase POW by overcoming someone else's POW' rule?

I have also only found the rule for POW increase with Improvement Rolls, not the
POW versus POW rule. Such a rule could perhaps be in the free Spirit Magic sup-
plement, but I have not yet downloaded and read it.

The only way to increase POW in Legend is improvement rolls. Legend doesn't have the resistance table so there is no POW vs POW roll anyway. Nothing in Spirit Magic changes that.

Thanks, gents. Glad I wasn't just missing something.

So - next question: Is lack of POW Gains a 'problem' that needs fixing? Has anyone played enough Legend (or MRQ2, presuming the rule was the same) to tell whether POW/Magic Points progression is too slow, or perhaps is fine anyway?

Originally Posted by frogspawner

So - next question: Is lack of POW Gains a 'problem' that needs fixing?

It will probably depend on the setting and campaign. In the Phalanos setting
I am currently working on a sorcerer needs some enchanted items, and with
the rules from Mongoose Runequest II (Legend probably has the same rules
for enchantments ?) this leads to a temporary loss of 6 magic points per en-
chanted item as long as the item exists. With improvement rolls as the only
way to gain more POW it could take a sorcerer a long time to make up for
the magic points bound into his enchanted items, and he will probably find
it difficult to also improve any of his skills.

Originally Posted by frogspawner

So - next question: Is lack of POW Gains a 'problem' that needs fixing? Has anyone played enough Legend (or MRQ2, presuming the rule was the same) to tell whether POW/Magic Points progression is too slow, or perhaps is fine anyway?

Never noticed it as a problem. The system generally doesn't require much in the way of POW or Magic Points: deliberately so.

On the other hand, the cost for characteristic gains is so prohibitive that it effectively takes them out of the game unless you're giving out a lot more Improvement Rolls than suggested.

Originally Posted by rust

...a sorcerer needs some enchanted items, and with the rules from Mongoose Runequest II (Legend probably has the same rules for enchantments ?)...

The Legend core rulebook has no rules for enchantments (or any magic items) that I can spot. (Only mention is of finding components to aid 'a Sorcerer or other magician in creating a magical treasure' as a possible quest).

Originally Posted by deleriad

Never noticed it as a problem. The system generally doesn't require much in the way of POW or Magic Points: deliberately so. On the other hand, the cost for characteristic gains is so prohibitive that it effectively takes them out of the game unless you're giving out a lot more Improvement Rolls than suggested.

Hmm, both these aspects may limit character advancement a bit more than people might like, I suspect. (Until a Legend expansion book appears, that is... )

Arms and Equipment for RQII had rules for enchanting things. I don't know if the Legend version still has those (some things were removed besides the RQ/Glorantha stuff).

Originally Posted by frogspawner

Or have I just not yet found the traditional RQ 'Increase POW by overcoming someone else's POW' rule?

Its on page 112 in the Psionics section "... whenever your character succeeds in POW-base resistance roll... versus higher POW... you should put an experience check next to POW... See Increasing Characteristics on page 186..."
Page 186 has a section on 'POW Gain Rolls'. Which does go into more detail.

Oops, just spotted this is the Legend Thread... please feel free to ignore me

POW in Legend isn't used in the same way that is was in RQ2/3, so isn't that important. Increased POW allows you to have more Dedicated POW, and hence a few more divine spells, and makes you luckier, but that's about it.

Personally, I prefer the RQ2/3 approach with possibly hundreds of points of Divine Magic and enchantments, but that's just me.