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Systems & Settings => Shadow World => Topic started by: munchy on October 13, 2007, 04:01:58 PM

Title: Ley Line Transport
Post by: munchy on October 13, 2007, 04:01:58 PM
Hi, reading HARP I was wondering whether the knowledge of spells like Ley Line Transport ... right, stop, again ... Navigators use compasses to teleport safely along the essaence flows.
Essaence flows are the same thing as ley lines, right? They are the ley lines of Shadow World.
So, a spell like ley line transport would make a compass unnecessary, right?
So, the Navigator would not like that spell to be learned by anyone as it would render their services useless to those able to cast it.

Not sure, what I'm asking here to be honest. ...

A character who knows ley line transport could teleport just like the navigators, right?
Title: Re: Ley Line Transport
Post by: TomOBedlam on October 13, 2007, 06:42:10 PM
In keeping with the Shadow World Lore, I would say that you would need a compass to safely use a ley line transport spell. If you look at the nagivagor spell lists they can do some ley-line travel like things. And while it's not explicitly stated, you do need a compass for any spell that uses or takes you near a flowl
Title: Re: Ley Line Transport
Post by: cdcooley on October 14, 2007, 05:49:10 PM
I haven't kept up with HARP so I don't know it's concept of Ley Lines, but generally one of the core ideas behind Ley Lines is their stability.  They are the blood of the earth flowing in predictable, well established channels.  They might vary their strength at times but generally they don't move around.  The Essaence Flows of the Shadow World are streams of energy crossing through the planet but they are very unstable and almost unpredictable.  They are more like a massive weather system.

I would expect the Ley Line Transport spell to be a somewhat guarded secret known only to Navigators, Loremasters, and a few other arcane societies.  The Flows were unpredictable enough that the Lords of Essence created the Compasses for their own use.  The idea that a compass is needed to interact with the flows doesn't really seem quite right, but if you're not at least as skilled as a Lord of Essence it would certainly be a good idea to have one.
Title: Re: Ley Line Transport
Post by: Vurkanan on October 16, 2007, 08:30:41 AM
So, the Navigator would not like that spell to be learned by anyone as it would render their services useless to those able to cast it.

Not sure, what I'm asking here

:-) Yeah, and so I'm not sure if this is the answer you're looking for or if you are aware of this:

There is a spell called "Flow Rider".
Flow Rider (F) D:VR:T Caster may enter a Flow
and fly along its lines of energy at 50-500mph (speed
is up to caster). Caster need not concentrate and may
remain in the flow as long as he wishes until reaching
one of its Foci. He cannot remain motionless, how-
ever, and upon reaching a terminal Focus is expelled.

This spell is on the Navigator Spell List Flow Mastery. I haven't researched if it's available on any other spell list, but I don't think so.
This would mean that the Navigators already control access to this spell and have thus no reason to be nervous about it.

HTH, Vurkanan