[TSOY] Uz magic

[Thierry Michel]

I'm creating my first NPC, an Ammeni slave-catcher with some magical abilities (Secret of Uz).  To make sure I understand things correctly, my NPC's sheet should display:

* the Secret of Uz;

* some points in the Zu ability;

* some syllables which the NPC already knows;

right?

Those syllables can eventually be stolen by any player when spoken in his presence, even if said player is taking the secret of Zu, not Uz, right again?

[Clinton R. Nixon]

I'm creating my first NPC, an Ammeni slave-catcher with some magical abilities (Secret of Uz).  To make sure I understand things correctly, my NPC's sheet should display:

* the Secret of Uz;

* some points in the Zu ability;

* some syllables which the NPC already knows;

right?

Those syllables can eventually be stolen by any player when spoken in his presence, even if said player is taking the secret of Zu, not Uz, right again?

All correct. You don't have to start with any syllables, though, if you don't want to.

[Thierry Michel]

You don't have to start with any syllables, though, if you don't want to.

I'd like him to have some abilities already so I'll buy syllables with advances as in the rules for word-theft.  

I'd like him to have, say, the power to inspire fear ("fear") and impair sight ("blindness"). Now, given that "True Zaru never speak in the negative: if there is nothing affirmative to say, they do not speak in zu", shouldn't these concepts be represented by something like "no-will" and "no-seeing", since our villain uses the negative version of Zu? (in which case a proper hero could steal from him the words for courage and sight).

[Clinton R. Nixon]

You don't have to start with any syllables, though, if you don't want to.

I'd like him to have some abilities already so I'll buy syllables with advances as in the rules for word-theft.  

I'd like him to have, say, the power to inspire fear ("fear") and impair sight ("blindness"). Now, given that "True Zaru never speak in the negative: if there is nothing affirmative to say, they do not speak in zu", shouldn't these concepts be represented by something like "no-will" and "no-seeing", since our villain uses the negative version of Zu? (in which case a proper hero could steal from him the words for courage and sight).

I love it when people have thoughts that I had during design and almost used. This is a really good one: define a syllable, and then those with the Secret of Uz use it in the negative.

The reason I didn't use it, by the way: many words don't have a negative, and on those where both is neutral, who uses what? If you decide to go with this, I'd love to hear how it works.