Compilation of rules clarifications from Facebook

[VivianValerian]

I figured it would be useful to compile together major rules clarifications that were posted to the Facebook group. Mostly just to put it all in one place. So here goes nothing....

[VivianValerian]

Posted by Deva Fagan on Apr 30, 2018:

"We have had a variety of questions about Weavewalks and would like to clarify a few things.

First, as a reminder, here is the rulebook description of the Weave:

"The Weave is an ethereal world that overlays the physical realm. It is a place of magic, of dreams, of the past, and of the future. It is said that the Gods dwell within the Weave, and that the spirits of the dead travel there as well."

To go further: the Weave is not a strictly LITERAL place. In general, what you see in the weave is what you see. But it may not be a factually accurate representation. For example, if you happen to, say, see Morgan Shepherd in a Weavewalk, the NPC playing her will almost certainly be Colleen, who plays Morgan in the "real" world. But she might be wearing a different outfit in the weave, or the lighting effects might make her look different.

The Weave is shaped by perception, memory, dreams, beliefs. It should not be considered consistent or strictly factual. It is a place of inspiration and suggestion, not definite answers. We encourage our players to do Weavewalks, and hope that they will provide clues to unravel the overarching mysteries of the Evensong world, but want to remind everyone that they are not strict reflections of fact and reality.

The Evensong Staff"

[VivianValerian]

Question from Gavin on Dec 11 2017:

"John Behnken - I've been hearing different things on the maximum number of spells that can be learned between events.  Can you please clarify?  Let's say, hypothetically, that after Game 1, a certain PC learned Wild Magic 2 and already knew Performance I/II.  Between Game 1 and Game 2, would she be able to learn a maximum of:

(a) 4 spells (1 for free, 2 for free for learning WM2, and 1 for GB because she has Performance II); or

(b) 5 spells (1 for free, 2 for free for learning WM2, and 2 for GB because she has both Performance II and WM2)?

Underlying Question: Do you get to apply the new magical skill level you are purchasing in calculating the maximum number of spells you can acquire between games?"


Answer from John Behnken:

"
It's pretty much the same for all magical disciplines.  I'll try to cover it all here (please forgive me if I miss something) but you can find all of this near the end of the rulebook under "learning new spells".  Here we go:
New Magical Skill (or Magical Skill Level):  2 Spells
Between Games:  1 Free spell. Your choice of discipline.  But only one.
Game Bucks:  10 game bucks for 1 spell for each level of each discipline.  So - if you have Wild Magic I/II - you may learn 2 Wild Magic spells with 20 game bucks.  If you also have Peformance I - you can spend 10 more game bucks for a Performance spell.
BGA:  You can use your one BGA to learn one new spell.

Gavin Alexander in your example:   The answer is (c) - 1 Free spell, 2 Free for Learning WM2, and 3 max for 30 Game bucks:  1 each for WM I, Performance I and Performance II.   You couldn't spend game bucks on WM II, since you have 2 free coming and you only just learned the skill.   Oh, and you can burn a BGA on one more (provided you haven't done another BGA already this period).
"

[VivianValerian]

Question from Dango McFazza on Dec 6 2017:

"Question:  Can players teach another player a skill or spell they have previously learned from the staff?"

Answer from John Behnken:

"
OK, here goes:
If you learn a hidden skill from an NPC in game and they inform you that requirements are met and you can purchase it now, no BGA required. 

If you learn that same hidden skill, you cannot teach it to another player.  You'll need to refer them to your trainer. 
If you have a skill demonstrated to your or hinted at  or explained but not ACTUALLY taught in game - you need to arrange for that education and spend a BGA...or....ask to meet them in game at a later date to train you in game.

[editors note, gavin had previously mentioned in the discussion that spells were teachable].

Gavin is correct about spells. They're free game.  Buyt you are still limited by the max number of spells you're allowed to learn between games. (totally separate discussion)
"

[VivianValerian]

Not quite a rules clarification per se, but close enough that I thought it was worth adding:

Quoted from Deva Fagan,  dec 6, 2017

"
A note to our players who are entrenched in lore and ancient languages: we want to make it clear that the lore found within the Evensong world is not guaranteed to be accurate. As in the real world, historical documents are shaped by who is telling the story, and alter over time and with re-telling. You may find stories that are false and that contradict one another. Likewise any inscriptions or similar may have errors as they are the creation of human beings (both IG and OOG) who are imperfect creatures.

It's partly for this reason we encourage those working to unravel ancient lore and/or languages to share their theories with each other and in spaces where the plot staff can see (PELs and forums) so that we have a sense of how things are going and can tweak future lore and plot to provide opportunities for you to find answers. :-)
"

[VivianValerian]

Questions and requested clarifications about Prayer:

(1) the rulebook indicates that prayer allows one to "ask a Gray Weaver three yes or no questions on matters that fall within the Domain of a deity". But what of questions about the diety itself? For example: "were you previously known by the name X", or "did you exist in your current form 800 years ago", or maybe "was person X one of your favored?".

Such questions seem to make sense as a question you might ask of a god/dess, since it would be something they would clearly know, but per the rules of Prayer it's not clear if they'd just fail since they're not directly related to the domains per se.

One could argue that a diety is implicitly related to its own domains and thus questions about the diety would always count. But that's one of those weird cases where some people might see a stretch and other people see common sense.

(2) if yes: it has also been implied that questions of fact will generally be answered better than questions of opinion, yes? What about questions that directly relate to a diety's own opinions? For example: "would it please you if I did X", or "do you hate X".

John beknhen jul 30

So your instincts are correct, Stephen Hartley.  But I'll caution you that, for some very good reasons which I will not disclose, you may not always receive an answer, even if you can reasonably expect one. 
<This answer has been brought to you by the Evensong Cosmology Team.>