[Glorantha] Lunar Colleges of Magic

[Orlanth Umathi]

Adept:
>Funnily enough, I think the crater makers may not have a fast
> enough response time for use as battlefield artillery. It propably takes a
> while for the meteors to fly from the moon. They seem to be more of a
> strategic asset, used like cruise missiles (or huge trebuchets) to pound
> enemy fortifications and towns.

That is exactly how I have used them, I had the players notice a red 
glow slowly approaching from the far distance (bat paranoia encouraged) 
resolving into red streaks in the sky and I finally hit the battlefield 
with meteors and lunar elementals.

It felt like an intercontinental missile in this case.

Simon:
 > Lastly, I'm puzzled that magical units use archers for local protection

Stephen:
 >They're described as armoured archers

I also see no benefit in archers defending magic users. "Armoured" may 
help a bit but against cavalry or heavy infantry? I guess it depends on 
what the term means.

A heavy infantry square would be too much investment but some lightly 
armoured spear and shield users would defend better against both light 
and heavy cavalry. So, if you trained archers to use standing shields 
and set spears and occasionally wield both that could work (sounds like 
a medium investment, but the magicians are perhaps worth it). If heavy 
infantry approached, everyone could retain their manoeuvrability, by 
ditching and maybe cursing the heavier shields and spears.

Fast moving Orlanthi raiders or flyers would still work well against 
them but I suspect magic users may risk offensive or dispelling magics 
when their own necks are on the line, and they may be prepared for this 
tactic.

Jamie