Just wondering - what is "revised" in the new "Realms of Power: The Divine, Revised Edition"? IIRC the Judaism chapter needed a rewrite after a plagarism scandal, is that right? Are any mechanics altered? I don't suppose I'll be buying it, as I have the non-revised one and all, but - just wondering.
The Judaism chapter has been completely rewritten, but that's it. It does mean that there are completely new mechanics for Kabbala, because the Judaism chapter was completely rewritten.
Does that mean we have new traditions or does it include rewritten mechanics for the same traditions that were in the book previously?
Download it and see for yourself.
http://www.atlas-games.com/pdf_storage/DivineRevisedJUDAISM-WebPreview.pdf
I checked quickly the text and i must say that is more clear, more special and the rules are better now. Are there more changes on others chapters or only the errated points?
Looks good. Since I am somewhat tied to my Anima project right now, I dived straight for the golem section. There I found something disturbing:
Err... how is that supposed to work? 
AFAIK there are no rules at all to gain V&F through play apart from using initiations.... Some events MIGHT have similar effect (developing a deep antipathy for someone and wishing them harm, your older siblings die and you become heir to your father, you are educated to a high level, you lose your hand...) but they are NOT new V&F. but just story events. The difference between a story event an a lot of the V&F is extremely dodgy, true, but the difference exists.
So, how is the golem supposed to get new V&F through play? Should it read "as normal" instead of "through play"?
I would have also liked to know if animal golems (mentioned, but not described) have the same game effects than a human golem.
That other bit makes perfect sense for Mechanica of Heron as well, so I am using it straight. 
How would you teach a cat to hunt mice? :mrgreen:
I noticed that the .pdf of the revised chapter is a web preview only. Does this mean existing owners of Realms of Power: The Divine are going to have to buy the revised edition to get the corrected chapter? We have paid for this product once already. Thanks.
BTW , first time poster here. I apologize that it's a complaint/concern that actually got me to register and post. This forum and its inhabitants are pretty fantastic sources of information.
Frankly I don't see any difference between your "story events" and virtues and flaws. In my saga, we don't enforce a difference. We've had a knight who married an heiress and gained her lands. He gained the Landed Noble virtue accordingly. We're using the Mitigating Wounds optional rules from Lords of Men, so said knight could choose to take the Missing Hand flaw in exchange for not suffering an incapcitating wound. There are any number of ways to gain, and loose, virtues and flaws in our saga.
And can you gain Ways of the land "just because"? Or a puissant ability? Or animal ken? Or become large, or have a rapid convalescence? Without undertaking an initiation, I mean 
The cited text also means that all the golems are identical at the moment of creation, since you cannot assign any V&F.
Xavi
Gained through play is wider than gained through initiation, so that does allow for time and events to take their toll. Once created, the community (or the kabbalist) has a responsibility to the golem and each community is different. Each golem will be exposed to different experiences and some of those will shape them. But they certainly could undertake initiation. It's just that they aren't limited to only gaining virtues (or flaws) that way.
Mark
You can't get anything "just because". You get it through stories or because it will make an interesting story. Honestly, I think there probably isn't any functional difference between what we do and what you do. It's just we call the results virtues and flaws and you don't.
My copies haven't arrived yet, but the "preview" does indeed seem to represent the entirety of the new "Mythic Judaism" chapter and is a preview insofar as it isn't really that useful to those without access to the book's earlier chapters detailing the Divine realm itself.
I'd just like to be able to print it so I can keep it with my earlier edition. As you note, it's not useful to anyone that doesn't have the earlier chapters so making it printable shouldn't hurt sales and would help out folks that invested in the older edition.
Oddjob --
I'm confused. You CAN print the preview .pdf.
Either print it directly from the web, or save it to your HD first, then print it.
Am I missing something?
Ah...I think something was corrupted in the first download I tried. It wouldn't print. I think I just assumed that printing was disabled. First time I've had that happen. But I tried again after reading your post and this time it worked fine. So...how's the weather? Don't mind me...
No worries.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to now go find another post to respond to, offering your thoughts and wisdom.
Welcome to the Forum.
ps. Weather is great. Thanks for asking.
I appreciate that they put the new material up for free. As an owner of the original version, that is very convenient. Of course, I might eventually talk my self into buying the revised edition as well, but that has to get behind all the Ars5 books I don't have.
I'd also chime in to say that I really appreciate Atlas' decision to make the revised material accessible for free.
Me three.
Just another reason why I am happy to purchase products from Atlas Games.