did you mean to reduce the average number

[Saxon]

HB,

Your proposal would also make the rainbow pretender much more valuable. They would just stroll around identifying sites and would never have to search. They would move twice as fast and thus have many more free turns. We don’t see a lot of complaints about overpowered rainbow mages, so this is not a bad thing.

However, it would also make high bless pretenders more valuable as well, and they do already provide a great deal to the nation. Throw in the combat pretenders who are high in a particular path and we start to see some balance issues. It would shift things from scales to magic paths.

For example, a D9 pretender for LE Ermor. In the early stages, he uses his fear to chase off indys, meaning fast expansion. However, he is simultaneously searching each province, ensuring a fast start to death gems, which Ermor desperately needs. Then later in the game he can case Utterdark or whatever high level global he needs. The total package is a bit too much.