Jack-of-all-trades characters

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From: Andrew Bell (acb@romeo.cs.duke.edu)
Date: Sat 18 Aug 1990 - 09:56:33 EEST


When the longest running RuneQuest campaign around here degenerated, it seemed that the main problem was that the major (most powerful) characters had little or no reason to run together. Lower power characters had little to offer the higher power ones, and would get killed participating in adventures that were (combat-wise) a challenge to the higher power ones.

The main reason for this was that the major characters were jacks-of-all-trades. Despite the supposed specific nature of their cults, all were adept at healing, at weapons, and making themselves magic resistant. Each had enough spirit block that spirits generally weren't a problem. (The Big Three were all Runelord-Priests.)

Granted, these three were all of widely different backgrounds, and had widely varying goals. But even if they had been more closely aligned, they really had few unique talents to offer each other.

Have any of you folks noticed this "problem"?

For us, the causes were:

  1. By far the most useful class to be is a fighter of some sort. Sorcerors are not exactly encouraged to mingle with divine and spirit magic users, and the game really encourages people to join cults. And the magic of a novice sorceror's apprentice is not much more powerful than the spells obtainable by cult members. In RQ II, the sorcery option doesn't even exist.
  2. In RQ II, and to a slightly lesser extent RQ III, Power is such an important characteristic that not having offensive magic would put a character at a major disadvantage. Thus characters were/are oriented towards offensive magic in RQ II, as opposed to any thoughts of merely specializing in weapons. In RQ III the cult you join determines what offensive magic you can get, so characters gravitate towards those cults with offensive spells.
  3. In RQ III, they merged many of the thiefly skills, so it takes even less training to become good at thieving-type activities. Sneaking up behind someone and backstabbing them isn't that much better than their failing to parry, so asassin-style attacks aren't particularly important either.

A form of this latter seems to be a problem in many game systems, not just RQ. For example, translate this situation into any RPG:

     In the feeble light of the waxing moon, Harquin examined the lock in front of him. "Foolish, foolish," he muttered. "The darn fool's got about the easiest lock to pick on this door. One would think he wanted me to steal his precious medallion. I'm certainly willing to oblige him, at any rate."

     His hands worked quickly, manipulating slivers of metal inside the keyhole. Within a few seconds, his efforts were rewarded with an audible click.

"Ah, now to see what's behind here..."
"I wouldn't move, if I were you," came a voice from behind him.
"Otherwise, I might have to put a bolt through your chest. Now turn around, slowly. No, don't stand up; on your knees will do nicely."

     Harquin turned as instructed. In front of him stood Colman, the Captain of the Guards. His heavy crossbow was aimed quite clearly at the little thief's chest. Colman spoke: "My dear Harquin, just as I expected. I had a feeling you couldn't resist the temptation to try again. I'm afraid, however, that task will be much more difficult from his Lordship's dungeons."

"I think my friend behind you would rather you didn't put me there."
replied Harquin, his eyes apparently moving to something behind and to the left of his foe's shoulder.

"Really, you don't expect me to fall for that old trick, do you? I..."
     Colman never got to finish his thought, as there was an audible thump at which point he fell to the ground. The figure behind him moved out of the shadows, still holding his heavy mace.

"Ah, Irvin," stated the thief."You always did have impeccable timing."
He then gave an expression of injured innocence. "I did tell him you were there, why didn't he believe me? You know, I don't think the captain likes me very much."

In RQ, the crossbow would have been intimidating to a leather-armored thief with little magic because of its high damage range. A bow, on the other hand, would be less fearsome; it's very unlikely that the thief would have been disabled by a single shot. Had Colman had a chance to shoot, he also probably would have hit Harquin in a limb. Likewise, it is very unlikely that Irvin could have felled the captain in a single blow like he did. It seems rules like the following would help:

Movement rates:

(Man-sized) humanoid on all fours: 1/2 meter per strike rank Humanoid prone or on knees : 1/4 meter per strike rank

Time to do things: 

Humanoid:  prone to standing     : 3 strike ranks
Humanoid:  prone to on knees     : 2 strike ranks
Humanoid:  on knees to standing  : 2 strike ranks

Combat:

You can choose your hit location if the foe you are attacking is kneeling or prone, or defenseless with a movement rate of 1 meter/sr or less, and if you are fully mobile and undistracted.

Anyway, back to the problems:

4) Allied spirits are so powerful that they significantly alter the game

   balance. Characters without Allied Spirits are substantially less powerful    than their rune-level friends.

Have the rest of you had problems like these in your campaigns? Have you or your GMs done anything about problems of this sort?

       -Andrew
acb@romeo.cs.duke.edu

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