From: Dakin Burdick (burdickd@copper.ucs.indiana.edu)
Date: Thu 27 Feb 1992 - 09:56:33 EET
I don't really do RQ anymore; my system has mutated until it is
effectively a new system, but it is still easy to convert to RQ,
so I thought I'd post a couple thoughts on articles in the last
issues.
Before I get started, I ought to mention that I've got a 2nd degree
black belt in Taekwondo and I've been practicing martial arts for
about 12 years now. I've done archery, fencing (foil & saber), judo,
and a bunch of other stuff, so I'm commenting on the basis of this
experience. Also, I've tried Closing rules before, so my comments
there are based on gaming experience.
BRAWLING: Loren, you rule that martial artists do lethal damage,
and normal brawlers only do nonlethal damage. I think this reflects
the American image of a nice friendly fight (nice and manly -- ugh!).
The reason martial artists do lethal damage, I assume, is that they are
more concerned with breaking knees, gouging eyes, breaking eardrums, or
attempting heart knockouts, while brawlers just pound on the guy trying
to put him down. This is fine as long as the brawlers is actually
fighting "nice." A lot of streetfighters have two levels of fighting, I
think: 1. Friendly brawl "just for fun when drunk", & 2. Life or death.
If a street fighter is skilled (and many are) they know the same stuff
that martial artists do, and should receive the lethal bonuses in combat
that martial artists do. Similarly, the martial artist should be able to
work on nerve strikes, charley-horses & KOs in an attempt to stop an
opponent but leave him unharmed. It's a matter of intent. What you
might want to do is half the damage done by a "friendly" attacker,
except for attacks to the head (which result in unconsciousness),
and allow the damage to be recuperated much more quickly as temporary
damage.
DODGING: I think a dodge should be affected by the attacker's skill.
When I spar someone who is less skilled, it is easy to make them jump
the way I want them to. Setting somebody up is the main reason for
using combinations of techniques -- first the set-up and then the
finisher.
CLOSING: I've always avoided Closing rules because they open a
huge can of worms. Weapon length is sometimes not important.
Many weapons can be choked up on and used at close range, or the
wielder may choose to strike with the pommel of the sword rather
than the blade. Skillful fighters also know that many "long-range"
weapons can be used equally well at close quarters, if one knows how.
So Closing rules must take not only weapon-length into account, but
also the skill differential between the opponents and the speed (DEX)
of both. Beyond my normal opposition to Closing rules, I especially
disagree with your rule about closing to grapple against a boxer or
kickboxer. A grappler can go after the arms and legs, and grab them
while the attacker is off-balance (see Ratti & Westbrook's "Aikido &
the Dynamic Sphere"), making speed important, but making the throw
actually easier once the grasp on the limbs is gained. I would just
call it even between the two fighters, and ignore Closing. The ONLY
time I really agree with Closing rules is when an unarmed/unarmored
person tries to attack someone who is armed, even if it is only a knife.
That unarmed attacker is going to take a LOT of hits before he gets into
an attacking range. In this case, I don't let the unarmored guy attack
unless the armed fighter actually missed that round (dodged attacks
don't count; the unarmored guy is too busy trying to survive to close).
CLOAKS: I think you're giving too much benefit to the cloak-wielder.
Flexible weapons like this require great skill because they are so hard
to control. Miss once and you're dead meat.
FIREARMS: You might look at the Call of Cthulu firearm rules, which
are similar to your own. To avoid doing a lot of research on firearms,
look at the Morrow Project "Armory" (first edition only), since
the Morrow Project system has some similarities to RQ. Even easier
would be to pick up a subscription to "The Unspeakable Oath" and get
their back issues as well. John Crowe has a wonderful series on firearms
of all types in there, and since he is writing for CoC, the stats are
easily adaptable to RQ. The "Oath" is up to #4 now & costs $4 per issue.
For more info, write:
Pagan Publishing email: C521832@umcvmb.missouri.edu
c/o John Tynes fax: (314) 443-3892 (attn: John Tynes, 442-4301)
1409 Wilson Ave. phone: (314) 442-4301
Columbia, MO 65201
RE: Elf Stroke.
I haven't seen the "Vikings" material, but I do use Elf Stroke in
my campaign. I rule that it is the result of Elfshot; an ordinary
arrow with an enchanted flint arrowhead that causes a heart attack
in the victim (no matter where it strikes). I use a CONx5 roll to
resist. Failure means death; success means the character drops to the
ground, fatigued; & a crit. resistance means that the character is unharmed.
Naturally, Elfshot is a rarity in the campaign but characters LOVE to
get it ("Let's go get that Dragon!").
Dakin Burdick
burdickd@copper.ucs.indiana.edu
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