From: paul@phyast.pitt.edu
Date: Sun 06 Jun 1993 - 18:04:42 EEST
Paul Reilly here. Some quick comments on the RQIV playtest draft:
Generally, it seems a good improvement on most details. I especially
like the Spirit rules and have one or two suggestions, will get to
those in another post. I would have gone a different direction,
towards more Pendragon-like combat rules for example, but there is
a lot of value in continuity.
I'll address some specific parts of the rules in order, this post
will cover the first 40 RQ III pages or so (reckoning pages by the notes in
the Draft.)
> Conversion:
This is a good set of rules, seems much better than the II --> III conversion.
> Rolling Methods:
We tried these and they all seem good enough. In particular the
Deliberate Method is a big improvement as it takes into account stat
training limits and the non linear values of stats. Combined Method,
same comment. This was our favorite, but with switching allowed if
stated in advance: "I want to run a warrior who is really tough: highest
stat will be CON."
> DAMAGE MODIFIER:
This smoother table is better but as long as we are overhauling the system
perhaps we could switch over to a Pendragon-style system? Having played
both and with much experience chopping and bashing this system seems better
to me. Of course Ducks and suchlike may be reduced to using poisoned weapons,
but I always suspected them of it anyway.
> Page 19:
> FIGURING SKILLS CATEGORY MODIFIER, replace in part with:
> Agility Skills Modifier
> DEX, STR = Primary
> SIZ = Negative
From my own experiences with riding, boating, jump, Dodge, etc. and talking
to real masters of these skills, I'd have to count POW as very important.
One climber said to me: "You are in a battle of wills with an ancient
mountain," when I asked him what Climbing was like.
Thus I'd say:
DEX, POW = Primary
SIZ = Negative
For Parry, I'd discount the SIZ altogether - after years of fighting I
find that the extra reach of the larger fighter at least compensates for the
"smaller target" effect. I have no trouble Parrying and I am 185 cm &
over 100 kg. This would also make larger fighters prefer Parry to Dodge,
which in my experience is in fact the case. Climb might go on Parry
modifier rather than agility: lighter is better but long limbs are an
advantage. The ideal climber looks a bit like a spider.
>Knowledge Skills Modifier
> INT = Primary
> POW = Secondary
Great, back to RQ II! After graduate school I'd almost count in CON as
well... in any case ability to concentrate and insight should depend
somewhat on POW and these are important to Knowledge skills.
> Stealth Skills Modifier
Great, exactly what we've been using for years. We also play that when
you initiate in certain cults (Thief, Hunter) your POW becomes a _positive_
Stealth modifier, modelling the character learning to project "Nobody Here"
with his aura instead of "Look at Me!" (the default).
Unchanged Modifiers: I also thought these were OK.
STRIKE RANKS:
No comment
>Pages 21 to 32:
>PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, replace most of with:
After a couple of sample characters this system looks pretty good. It
seems slow at this point but when we get used to it I think it may be
as fast or faster than RQ III and with a lot more character choice.
I'll report back after more testing.
>BECOMING AN INITIATE
I really liked the old RQ II system where most people started as lay
members and it was a big point in the game when you finally became an
Initiate. It made for a feeling of "eliteness" and achievement without
going all the way to Rune level. Starting as an Initiate in a society
where all adults are Initiates takes away some of the _meaning_ of it,
although it models many societies pretty well. I suppose that it's
important to the _characters_ but the _players_ who start as Initiates
attach less significance to it: it's No Big Thing anymore.
> POW: to increase POW, the character needs to have used
I think that _more_ things need to be modelled as POW tests: tests of will
and grit, "staredowns", interpersonal conflicts, etc. If POW is used
_only_ to power magic and not for much of anything else (except skill mods
and luck tests) then we have no model of what a high-POW person means,
unless it is just lucky. We all _know_ what Strength or Dexterity mean
because we see it in use every day. I suspect we see POW in use every
day also: it measures strength of will and _chi_. Or does it mean something
else to you?
In any case if we can figure out what else POW is used for we may have
an idea where to get POW gains from: perhaps facing down a hostile crowd
(or a thesis committee) should count for a POW check. Also, mastering a
new skill might give enough self-confidence for a POW gain or check.
Other stats: no comment.
_________________________"
> SKILL TABLES
The general comments are good.
> EASY, MEDIUM AND HARD SKILLS
Great, back to RQ II!
Reserving comment on the actual tables until more time has been spent
testing them. They look pretty good, tried a few and they were OK.
_______________
> Page 34:
> SKILL VERSUS SKILL, replace with:
For one less die roll, how about comparing the _number_ rolled in the
case where both parties get an equal level of success? This is the
Pendragon mechanic and we have tried it in RQ with no problems.
>Active vs Passive:
This is very good, needed to be addressed. Now there is a mechanic for
guards being "on alert", etc.
>Page 37:
>SKILL EXPERIENCE ROLLS, replace with
This stuff is pretty good, have to play through and check the numbers but
looks good now.
> POW gain rolls use a related system. The GM should assign a POW gain
> roll to characters depending on their use of magic and involvement
I may be in the minority here, but my model of high mana characters has
always included people like Hannibal or George Washington, or Hiawatha,
or, on Glorantha, the great knights of Seshnela or Godunya, all of whom
seem to use little magic. Maybe belief of other people helps POW gain,
(like Pendragon Glory), and "growth experiences" could also help. I
have tried many things but don't really have a killer system to offer.
If you do, pipe up!
> Page 37:
> INCREASING SKILLS BY EXPERIENCE, replace with:
I like the Easy/Medium/Hard system, it's simple and usable.
> Page 37:
> SKILL TRAINING AND RESEARCH, replace most of with:
>
> The length of time for one training or research session is a
> number of hours equal to the current skill percentage.
I'd say:
number of hours equal to the current skill percentage, not counting
stat bonuses. Thus a character with a 55% Ride skill, due in part to
a 5% Agility bonus, must spend 50 hours training to qualify for a skill
increase.
For several years now we have played that you count stat bonuses on
skills when you use them but use a _base_ skill with no bonus for experience
or training. Otherwise the stat bonus just isn't worth more than a few
hours of initial training. It seems to us that the intelligent woman will
always have an advantage in Animal Lore or Battle. After years of fighting,
I'm also convinced that one can't "catch up" to the more dextrous fighters
by spending equal time training.
Let's compare two characters learning Mathematics, a Hard Knowledge
skill. Donald the Dullard, Int 8, POW 6, has a -4% Knowledge modifier
and starts at 1%. Greta the Gifted, INT 18, POW 14, has a 10% bonus
and starts at 15%.
They go throught the same college, spending 1020 hours training. Under my
system Greta comes out with a 75% skill and Donald with a 61% skill, as
I would think appropriate. Under the standard rules, Donald comes out with
a 63% skill and will soon tick over enough hours to get to 65%, and
Greta, with more than twice poor Donald's INT and POW, has but a 65%
skill and is only one quarter of the way to her next increase. I could have
chosen a number of hours which would have wound them up with the _same_
skill after equal hours of training, despite the difference in their
abilities. Anyone who has taught a course will tell you that this is
not a good model.
________________________
> CHARACTERISTIC INCREASE, replace with:
Pretty good, but:
> Species maximum is determined by adding the minimum possible roll
>to the maximum possible roll for the characteristic. The species maximum
By this reckoning Ogres have a species max POW of 26, and STR of
38. Mistress race trolls have a species max POW of 33. Do we want
them to have this kind of power gain roll? Agimori get a species max
con of 31.
I kind of liked (max roll + number of dice) from RQ II, thus greater
_variability_ led to higher maximum stats. Or use 6 points = 1 die, this
still means variability implies a higher maximum compared to average than
fixed points.
Training Rules: Good. Good instructors should count for something.
> Page 41:
> HUMANOID HIT POINTS PER LOCATION TABLE, replace with:
Wow! the formula given matches the table!
> Page 41:
> RESULTS OF DAMAGE, replace with:
Good! Especially there is now a zone between "wounded" and "dead". We
have been using similar but not identical rules, these are more radically
different from RQ III than ours - even better, in my opinion. We've been
playing that without First Aid a Healing may heal bad wounds in the wrong
shape, necessitating later surgery.
Bleeding is good. I also think that there should be NO instant Healing
for blood loss or fire damage, except perhaps through major Divine spells
or DI. As one of my players said (concerning the multiyear campaign which
wound up Rune level) "Wounds didn't bother us but we were SCARED of fire."
I also think blood is the "stuff of life" and its loss is fundamental.
>Page 43:
>NATURAL HEALING, Add:
Lethal vs. non lethal is good BUT I think that the healing rate for lethal
is too high. I've spent MONTHS recovering from a whiplash, etc. Friends
who've been shot or stabbed spent a LONG time recovering. It took me
about three months to fully recover from my appendectomy. If Gloranthans
heal faster than Earth humans the given rates are OK but it should be
made explicit.
>Long term general HP damage:
Again, healing this stuff _should_ be hard. If all damage can be made to
go away instantly there is no way for a fight to be really significant unless
someone is killed or maimed. I'd say Heal Wounds is for wounds only,
Heal Body might restore _some_ general HP damage, and fix poison damage,
and that healing gods and Ernalda should get some sort of Counter Poison
spell. We had a shaman find a spirit for Purge Poison, this spirit spell
was good and purged its level in Potency of poison, minus one for each
round that had gone by since the poison was injected (or minus one per minute
for poisons in food.)
0,,
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