From: boris (mabeyke@batman.b11.ingr.com)
Date: Sat 12 Jun 1993 - 20:23:19 EEST
TO: The RQ4 Gang of Six
I knew there were holes in spirit combat, but didn't realize how big
they were, or how hard it was to get around in them, until my players
found the Thantari head chamber and were facing a bunch of mad head
ghosts (really, it's just a coincidence they're fighting Thanatari just
after SotB was released. Honest).
Umm, guys, can we make this a *lot* simpler, please? Jumping back and
forth between five (thats *5*) tables is something I expect from
Chartmaster, not dear old RQ. My players gave up in disgust, after I
corrected myself about ten times (let's see, results of attacks from both
the Attack and All Out Attack tables [I assume mad head ghosts all out
attack in spirit combat?], results of defense on both defend and all out
defend tables, damage on the spirit combat damage table, oy vey!),
because the "no, wait, you weren't drained that much" results were so bad.
Also, what happened to Spirit Screen and Spirit Block? Used to, if you
were lucky enough to have 8-10 points of Spirit Screen and were going
against a spirit around your level, you were pretty safe (SS 4-5 was as
good, if you could cast from MP storage); your effective MPs to defend
would be 8-10 higher than normal. Granted, no one I've played RQ with
except proto-shamen ever had more than 2-3 points. But one points of
Spirit Block worked just as well. But now, you'd need enough to ensure
frequent specials on the Spirit Combat Defense tables to ward MP drain,
which would have to be *twenty* points of Screen, or four points of Block!
So my players nearly got nickled and dimed to unconsciousness and
possession, and would have barring GM fiat. Not a good thing for a GM to
be blindsided with, I tell you!
(Rant Mode Off) How about this for simplicity. Normal attacks are
pretty much on the Attack table you have now; I can look up the damage
and treat it like a slashing weapon (rolled damage, max damage, max plus
rolled damage for normal, special, and critical success, respectively).
Normal defense works just like Dodge; each level of success reduces one
attack by one level, a fumbled defense improves the attack one level,
maybe even allow a defense against all attacks from one opponent. All
out attack just gives an additional attack, perhaps with the opportunity
to bind or possess if either is a crit. All out defend lets you defend
against all spirits, with a -10% penalty to each additional one, just like
Dodge. And with this the mechanics for Spirit Block and Spirit Screen
don't need to be changed from the current RQ4 draft. A normal success
with defense will prevent damage from one normal attack.
Now maybe you don't want SS10 or SB1 to be so effective (I can see your
point with SB; two points or so would be better, but ten points of spirit
magic is a BIG spell). However, there should be some level of spell
where a character is reasonably safe from spirits roughly their level.
What level do you want it to be?
Oh, if you don't like this fix for spirit combat, or already have another
you like better, how about posting it. My players still have a head room
to clear.
----
(*) ZZ [] (.) @ e K| o8- |> oK <>< )o 3 8 <|
If you can't stand the heat, you'll hate my Sunspear!
Yelmic proverb.
Boris
|><| +- (| >- .: K * =|= <- (O) ( ) (o) (|) X-
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