From: David Dunham (ddunham@radiomail.net)
Date: Mon 31 Jan 1994 - 22:41:09 EET
Is it now possible to use 2H weapons from horseback?
68/94 I thought the story was going to be that the single roll before a
fight was adequate? In any case, 3 fatigue rolls every 10 MR sounds odd.
You could go from Normal to Weary just like that. I'm still not convinced
there are enough battles that go on significantly long enough that it's
worth the trouble.
69 I really hate your POW guidelines. Why even bother with a roll? Just
give everyone their 2 POW a year and be done with it. This requires way too
much GM adjudication and bookkeeping -- the GM has to pay close attention
to how significant each character's use of magic is, and also keep track of
the last time they rolled for an increase (you can't just do it every
season, since their rate of significance may vary during the year). Please
go back to the old standard, or come up with a new method that doesn't
require such attention from the overburdened GM.
70 I like the allocation of time idea.
73 Weight change: reasonable rules, but I find it extremely unlikely they'd
ever get used. I nominate this section as a prime candidate for deletion if
you need the space.
73 The chart rounds differently from p.47 -- a skill of 11% should take 1
day to train (and a skill of 4 or less can be learned instantly, in 0 days,
if you round according to the meta-rule). I think that hard or easy skills
should get the same increase they did in the previous draft (which should
also be used for skill checks -- in practice, easy skills are going to
advance at just the same rate as hard skills, since GMs aren't going to
properly allocate checks depending on the skill's difficulty).
74 You've set it up so slower combatants (a term I'd use over "figure,"
though I'd prefer something else) can frequently avoid faster ones, because
they move afterwards (a MV 5 person starts 2 hexes away from a MV 2 person;
the former moves adjacent, then the latter moves away. The slowpoke didn't
start the round adjacent to an active foe.). However, in the end of the
section, you have a different rule, which allows fast people to disengage.
I suspect it would work better if slowest MV, slowest DEX moves first.
74 Why must all-out attacks be announced first? Besides complicating
Declaration, it's not realistic. In fencing, you try your best to disguise
the fact that you're making an all-out attack like a fleche.
75 How are ties broken? Presumably you mean higher DEX, but that's not
stated (and you use lowest SR, so it's not obvious). There's also some
ambiguity in the fact that attacks "take place" in order of SR, but are
"roll"ed sometimes at Melee SR + 3 SR.
75 Not only need no roll be taken, but no action is taken if the attacker
misses, right?
77 Under parry, shouldn't you use the term "special or critical roll,"
since you don't hit when you parry?
77 Point blank range is poorly defined. I imagine you really mean point
blank _or less,_ but it's possible that weapons can't be used at less than
their point blank range (can you really sling someone from 1 metre away?).
78 You mention increased penalties to hit a moving target at point blank
range. Does this apply to parrying targets too? (It ought to, since the
target only chooses the defense after the missile hits.)
I don't see spot rules for shooting into melee, something characters always
want to do but GMs have to apply common sense about. Or for shooting
someone on a horse, or behind cover.
92/93 You have two separate rules for mounted adventurers. Should both be
used (increased class and half as often)?
94 Fatigue is already an optional rule, let's not have options to the
options. Kill the 20/CON section.
98 I sure hope RuneQuest doesn't use centigrade. Hasn't the measurement
been Celsius for at least 20 years?
99 While, from a cultural standpoint, the cow does make sense as the unit
of Sartarite barter, in practice 200 L is quite a lot of value -- surely
one doesn't bartar cows to hire people to dig a well. Maybe "or sheep"
should be added?
101 Hmm, so Nobles get homemade pastries and bread. I guess mere Wealthy
people have to buy Wonder bread at the supermarket? Maybe "fine" instead of
"homemade."
103 So 1) how much does training cost; 2) what are the effects of training
a horse?
125 The loosening of cult skills (not always the same 5) makes sense.
125 If you're going with the (silly) subskills of Ceremony, you'll need to
specify which one is required It's not obvious that Ceremony/Divine would
be the one, since the initiate doesn't practice divine spells, but rather
spirit magic. (Of course, I suggest there are no Ceremony subskills.)
126 Is it intentional that acolytes now have different (and easier)
requirements than priests? This wasn't the case in Gods of Glorantha.
126 It's easier to become a priest than in RQ3 -- is this the intent? (It
always seemed pretty easy to me.) You now need only 4 skills, not 5.
128, 132 Rune Lords are more powerful than in RQ3 -- is this the intent?
The big change is reusable rune magic. Only some cults in Gods of Glorantha
do this (Krarsht, Kyger Litor, Orlanth [some spells reusable, not others],
Seven Mothers). Since RQ:AiG came out later, you're superseding the old
rules, and all cults will become generous. Basically, it's a lot easier to
become a priest/acolyte (anyone has 10 POW, not everyone can get 5 90%
skills), and if the benefits are the same, why bother waiting to become a
Rune Lord when you can become an acolyte?
More comments when I type in my notes from last night's long session (which
was a single melee, *sigh*).
David Dunham * Software Designer * Pensee Corporation
Voice/Fax: 206 783 7404 * AppleLink: DDUNHAM * Internet: ddunham@radiomail.net
"I say we should listen to the customers and give them what they want."
"What they want is better products for free." --Scott Adams
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