Re: bidding; PAQ; skill use; going first

From: David Dunham <david_at_...>
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000 21:12:04 -0800

> > IMO the "standard bid"
> > should be based on the character's starting AP, and should not be
> > fixed at 3.
>
> The main use of the standard bid is for when you don't state how much
> you're bidding, and then you roll. Oh, look a 1. I bid... 10, no 15!
> Ya!
> Sorry, you didn't say, it's 3. Gain only 6AP of transfer. (Or roll 20.
> Right, I bid 1. Hah, nice try...)

I picked 3 because it's a number nobody ever bet. Usually you want to bid more, but if you're totally defensive you'd bid less. The intent is to keep the game flowing, and to encourage you to name your stakes next time.

> Say, 1/6 is caution, 1/4 is normal, 1/3 is risky, 1/2 is insane (after all
> even with a minor defeat you are driven to 0 AP)?

It's common to bid (1/2) - 1, so that you can lose big and still be in the contest.

> 0) Why is this game so like D&D and so unlike RQ?

Um, could you explain the question?

It's a game with no character classes, no experience points for killing things, and where anyone can use magic or for that matter any type of ability they want.

Does the paragraph above describe D&D or RuneQuest?

> If two people have an encounter, how many skills are involved? 2 or (3 or
> 4)?

At least two (the first person's attack and the second person's defense). It can go up from there.

Highly summarized example:

A uses Close Combat, B defends with Nimble (trying to duck out of the way). B uses Fire magic, A uses Tough.
A uses Close Combat, B uses Fire magic (i.e. a wall of fire). B augments his Spear and Shield fighting with Fire magic, A defends with Close Combat.
Etc.

In this example, A begins with his Close Combat APs and B begins with his Nimble APs.

> So it seems (rather too) important to go first.
>
> Or .... am I missing something.

It's important, and the most skilled person usually gets to. BUT, most real life situations do not consist of Oscar Wilde subduing a maul-wielding troll with clever witticisms. And frequently, they also involve more than two parties -- perhaps Oscar can indeed shame one troll into fleeing the battle, but its friend is also in the group contest, and gets to make its first bid using its maul APs...

(The closest to the Oscar vs Troll contest came about during playtest, and had one character using his Depress skill to drive his opponents to near-suicide.)

David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_...>
Glorantha/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html> Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein