Re: Re: Increasing abilities [was: Wealth]

From: Benedict Adamson <badamson_at_...>
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 18:17:02 +0100


Tim Ellis wrote:
...
> This strikes me as being perfectly reasonable - by and large some
> stick-picker shouldn't pop off for a quick adventure and on their
> return "suddenly" become a Carl

...

Evil simulationist! ;-)

My point, and I think Julian's point, is that it is unclear how to implement the narrative motif of
slaying-a-dragon-to-marry-the-princess.
Recall that the argument for raising Wealth just like other abilities (which I think should be the case) is that this is a 'narrative' system rather than a 'simulation' system. It is therefore proper to ask how well the system allows various narrative motifs. The only rules for allowing big gains (for big risks) are the HQ rules. But then we have the sticky situation of 'adding' abilities.

...
> But these are the occasions where the GM is at
> liberty to... allow the cementing of 3/4/5/whatever points of wealth for a
> single HP (or another "alternative" that just occurs to me for these
> sorts of situations where the GM wants to allow/encourage players to
> increase particular abilities - allow the first x points to be
> purchased for 1HP each rather than the normal scheme.

Indeed. Those would be new, additional, rules for gaining or increasing abilities (or cementing them, call it what you will). But why restrict such a rule to Wealth and Relationships? And when would it be right for the GM (sic) to use the rule? And when would it be wrong?

Your suggestions include abandoning the HP penalty for increasing an ability by more than +1/episode. Perhaps doing so in all situations could solve several problems.

The danger of inflationary ability increases which would a compensatory rule. Perhaps the Narrator decides the maximum number of points that may be spent, based on its relevance to the episode.

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