Re: Digest Number 993

From: Kmnellist_at_...
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2002 07:51:54 EDT

In a message dated 20/08/02 11:36:32 GMT Daylight Time, hw-rules_at_yahoogroups.com writes:

<<
 The opposite of a plethora of special rules is a small set of  universally applicable rules. How about these:  

1. An ability has a name and a rating.
2. In game world terms, abilities do the things their names suggest.
3. Abilities are distinguished only by their names and ratings.
4. Abilities with similar names do similar things, reflected by them having overlapping areas of applicability.
5. The degree of applicability of an ability in a situation is represented by an improvisational penalty or bonus.
   >>
   

I am not entirely in the "Run" is "Run" camp although I admit to "running" most things exactly as the numbers suggest. However, I do think it makes sense to consider the context of both the ability as it is written on the character sheet, where it comes from etc, as well as the situation that it is being used in. I would not hesitate to assign a Horse a negative modifier to running along a narrow footbridge, I might assign a Bull a negative to his "charge" if it were going downhill (as I believe cows in general struggle to go downhill at speed) If I have a character that is "hard-nosed" I would treat this entirely differently from a rhinoceros with the same ability. If I had a HW character that happened to be a pot of woad (unlikely I know) I would not think that its "Run" ability was related to sprinting but that is was a flaw.

Despite my poor examples I do not think it is a great idea to make a rule that says an ability is an ability defined only by the words and numbers. I feel it must have some reference to the context.

I do think the numbers in Anaxials are a bit off (I am still suprised how fast Bolo Lizards are!), but it is still my own most used play aid, as a narrator.

I did find some of the "tactical" advice a bit peculiar - bison, for exampe, augment their feeble butt 18, with charge 5W. But they could have augmented with Strong 10W? or Large 10W. This is the area where AR does not make sense (to me), apart from being based on the current augmentation rules, whereas I use it primarily to give me ideas. (Rubble runner "evoke fear" was suprisingly effective, especially when few have "brave" abilities, when the so-called "heroes" (cowards!) are camped out at night in supposedly haunted ruins, and fumble)

Keith