RE: HW/Q Forgotten Realms

From: Douglas Seay <douglas-seay_at_...>
Date: Fri, 02 May 2003 06:00:39 -0400


Jane Williams <janewilliams20_at_...> wrote:
> --- "James A. Holden" <jaholden_at_...> wrote:
>>  A 1st-level
>> D&D character might have scores lower than a normal
>> starting character in HW.

>
> Much lower, I'd say.

I've thought that the standard 5w/1w/17/13 "medium" level would end up being about 5th-7th level. You're good enough to do the basic stuff, but there is still a long way to go before reaching "kick butt" level.

> I was thinking in terms of the two-keyword followers
> for comparison. "Fighter 5W", with all else improvised
> off that, for NPCs.

That's how I'd do it with AD&Dv1. I have much less experience with these new fangled v2 and v3 flavors.

>> Give all those +3 Longswords of Bugbear Smiting an
>> appropriate HW score, so
>> they can provide automatic augments. D&D feats might
>> also work well as augmenting abilities.

>
> I wondered if Feats should be just that: standalone
> feats, rather than abilities?

I'd go with feats or affinities depending on "+1 sword" vs. "Rod of Lordly Might". I don't have my books with me (who ever does?), but I seem to remember that the sample HeroQuest in the HeroWars rules gave the PCs a helm with an affinity for seeing.

>> I would probably try to adapt the theistic magic
>> rules for D&D divine magic

>
> agreed. Treat clerics as Devotees, forget initiates?

Initiates are rangers and paladins. Perhaps multiclassed characters. Maybe some of the specialty classes.

> Same here: tried earlier versions and gave up in
> disgust. They're trying to convince me that 3rd is
> better. It is, but it's still not to my taste.

I've tried 3rd once or twice, and the basic package plus lots of points to spend reminded me of RollMaster's development points. I used one of the software packages for keeping track of the points, and that wasn't too bad. Personally I prefer pure class based (AD&Dv1) or pure skill based (RQ, HW), and to avoid hybrid class/skill games (Rollmaster, D&Dv3).

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