Re: Re: Close Combat

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_...>
Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 00:46:21 +0100

On Thu, May 22, 2003 at 07:48:37PM +0100, Nick Eden wrote:
> On Thu, 22 May 2003 13:02:13 -0000, you wrote:
>
> >> Is the change to CC in HQ specific to that skill only, or a general
> >> ban on broad skills?
> >
> >I thought there were no broad skills in Hero Wars, other than Close
> >Combat and Affinities and their non-theistic equivalents.
>
> Well the phrase 'broad skill' is as far as I know something coming out
> of a Tentacles panel and never appearing in HW.

In a specific game-mechanical sense I think that's exactly right. Of course, one may still speak of an ability being broader or less broad than the 'norm', in an applicability sense, and how to treat those in play, etc, without it carrying that precise sense. (I was unsure which the original author meant, I must say.)  

> >What's changed in Heroquest is that there's no Close Combat broad
> >skill.
>
> Wasn't it said that there is no 'Close Combat' skill. Broad or narrow.

This is the impression I've picked up. Though I'm not sure this would have the strict force of law that you couldn't write "Close Combat" on your sheet, if you _really_ wanted -- it's just no longer the 'received default' of ability width. (So that a narrator might 'feel entitled' to treat it in a way similar to how she'd treat "intelligent" or "lucky" or "omnicompetent", if she found it necessary in a given situation.)

Cheers,
Alex.