> The difference is, as I understand it, "active" vs "passive"
> defense. If the target is able to resist in any active way (ie it's
> sentient, it's magic, whatever), then it gets to use an appropriate
> ability. Otherwise, it uses 14. I think the point of this is to make
> magic, well, magical. Otherwise, your Chop Down Tree spell is going
> to be pretty sad, especially since you are probably paying more HP
> for it.
I agree that the 14 is in there to make magical "magical", but then it seems rather inconsistent in application.
> To answer the second part first, why not Death Magic? It's
> about severing, taking apart, making barriers; it's anti-life and
> anti-love. If nothing else, a Death theist could improvise some sort
> of feat ("Maran rejected love; so will I"). Similarly, a Yinkin
> Devotee might fall in love but still not stick around/do what you
> want because, well, he's a cat. Half the fun here is getting players
> and narrator to think of cool ways things could apply.
I'm sold on the Death idea now.
A lot of what's going on here is nothing in HQ is really
> about the numbers and abilities; it's about the relationship between
> the contestants, their abilities, their character conceptions, etc.
> So the first question is not "what's the rating of my potion?" but
> "what's going on in the story?" If the potion being used by two
> former lovers who have fallen out of love? Maybe then it's an
> automatic success (the fun is going to come from the complications,
> or the magician's price, or something else). Is the point to get some
> info out of a garrison sergeant? Maybe it's a simple contest (potion
> vs his Wary of Love, augmented by his Sense of Duty and Loneliness
> (that's a negative, by the way). (And does the potion make him fall
> in love with you or the two of you fall in love? Did you read the
> usage directions closely?) Is the potion part of an extended wooing
> contest? Then the potion isn't used as a rating but an augment.
> Lastly, if the effects of the potion are a major climax in the game
> session, maybe you want to use the potions rating as the starting
> point in an extended contest.
All excellent points, and in a way I hobbled my argument by not being more specific than "love potion".
. (Since anything
> >you have that resists
> >magic could also be a viable resistance of the potion, and
> >everything that would resist
> >normal seduction also resists the potion.)
>
> But one might get different modifiers over the other. You
> might say, a general Resist Magic ability is not much use on a subtle
> potion (-20). And, of course, a Seduction skill can be used again and
> again, while a love potion can only be used once (if you have Brew
> Love Potion, that's a different matter (and a different contest)).
> One more thing. I cannot imagine much duller than a "love potion."
> Since this is HQ, how about a more specific name? Is it an Inflame
> Passions potion? A Restore Marital Excitement potion? The Elixir of
> the Raging Infatuation of Uleria? Boy Meets Boy? Irresistible Bosom?
> Overwhelming Charm (you'd use those on yourself, presumably)? Forget
> Family and Country and Follow Me? Any of those might make the contest
> clearer than "love potion."
The fact is, as you say, it becomes a modifier question. Which I'm fine with. There is somethin fundamentally different about resisting magic vs resisting non-magic, and I can throw modifiers in as appropriate.
And as I said above, I agree about the potion's name.
LC
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