Re: Feat and Skill description

From: David Dunham <dunham_at_...>
Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 11:00:57 -0700


Alain asked

>For example, what is Humakt's "Kill Undead" feat ? It gives an edge
>when fighting undead ? It acts similarly to the Death secret Feat but
>vs Undead only ? It allows a one shot simple contest to remove an
>Undead from combat ?...
>
>You'll probably say : any of them, at your choice !

Not really.

In purely game mechanical terms, feats let you do AP damage in extended contests.

Once in a while, a feat has a separate effect (like flying or leaping), and many of them can augment other abilities, but in general, they are simply used in contests like any other ability.

Feats are almost never all or nothing like a secret.

So, Kill Undead would let you harm an undead monster from a distance (it's magic), or would let you augment your sword attack. Despite the name, it may or may not kill the undead -- that depends on the final result of the contest.

It would have serious improvisational modifiers when used against anything that wasn't undead...

>I really think some guidances would be a good thing.

Feats (or spells or talents) are colorful names for abilities that do AP in extended contests. This is the general rule, and almost all their magical effects happen in this context. The effectiveness of the magic depends on the consequences chart.

David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_...>
Glorantha/HW/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html> Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein

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