Re: Secrets

From: nichughes2001 <nicolas.h_at_...>
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2006 11:06:39 -0000

• In HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com, "Mike Holmes" <mike_c_holmes_at_y...> wrote:
  >
  >
  > >From: Benedict Adamson <yahoo_at_b...>
  > >
  > >Still does not work. If you have the requisite 3 x 1W2 abilities, you
  > >are better off (again, from he rules PoV) spending your HPs on one of
  > >those 3 abilities rather than the Secret.
  >
  > The idea being that an ability at 2W2 will usually be more effective
  than a
  > Secret at 14? Really depends on the secret and such, doesn't it? I
  mean,
  > take Ganval's particularly useful trick of coming back from the dead
  as a
  > secret. If you're killed, there's really no other ability that I'd
  rather
  > have at that point. I don't think you can improvise a secret
  (wouldn't be
  > very secret then).
  >
  

As I mentioned in another reply I think most secrets would count as pompous magic or would otherwise violate a standing rule if you tried to improvise them.

>
> Basically when you play allowing a lot of leeway as to what can be
> considered primary in contest, allow contests to form themselves in
play
> (instead of trying to plan them out), and generally play so that
failure is
> fun, I find that players worry much less about what the most
powerful option
> is, and instead focus on what the most interesting option is.
>

I think this is the key to the whole thing. If a secret is seen as fun then players will try to get hold of them for just that reason.

I quite like the idea of heroquesting for secrets. When I was trying to work up some mysticism rules that felt right for Teshnos this occurred to me and I like the feel of it more than a rigid interpretation of the rulebook. Learning any otherworld power could be done as a heroquest and as secrets are so rare and special I somehow feel it would almost be an anticlimax to handle them any other way.

--
Nic