Re: Scale Issues

From: Philippe Sigaud <sigaud_at_...>
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 18:27:47 +0200

Mike:
> I renamed this thread, since Philippe had asked that the other be closed.
>

Uh, that was mainly because it was successful as far as I'm concerned: it helped me frame my PoV and gave some potential solution. Now, I just have to speak more in-depth with the players. Thank you all!

Do continue to talk as long as you wish, of course.
> Now, lastly, there's a separate issue of character advancement rates. I
> doubt Philippe's players characters started at "Starting character" level
> (he can correct me if I'm wrong). Because the math doesn't add up. Even with
> the HP he's saying he gave, the ability levels couldn't possibly be that
> high for that number of abilities.
>

Hmm, they started as beginning chars. But many parallel processes are at work there.
They did many (6, 7 ?) heroquests and gained abilities at a high level in them. One of the PC's highest skill is "Fight Eurmal", which he got at 10w2 in a Heroquest challenge (against his Devotee of Orlanth Lawbringer, cool!). It's now at 3w3, I think. They also gained relationships that way.
And we used the HW followers rules: they grow as you grow. So, add another 4-6 high level abilities (not always available, but even then...). We shall not do that anymore.

After a few sessions, I began to give them many HP, maybe 10 a session. Then I augmented it again and they got between 10 and 20 HP per session for 60 sessions I'd say. Make that 800-1000 HP all in all, so 40-50 abilities at +20. Hmm, you're right, it doesnt quite add up...

My, rereading this, I sure got what I was aiming for: lots of high abilities. :) And now it's a problem? silly me. Note that I have no problem with them having high skills. I just got tired of seeing skyrocketing TNs at the end of huge bonus adding.

Anyway, I talked to some players and I got the following answers:

• No, we don't need any more growth. We are quite satiated (I may even convince them to recreate their characters into a more streamlined version)
• We augmented like rabbits on amphetamines, because this was a GodQuest, with a big part of our country praying for us. No time for fumbling! Huge responsability. They then cited many other moments in game were they did not do this. So, I stand corrected.
• Don't forget the high TNs we got were during a HQ, so with big support bonus, big ritual bonus and big carry-over bonus from other scenes. We won't have those anymore. And lots of NPCs helping us died or went elsewhere.
• the scenes were heavily oriented towards what we're good at: discussing, ambassy, diplomacy. And fighting Lunar/Vadeli/Eurmali. Now, in the East, everything will be different.
• And last: we were playing together for years. You tend to develop strange ways of playing, that way. Now, new blood will arrive (2 new players, 5 in all), which will probably change our whole outlook.

So... color me satisfied and a be ashamed at the same time. Because I seem to have developped a false vision of the whole situation (we didn't play HQ for a year) and freaked out based on that. The first rule of RPGs: Talk to your Players.

Philippe