Re: Re: Preparing a campaign for hardened gamers with a minimax mentality

From: Roderick Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 09:48:19 -0700

> Oh, another thing. If you have serious min-maxers, one of them may
> notice that since a keyword is NOT limited to the 10 or so abilities
> listed under it, but is potentially infinite (although a bounded
> infinity) that they might try to cram all kinds of things under it. Even
> if you rule that out, they might decide to cram all kinds of very
> similar things under it. (Warrior gives "tough, strong, resist pain,
> fight a long time, know weakness, know enemy" etc.)

As a general ruile of thumb, only abilities actually written on the sheet should be used as augments. This can still be "gotten around" by people that want to write everything down to claim as an augment, but at least they'll get writers cramp.

Frankly, how many augments to allow is something that you and the players will have to come to an understanding on. Some groups allow only one "best" ability to augment, some allow a player to augment with everything they can think of. If it slows down *enjoyment* to have the players squeezing their sheets for every augment in every situation, then restrict it. If it enhances enjoyment, then allow it.

Just remember that, all things being equal, the NPCs should be getting approximately the same augments as the players, so it evens out in the end. If the players can get a couple masteries out of their augments, so will their opponents.

>> Most abilities can in fact be used directly, though possibly only in
>> a few circumstances.
>
> Even common magic, which is specifically augment-only can be used
> directly as a resistance sometimes.

Can *always* be used as a resistance at full effect.

RR
He was born with the gift of laughter and the sense that the world was mad R. Sabatini, Scaramouche