Re: Feats

On Wed, 21 Jun 2000, the Good Roderick Robertson wrote:
> Oh I see, but here's my problem:
>
> Just to use broad numbers, that is a 35 word description.
----Snip!-----
> Out of a book of ~70,000 words. That is a big chunk, more than a 10th.
----Snip!-----
> Plus it would take time for me to write or have someone else write
> up those 240 feat descriptions, since they aren't already done.
>
> I gues my question is: "why are *my* myths better than those *you* can come
> up with?"

And my question, to us all, is; Why don't we start collecting interesting ways to interprete some of the more, ah, challenging feats, spirits, blessings and spells. And why not invent some new ones as well! I like improvising, but ideas from minds twisted other ways than mine are always inspiring.
Besides, it sounds like more fun than hearing "Why are there no description of feats?" again.

I'm certain that there is somewhere on the net we can post it if not at Issaries own page. I'm willing to collect and do whatever HTML is necessary, but I don't have any web space available at the time.

Let's start with this:

Sunset Leap, Orlanth Adventurous

>Everyone on the list has jumped at explaining Sunset Leap. ;-) The consensus seems
> to be that it's teleportation.

 Jonas Schiött

>I must be in the minority, thinking it's merely a jump. (Though I do
>think its name isn't great.)

David Dunham

> So, is it: generic jumping magic (with a confusing name)? Jumping at sunset
> (only) magic? Jumping (with a bonus at sunset) magic? Line-of-sight
> teleportation magic? Teleportation at sunset (only) magic? Teleportation
> (with a bonus at sunset) magic? Heroquesty jumping-to-the-Isles-of-Sunset
> magic? A Slaine-style vertical salmon-leap as a surprise move in combat
> (with a bonus if it's used to put out a Solar's lights)? etc.
Nick Brooke

I would go for it being jumping magic, with a bonus (or rather reduced resistance) if it is westward, until the character has mastered the affinity, at which point more, ah, heroic feats should be possible. Distance and difficulty modifiers as normal, -5 if westwards, -5 if the sun is setting. Perhaps +5 if used towards east.
In combat I think I would be satisfied to let the character attempt to move around without spending an unrelated action, possibly gaining some edge/enhancement from surprise. A marginal victory wold succed, but costing an action. If somebody wanted to really land on somebodys head, it would be a switch of abilities used in the contest, again probably surprising the opponent. Henrix

Snarl Darkness, Babesteer Gor

>One of Babeester Gor's Terror feats. Assuming it's written correctly,
>it's not effective *against* darkness, but would be a low snarl that
>makes you so terrified your vision starts closing in.
David Dunham

>Oh? I tought it means that the Bab Gori is drawing on the deep earth
>connection and actually snarling _darkness_... darkness spewing out of
>her mouth like heavy smoke, and everything starting to get dark.
Mikko Rintasaari

Leaping Shield., Orlanth Adventurous

An Orlanth Combat feat. I'd certainly allow this to be used as a defensive ability, and it's possibly one of the few that you can defend other people with ("The dark troll hurls a boulder at the healer." "I toss my Leaping Shield in the way to protect her.") David Dunham

>At an intense moment the OA character did his best feat, and spunaround,
>throwing his razor edged shield at the evil sorcerer.
Mikko Rintasaari

 --
Henrix