Re: Re: Edges and Handicaps.

From: Henrix <henrix_at_...>
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 00:00:35 +0200


On Wed, 28 Jun 2000, our good Jonas Schiött wrote:
> Just thought I'd join in since everyone else is doing it. ;-)

Always welcome!

> I can't see any basis in the rules for using weapon ranks defensively, as
> some have suggested.

Not in the equipment rules, no. But, p.136; "If both participants in an exchange have an edge, the narrator may subtract the lower edge from the higher one, leaving onlky one participant with an edge. If both participants have the same edge, the edge is ignored."

On Wed, 28 Jun 2000, the wise David Cake wrote:
> I read that as 'may' ie the narrator may do so if they think
> it is a good idea.

Yes, it was my intention to indicate that that is how I read it too, that may not have been clear. It is dependent on how the GM, sorry Narrator, feels, how she wants the contest to look, and, not the least, what the contestants aims are.
I think the basic assumption is that in a combat between equals neither should have an edge, mostly so that we don't have to bother with it. But it is optional. If you want to bother with edges on both sides and want the combat more bloody, fine, go ahead. If you are, like Nick Brooke, worried about big, scary edges on both sides, reduce them.

A combat between two naked devotees of Humakt, each with an edge of 17 could get rather ridiculous. "I bid one AP. He forfeits. That's 18 AP for you." It would be fast, but not very epic.

> You can look at two battles, one between two naked people
> wielding chain saws (both sides have equal enormous edges), and one
> between two heavily armoured people armed with padded teaspoons (both
> sides have equal handicaps), and take two different attitudes.
--------Snip!----------
> Its when you have weapons reduce weapons, and armour reduce
> armour, that I think it gets kind of strange.

Within limits I think it is all right to reduce weapons with weapons. Two guys bashin' it out with a broken bottle each would be equally wary of each other, nobody has an edge over the other. The main point would be to avoid having edges if both sides are similarily armed. If one of the bottle-wielders above is wearing full chain armour and shield (rank 5), I would probably let the unarmoured one have a -4 handicap.

The naked people with chain saws are probably berserkers and have to bet at least half their AP every time, and perhaps both sides should indeed have an edge.

The SCA people in full armour fighting with padded teaspoons. Well, I would not rate a blow with a padded teaspoon higher than a 1 AP bid, unless, possibly, there is a referee close by who is counting coups ; -) If they want to defeat each other I would say they would have to grapple, or pick up a rock.

-- 
Henrix

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