> Message: 12
> Subject: Re: Masteries
> >
> Yes, i'm painfully aware that 1w sadly means nothing more than
> "competent" in HW as published.
>
> Once upon a time the PCs were supposed to be extraordinary people
> (and i seem to recall that they are still spoken of as such in the
> published text). But now they aren't, judging by the numbers: every
> adult is in the 1-10w range in their chosen field. I.e. the
> characters are pretty run-of-the-mill.
One of my arguments against your scheme is that I don't think you're looking at the whole of the HW system.
In my opinion, when you consider the experience system, it breaks your concept, or else leads to Gloranthas that I don't want to play.
I think heroes aren't all that different from normal people. At least... I don't want to see this situation:
Welcome to the council of Stickpickers.. Before we start our
meeting,
there is one matter we must handle. We suspect the heroes have slipped a
member into this meeting. So everyone look around:
98 pound weakling...
98 pound weakling...
98 pound weakling...
98 pound weakling...
98 pound weakling...
275 pounds of pure muscle, standing a head and a half higher then
everyone else,
with forearms the size of Urox's thighs.... And this is the scholar
of the party...
98 pound weakling...
98 pound weakling...
I think they are somewhat better on average... But it's less who/what
they are then in
what they do.... And yes, power helps them do, but isn't everything.
Nor this one:
The heroes are stuck in town, unable to leave because of this
little wergild problem
when a fellow comes up....
"Why hello there Clans mates... It looks like you're in a bit of a trouble. I hear you're
trying to get off a messenger to get you some cows to pay off a little wergild problem you
have. And well, my damn fool son managed to nearly take off his leg with an ax. He's going
to be in bed all spring. Now, I think we can do a bargain, and because we're related through
your aunt's, second son's wife's cousin's sheep....... I lend you the cows for the 'guild, and you
work for me this year, at least once you get back from that vital business you're trying to handle
that's being blocked by you being stuck in town....
And after this sessions, where the heroes get out in time to handle the
problem... the campaign takes
a three season side turn to lean how steading work.
I don't want to see my PC spend 6 HP and turn into a better farmer then
Joe Stickpicker here. After all,
he's been just doing serious help over just 6 month period while joe
stickpicker has been doing it for 35
years.
And I'm afraid, my PC will be better then joe stickpicker unless you
massively drop the exp. you get each
session, (You will get 1 HP a session and YOU VILL LIKE IT! OR ELSE!) or
you force people to spend things
properly (Excuse me... You've spent 1hp on farming 3 sessions ago. Why
in the heck are you trying to
power game and spend another point so damn soon!) Or... Damn, no skill
I can justify raising, since masteries
are important... Ah well, I guess I spend another HP to make myself look
good while mucking out the pig's
stall.
Or....
Welcome to Champions... No matter what Joe Stickpicker does... You can
and will be better then him
in all possible ways... There is no way for him to ever match you, even
if he's spent years trying
to learn how to fart Satar Rising backwards. You'll buy the skill at 12,
and spend an HP, and beat
him next week, and then you'll spend a couple more HP and always be more
skilled then him.
So:
My Glorantha include farmers insulting my hero's skill in farming.
It may also include me laying him out flat with a single punch for
that mocking.
So I think your Glorantha has a mastery problem. In that your characters
are the only ones with it.
Our Scholar shouldn't be able to beat up the clan's weapon thanes. And
if we used your Glorantha, Our
Scholar would be able to. I don't want an UberMan and Stickpicker
campaign. And that's what your
proposal turns into unless you rewrite the experience system. At least
according to what I see in
our campaign's play style. *
So actually... How much game play happens in your games between assignments of 5 HP?
And My Opinion of Harrek? Sure Joe Master of the Sword (A medium NPC)
might be able to get
a sword skill high enough to match's Harrek's W3. But does this mean
he's a match for Harrek?
In a one to one fair duel.... Maybe. But does Harrek play fair and not
use his bully boys, his
stock of magical gewgaws, his nasty cheating attitude, his assorted
other pile of useful skills,
and his massive pool of spare HP. (Ah... Any real hero has a pile of
HP, because otherwise the
"I waste him with a Crossbow!" problem comes up.) Harrek is not just his
skills, and a knife
in the back cramps _any_ wizard's style. (That's why they try to prevent
you from sticking a
knife there)
Steven White
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