Low level HQ ideas

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2003 15:48:23 -0800

> > As was said in the last HQD, this is a game for
> > heroes. That, at heart, may end up being the crux
> > of it. Does our group want to play heroes?
>
> It isn't compulsory. It's just possible. Which, let's
> face it, it wasn't under RQ rules.

Just a lot easier under RQ (or, perhaps the right way to say it is: Heroic playing was a lot *harder* to run under RQ)

As I was moving a burn pile, and so had a lot of time to think about Alison's statements, I started thinking about "How does one run a 'low-level' HQ campaign? Some things occured to me...

1. Start off with lower Ability ratings. Right now a player has the opportunity to get a couple *really good* ability ratings if he wants to dump 10 "build points" each into only two abilities (7w each for Keyword abilities). So maybe start keywords at 11 or 13; and half the number of build points, with a maximum of 5 (or even 3) in any one ability. When the best ability a hero can have is 16 or 18, the world is a scarier place
2. Restrict Magic Start everyone off as Commonual/Lay Worshipper/Spiritist magic users. The "Magic Specialist" might start at the 1st rung of the magical ladder - an initiate or practitioner or liturgist or orderly. Look at the rules for becoming an initiate/pracatitioner/whatever. Make the players gain the abilities to get onto the first rung, then have them pass the tests to do so.
3. Restrict Followers. Don't let them take followers at character creation, or make it cost a bunch of (or all) their "build points" to do so.
4. Stay off the Hero Plane. At least at the start, just mention that "yeah, the Hero Plane is tough, you shouldn't worry about it for now. You might think of doing some "practice quests" in the mundane world as side-adventures, to get the players (and yourself) used to the mythic connections and ideas. Later on, when you and the players are feeling ready for it, do some minor Her plane quests.

And a bonus number:
4. Give them Order
Low-level grunts don't have followers, more likely they *are* followers. Give the group a patron - they ar *his* followers at the start of play. They are "sidekick-level" folowers to the patron, meaning that they just might be entrusted to do something without him looking over their shoulders. This requires a bit more cohesion than "A storm bull, a duck, an orlanthi and a yelmalian walk into a bar and there's this guy in the back corner who says "I've got a job for you". No, they should all be members of the same Pavic Streetgang, heortling clan, Yelmic association, Sehnegi guild or whatever.

RR
It is by my order and for the good of the state that the bearer of this has done what he has done.
- Richelieu