On January 16, 2007 03:56 pm, Ian Cooper wrote:
> Does anyone have a page reference for this one as I'm not sure that
> this is a rule in HeroQuest.
It isn't.
As far as I know, there is no rule written in HQ that makes it you can only augment once from a keyword. (which, as you say, would make it like an affinity)
This is something I (and some others) have chosen to do sometimes. Basically, to get around this "exactly what is in the keyword" argument, I decided in one of my games to make it that your keyword was just a super-broad ability.
Anything you could convince me was in the keyword could be bought and started at 1 above keyword level for 1HP. Otherwise, you used the ability at some kind of appropriate improv modifier.
The idea was that you only had it as a separate ability if you decided to invest in it. Otherwise, it fell under "what no self-respecting X (heortling) doesn't already kinda know".
Note. Once you bought it as a separate ability, you could then augment with the keyword. (This idea resulted in me eventually making it that you didn't buy at keyword level. You started it at 13 like everything else, and augmented with the Keyword.)
I've played both ways. IT's a style thing. I found this way easier in terms of char gen for players who just wanted to get started. If it was something they should basically know, they used the keyword. If they wanted to be better at it, they spent points.
> "If your hero has a keyword, he has all of the abilities detailed in
> it. Even abilities not listed in these rules under a keyword can be
> used at the keyword rating, if the narrator agrees."
Exactly. I just took this to be "The Keyword is what he is using, and so only counts once."
> Personally I think the advice for augmentation that an ability
> is 'appropriate and narrator agrees' and for keywords if 'the narrator
> agrees' are all you need. Only allow augments that you are happy show
> us something new about how that hero would be able to excel in the
> circumstances.
Agreed. The social contract side shouldn't be ignored.
> Want to augment with your Brave and your Courageous,
> they are both the same, so no.
See, I would say that if you have those both down as abilities, you get to use them both.
> Want to augment with your Brave and
> Fought the Telmori Many Times sure. There is always an element here of
> style, what works for one group may not for others. And I think that it
> is good that the rules leave it to each narrator to find the line that
> works for them.
I agree with this wholeheartedly. But I like to not mess with the mechanics as much as possible. The more that once the decision of it being allowed or not is in, the mechanics are consistent, the happier I am.
> BTW I like the house rule that allows you to turn a repeat into a +3 to
> the ability. So if you have courageous in your 100 words and in your
> warrior keyword it acts as a +3.
See, in my case, it would be a +2. The base number, augmented by the default 17 of the keyword.
LC
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