On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 11:38:13 +1100 Robert McArthur <rjmcarthur_at_gmail.com>
writes:
> For some reason, I don't think this was sent properly when I did so
> before xmas, so I'll resend it now (for CJ)...
I never saw it, thanks for forwarding it.
>
> Rob
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Questions from Glorantha list
> Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 11:39:18 +1100
> From: Robert McArthur <rjmcarthur_at_googlemail.com>
> Organization: CSIRO ICT
> To: glorantha-board_at_rpglist.org
>
> CJ asked on the Glorantha list:
>
> > My two questions regard the Defensive Doubling Rule, by which the CF
> > of surviving units in a melee apparently double when calculating
attackers losses...
> > 1. Does this apply to Heroes/Superheroes?
My write-up of Rurik in The Book of Drastic Resolutions implies that it
does, at it specifically mentions it in his rules description. Basically,
the rules do not say that it DOESN'T apply to them, therefore I would
assume that it does.
>
> I always played that it did, and sometimes even played that leadership
> factors counted.
Again, I concur -- the rules say that leadership applies to all units stacked with the hero/superhero (or magical leader), and doesn't state any exceptions as to when.
> I figured the idea amounted to the counterattack of the
> defenders once the initial attack has been beaten off (although of
> course the defenders can't lose anyone else so it's not entirely
> principled) hence heroes et al are as good as they would be in any
> normal attack.
Well, I do have my own problems with the Defensive Doubling rule in general. It makes it too easy for defensive stacks to deal damage, and basically makes MANY attacks all or nothing -- either the attacker destroys ALL the defenders, or the defenders end up destroying all of the attackers. If I ever get around to doing a revamp of the rules set, as I would like, this is one area I plan to revise.
> It certainly played havoc when you fail to kill a superhero! IMHO I
> think the way I and other have interpreted the rules, which are
> definitely not universally canonical even though they probably are in
> one particular city :-), make this much more fun too. For example, if
> there's a superhero with 3-4 other "normal" units being attacked by a
> couple of stacks, the defender can order the superhero stack and they
> *must* be eliminated by the attacked from the top down - no other way
> possible (we play the same for magic).
Isn't this exactly what the rules say must happen in most cases -- that casualties must be chosen from the top down.
> This means the defender must
> decide whether to put the superduper on top, say stopping any loss for
> 4-6 roll but losing the superhero on a 1-3, or put them a couple of
unit
> further down losing them on a 1 only, say, but almost certainly losing
> the grunt units. The latter means the counterattack will almost
> certainly (1 in 6) be devastating but some irreplaceable grunts are
> lost, while in the former it's equally like that noone is lost *and*
the
> counterattack is horrendous, but also quite likely that the superhero
> dies (perhaps temporarily).
>
> I understand, from past talks on the list and playing with others, that
> other people play that the melee casualties (and from magic) can be
> taken from anywhere in the stack rather than from the top down.
> Apologies if I'm wrong about the melee (I know the magic part is right)
> - it's been a long time since I've played :-)
I do not think the rules support this "pick-and-choose" method, at least for melee. It might specify it for magic, I can't recall -- been awhile since I played.
> > 2. Does this mean the Sun Dome Templars quadruple in defence when
> > working out combat factor for determing attackers losses?
>
> Not in my game. They're explicitly formed to double in defence (unlike
> anyone else). I treat their counterattack like anyone elses - double
> their written CF. Whether or not it's the rules, I find this works well
> in practice as they're a nasty group anyway to go against. Of course
> only Sartar ever gets them...
What exactly do the rules say for general defensive doubling and the Sun Dome specifically?
> > Also, how did Cragspider come to posssess her great Fire based power?
> > is that still part of Glorantha?
>
> [Peter Metcalfe answered:]
> Yes. Her fire power is mentioned in KoS p187 when she "sears all the
> Vindori tribal lands with fire which fell from the sky". She is
> probably the firewitch slain by Ustanosson in KoS p162.
She is _absolutely_ the firewitch slain by Ustanosson in KoS p162, per
discussions with Greg at some time or other.
>
> [me]
> Which doesn't answer the question *where* she got them.
I was about to say this. :)
> Good question which I can't answer :-( Perhaps she controls Amastan
(sp?)?
Nothing in her mythos or origins, that I recall, specifies this. I think The Broken Council DID specify something about her fire powers and their origin, but my copy is in storage, and the files are all off the computer and onto a CD somewhere for storage.
Steve
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