Re: Glorantha Digest V2 #557

From: Joerg Baumgartner <joe_at_toppoint.de>
Date: Sun, 12 May 96 20:17 MET DST

Martin Crim (bite attack 13%)
>As for 350% Horali Swordsmen, remember this: according to Da Roolz, one
>cannot advance past 75% in any skill which increases by experience except by
>experience checks. You'd have lots of attrition in the ranks, even with
>sorcerous resurrection, as you go up in skill.

Hmm. The only semi-published source for Horali in combat - Greg's lecture from Arkat's Saga at RQ-Con 1, videotaped by Hans van Halteren - indicates that much of their training occurs under "staged" action conditions. I loved the description of the post-combat punishments for varying degrees of un-Horali conduct under pressure...

The "cannot advance past 75%" rule doesn't really belong to this list, though - I regard it as an artificial breakpoint, to keep the rules overhead at a playable ratio. In Gloranthan reality, the (illiterate, as far as I know) Horali swordsman (different from his fellow spearman by decades of training) might still profit from his weekly mandatory lecture by the squad-Zzaburi on the finesse of holding a sword, even though he might be able to recite it backwards (not that any Brithini would try such a revolutionary idea...). Even more so the more flexible other cultures' warriors faced with alien swordsmanship or other challenges.

Joerg (Bite attack around 13%, too, except at the keyboard, where complimented by my Type Tirade skill of 115%)

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