> Nick, if you don't want to deal with something there's not much
>reason for you to call people who do "whankers".
I apologise profusely, I re-read my post and would like to retract any abuse I hurled at the faceless masses on the Digest.
> Also your statement is incorrect. If people try to figure out a way to do
something
>they eventually will.
And in doing so will de-personalize the HeroQuest. I refute the comment
that I am "a kid" who doesn't know what he's talking about. I know what a HQ
is, I've read some Campbell and debated philosophy across a few pints, I've
felt emotional changes and realized that I've changed and become better from
it. I understand that my passage from a child to where I am now was exactly
what a HeroQuest is. I know Hero's, I can recognize them for what they are,
and none of them carry swords or pretend to be able to level cities.
I've seen players change whilst roleplaying, felt passion, realized their
errors, whilst most of these experiences have been in a different system
they're still there.
What I disagree and dislike is that we pretend that this can be broken
down, dissected, converted into rules. We can do this with *Gloranthan*
HeroQuest, which is basically and generally recognized as interaction with
the mystical HeroPlane -- other HeroQuests exist to define you as a Hero,
but no rules are needed (please read the notes on my webpage for a slightly
more expanded description). As long as we recognize the difference between
player and character then the experiences and realizations we feel are
valid. Yet I feel that *no* system will ever link the emotions of the
character so that the player will feel better for it. the whole point is you
*feel* it, as Mike Cule put it:
>I hate (with a deep hate) the Pendragon Character Trait rules. I realise
>that they are probably necessary in some form when running HeroQuests but
>they are too often used as straitjackets for the players: "You have fumbled
>your Chaste roll: you *must* try to seduce the Countess." or "You have failed
>your Piety roll: No sight of the Holy Grail for you!"
Which is damn close to the mark. As a gamesmaster you should be able to recognize the strong emotions the charactes are feeling and then feed them appropiate bonuses/penalties/rewards i.e. you are charging your ultimate enemy, everything you have done has been destroyed, and there he stands with your childs limp, and dead, body in his hands. You run screaming towards him. Why shouldn't the GM award you an extra +20% to hit, or a fanatiscism spell effects, or bonuses to a CON roll to stand up when the enemy has whipped off a few limbs? We don't need a chart, or rules, or conformity to help with this. Sure, beginning GM's might worry about this, but then they'd probabley be more daunted by a new set of rules. As a player you should be ready to roleplay your character to the hilt, even when it is to your detriment. When you try and seduce the countess it should be because you are a lecherous toad, or are slightly too drunk one night, or perhaps are fighting against the chaste feelings that normally stop you from doing such a thing (re: Launcelot and the Queen of Camelot).
As John puts it:
>Introspection and overcoming of prejudice may come as a result of
>heroquesting but it is not the object of the heroquest.
Or in, put in a different way, "Introspection and overcoming of prejucide may come as a result of roleplaying, but it is not the object of roleplaying" Sure, roleplaying is used in therapy where the whole point is introspection etc.. but surely you can see the difference? I can imagine the psychiatrist saying he's going to do some roleplaying with you next session, and the poor sod wanders into the office with a copy of D&D slipped underneath one arm. Actually, if he made that mistake he should book himself in for some more sessions :)
Pam says:
>Go ahead - pop open a bag of chips and whack another broo to tiny bits.
>But remember that some of us enjoy a little catharsis now and then.
But then again, the whole roleplaying experience is catharsistic. At one end of the spectrum, screaming in joy as you hack those broo to pieces ("300 points to abdomen!") is letting off steam. You won't have come out with new philosophical insights, but probabley will feel better. At the other end are the emotional changes we can all undergo. I think both parts of the spectrum make a fun game, because fun is as good a reason as any to play. Having read some of the PDP game notes, I'd love to play in that, just as much as a dungeon crawl (only every now and again) appeals just as much to me.
Oh, and Nick, I kan't spell 4 floopin shide :)
Nick E.
- -------------------------------------------------Nick the Shaman of Thed
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