RE: HW Characters

From: Hibbs, Philip <philip.hibbs_at_tnt.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 18:49:20 +0100

Alex:
>I think the subtler problem with the 100-word chargen method, it
>would seem from the examples, is not so much as that it allows
>inherently ludicrous abilities -- any awake GM will stop those
>coming a mile off. Rather, I'd be more concerned at the apparent
>temptation to "cram in" as many abilities as possible into the
>space allotted. One of posted examples appeared to have about
>17, not counting the Keyword and other schticks.

Ludicrous abilities, if used to achieve difficult things (eg. Cheat Death), have very high opposing difficulties. To fully cheat death, when reduced to - -40SP in combat, that's going to be a difficulty of 10w/30 at least.

Cramming in many abilities will help at first, but as the characters advance, most of these abilities are going to be left behind. Even worse, if your most appropriate ability is still at 8/12, but you have a similar ability that you have bumped up to 2/18, the referee might make you roll on the most appropriate ability, rather than defaulting to a similar ability with a small minus on the die roll.

http://members.tripod.com/~PhilHibbs/
Any view of things that is not strange is false

• Neil Gaiman, Sandman

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