Re: Bruised and Tired

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_cs.ucc.ie>
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 04:29:54 +0100 (BST)


MOB casts his basilisk state over HW, and in the subsequent contest, a result of Severe Chafing occurs:

> I can't see Rurik's demise possible using the HW rules (unless the said
> trollkin is a ZZ death lord in disguise, or has surruptitiously slipped the
> very handy "Unexpectedly Off Major Character" skill into his 100 word
> essay).

I disagree. It's probably become less likely for an enlo to beat a Light Son, but it was hardly _that_ likely under RQ rules, either! (Remind me, what skill level was Ruric when he bought it? 150%+?) Killing him in one single, fell sweep is a lot less likely, it's true, though see below.

In Greg's Harmastsaga reading at Convulsion, a Bright Empire grunt offs double-mastery-plus ueber-Orlanthi Hero Morten (sp?) the Hardcore, so one would _hope_ this isn't rendered impossible by the HW rules...

> I dunno, maybe most people think this is desirable, but to me, a
> game where you're effectively invulnerable most of the time (or risk a
> severe bruising and shortness of breath if you lose) is kinda pointless

I think I agree that the Consequences do seem a _little_ limp, in absolute terms. A more deadly scale was in the Con draft as an option, though ("Stone dead at -25SP"), and clearly it's easy to have it get as quickly serious as one cares for. But do recall that "severe bruising and shortness of breath" is a death sentence if your opponent decides to administer a coup de grace. HW seems keen on the "narrative convention" that in such circumstances all sides generally choose not to, but Narrative Conventions are clearly only worth the Gloranthocentric Consciousness Reality they're written on.

> This, and the fact that (from what I've heard) the gane is pitched so that
> the Lunar Coders would only be of slightly greater ability than a beginning
> character, are the things that disturb me most about Hero Wars.

I'm not gripped by this aspect myself, though I think your comparison is an exaggerated one. But it'll be tweakable. Likely _easily_ tweakably. _Hopefully_ tweakable with Explicit and Official support for a lower-level base.

Slainte,
Alex.


End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #277


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