Re: HW FAQ, bidding questions

From: Steven White <fringe_worthy_at_...>
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2000 11:45:35 -0800


"alexandre lanciani" <alexan-_at_...> wrote: original article:http://www.egroups.com/group/hw-rules/?start=634
>
> After all, how do you know what bid corresponds to your stated
intention?
> How much do I bid if I cover behind my shield and feint with my
spear? If
> I charge the foe weaving my sword like a cleaver?

I've heard, as a house rule, that bidding more then 1/3 of your current AP (Well, until you get down to single digit AP) tend to require you to be doing something amazing/heroic/idiotic. Works for us.

And for us, playing a low power campain, 4-5 is fairly caution behaviour,
8-10 is going fairly wild, and anything higher is insane stuff. Now, if
were we playing until we're all at 10w2 combat, then behaving cautiously is us bidding 15 and seeing if we can disembowel 3 trollkin a swipe (Hey,
they're in our way, keeping us from those great trolls. Idiots) Transfer
means I get some more on the backsweep.  

> Shouldn't the bid be commensurate to a percentage of the AP total? I
mean,
> if I have 60 AP and my foe 10, if I bid 10 points surely I'm not
taking the
> same risks that he would take with the same amount! IMO the "standard
bid"
> should be based on the character's starting AP, and should not be
fixed at
> 3.

The main use of the standard bid is for when you don't state how much you're bidding, and then you roll. Oh, look a 1. I bid... 10, no 15! Ya!
Sorry, you didn't say, it's 3. Gain only 6AP of transfer. (Or roll 20. Right, I bid 1. Hah, nice try...)

It tends to make you remember to bid... then roll. Cinematic equivalent of
flicking away the camera to show the hero's companions also fighting, swish thrust parry, doing little, then going back to the hero. Three seconds later
we might switch back to the companion giving their mook a kick to the 'nads
and a thrust through the heart. (Right, this time I remembered to bid 15!)

Steven White

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