ME:<< Kmnellist_at_... wrote:
> OPTION B: Ken cements Magic Sword 1W:
...
> 3) he cannot learn new styles at this level (and you MIGHT say he
...
> I like option 3 myself. If you get the magic sword at 1W it should probably
> stay that way UNLESS you can find a way to increase it.
...
Benedict:
That would be an exceedingly bad additional rule to introduce.
The existing ability rules place NO bans on increasing abilities (to those who will howl: go read them). The player merely has to justify an increase. >>
I agree that that is what it says in the rules. What I am suggesting is that it should be something that needs justifying. I guess we could live with 2HP for an unrelated action to increase he sword, but I would argue against a combat encounter in which the sword was used as being a related action.
<<If they can justify it is related to the episode it is cheap. If unrelated, the player need only write a one sentence description on their character sheet. Inventing reasons to improve the ability rating of a magic sword is not difficult. (e.g. 'I had it blessed by X', 'I further unlocked its secrets')>>
I am pretty much in agreement (despite a difference in emphasis), it is the ease with which it is found to be related that I think we disagree on. I can see your point in game balance terms, but this is an attempted solution to that problem that keeps items with ability ratings. If we include such stuff as the ability increases costing more and still being doubled for unrelated actions then this sort of item is no longer a game breaker. An ambiguous reference that the player had in his 100word write up or just cemented at 12 I would be much more lenient on.
<< If you were to make the rule strict, so it was almost impossible to improve the ability of an item, then this removes the incentive for players to create new characters with cool sounding items (e.g. the example sack of winds), since the player will be unable to raise the ability rating of the item much above 13 (not useful in a 1W2 power campaign).>>
This is a discussion on cemented items that might unbalance character progression. I am all for lots of cool sounding things.
<<> If you don't
> want a feeble hobbit to possess the Ring of Doom 5W4, then don't let him
find
> it.
A straw man. Please pay attention.>>
Sorry. I thought we were discussing cemented items. It is hardly a straw man as I am not really using it to defend a position. I was just a statement applicable to general RPGs. What I was thinking in relation to HW was that you would not give Frodo a Ring of Doom, cement it at 12, and let him improve it with HPs.
<< To starkly illuminate the problem with , I originally used Stormbringer as an example. I changed to the Ken & Bob example because it is not a Great Item of Power. It is, in fact, a puny magic item. Ken and Bob have 20 as their best ability; the Magic Sword is only 1W. And 'don't let him find it' is no answer: if Bob were to have cemented the benefit, there is no problem; in fact, the item is so puny for Bob that it is only marginally worthwhile for Bob to cement it.>>
So remind me what your solution is.
Keith Nellist
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