Re: Ability Advancement (and session design)

From: charlescorrigan <glorantha_at_...>
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 19:29:15 -0000

> I agree, I don't think heroquests should ever become the
> standard fare of the average game session, even for very
> powerful characters.

I think that as characters get close to and above the w3 level then about half the sessions should be heroquest related (i.e. player driven HQs, external plot/adversary driven HQs and preparing to get community support for HQs. Oh yes, and seasonal/religious HQs too, as characters at this level should be expected to lead services for their communities!)

> For example, if w3 is the threshold, perhaps we should make
> all abilities above w3 increase at the Affinity cost of 3 HP
> per increment? That would also give characters an incentive
> for increasing those Affinities they've neglected for so
> long because increasing them is so expensive.

And what do you think the cost for w3 level affinities (and grimoires etc.) should be?

This is abviously a self interested question as Karath, my main character, see http://www.indigost.demon.co.uk/glorantha/karath.html has an affinity at 6W2 ;-)

My opinion is that costs should remain the same but for dramatic purposes, the session difficulties should go up faster than the character's best abilities.

Why? As I mentioned in a different thread, to guarantee a narrator character victory against reasonable good luck, heropoints, other character augments, followers and community support requires a w2 or higher difference in ability ratings. Either that or a lot of narrator work to give the narrator character a similar set of benefits - I'm lazy and prefer to say that this is all pre-factored into the narrator character with 2 or 3 broad(ish) skills.

The other alternative to keep up dramatic interest is to blindside the characters by hitting them in unexpected directions against abilities that are underdeveloped. To avoid the howls of players saying this is "unfair", the best way in my opinion is through their (lack of) relationships.

regards,
Charles

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