Re: Multiplying and adding.

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_...>
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 03:16:34 +0100 (BST)

Charles:
> Do you mean adding the ability ratings of two different devotees
> here? (trying to remember the context of the previous discussion...)

No, I mean the Axe Trance and Mace Trance secrets: if you have CC 15W3, and Axe Trance 10W2, that's an effective 5W6 when 'secretted up'. (Ow.) Then again, I guess this is Unofficial, if the Secretary wishes to disavow Mark and Ian here. ;-) Though it does take an effective 10HP to raise the secret a single point, it must be said, when one factors in the cost of the affinities. Though if the affinities are "cost effective" in and of themselves...

> This also came up in the question of how to handle Quest Challenges
> where the ability gained is the same or very close to and existing
> ability (and the concensus was that adding the two ratings would
> allow characters to challenge Orlanth after 2-3 iterations and
> therefore was broken).

Right. I think that was the principal instance of an earlier such. (Jeff is I think right that you can't for Deep Gloranthan Reasons get the exact same HQ challenge benefit twice -- still leaves the instance where you have a 'mundane' ability that duplicates the gained one, but one can simply preclude adding in that case, too.) One might also argue that augments are somewhat like this too; though here, as with the "integrated passion spirit" type of secret, one is only adding a fraction of one of the TNs.

Said Jeff:
> But its a _secret_ so that's what makes it so powerful. Secrets are
> not easy to get - I tell you this for free!

Well, two of my PCs have theistic secrets... Maybe I need to have them auditted (by someone other than Arthur Andersen). Admittedly this may be atypical as they started off as "advanced occupation" types, and furthermore seem to be spending their HPs very "broad" rather than "deep". I shudder to think what sort of numbers I'd be looking at if they went the dreaded "increase fave. ability by one per session no matter what" route, which had I been guessing off the top of my head I might have suspected would be the popular route.

Cheers,
Alex.

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