Re: Big, Small, headaches....

From: Peter Larsen <peterl_at_...>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 11:48:01 -0600

At 4:41 PM +0000 3/20/03, BEThexton wrote:
>I think people are taking my statements a little more extremely than
>I meant them. I seem to recall something stating that magic defaults
>to working "here, now, on you" or words to that effect. Basically I
>think you just have to look at all abilities in sort of the same way.
>
>Certainly two creatures with fly 17 would have similar overall
>abilities at flying. Of course, no bird would have "fly" skill any
>more than humans have "walk" skill, so move the comparison to someone
>who can shapeshift or grow wings, and has fly 17, versus someone who
>jumps on their invisible breath which is in the shape of a horse.
>They would presumably maneuver in different ways, and certain moves
>that would be fairly easy for one would be difficult for another.
>
>Or look at brave. Imagine for a moment that a warrior has brave 17,
>and for some reason has a squirrel follower, also with brave 17.
>When facing a small alynx, you wouldn't even make the warrior role,
>brave skill or not, while the squirrel would—to face a cat is a brave
>action for a squirrel, but not for a human. Later, they need to try
>and walk across a rope strung between two towers, hundreds of feed in
>the air, with a cross breeze. The squirrel doesn't need to make a
>brave role at all, the warrior might, depending on how the narrator
>feels about the situation.

        In my opinion, both the warrior and the squirrel face the same test -- the alynx's Scary 15, say. The alynx has a hefty disadvantage in scaring the warrior (assuming the brave Heortling does not have Fear Alynx 5W, Jumpy when Drunk 15, easily Startled 10W2, etc.), perhaps -20 or so, rendering it pretty much impossible for the Alynx to win the contest. The squirrel, however, may have a penalty and face the anlynx's Scary with a Brave 12, 7, or even lower. This allows relativity -- what scares one character might not scare another -- but prevents the need for relative abilities; Brave 17 is always equal to Brave 17.

        Similarly, in a contest between a bird and a character with a magical Fly 17, the Narrator must assign the bird a Fly rating. The bird may not have to roll against its Fly under normal circumstances, but a contest is not a normal circumstance. Walking is easy; walking across a stage with a lot of people watching is not so easy, although the process is the same.

>One more example. You and your horse both have "jump 17." In many
>situations everything is the same—say you are running along and wish
>to hurdle a moderately wide ditch. On the other hand, to hurtle a
>man-high hedge at a full run is a challenge for the horse, but
>certainly possible, maybe a difficulty of 17. For you, it is
>probably more difficult, certainly you couldn't expect to leap in mid-
>stride and keep running easily, so the difficulty for doing that
>would maybe be more like 10W (on a minor failure you probably do get
>over, but only by leaping onto it, then dropping to the other side in
>a less than elegant fashion). On the other hand, you are running
>alongside a flat-bed wagon, and you want to jump up on it. Not so
>hard for you, maybe a 14. Much harder for the horse however.

        Again, I think modifications to the opposing skills are the key. The human's and the horse's Jump 17 are identical, but various circumstances may lead to "You are a horse, take a 20 point penalty to your Jump."

>However, while I admit it doesn't really matter. So long as what you
>do, how you do it, works in your campaign, that is fine.

        I definitely agree here -- whatever works for you and your game, works for you.

Peter Larsen