Re: True logarithmic augmentation

From: Nick Brooke <Nick_at_...>
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 16:32:25 -0000


Simon writes:

> Er, right. Keep taking the medication, Benedict!

Seconded!! I can't write rules like that... hell, I can't even *read* rules like that (any more).

> Total snafus like adding ability ratings, or halving them
> can lead to appalingly innapropriate results.

Adding ability ratings is Right Out, agreed.

Now, *halving* ability ratings (or multiplying by other fractions, for that matter) is fine by me. But doubling them (or multiplying by x1.5 or x1.25 etc) is Right Out.

My biggest problem with augmentation is that as written it *can* be open-ended (this is apparently by design, but without thinking the consequences through).

My second biggest problem is multiple augments off the same ability (e.g. improvising multiple appropriate feats off your highest rated Affinity).

Keith Nellist (I think) had what could be an excellent suggestion -- when trying for multiple augmentations, only the best result takes any effect.

I appreciate this may sound extreme to fans of the current approach (and it seems a bit austere even to me), but if this were rewritten to be "only the best three", that -- coupled with a ban on multiple augments off the same ability -- would sort out both of my problems.

> Frankly I think the game works as-is.

With the exception of the caveats above, so do I. Augments are small enough *individually* that they don't unbalance things (at any rate, not nearly as much as adding abilities or multiplying them by > 1 would do). But my problems are (1) no cap on augmentation attempts and (2) stacking multiple augments off the same ability. Neither of which makes sense to me.

Sandy "Quad Damage" Petersen makes a persuasive case for +1 per 5, at least when starting out. Anyway, encouraging players to make opposed rolls against a resistance of their own choosing feels uncomfortably masturbatory to me. Give 'em generous free augments, and propel them into conflict, that's what I say!

Cheers, Nick

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