Re: 17 vs 13 Starting Abilities

From: bethexton_at_...
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 17:55:48 -0000

• In HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com, "Mike Holmes" <homeydont_at_h...> wrote:
  >
  > What I could see is perhaps splitting the difference. How about
  half of the
  > abilities start at 13, and half at 17 (or something mathematically
  equal)?
  > That might allow the flexibility to allow players to have low level
  > abilities if they like, and still have some of their unique
  abilities
  > emphasized as well.
  >
  I think there could be issues with starting all abilities at 17 and using the narrative. Coming up with a couple of dozen abilities in a narrative is entirely possible, which means you could build clusters essentially emulating a key word, or even just a mini-strength, by putting in an ability and three augments for it. Starting at 13, if you don't use your starting points, this isn't a big problem, you augment up to a 16. Starting at 17 you are now looking at augmenting up to 3W (or 3M), which is pretty good for a side ability that you haven't emphasized by assigning any points.

Now, as a player, I'm not sure that is bad, I like the concept that I can have a warrior who is quite good at singing love songs, a hunter who could fleece some merchants, or a sailor who is an expert in some arcane and esoteric field of study. But I can understand how in a balance of spotlight perspective it is important to have heroes not be too broadly competent.

Thinking it through, I have a compromise that seems reasonable to me. But I've not tested it under fire, so take it with a cup or two of salt. Actually, I have two different versions, depending on how much my prospective players seemed interested in fiddling with their heroes (some people love it, some have no interest)

The little fiddling option is you get ten abilities starting at 17. If you use the list method, you are done. If you use the narrative method, choose ten of them to start at 17, the rest start at 13.

The more fiddling option is you get five (arbitrary, could go as low as three) abilities at 17, the rest start at 14. Yup, 14, for two reasons. First, because I like the idea that these are things that you aren't a complete beginner at, so that if another hero spends a hero point after the first adventure on that ability, you are still one better than that. Second, so that with just one starting point or hero point you can bump the auto-augment to +2, so that there is more reason to spend a few of your starting points on your low skills, so that you will have a mix of 14, 15, 17, and higher skills.

(I've also kept in mind a take on the old HW system, in case I had players who really hate math. Key words start at 17, other abilities at 14. Now choose 5 abilities at 14 to raise to 17. Now choose three abilities at 17 to raise to 1W, now choose one of those to raise to 5W. But this doesn't adapt as well to things like buying devotee status as the 20 points do).

--Bryan