- In HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com, Benedict Adamson
<yahoo_at_b...> wrote:
> flynnkd2 wrote:
> ...
> > Say you have a magic Sunbeam spear, you started the game with it
and
> > the GM said it was rated 17, based on your own starting skills
(for
> > balance usually). At the start of the game you will be fighting
> > monsters who have similar skill levels, so if you actievly use
the
> > spears magic it will be 17 vs 17.
> >
> > Twelve months later your characters have moved to average skill
sof
> > 5w2, and thus your monsters will have moved to average skills of
> > 5w2. Try using your spear 17 vs 5w2 now? (for eg purposes
only).
> >
> > Basically your spear becomes redundant,
> ...
>
> This is a problem with all abilities, not only magic items. As you
play
> for longer in a campaign, the gap between your best ability and
your
> average ability widens. Worse still, that widening gap encourages
you to
> further use your best ability (taking an improv. penalty, if
necessary)
> whenever you can.
>
> I think it is a problem that the rules do not address. In the past
we've
> discussed this and I've suggested narrating style as the fix (have
> episodes in which characters can not reasonably use their best
abilities
> and be tough when applying improv. penalties) and others
(especially
> Graham( have suggested a rules change.
I totally agree with you. And I dont think a narration answer is
the way to go, the rules should be self sustaining as they stand, to
some degree.
Of course you can always take the view that if you run a combat
concentrated game, then combat skills increase and the others dont,
but because it is a combat game who cares about the other ones?
I really am coming to the opinion that higher skills should cost
more to buy up, ala binding spirits and fetishes style. The straight
linear advancement seems a little bit quick to me - possibly I am
suffering level advancement syndrome.