Re: contest questions

> One of my player wanted to create a character that would have as his
primary ability a great reputation (Greatest warrior east of Kero Fin). While his combat abilities are good as well, he gained his reputation more by luck than deeds. Instead of fighting, he wants to use that reputation to talk his opponent out of a fight, more or less by intimidation telling them they stand no chance. I told him Heroquest was the perfect game for such a concept.

The concept is great, but in Glorantha (as in certain parts of the real world) eventually you'll have to back up your rep with action, or you'll soon get a *new* reputation (and an expensive hospital bill). Remember that reputations like this one produce the "Gunslinger Effect" - you'll end up facing people that want to take down the "greatest warrior", and specifically *can't* be bullied/talked out of it by use of the reputation - in fact, it might even be a liability for the Hero.

> In a test run, he (lets call him Rep) had to face the character of another
player, a huge angry uroxi (let's call him Huge).

Well, this is a problem to start with, since Uroxi aren't the type to back down from a fight just by words. Think of calming down the Incredible Hulk... Even when they aren't berserk, an Uroxi is as mean as a biker with a hangover.

> So Huge, basically wanting to beat the hell out of him, chose Unarmed
combat as a primary skill.
>
> Rep wants to talk him out of it by using is Greatest warrior east of Kero
Fin score.

You're going to have to play this type of contest by ear. Listen to what the players are saying about how they use their abilities. Think about what they said, and if you think that it's a suitable ability to use, a not-so-suitable one that deserves a penalty, or totally unsuitable. Sometime an augmenting ability turns an unsuitable ability into a suitable one, or you might tell him that the augmenting ability should be the primary, even though it is lower. If you can't see the action, ask the player to expand on what his hero is doing. This is very much "Narrating as Art, not Science".

> First question : When it is Huge's turn, can Rep defend with his
reputation score (and if so should he get a penalty) or should he use a more appropriate skills like Evade Blows (augmented by his reputation maybe)?

He could defend with Reputation, augmenting with Evade blow - his reputation is still his primary ability, but the evade blow allows the players to understand why/how he's "winning" against brute force. This is necessary sometimes (or with some players). Of course, having a reputation as "Great Warrior" and dodging around a fight could be seen as cowardice, thereby giving a penalty to the "Great Warrior" ability. This is *very* much a "Listen to the description carefully" situation - if the player says "I move my head slightly to the side to make his fist juuust miss" that's one thing. If he says "I dodge and jink to avoid getting hit", that's entirely different. The first one is a "Cool under pressure and great control" description, while the second looks cowardly - a Great Warrior should be able to take a punch.

> Second question : When Rep tries to talk him down, can Huge carry on with
his combat ability or should he used another like Determined, Brave or No fear (augmented by his combat score perhaps)?

Since he is an Uroxi, I'd probably *not* give it a penalty as "inappropriate". Depends on how I'm feeling at the moment, and how the players are describing their actions. But a Uroxi is supposed to think with his weapons.

> Third question : Since the one going first chooses his abilities and may
well force a lower starting ability to the other (defending with Evade Blows instead of Greatest warrior east of Kero Fin), how do you determine who goes first? If we use the higher AP goes first option it's quite easy (Sorry Rep, Huge's ability is higher so he goes first. What are you gonna defend with?) but if you use highest bid goes first it becomes a bidding contest (Huge : I bid 7, Rep : I bid 8, Huge : Euh... I changed my mind, I bid 9, Rep : Hey you cannot change your bid!, Huge : Well that's not fair you knew my bid before you chose yours!)

Who declares the first action is usually a good indicator. Because this is two player heroes duking it out (as opposed to a player hero vrs an NPC), someone is going to declare an action at some point. Either Huge says "Screw it, I punch him", or Rep says "I try to intimidate him with my Reputation". Whoever says "I use an Ability" first controls the contest. There will have been a buildup to this point, even if it was simply "Rep walks into the bar and says: 'I'm the greatest Warrior East of Kero Fin'."

> Fouth question : If the defending character decides to keep his highest
but less appropriate ability for his first defense(thus incurring a penalty on the roll), does his AP starts at his ability value or at his ability value minus the penalty?

This one is "Gamemastering as science":
Starting AP = Ability minus Penalty (Page 66: "Each player's Starting Advantage Point total equals the target number of the ability he uses in his first round of the contest, including all modifiers and augments..." A penalty is a modifier.)

RR
It is by my order and for the good of the state that the bearer of this has done what he has done.
- Richelieu