Re: Follower's abilities

From: Roderick and Ellen Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2004 08:57:24 -0700

> >So what does an ability rating of your character's follower
> >represent? Is it how gppd the follower is at using the ability or is
> >it how well your character is at getting the most out of the
> >follower's ability?
> >
> >Is the answer the same if the character is a shaman and the follower
> >is spirit?
>
> Seems to me that a follower's rating is how good they are at using the
> ability. Your relationship with the follower indicates how good your
> character is at getting the follower to use his ability for you.

Yes. That is basically what all relationships are.

You normally don't have to roll against your "Follower 13" ability if you've been treating your follower "correctly" (whether that means not beating your slave *too* much, or giving your warrior weapons and armor and gold arm-rings) *and* you're asking him to do something that falls within his keyword/competency ("Warrior, fight that guy", "Midden-slave, clean out the back-house"). When you ask for something outside his normal job, then the narrator is well within his rights to make you roll against the "Follower Reluctance Table" (Page 86). And if you've not been treating him well, the narrator can increase the reluctance of the follower. (And/Or give the follower "Sullen" or Lazy" or "Secretly Plotting against his master"...)

Supporting Cast (Allies, Patrons, etc) can have the same sort of reluctance. If you ask your Ally to join your expedition and it just happens to be his wedding night....

Basically the "Relation: XX" ability is how likely your [relation person] will respond to your requests (except for enemies, in which case it's "how hard will your enemy work against you" - an "Enemy 13" is less likely to mess you up than an "Enemy 15w3").

> Yes, this is the same with the animist case.

Correct. A Relationship is a relationship, no matter if you're asking a human, a duck, a troll or a spirit to do something.

RR
C'est par mon ordre et pour le bien de l'Etat que le porteur du pr�sent a fait ce qu'il a fait.
- Richelieu