Re: Sartar Rising books from bethexton_at_... on 2005-01-13 (HeroQuest-Rules)

From: bethexton_at_...
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 14:39:57 -0000

> A large part of the problem is that there is an

> that has to be followed.

The boat raising scenario drives me crazy, because there is NO reason it couldn't be written such that the end results are as stated, but the heroes still make a difference. There are really only two things required:

recognition that although there is a main point to the overall boat raising and Kallyr has her own goals, there is ALSO other side effects likely in anything this major. What the heroes do should have impact on some of those things--things that may not be so cosmically important, but may matter to the heroes, like friends living or dying, lunar heroes being crippled, allies gained or lost, and so on.
Contest outcome. The scenario reminds me a lot of the examples in the latter half of the HQ rule book, where they go from showing players going through the rules to narrating it from the story point of view, and I dislike it for similar reason. They should have had far more contest boxes, with well thought out outcomes.

For example, when breaking out of the star city the heroes could be assigned to protect either some non-combatant NPC they know or a famous healer. The contest objective is then "get X and ourselves to the meeting point." Levels of success probably indicate getting there in fine form and most likely X feeling he/she owes the heroes favors for saving his/her life. Levels of defeat indicate injured heroes and quite possibly X not making it. Then you need, somewhere, a brief note that "Two seasons after the quest, the fire-coughing plague sweeps through Dragon Pass. Healers who can fight it are few, but X is one of them. If X feels indebted to the heroes, she'll come quickly to their call. If X did not survive the heroquest deaths will be many, and people will bemoan her absence, knowing she could have saved many.

When it comes time to get off the boat, all contest outcomes should lead to that (half the world, it seems, is powering this quest. The boats guardians will NOT be defeated!). But who else in the way of friends and enemies lives, dies, and gets crippled COULD be up for grabs. This contest could well be written that way. If the heroes do enough damage to the rowers and guardians, it could even be noted that everyone can tell the boat planet is slightly off course, or turns read at a certain point in its voyages each night, or whatever.

When it comes to the dragons, the players should have the ability to influence, if they are brave and brilliant and dedicated, how draconic Kallyr becomes. Perhaps if you saved X, that matters at this point too (carry over). That is, Kallyr may get more than she came looking for without their help. If she comes back acting too draconic, this could effect moral in the rebellion, etc.

In short, without changing the script, there was ALL sorts of room to allow the players--using the rules!--to change the world for better or ill, and generate all sorts of going forward plot hooks. I really, really felt that a major opportunity was lost there.

(Cant comment on Orlant is Dead, as I don't have it--at the time I was still hoping to get to play in it at some point).

--Bryan