>From: "Jane Williams" <janewilliams20_at_...>
>Thirded. That's the one Official Rule I now *definitely* change.
>Everything at 17.
I'll provide a dissenting voice here. Keywords represent broad areas that define a character in terms of their central qualities. Basically answering "Who are you?" I'm a Heortling Warrior and Initiate of Destor. The fact that you happen to also be strong is not something that you'd mention in a description of yourself.
Now, does that mean that these can't be higher than your other abilities? No, in point of fact, Strength may still be your highest ability. But it also might be so minor as to be a "starting" level ability, or 13. If you take this away, then no character will have any abilities below 13, nothing that they're only marginally good at, or which they've just begun to learn recently, etc.
I think that an Operate Forge 13 can be a really telling ability. The character just started to learn this ability.
More than this, what putting the focus on the keywords does, is to inform people that this is what play is about. Hero Quest is, in fact, all about the differences between your homeland and mine, about how we each spend our days making our living, and what it is that we each believe in. Not about how strong your character is.
So I think that the standard model is quite ingenious, really. If you think that characters should have more potential in these areas, then use the Advanced Experience rules, and increase the number of points that the player has to raise abilities. Players will distribute as they see fit to make their character as unique as they feel they need to be.
Mike
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