Re: Secrets

From: Mike Holmes <mike_c_holmes_at_...>
Date: Wed, 04 Jan 2006 13:22:58 -0600

>From: Benedict Adamson <yahoo_at_...>
>
>Still does not work. If you have the requisite 3 x 1W2 abilities, you
>are better off (again, from he rules PoV) spending your HPs on one of
>those 3 abilities rather than the Secret.

The idea being that an ability at 2W2 will usually be more effective than a Secret at 14? Really depends on the secret and such, doesn't it? I mean, take Ganval's particularly useful trick of coming back from the dead as a secret. If you're killed, there's really no other ability that I'd rather have at that point. I don't think you can improvise a secret (wouldn't be very secret then).

Anyhow, generally speaking, I don't find that players spend based on power level of abilities a whole lot. By this analysis, you could conclude that no player will ever take a new relationship at 13, because it's better to spend the points on their much higher "Sword Combat 10W" ability. Heck, I get players going from 13 to 14 on thier Agile, which if used to agument is a "waste" of a HP.

Why? Well, for one, some contest is going to come up at some point where Agile is the primary ability used. The claim that I've seen that some abilities are never use for anything but agumenting just doesn't hold up from what I've seen. That's not to say that every ability for every character has been primary at some point in a contest. Just that predicting that an ability will never be used as primary doesn't hold up. I've got some characters who've never used their high sword abilities yet in play at all, much less as primary.

Basically when you play allowing a lot of leeway as to what can be considered primary in contest, allow contests to form themselves in play (instead of trying to plan them out), and generally play so that failure is fun, I find that players worry much less about what the most powerful option is, and instead focus on what the most interesting option is.

Just my experience (everybody's groups will vary, of course). I'm looking forward very much to characters getting within striking distance of their secrets, to see just how interesting the play around it will be. I have a sense that, as I've said, I'm going to be able to base whole stories around it. No matter what level of power the abilities have mechanically.

Mike

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