Re: Re: Assembling a Tricky Situations List

From: Bruce Ferrie <bruceferrie_at_...>
Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:09:10 +0000


Ian Cooper wrote:
>
> Under this model we don't roll to accomplish tasks but to resolve
> conflicts. I don't want a soave table. In fact for my purpose it would
> stink. Description is a feature of the story, not a product of the
> ratings.
>
> It might not be how you play, but it is how a segment of people play.

I think it is worth giving some rough benchmarks for setting resistances for things. And, as Tim suggests, it's also worth giving some advice on how to use and set Resistances, too.

So one might want to suggest that a 'generic' horse has Large 5W or what-have-you. But also point out that this sort of rating need not always be taken literally, so that a human hero who has Large 5W is not necessarily the same size as a horse. Or that, if he spends HP on Large, he is literally growing. It's just that, in terms of the story, his largeness is more important.

I think of it like Champion The Wonder Horse. Champion is no bigger than any other 'normal' horse, but he is more likely to be able to use his Large-ness to foil the villain of the day than Generic Horse #3 is. Not because Champion is larger but because his ability rating in Large is higher and that's because he is the hero and is more important.

So - some benchmarks for 'typical Resistances' for how big something, or how heavy or how far are very useful indeed. That's why my old superhero notes included them. Sometimes you just want to know whether or not someone can pick up a car or a big rock, and you need to have some idea of how Heavy or Large that would be.

But this does need to go hand in hand with some advice on whether or when to stop worrying about physics and realism.

Veering off this topic, one thing I'd very much like to see HQ do is, in the equipment section, fully emphasise that the rules for 'light, medium or heavy' equipment apply to more than just weapons and armour. So that, say, the designer clothes you bought for the ambassador's reception count as 'heavy' equipment in that social setting, whereas just wearing whatever you happened across in the wardrobe might only be 'light' equipment.

I'd also like to see the section on injuries expand out to give advice on non-physical injuries - such as damaged relationships, injuries to Wealth, etc. I've written some forum posts and so forth on this in the past and you can do some very clever things with the injury rules in HQ.

Regards,

Bruce

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