Re: Re: Mythic Russia, and Pyrrhic Victories from Gavain Sweetman on 2007-07-31 (HeroQuest-Rules)

From: Gavain Sweetman <gavain.sweetman_at_...>
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:34:30 +0000 (GMT)

From: Laurent Castellucci <lightcastle_at_...>
> Actually, my objections are more with the value and that it is inflexible.
>
> 1) Why 7 for 1? Since AP and starting AP varies quite a bit, I find 7=a
> hurt to be strange.
>
> 2) There are no other options. There is 7 = a hurt (and specifically a
> -1). There are no variations.
>
> I suppose in some way these 2 add up to "never think to use it" because
> it doesn't seem to come naturally out of the mechanic.
>
> What I would want is something that allows for generating mechanical
> advantage during a contest AND allows for in-contest effects that
> continue on.

I haven't used this mechanic precisely because it does seem out of place with the rest of the game. :-(

Though one thought on reading the recent posts is that the exchange mechanism should be based on levels of victory and not simply APs. I know this was mentioned earlier in the discussion, sorry I forget who by.

Jane Wrote:
> Ash's idea of buying an ability to give to your foe
> might do this for you? "Distrusted by Senate 13".

You could even combine the two and use the APs bid in the contest to create an ability, at least for the current contest. That way both the risk you are taking (AP bid) and the level of victory are combined. It would be tempting to use the Extended Contest chart to work out the skill rating, but that could become too powerful - a relatively modest bid of 20 AP could turn into a 3 mastery flaw. Though if you loose then I would have the hero gain the flaw that he was trying to impose on the opposition. :-)

> After the contest, when you have come back to win and have been placed
> in charge of the army - is your relationship with the senate perfectly
> fine now or does the distrust I have sewn follow you along?

You could use the standard recovery rates on p82. So the effects last days / weeks / seasons / always depending on the level of the final victory in the contest.

Gavain