Re: Newbie Questions

From: Bryan <bethexton_at_...>
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:52:32 -0000

Here is my personal summary of modifying your abilities for an extended contest in HQ (put together when I was going to try to explain this to someone else). Others can pipe up if I still missed something.

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In an extended contest, you may add to or subtract from your primary ability in a number of ways:

• you can augment yourself. In HQ this will normally be an auto-augment (1/10 of the augmenting ability), but could be a rolled augment if you want.
• You can get situational modifiers, for things like multiple attackers, superior position, or using equipment
  • In the HQ rules equipment acts as a straight add, so using a broadsword gives you +3 on your sword fighting skill
    • Because these numbers cancel off so frequently, a common house rule is to give a bonus only when one side of the contest has superior equipment, like a broadsword versus a dagger.
• you can be supported by followers. They will do one of two things:
  • augment you (much like augmenting yourself, an auto-augment of 1/10 of the ability they are using)
  • give you AP (giving you AP equal to the ability they are using)
• you can use magic.
• For affinities, feats, charms, blessings, talents and spells, these are just normal augments.
• for spirit fetishes there is more choice:
• The spirit can augment you normally at any time
• You can release the spirit from the fetish, and add its ability to some similar ability of your own (yes, this is big! But the downside is that you can't use the fetish again until you get the spirit back into it, which may be a while)
• in certain situations you could have community support

Note that if any of these changes happens before the start of the contest, changing the total level of your starting ability, that will change your starting AP. So if go before the king to argue something, and he gets +5 for sitting above you in a large throne, his starting AP will also go up. On the other hand if before starting a cross-country race you release a spirit from a fetish, adding its "run swiftly 16" to your "run long distances 17" you start the contest with a running ability of 33, and 33 AP.         

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With regards to why you'd choose to have a follower augment you rather than give you AP, think of it this way: you are at a poker table, and have the choice of someone giving you more chips to play with, or they can promise you'll never draw a '2'. Having more chips gives you more chances to get lucky, and may let you force someone else out with sheer big bids, but better card quality gives you a clear, if small, edge, improving your chance of winning each hand.

Same with an extended contest. Having more AP, if you don't have much chance of winning each roll, will only extend things a bit and give you more chances of getting lucky. Getting a bonus gives you more chance to win each roll.

Which you choose will depend on circumstances. For example, if you get forced into a contest using a weak skill, but expect to change to a stronger skill, you might choose the extra AP, so that when you do make that change you still have a good number of AP to work with.

I hope that helps a bit.