Re: Re: How do you compare published abilities without numbers?

From: Robin Laws Mail List Only <tjaderoo_at_...>
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:33:41 -0500

On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 3:37 PM, Ian Cooper <ian_hammond_cooper_at_...> wrote:
>> OTOH, it may be that in a narrativist game, if the PCs can't influence
>> the outcome, then that outcome isn't really very important. The story
>> is about the PCs, after all, not the NPCs. (This isn't the way I'd
>> want to do things, BTW, but it does seem consistent).
>
> No but you would never roll it unless a PC was involved, just narrate
> the outcome.
>
> How do you decide if Harrek or JarEel is the better swordsman? My
> answer would be go with the outcome that makes the story more
> interesting at the time.

Another way to look at the issue: in HQ, if you can say it with words instead of numbers, use words.

Fictional sources often rank characters: we know that the Joker is scarier than Poison Ivy, Sauron more of a threat than Saruman, that the Toshiro Mifune character in Yojimbo is a better swordsman than anyone else in town. Sometimes we conclude this because we see conflicts resolved on stage. In other instances, we're told who's tough simply through exposition before the character actively chance to demonstrates. In fiction, it's better to show than tell but authors tell us stuff all the time.

So you could easily state as part of the reality of your world that Harrek is tougher than JarEel, and remain consistent with that plot point after introducing it, while still remaining firmly within the HQ2 spirit.

If for pass/fail reasons or some other narrative imperative you need JarEel to beat Harrek, all you need to do is to narrate circumstances which make this seeming inconsistency with an established story point seem credible -- specify which advantage JarEel has secured to overcome the otherwise foreordained outcome of a clash with Harrek.

Or, as Ian suggests, you could avoid making this determination until an event occurs onstage to demonstrate it, and then pick the numbers that work for that story beat at that time.

Either approach works, based on what you're trying to accomplish in your story.

Take care >>> Robin