Re: How do you compare published abilities without numbers?

From: Ian Cooper <ian_hammond_cooper_at_...>
Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:22:30 -0000

wrote:
> Nope, that doesn't do it. It works fine if the players have picked a
side with respect to the NPC -- either helping or hindering. But when faced with the choice, the players need the information that their characters ought to know. The numbers gave the narrator at least some guidance.<

Channelling Greg - Gloranthans don't know the numbers!

Seriously if you wanted to pick someone to side with in a political debate at work you would base it on who you agreed with more, what your experience was of working with them, what successes and failures they had. You would have no idea that one was 10W the other 17W. So you would pick based on what others told you.

In Platoon the two seargents are not compared on numbers but attitudes for example. That is how the characters choose who to side with.

If it ever came to competition between the two then you risk de-protagonising the players by worrying about the leaders numbers. Either it is about the players actions and the outcome reflects that, or you narrate the outcome depending on what the story needs.

I'll let you into a secret. I produced a lot of numbers for Red Cow. I even had a sim system for them (use the saga rules in HQ1). In every contest I just ended up basing the numbers off what the players told me thier numbers were so that I could give them an appropriate challenge. I never had two npcs go toe-to-toe for any reason. If two narrator characters argued and the players could not affect the outcome then I just summarized.

So I'm speaking as someone who went down this route and realised it was a waste of effort.