It's a feature not a bug.
Basically, HQ is all about the masteries. The ratings themselves are really just the decimal point - interesting to know, but probably not relevant. The practical difference between having a 10 and a 15, or between a 13 and a 17, is so miniscule as to be invisible.
What this means is that if you want to represent two people as having different skill levels, you need to break out the masteries. Otherwise resolution is effectively just a coin flip.
Note that high ability ratings still matter in the abstract, because they make it easier to reach that all-important new mastery level via augments and other modifiers. They also augment for more themselves, of course. But once you've calculated your total effective rating, the number before the mastery notation might as well disappear.
>
> Thanks everyone.
>
> But this is one of the problems I have with the system. It seems that a 5 point spread in skill makes very little difference.
>
> Dan
>
> --- In HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com, Todd Gardiner <todd.gardiner@> wrote:
> >
> > A tie is a tie. No change in the overall situation in HQ2.
> >
> > Ties, however, can be hard to narrate. In fact, they get their own text box
> > discussing them. But a tie is both players succeed or both players fail in
> > HQ2.
> >
> > --Todd
> >
> > On Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 3:37 PM, soviet1337 <markhumphreys_at_> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I believe it's lowest successful roll wins. (I'm going off HQ1 here BTW -
> > > did this change with HQ2?)
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com <HeroQuest-rules%40yahoogroups.com>,
> > > Andrew Moreton <moreton.andrew_at_> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Wrong
> > > > Looking at each possible dice roll result
> > > > Player A has skill 10, Player B has skill 15. IIRC highest succesful dice
> > > > roll wins
> > > > Player A roll
> > > > 20 Player B succeeds 15 of 20 both fail 5 in 20
> > > > 19 Player B succeeds 15 of 20 both fail 5 in 20
> > > > 18 Player B succeeds 15 of 20 both fail 5 in 20
> > > > 17 Player B succeeds 15 of 20 both fail 5 in 20
> > > > 16 Player B succeeds 15 of 20 both fail 5 in 20
> > > > 15 Player B succeeds 15 of 20 both fail 5 in 20
> > > > 14 Player B succeeds 15 of 20 both fail 5 in 20
> > > > 13 Player B succeeds 15 of 20 both fail 5 in 20
> > > > 12 Player B succeeds 15 of 20 both fail 5 in 20
> > > > 11 Player B succeeds 15 of 20 both fail 5 in 20
> > > > 10 Player B wins 5 in 20 Player A wins 14 in 20 Tie 1 in 20
> > > > 9 Player B Wins 6 in 20 Player A wins 13 in 20 Tie 1 in 20
> > > > 8 Player B Wins 7 in 20 Player A wins 12 in 20 Tie 1 in 20
> > > > 7 Player B Wins 8 in 20 Player A wins 11 in 20 Tie 1 in 20
> > > > 6 Player B Wins 9 in 20 Player A wins 10 in 20 Tie 1 in 20
> > > > 5 Player B Wins 10 in 20 Player A wins 9 in 20 Tie 1 in 20
> > > > 4 Player B Wins 11 in 20 Player A wins 8 in 20 Tie 1 in 20
> > > > 3 Player B Wins 12 in 20 Player A wins 7 in 20 Tie 1 in 20
> > > > 2 Player B Wins 13 in 20 Player A wins 6 in 20 Tie 1 in 20
> > > > 1 Player B Wins 14 in 20 Player A wins 5 in 20 Tie 1 in 20
> > > > PLayer B wins 245 out of 400
> > > > Player A wins 95 out of 400
> > > > Tie 10 in 400
> > > > Both fail 50 in 400
> > > > 2009/11/5 soviet1337 <markhumphreys_at_>
> > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > I believe it makes very little difference - about 3%.
> > > > >
> > > > > There are 400 possible results in d20 vs d20 (20 x 20). Let's say
> > > player A
> > > > > is rated 15 and player B is rated 10. These are the only possible
> > > > > combinations where the difference matters:
> > > > >
> > > > > A rolls 11, B rolls 11
> > > > > A rolls 12, B rolls 11
> > > > > A rolls 12, B rolls 12
> > > > > A rolls 13, B rolls 11
> > > > > A rolls 13, B rolls 12
> > > > > A rolls 13, B rolls 13
> > > > > A rolls 14, B rolls 11
> > > > > A rolls 14, B rolls 12
> > > > > A rolls 14, B rolls 13
> > > > > A rolls 14, B rolls 14
> > > > > A rolls 15, B rolls 11
> > > > > A rolls 15, B rolls 12
> > > > > A rolls 15, B rolls 13
> > > > > A rolls 15, B rolls 14
> > > > > A rolls 15, B rolls 15
> > > > >
> > > > > That's 15 possibilities out of 400, or about 3%. Shocking, I know, but
> > > > > that's how the maths works. 97% of the time the difference between 15
> > > and 10
> > > > > is irrelevant.
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com<HeroQuest-rules%40yahoogroups.com><HeroQuest-rules%
> > > 40yahoogroups.com>,
> > > > > "DanWater" <danwater_at_> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Hi all,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Can anyone tell me the odds of a 15 ability beating a 10 ability. All
> > > > > else is equal and no masteries are involved.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks in advance.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > BTW, I'm pretty sure the 15 ability is not 25% better than the 10
> > > ability
> > > > > but outside that I'm lost as to how much better the 15 ability is.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > "Any Sufficiently analysed magic is indistinguishable from Science"
> > > > Agatha, Girl Genius
> > > > http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20081205
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>