>
> bethexton wrote:
>
> >Note that what matters in the above is not the exact numbers, but the
> difference between them. So it is not really 11 versus ten, it is "one
> point higher ability level"
>
> Which, given that the system is a rolling scale and masteries cancel,
> makes perfect sense. (It also lends support to the "the numbers are
> narrative weight, not an absolute scale of ability")
>
> Incidentally, this is why there is actually a significant difference
> between giving a bonus to the character and a penalty to the resistance.
> What mechanical effect the number has changes depending on where on the
> scale you are. If the roll is 16 vs 14, then adding three and becoming
> 19 vs 14 is not the same as subtracting three and becoming 16 vs 11.
> (Even more dramatically when you add or subtract 6 - 2W vs 14 is quite
> different than 16 vs 8)
>
Ummm, it does change things if you go over a mastery break (the math is different), but 19 vs 14 and 16 vs 11 are both a difference of 5, so have the same odds. In other words, it does NOT generally matter if you add to the player or penalize the opponent.
But I generally agree that things should be applied to the player's ability, because things should be done from their point of view.