Re: Re: Augment-only stats

From: L C <lightcastle_at_...>
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:15:16 -0500

Todd Gardiner wrote:
>
>
> Back in the day the "Common Magic" of the divine cults was called "Spirit
> Magic". Perhaps it was a regret of the designers, but some of the spells
> could directly affect opponents (Disruption, Befuddle, Heal, Dispel
> Magic).
>

Yeah, I got this impression from looking at MRQ and some old RQ books. Obviously there was a big change from RQ to HW.
>
> Most of the spells, however, were solely augments to your existing
> abilities. Bladesharp did nothing for you if you did not pull out a sword
> and start swinging it. Protection improved your ability to shrug off your
> enemy's blows. Lantern augmented your ability to search in low light
> conditions, mostly by making it less "low-light".
>
> Little things that aid you in doing what you do make sense to me as Common
> Magic. And I think that describing this as Augment-only traits is the
> easiest shorthand for describing this type of magic.
>

 I do see where it comes from. I just don't actually find it particularly easy shorthand given the rule structure of HQ. Of course, there was also the other distinction they used to make about "common magic" - that it was magic that didn't need an otherworld. (Those overlapping definitions caused havoc.) They seem to be trying to not fall into that this time.

> Obviously the narrative needs trump this in HQ2. If it makes sense to have
> someone use the same augment twice in a row, for the sake of the story it
> just happens. If the choice to use a laymember's rune as a direct
> ability is
> going to get nods all around the table, then this should not be a limit.
>

Agreed.

>
> But I don't think this is a stupid rule.
>
> Let's say you did not have the Fire rune (which most Heortlings
> don't). What
> ability would you use to burn down a house?
>

As has been pointed out, any number of abilities could be used. Or you could default to six. Or it could be automatic depending on what the contest was. You don't use abilities to do things. You use abilities to resolve contests.
>
> But if you are a laymember with
> the Fire rune, you might do this slightly better than others. More often,
> you probably are called on to keep watch at night because you can augment
> your duties with simple light-based magic. But light-magic alone is not
> going to defend the camp from a nighttime ambush at the Common Magic level
> of the layman.
>

Nope. It won't. We aren't disagreeing here.
>
>
> I believe that the reason HQ2 works as a ruleset is because there is
> no need
> to spell out every exception and that describing tools in general terms
> (like Common Magic is augment-only) works because the game empowers gaming
> groups to step outside of the basic system when needed.
>

See, we have a different perspective. I see adding on an extra rule for common magic (It's augment only) as something that encumbers the system unnecessarily when the core rules as written already cover this.
>
> Generally, I plan to
> take every statement in the rules and S:KoH as the "default"
> situation; not
> the absolute fixed unmodifiable situation. I don't expect the rules to
> hedge
> themselves each time they make this statement. That's already been covered
> in the foreword of the book.
>

Exactly, so why add the "augment only" hedge?

>
> Some other things could be described as augment-only (armor and weapons),
> but for the more part, those items where bundled into your cultural
> keyword.
> If you bought "Fine weapons and armor" as an ability, I'd probably "never"
> allow that to be used directly as an ability, but it's a great augment for
> fighting, impressing foes, and gaining the admiration of your chief.
>

See, I would use the Core Rules interpretation for named equipment and abilities like Shiny Sports Car and let you use them directly for those things, because they are abilities.

LC