> Jeff. I get the point of HQ being literary - the rule book even says that trying for simulation won't work. I'm just telling you my players will make it hard on me. Now I'm finished moaning.
>
> Player 1: "How far away is the guard?"
> Hal: "Um...what do you want to know for?"
> Player: (with confused look) "I want to know if he is in range of my bow."
> Hal: (Consults Pass-Fail chart, because he has no idea about bows) "It is pretty far, probably a Hard shot"
> Player 1 : "OK."
> Player 2: "I want to throw my knife at him. How hard would that be?"
> Hal: "Um...too far, it doesn't pass the credibilty test?" (Starts digging around for another rule book, because he doesn't like where this is going.)
> Player 2: "How about my spear, instead?"
> Hal: "Um...
It's a little hard to comment on this because there's not enough information. What's the guard's purpose in the scene? Why are the players trying to shoot him (their real goal is probably something else)?
For example, the guard may be keeping them out of the mansion they want to rob. There is no story if they don't get in, so the roll may not really be to see if they take out the guard, but if they do so quietly. Failure could mean that things get *harder* (essentially this is a lingering consequence, rather than an application of the pass/fail cycle), or a costly success (they get past but have to leave some of their gear behind in the name of speed).
I can say your straw man players need to get better at credibility. Seems pretty obvious that bows are longer range than knives or spears.
Anyway, remember that step 1 of a contest is framing it. Be sure to have that discussion with your players before you get bogged down in trying to simulate.
David Dunham
Glorantha/HQ/RQ page: www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html
Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein
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