A gift of something is only important to character if it becomes an ability, either by spending hero points on it or as a directed improvement. Then they can use it to resolve conflicts or augment with.
If your mail hauberk is so important to your character that it's your most appropriate ability in a particular contest then why wouldn't you use it? Narrate it as you're stabbed and hacked from all sides but your mail stops any serious injury. It lets you take risks you wouldn't otherwise.
[1] As a side note most people are shit at arithmetic. The more you can stop them needing to add up or resorting to a calculator the better. If you're not confident at arithmetic and bundle as much up into setting resistances as possible you can create a table with the resistances pre-cooked to save time and reduce the arithmetic dissonance.
> From: michaelL <michaelalewis25_at_...>
> Subject: [HeroQuest-rules] Re: Armor and equipment
> To: HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com
> Date: Sunday, 13 November, 2011, 0:37
>
> That looks good to me. As a situational modifier.
>
> Here's another question for you: Should
> modifiers be folded into the resistance or given to
> the player? Or does it matter?
>
> What would you do if the chief gave you a very fine mail
> hauberk as a gift? Would you use it as an
> ability? Instead of your sword fighting skill?
> That doesn't make much sense. Would it be an lingering
> benefit. That kind of makes sense. Or an
> augment?
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Michael
>
>
>
>
> --- In HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com,
> Ashley Munday <aescleal_at_...> wrote:
> >
> > What's wrong with saying:
> >
> > "You've not got any weapons and armour, you're facing
> a fully tooled up warrior so this is going to be nearly
> impossible..." (base resistance +w2)
> >
> > "You're a Fyrdman, he's a professional warrior with
> better weapons, and some armour so it's going to be very
> hard to beat him." (base resistance +9)
> >
> > "You're both clan champions but she's got ubran's iron
> armour. Looks a bit hard to me..." (base resistance +6)
> >
> > "You're both at the top of your games, he knows you're
> not a complete pushover as you've got similar gear" (base
> resistance +0)
> >
> > Ad nauseum... It's just like setting the resistance
> for any other conflict. It applies to the merchant's spangly
> pants impressing the rubes, a hoodie helping you blend in
> around inner city shopping centers or even no clothes for a
> seduction.
> >
> > Don't fart around with things like "Oooo, he's in
> plate armour, that's +9, he's in chainmail that's +6 and
> he's in his gimp suit, that's +3." Choose what works with
> the narrative, what gives an interesting story and what
> doesn't bend the fictional reality for you and your players
> too much.
> >
> > Or just say "bugger it" and use the pass fail cycle.
> It works most of the time.
> >
> > And if you end up with two player characters facing
> off against each other you've got the rules on p51 to help
> you:
> >
> > "Hrolf's a weaponthane, a professional killing machine
> in his full clobber with a sword so big he must be
> compensating for something. He wants to kill Jan."
> >
> > "(scours character sheet) My most appropriate ability
> is 'Pulls turnips out of the ground' but I do have a hoe!"
> >
> > "Sounds like +6 for Hrolf then, unless you want to
> frame the contest so you're legging it."
> >
> > --- On Sat, 12/11/11, michaelL
> <michaelalewis25_at_...> wrote:
> >
> > > From: michaelL <michaelalewis25_at_...>
> > > Subject: [HeroQuest-rules] Re: Armor and
> equipment
> > > To: HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com
> > > Date: Saturday, 12 November, 2011, 23:01
> > > Yes, I meant HQ rather than RQ.Â
> > >
> > >
> > > I'm not trying to simulate physics, but I am
> trying to
> > > simulate a fantasy world that seems to replicate
> hand to
> > > hand combat that includes armor. What's the
> point of
> > > being a huscarl/weapon-thane/warrior/knight if it
> doesn't
> > > matter if you have a mail hauberk or are
> fighting
> > > naked. That would be a credibility test to
> me.Â
> > > Making mail was a skill which took weeks to
> complete, was
> > > very expensive and was very effective in
> combat. I'm
> > > not trying to determine weight, armor quality,
> movement in
> > > armor or hit locations. I'm just trying to
> determine
> > > the best way to factor in when an armored warrior
> faces
> > > someone who is not.Â
> > >
> > > In reading HQI, it seemed to me that stuff like
> that was an
> > > augment. In HQII, augments appear to be used
> > > differently. I didn't know how to use it.Â
>
> > >
> > > Michael
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com,
> > > David Dunham <david_at_> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > On 8 Nov 2011, at 09:45, michaelL wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > How can armor and equipment be
> used? Since
> > > there is no armor class or damage reduction, how
> would a
> > > mail hauberk protect you?
> > > > >
> > > > > I thought in RQI you would use it as an
> agument
> > > bonus. (Skill divided by 5=bonus)Â In RQII,
> aguments
> > > must be fresh, create suspense, and emotional
> > > responses.Â
> > > >
> > > > I assume you mean HQ not RQ …
> > > >
> > > > Normally, a mail hauberk is not an
> interesting part of
> > > the story. It's just what fighters wear. It could
> be a
> > > requirement to use certain skills, like using
> your
> > > Weaponthane keyword to impress a farmer.
> > > >
> > > > If it becomes important to a story, in game
> terms it's
> > > because it has a rating on your character sheet.
> You either
> > > use it directly ("I ignore him, letting the blade
> bounce off
> > > my hauberk") or as an augment.
> > > >
> > > > It can be used for color. For example, to
> narrate the
> > > use of a hero point, it's convenient to describe
> an augment
> > > you didn't actually use. "His blow got past my
> shield"
> > > [spends a hero point] "but glances harmlessly off
> my mail
> > > hauberk."
> > > >
> > > > Frequently items on the character sheet will
> have
> > > names. "I show up at the moot wearing Turnspear,
> my
> > > ancestral hauberk."
> > > >
> > > > If your schtick is Mister Armor, then it may
> make
> > > sense for you to use the hauberk as your augment
> every
> > > battle. But that's because Mister Armor is your
> role in the
> > > story, not because you couldn't think of
> something
> > > different.
> > > >
> > > > Relative modifiers from equipment don't
> really make a
> > > whole lot of sense IMO. If you, the
> hauberk-wearer, are
> > > rated 15 in Armored Combat, you are just as
> effective as my
> > > 15 Swashbuckling. How we defeat people will be
> somewhat
> > > different, but we are equally good at resolving
> story
> > > situations using pointy objects. If the narration
> suggests
> > > otherwise, there might be a modifier, but in
> general there
> > > is not. It doesn't matter that I have no armor
> and you do.
> > > (If it does matter, you are slow and can't move
> as fast and
> > > have a penalty -- everyone knows that!)
> > > >
> > > > In short, don't try to simulate the effects
> of armor.
> > > HeroQuest is a game of story logic, not physics.
> > > >
> > > > David Dunham  Â
> > > > Glorantha/HQ/RQ page:
> > > www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
>
>
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