Re: Re: differentiation; feats example

From: Timothy Byrd <timbyrd_at_...>
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2000 11:40:30 -0700

David Dunham writes:

> I'm still working on an essay about feats (intending to explain why
> feat descriptions aren't a good idea because of the amazing
> flexibility of Hero Wars). It might be useful to present an example
> of a magical contest (or rather a contest resolved largely with
> feats)...

<snip most of an entertaining example>

> Vastyr is reduced to 13 AP. Vastyr wants to win conclusively, so
> instead of continuing to Cajole his clan members he decides to use a
> Silencing Bellow for 12 AP: "Shut up, Lunar!" Unfortunately, none of
> Arinzelm's Discovery or Trade magic is terribly effective against
> such a direct assault. He decides that he might as well use his Calm
> Pack Animals feat.

Given "the amazing flexibility of HeroWars", I am *very* surprised that the player could not come up any more appropriate trade magic against a verbal attack. Lunar traders never get into haggles that verge on being loud arguments?

This also illustrates my biggest worry about HW. I play RPGs for fun. I don't want a combat system so complicated that I, the player, need to be a fencing master in order to run a warrior character. That is to say I don't want to have my character's abilities in a contest to be determined by my RW abilities. In HW the major power factor for a character is the ability of the player to cajole the narrator. If the narrator doesn't approve of an ability, she can just rule it as "delusional" as someone posted a few days ago. At that point why bother having rules at all? David, I think your group could do just as well even if they played systemless. In the groups I've been part of, the rules provided a necessary frame of reference that enabled everyone to get on the same page. HW with all it's ambiguous coolness doesn't provide that.

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