Mundane Supermen versus Supernatural Supermen

From: Martin Dick <martin.dick_at_...>
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 11:16:11 +1000

> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 13:28:11 +0100
> From: Philippe Krait <philippe.krait_at_...-csf.com>
> Subject: Re: Supermen
>
> > From: "James Turner" <j.a.turner_at_...>
>
> > >, I want this to be reflected in the base ability level
> > >of the two, not have Horse - Run 15, Human - Run 15, but when
> > >running against a horse, the human has a -40 improvisation
> > >modifier. I would much prefer Horse - Run 15W2, Human - Run 15.
> >
> > This would be nice but characters can put 5w into Run at creation.
> > That means they can outrun a normal horse (Run Fast 2w).
> >
> > Problem is normal human limits get blurred and players and gm's can't
> > quickly figure out if things are possible or not.
>
> This is why I think that only improvisational modifiers can save the day. One of
> their great advantages is that they are, well "improvisational", meaning that I
> can use different ones for a human and a horse and for a flat run over a plains or
> a dodging run in the jungle.
>

I've nothing against improvisational modifiers when they relate to the external world, we're running through a briar patch, so Brer Rabbit, has no modifier I'm at -10, and Bill on the horse is at -20.

I just find modifiers based upon the opponent apart from those indicated by their abilities hard to accept, I guess they just harm my suspension of disbelief, e.g open plain, I chase Bill the Grazer on foot, I get my entire 5W Run Fast, I chase Bill the Grazer on his horse, I get -20 to my 5W Run Fast. I would much rather see the horse at 10W2 and leaving me for dead. So that years later when I call upon my Mastakos
feat or my alliance with Brother Deer to help me run fast and my skill is now up to 10W2, then I have an even contest to catch the horse.

Wulf said:
>The one that worries me is the Black Horse Troop occupation (can't
>remember which one) which has Strong as one of the abilities. So it
>STARTS at 17...

>Once again, I present, for your perusal, my idea:
>Up to 20 ability, mundane abilities cost 1 HP per point. From 1W to
>20W, they cost 2, from 1W2 to 20W2 they cost 3 (or, as someone else
>suggested, 4), adding one per mastery (or doubling per). This allows
>charging 1 less HP (or half as much) for individual weapon styles
>than for Close Combat allowing specialisation, and means Feats will
>soon be a cheaper way to achieve heroic skills. Talents attained from
>spirits, and any abilities heroquested or otherwise noted as 'semi-
>magical' can use a fixed cost, probably the 3 HP for Feats, once they
>reach a level where usually they'd cost more.

Nothing wrong with this, and useful if you want to slow progression in to the mastery levels, but it doesn't really answer the issue of can you by mundane means reach ability levels to do things that are reasonably beyond human capability, i.e run over a plain at the speed of a horse, jump to the top of the walls around the Rubble. It just slows down when the question arises, as PCs don't always do the economically rational thing e.g the God Forgot atheist won't learn feats even if they are a more efficient means of spending their hero points.

Martin

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