Re: mundane vs magic; simulation

From: David Dunham <david_at_...>
Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2000 11:12:46 -0800


Graham wrote

> Part of the problem seems to be that magical effects are resisted by a
> magical resistance, which trees don't normally have. I, and I suspect a
> lot of others, use a house rule that allows mundane abilities to be used
> where such are appropriate. Trees therefore should be allowed to resist
> 'Leap over trees' with their 'Tall' in such games. I certainly will play
> that way.

That's certainly the way I'd run it. It shouldn't be harder to jump over a magically enlarged bonsai tree (now the height of a man) than a redwood.

Wulf

> whatever the Narrator determines a Feat means (whether
> tightly or loosely defined), that is it's meaning. Leap over Trees is
> about as precise as you can get, I can see no reason to doubt it
> means what it says.

Me either, but I'd certainly let it be used (perhaps with an improvisational modifier) to perform other sorts of arcing jumps. Although, I'm quite likely to interpret "over tree" as color and simply allow it to be used to jump over things (as opposed to vertical or horizontal jumps).

> That 'Mile Javelin Throw' is just '20-yard Javelin Throw' until the
> second mastery?

Yes, in my game at least. "Mile" is colorful phrasing, it makes the feat sound better than "Throw Javelin Really Far."

Mikko

> > To get philosophic: Simulationist is not a bad word. In fact, I feel
> > that consistency makes the game more believable and enjoyable.
>
> Hear, hear! HW put's a huge workload on the narrator. Having guidelines
> to help determine task difficulties (resistances) with some consistensy
> and sense can only be a good thing.

Not necessarily. At one point in an adventure, you might have to climb a cliff in order to get to your destination. It's really not that important to the story (you could swim the creek instead). The Narrator should impose a moderate difficulty suited to her description of the cliff and keep the story moving.

But when the trolls are chasing you out of the Big Rubble, the walls, even if of exactly the same smoothness and height as the cliff, suddenly take on an ominous resistance and perhaps even an extended contest.

David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_...>
Glorantha/HW/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html> Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein

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