> > We found, in play, that making Close or Ranged combat more expensive
> > means that players will just spend points on them and not on the fun
> > stuff like relationships, followers, Drink Copiously, swindle, What Is
> > In Runegate Anyways, and Explain To The Wife.
>
> That'd be unfortunate: I assume the hope is more the reverse!
This result makes sense, however. Close Combat is clearly useful, and players will want it to go up frequently. If it's really expensive, they will have to devote all their Hero Points to it. If it's less expensive, they will have a few Hero Points left over to "waste" on more fun stuff.
For the record, the only time I've seen a broad ability abused was when a playtest version of the game had an affinity (which at the time was not considered a broad ability, and had normal costs to improve) which let you both fly and kill people.
IMO there is little to no abuse in practice (and affinities cost too much, but that's another issue).
Roderick added
> Just for the record, *I* am opposed to making Close Combat (or ranged combat
> for that matter) a broad skill, because (as Dave Dunham pointed out) the
> only thing you can really use it for is "hurt your opponent" (and "keep from
> getting hit"). Who cares if you hurt him with a big blunt object, a tiny
> sharp one or a medium-sized pointy one? It all boils down to the same thing.
> The tool used to hurt my opponent really doesn't matter. I might as well
> make "Carpentry" a broad skill because I can use a saw or hammer or chisel.
Thanks, Roderick. I think I've added that (as originally pointed out by Robin Laws), most heroes in fiction seem to be able to use any available weapon. When Gunnar (in Njal's Saga) obtains a halberd, suddenly he's an expert halberd warrior.
Phil
> Any ideas how to do the deadeye power from the Eurmal writeup in Storm
> Tribe?
It's a curse. And real easy to accidentally look at someone with both eyes.
Of course, it's not an automatic death anyway, it has to be resolved as a contest.
Gerald
> One of them
> read in an Icelandic saga about someone sliding down a snowy hill on a shield
> and cutting some warriors' heads off. She wants to do that real bad...
I think it's in Eyrbyggja Saga, from which this is my favorite fight scene (can you spot where someone uses a Hero Point to avoid getting killed? also note how Steinthor uses his Oscar Wilde ability...):
They found the rock difficult to attack. After they had been fighting for some time, Thord Blig ran up to it and tried to lunge with a spear at Thorleif Kimbi, who was always to the fore. Thorleif took the spear on his shield, but the thrust was so powerful that Thord slipped on the sloping ice block, fell backwards, and slid away down from the rock. Thorleif rushed after him, meaning to kill him before he could get back on his feet. Wearing spiked shoes Freystein Bofi ran forward to join Thorleif, and Steinthor moved quickly towards them. He flung his shield over Thord as Thorleif was about to strike, and with his other hand he took a swing at Thorleif, severing the leg just below the knee. At that same moment Freystein Bofi made a thrust at Steinthor's belly, but Steinthor saw it coming and leapt in the air so that the spear went between his legs. All three things Steinthor did simultaneously, just as we've described. Then he struck at Freystein with his sword, and the blow landed on his neck with a loud crack.
"A nasty one, that, Freystein," said Steinthor. "Yes, it was," agreed Freystein, "but not as bad as youthought, it's done me no harm." He was wearing a felt hood with a piece of horn sewn onto the collar, where the blow had landed.
Freystein started back to the rock, but Steinthor told him not to run if he wasn't hurt, so Freystein turned and they attacked each other again. Steinthor kept skidding off balance because the blocks of ice were steep and slippery, while Freystein stood firm on his spikes and was able to strike hard at him again and again, but at last Steinthor got in a blow just above Freystein's hips, slicing him clear through.
David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_...>
Glorantha/HW/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html>
Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein
Powered by hypermail