Re: broad abilities

From: gamartin_at_...
Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 23:02:52 -0000

> Well a "normal" character can currently start with two (or
> maybe "both" ) combat skills - Close Combat and Ranged Combat.
There
> was a suggestion somewhere (and it may have been on RR's "GLORWAR"
> list) that a third ability "Group Combat" should be added (this
would
> be where fyrd combat, shield wall combat, etc would go) the theory
> being that someone who is a good swordsman may find themselves
> constrained by needing to hold a place in formation, and/or someone
> perfectly capable of holding their place in a mob may be less
> efficient if cornered alone...)

Quite true but: with a number of notable exceptions, nobody teaches just swordplay, they teach a method of warfare. A doctrine that incorprates equipment, tactics, method etc. Every Orlanthi characters has been trained in group combat rather than single combat. The rare exceptions are explicit duelling schools which are very specialist. So, I think assigning a combat skill from a cultural basis is correct, that there is no significant distinction between a single and group combat skill under most circumstance, and the exceptions can be represented by a special Duellist School (or Gladiator School) ability. Which can be improv penaltied to nothing on the battlefield.

>
> I could see an argument for further dividing "Close Combat"
> into "Armed Combat" and "Unarmed Combat" (so your master fencer
isn't
> also a master Sumo wrestler). Adding "Mounted Combat" as a
seperate
> ability would get around the "problem" of assigning a penalty to a
> Grazlander when forced to fight on foot.
>
> But if you had those options I'm sure most people would want to
have
> some sort of score in most, if not all of them to start with, even
if
> they don't regularly increase more than one.
>
> I can't really see the benefits of dividing the combat skills down
> any further than this ...
>
> Tommy the Trollkin
> Armed Combat 13 (Club, Spear and shield)
> Unarmed Combat 12(Bite)
> Ranged Combat 14 (Thrown Rock, Sling)
> Group Combat 17 (Trollkin Mob)
> Mounted Combat 8 (Hambeetle Lance)
>
> ???

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