Yes, otherwise why would I say it?
> What are skills like Boast there for then?
>
> You capture the McGuffin but you have lost the troop of soldiers she
> sent with you to help. Her opinion of you is in the balance. You
aren't
> trying to defeat the Big Epic Figure, you are trying to persuade
her you
> did good.
Sure, but that's not the example I gave. In your example, I think any putative resistance would be based on the situation rather than any stats of hers, in any case.
> > More to the point, I really don't get how having stats really
advances
> > anything. A book of descriptions of key figures, that I might
like to
> > see, with plot hooks for how you could end up opposing them,
working
> > for them, saving them or being saved, etc. Ideas, yes. But
numbers? No
> > one has yet really explained to me how that helps and does
anything
> > more than confine creativity and create grounds for more
destructive
> > bickering.
>
[snip]
>
> However, I have to say that I find potential plot hooks a lot less
> interesting than a character's stats, and not because I want a bag
of
> numbers to throw at PCs. I find plot hooks "confine creativity" (to
> tell the truth, I find most of them of little use)
You may find them of little use (I confess, I am not so infintely imaginative not to find inspiration in others' ideas), but I can't see how they confine creativity. A stat is there in canon, and either one must accept it or make a choice to ignore canon. Story hooks, on the other hand, are just suggestions and mines for possible ideas. It's like saying a book on your shelf confines your creativity -- or am I missing something?
[snip]
> These epic figures aren't going to have all their abilities at
seventeen
> masteries or whatever, either. They'd have some more normal
abilities
> and these are the ones I'd find interesting. As someone pointed out,
> their relative values at least can be of use.
But I still wonder why you need some Official Canonical Orthodoxy to decide that Harrek has Partial to Practical Jokes 17 or JarEel has Sing Vanchite Bargee Songs 1W -- and still, why numbers advance things more than descriptions.
Best,
Mark
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