On 03/12/2011, at 1:50 AM, Christoph Kohring wrote:
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>> On 25/11/2011, at 1:09 AM, michaelL wrote: >>> >>> Going to start a new campaign in a couple of days and I need some easy adventure ideas. I'm new to Glorantha and know very little. >>> >>> Here are my players and playing styles >>> >>> S has created a ranger/loner type character who has some sort of a relationship with trolls. He trades with them in some fashion. He worships Yinkin because of the rangering wild-child abilities. S is a traditional power-gamer. He likes to use the system to his advantage. He's already asking what he can and cannot do. He is also a strong role player. >> >> [P]ower-gamer[s] playing a Yinkini may find themselves a bit dissatisfied. >> If they want a character that combines the wild loner type with more power-gamer friendly powerful combat abilities, they might want to try Odayla instead.
Not really.
> Let this power-gamer add 10 points to his Yinkin Rune Affinity taken at a starting ability of 17. Let him then take a breakout ability to which he can also add 10 points to the starting +1. Which breakout ability you ask? How about Fight with Tooth & Claw? Or Shapechange into Hevren Alynx? With a starting rating of 18W (7W + 11!) any power-gamer worth his salt should be able to play a kind of Kzin/ Beast/ Wolverine/ Sabertooth blood-thirsty maniac that eats Odaylan Master-Hunters for breakfast if he so wishes!
You misunderstand me completely. I fully understand the heroquest rules are very malleable. I was thinking more of the Gloranthan background, and how that is reflected in the rules as written. Are there myths of Yinkin the sabretooth warrior written up in the book? No. There are myths about Yinkin the lover, Yinkin the Hunter, Yinkin the loyal brother of Orlanth. The most complete myth in the book is actually about Yinkin getting the beaten up (by the Bad Dogs), and having to be saved by Orlanth - pretty much the least useful myth for playing a tough guy powergaming warrior you could find! Sure, you can make up myths about Yinkin the mighty warrior -but you have to make them up. Because the cult writeup as suggested concentrates mostly on a whole different set of roles for Yinkin such as lover, hunter, spy. You get feats for smooth talking, but not fighting. Sure, you can make up other feats - but again, you have to make them up, because they aren't there. Look at the list of suggested uses for the Yinkin rune ability - you get pretty much one that sounds like a direct combat ability (fight tooth and claw), and a whole bunch that suggest a sneaky, sensual, scout type. Compare Odayla. You get descriptions of not one but two Affinities (Air and Bear), both of which have multiple suggested uses that depend a strong, powerful fighter - fight ferociously, great strength, hurl missiles, battle frenzy. The descriptions of the normal personality suggest not sensuality, but violence, passion, wildness and strength. There is a feat that clearly talks about huge powerful warrior abilities - and another that describes a second warrior role.
> With HQ, any kind of character can be "power-gamed" &/or can have powerful fighting abilities because the system is so open & that's part of the beauty of the game. An Odaylan can be a better fighter than a Humakti, a farmer can be a better leader than a thane, an Ernaldan can be a better healer than a White Lady, a warrior can be a better poet than a skald, etc...
You CAN push the rules, sure. But, if you are a new player encountering the game world for the first time, I think you are much better off saying 'here is something that fits the role you want to play well' rather than 'well, this doesn't fit, but if we push hard enough, we can sort of make it work'. If you play Odayla as a wild loner bear warrior, the rules and the cult writeup, and all the other background material, will support you. If you play Yinkin as a sneaky, charming, seducer, the rules and cult writeup and background will support you. If you play Yinkin as a mighty cat warrior, the rules will let you, but the cult writeup and the background won't give you much support at all.
> But, hey, maybe this discussion better belongs on the HQ-list?!?
Absolutely not. Your are saying that 'hey, I can power game Yinkin to fit a role it doesn't normally fit'. My point was that if you go with Odayla rather than Yinkin, you don't need to power game or force anythingt, the system and the background already supports it fine. I'm not arguing with you that you that the rules are flexible - I'm saying there exists a MUCH better character fit within the existing background.
Ultimately, you could go with Yinkin and push the system so that Yinkin is more like a tiger and less like a bigger domestic cat - despite the balance of the material suggesting otherwise. OR you could go with Odayla, where Odayla is already presented clearly a wild bear and a dangerous powerful warrior.
Cheers
David
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