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Re: (TFT) Real Life characters, back in time
You make a good point about health in general. However, we are without a
doubt more sedentary in general. We probably work longer hours but take the
stress on our nerves and not our muscles and sinews. Not sure we are really
conditioning our nerves! There are trades and professions today where
physical exertion and stamina is still part of the job and I submit these
guys are heartier in a physical way. I'm a lawyer so throughout the day the
only exercise I get is walking to the courthouse and the only conditioning I
sustain is getting my ass chewed by a judge or a client. I do martial arts
"on the side" but it's not enough in my opinion; it's a hobby not a
lifestyle.
On average, if comparing everyday "Joes", maybe the ST would be about the
same. I'd still give a little edge to the guy who has spent his days
wielding a scythe in the fields, a hammer in forge, a pick in the mines or a
sword on the battlefield instead of sitting in front of a computer terminal
or driving a vehicle around. Maybe 8 for a "regular" guy, 9 for a generally
athletic guy and 10 for a really buff guy who has improved his strength a
lot. Remember, you need a 10 ST to wield a cutlass without. Yea, there's
some fantasy there. DX shouldn't be any different. In theory, IQ shouldn't
be any different either but that's how TFT measures intelligence level AND
the amount of skill knowledge a character has and I think you've pointed out
the limited availability for using up your IQ points in a purely medieval
setting. Just look at yourself and see what would qualify as a skill in TFT
and work up your IQ. You'd probably make Tolenkar shiver in fear. Maybe I'm
being too liberal in recognizing a developed skill that would warrant a
listing. How good with a bow would I have to be in order to qualify to have
bow talent? Let's say I'm an SCA fighter; would warrant a sword talent? What
if I'm a modern compound shooter and then have to deal with an elven
selfbow? Okay, that latter isn't too far off; a little adjustment and things
would work.
I remember a Conan comic once where Conan comes to the modern world. He's in
a gym where street thugs are lifting weights. They get all rough and tough
with Conan and sport their physiques and threaten him. Conan makes a comment
recoginzing that while they they can get big muscles and strength from
lifting heavy weights, there's some all together different strength quality
when it's been built up gripping a sword or the edge of cliff when your life
hangs in the balance. Yeah, a little more romanticism. I wish I could
remember his quote. Love Conan.
If anyone has any good ideas on how to deal with IQ in such a scenario,
sound off. Oh, as for the cutlass ST of 10, I don't get it. A cutlass and a
shortsword are not that different in size, if at all. If anything, the
cutlass is a little heavier, at least clumsier.
Aidan
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Michael Grouchy II" <david_michael_grouchy_ii@hotmail.com>
To: "mailing list" <tft@brainiac.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 3:58 PM
Subject: (TFT) Real Life characters, back in time
From: paleryder1@verizon.net
They can't be heavily combat based at first
and if you do the travel-back-in-time thing,
ST and DX will suffer the most while IQ will
predominate if you base it on education
and/or training.
Aidan,
So you are saying that modern man is more sedentary yet smarter. But I
submit to you that 10th century European peasants were all 8, 8, 8, and no
extra points. The number of maladies and deprivations they suffered from,
on a whole, their smaller size compared to our modern diets, the fact that
if one person was even known to have a book it was probably at least one
village over, paint a rather grim picture. But of course I can play it as
you describe as well. Further I have actually played it, just as you
describe, that medieval man had higher ST and DX.
I only mention the other way of doing it because some times the
adventure romanticizes the past. Sometimes the adventure is rescuing the
past. And sometimes, it's being trapped in the past and desperately
trying to get back. While the GM gently clicks up the level of oppression
one notch across an entire continent.
David Michael Grouchy II
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