(TFT) Re: TFT Digest V3 #169

["Dave Seagraves" <dseagraves@austin.rr.com>]

Neil writes . . .

>Well, in most of the samurai movies, the duel takes almost no
>time...
>
>I find the movie example to be just plain wrong, because the point
>in the movies is to follow the script, and build tension. Quick
>duels may do so, but most directors prefer to draw them out. While
>I hesitate to equate reality with roleplay, the movies are a wholly
>different thing.

   Perhaps this is true.  I think as far as fight time goes the movies are
pretty close to reality.  Certainly a real fight between two real-life
master fencers would take more time than a fight between two novices.
   As for the samurai movies, you're right!  Sounds like many of the main
characters went to the Suio swordfighting school, which places heavy
emphasis on speed and offense (see "Lone Wolf and Cub").  Maybe it has to do
with Japanese attitude towards violence more than anything else.

>Actually, I just don't much care for these. I disagree with the
>argument that after DX 15, it's all downhill. I prefer the dimi-
>nishing returns in combat. Sure, you can work up a character to
>the point where it can take out nearly all other single characters,
>but it still won't be able to take on an army (in a straight-on
>fight). The point is that when a character becomes that physically
>and mentally powerful, they have to continue into other pursuits,
>where temporal power becomes more important than personal power.
>Then it gets interesting...

   I don't like forcing characters down a path of gaining temporal over
physical power.  Some players are just not into the temporal thing, and
others -- such as myself -- want it all.  I don't want to take on an army --
that's stretching suspension of disbelief -- but I /would/ like my favorite
fighter character to be able to take on a dozen normal fighting men and look
cool doing it.
   (I had a great time in Joe's /Tollenkar's Lair/ PBEM game.  My
character -- a very tough 38-point Dwarven fighter -- took on four
highwaymen single-handedly and was victorious.)


Ty writes . . .

>I missed that; could you email me your study?

   No prob; I'll see if I can dig it up.

>Therefore, I created the expert and master talents to extend the
>range of combat for TFT characters. I consider the master and expert
>weapon talents as "dramatic options" rather than "more historically
>accurate options."

   Excellent supporting arguments for these types of talents.  I couldn't
have said it better.


Rick writes . . .

>In my campaign, going thru a gate costs $200.

   Interesting.  Last year I came up with a cost of $75 a head plus a tax of
1% of the value of everything brought through it (because gates are easy to
control access to and are too good a revenue source for a ruler to pass up).
However I may revise this figure to cover wizard travel costs (at the
doubled dangerous rate, of course).
   Keeping a wizard with Create Gate on hand in case of immanent gate
failure may not be the least expensive option.  Depending on traffic flow,
just having a /backup/ gate in the same building and going to the same place
might be less expensive (which would lower the cost of gate travel).


Cas writes . . .

>I'd like to see more specialized talents, such as Sweeping Blow
>expert (costs 1 IQ; needs IQ 9., less of a penalty when doing
>Sweeping Blows (say -3), and sweeping blow master (costs 1 IQ,
>needs IQ 10, -2 penalty only).  i.e. less IQ points used for more
>specialized gain.

   Interesting alternative.  I like the more generic talents because (a)
lumping together related advantages in one talent matches ITL, and (b)
getting too specialized like this might turn characters into over-optimized
"one trick ponies" that can get boring to play.  (I discovered this one when
playing Diablo II.  I found that my barbarian character was a more efficient
killing machine when I put /all/ of my earned skill points into
ever-increasing swordfighting skill.  This got pretty dull after 8th Level.)

Pfc. Dave Seagraves   101st Airborne Division
Texas Military Historical Society (WWII reenactors)
Sniper squad forming to defeat the krauts -- join us!
1 (512) 835-7527   http://members.aol.com/txmhs


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