RE: (TFT) hero 3IQ rule and wizards & hero

[Michael Taylor <MichaelTaylor1@compuserve.com>]

Message text written by INTERNET:tft@brainiac.com
>>>>>>>>There have been
>>>>>>>>other role-playing games that took that strategy (Rune-
>>>>>>>>Quest for example) and did not seem terribly damaged by
>>>>>>>>the experiment.

Well, first off I have to disagree with you. 

RuneQuest seriously WAS damaged by this. Everyone (PCs) was a Rune master.
Everyone had the Bladesharp spell. It didn't make any sense not to. 

Therefore RuneQuest wasn't able to be used for the more 'traditional'
fantasy worlds. Witness it's failure as a generic system. It of course, had
to modify these rules (adding a "Sorcery" type of magic) when it wanted to
become more 'universal'.

>>>>>>>>        Under this system I think that the -4DX for 1 kg
>>>>>>>>of iron should be retained.  

Where is this rule in the canon? 

>>>>>>>>        Obviously Steve Jackson felt the need to strongly
>>>>>>>>penalize fighters from taking an odd spell. Perhaps he
>>>>>>>>did not want all the fighters taking one missile spell.

>>>>>>>>        What are people's feelings on this? 

Well, I have to agree with him completely.  Whether or not its 3 points per
1 IQ or 4 points per 1 IQ or 1/2 point per 1 IQ may be artibrarily, but I
think that learning the violate the laws of physics with your willpower by
tapping into the primal force of the universe should be a little bit harder
to learn than "Expert Horseman", so in one simple rule he's balanced
wizards and heros very nicely. 


It provides a perfect balance and garantees that the wizards wont dominate
the game as they do in EVERY other fantasy RPG. 

>>>>>>>>        Perhaps there should be some different rules that
>>>>>>>>encourage people to specialize.  I just feel that the 
>>>>>>>>*3 memory cost & -4 DX / *2 memory cost -0 DX are 
>>>>>>>>arbitrary.

I can't think of a another way to do it that is as simple and doesnt make
magic dominate the game and short-change a normal swordsman.

Michael 
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