(TFT) TFT: AdjIQ

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

   When I came up with this adjIQ thing I really didn't give much thought to
the realistic basis for such an optional rule.  I created it to solve the
gripes from some players: "Well, I've got Sword, Shield, Bow, Running, and
Warrior, and I can't do anything else until I get /smarter/???  What a pain
in the ass!"  Certainly one could not create Conan in TFT with only the IQ
he seems to have.
   But someone had to mention that dirty word -- realism.  8^)  If I had to
define IQ versus adjIQ in realism terms I'd have to say this: IQ (without
the AdjIQ Rule) is a figure's ability to reason, a measure of his general
default knowledge up to that point in his life (i.e. those little mundane
talents that everyone knows to some degree (like Ordering in Restaurant)
which aren't worth keeping track of in an RPG), and how much time-energy he
can have in specific knowledge and training, such as the talents and spells
in TFT.  The IQ points a character has represents the amount of time-energy
he has devoted to learning this specific knowledge.  Because IQ and IQ
points are always the same, in TFT there is a direct, unchangeable, and
(IMO) unrealistic relationship between how well a figure can reason and how
many skills he can learn.
   With the AdjIQ Rule: IQ is the ability to reason and default knowledge as
described above.  AdjIQ is the amount of specific knowledge and training
(i.e. IQ points) as described above.  "Reasoning" and "Knowledge" are thus
decoupled from each other, which I've found much more realistic, satisfying,
and just plain more fun!
   (Case in point: I personally don't consider myself all that intelligent
(perhaps no higher than IQ 10) but I /am/ very well read and trained in a
great variety of talents beyond the mundane -- Driving, Piloting, Computer
Operation, Electronics, Scholar, Vehicle Design, Astronomy, Pistol, Area
Knowledge: Sirius Star Cluster, etc. -- perhaps as many as 20 or 30 IQ
points worth of talents, making my adjIQ at least this high.  With only 10
IQ points and the base rules in /In The Labyrinth/ I would not be able to
design myself as a TFT character, and I'm sure this is also true for many of
you on this mailing list.  One would also have a tough time creating Conan
in TFT, given all of the things he knows how to do.)

   BTW, the "tada" knowledge points rule that Dan proposed is IMO no better
than ITL's rule.  Low-IQ fighter-types have it even worse than before,
average IQ's have the same problem, and higher-IQ leaders and wizards have
things only marginally better.  Overall the rule gives no tangible benefit
to the game in general, unless you're interested in running an all-wizards
campaign.
   This also violates the "make it better for the players" meta-rule.  My
players would say "No thanks" and I imagine (if we continued playing at all)
most of them would only play wizards and other high-IQ types to avoid so few
IQ points.
   Also, the "tada" rule doesn't make for a very good "plug-in."  It's a
basic change to the IQ rules which (to be fair) all characters would
probably have to be forced to follow.

   Sorry to get so long-winded here.  The concept of adjIQ is a simple one,
but explaining the realistic reasonings behind it is dull and boring, as
game design concepts sometimes are.  I'm sure many of you have already
figured out all of the above, but I felt it needed to be said.  I now yield
the virtual floor . . .

Dave Seagraves
Seagraves Design Bureau   dseagraves@austin.rr.com   1 (512) 255-2760
"Hooooooollllld the bus!"


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